Alhamdulillah. I am pleased to continue presenting Quran Tafseer lessons following the authentic Sunni methodology taught in Makkah, based on original sources such as Al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Al-Baghawi, Al-Sa’di, and others. The lessons are explained in a simple and clear language, so stay tuned for these rare and exclusive lessons available only, insha’Allah, on my website.
1. Alif, Lam, Meem.
These are letters pronounced separately: Alif, Lam, Meem.
They are the opening letters with which Allah began some chapters of the Noble Qur’an.
They also serve as names for certain chapters, such as Surah Qaf, Surah Sad, Surah Yaseen, and Surah Taha; and as the companions of the Prophet would say: “Alif Lam Meem” (Al-Sajdah), and “Ha Meem” (Al-Dukhan).
As for their meaning, only Allah knows them, so we entrust their knowledge to Him, the Exalted and Glorious.[1]
2. There is no doubt about this Book; it is guidance for the righteous.
This Qur’an is undoubtedly the truth, the ultimate proof and clear evidence sent down by Allah to His Messenger Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him).
It is the guiding book that leads from misguidance to clarity, from disbelief to Islam, from polytheism to monotheism, from worshiping created beings to worshiping the Creator.
It guides from what angers Allah to what pleases Him, from what He has forbidden to what He has permitted, from doubt to certainty, from despair to hope, from loss to gain, from failure to success, from humiliation to honor, from sorrow to happiness, from ignorance to knowledge, from weakness to strength, from defeat to victory, and from the torment of Hellfire to the bliss of Paradise.
This Qur’an is the source, foundation, spring, and unfailing aid of guidance at all times and places, for the righteous believers who fear Allah’s wrath and punishment by adhering to what He has ordained and avoiding what He has forbidden.
No one else benefits from this Qur’an or achieves its ultimate purpose except them, and Allah has honored them by granting them this special guidance.
3. Those who believe in the unseen, maintain their prayers, and spend from what We have provided for them.
Among the characteristics of those true believers in Allah—those who are mindful and conscious of Him, and avoid His disobedience—are the following:
(a) They have absolute faith, without any doubt, in the essential pillars of faith that Allah revealed to His Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him). These pillars are:
Faith in Allah: Believing that He is the One true God, the only One worthy of worship, without any partner, equal, or likeness. They believe He is the sole Lord, Owner, and Controller of all creation. They affirm His names, attributes, and actions, attributing none of these to anyone else.
Faith in the angels: Believing in their existence as honored servants created by Allah to worship Him. They have names, roles, and character-istics, all of which are accepted based on what Allah and His Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) have informed us through the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Faith in the revealed books: Believing in the scriptures sent down by Allah, such as the Qur’an, the Injeel, the Torah, the Zabur, and the Scrolls of Ibrahim of Abraham, and others.
While the laws in these books may differ, the core creed is one.
The Qur’an is the final revelation, superseding previous scriptures. Allah abrogated earlier laws and forbade following them when they contradict the Qur’an.
The differences in beliefs between the Qur’an and the Jews and Christians indicate that those earlier scriptures were altered. The Qur’an’s creed matches the original message, so it alone is to be followed in matters of faith.
Faith in the messengers: Believing in all the prophets and messengers sent by Allah, acknowledging them as honored, righteous servants. They do not differentiate among them by accepting some and rejecting others, unlike the Jews and Christians who believed in some and disbelieved in others.
Faith in the Last Day: Firmly believing in all the events of the Day of Judgment, including the meeting with Allah, the accounting of deeds, the weighing of actions, the intercession of the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) for the believers, Paradise and Hell, and the believers’ vision of their Lord.
Faith in divine decree and predestination (Qadar): Believing that Allah, with His perfect knowledge and justice, has written the fate of all creation. His will prevails over all. The pens have been lifted, and the scrolls have dried, meaning that what Allah decrees is final.
However, Allah does not compel anyone to believe or disbelieve, nor force good or evil upon anyone. Human beings possess free will and choice, for which they will be held accountable, yet — as the Qur’an states — “You do not will except that Allah wills.” A Muslim should strive to seek what pleases Allah and avoid what angers Him. One should not speak about divine decree without knowledge. Allah determines whatever He wills; He is the Most Wise and Most Merciful of judges.
These pillars of faith were revealed to the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) through the unseen, by the angel Gabriel, whom people do not see. The pillars themselves concern the unseen, unknown to humans except by revelation. Thus, our faith is faith in the unseen.
(b) They perform the prayer with its conditions and essential parts, maintaining regularity in both obligatory and voluntary prayers.
(c) They spend from what Allah has provided them of lawful sustenance in the way of Allah, whether it is obligatory charity (zakat) or other forms of obligatory and recommended spending.[2]
4. And those who believe in what was sent down to you and what was sent down before you, and have certainty in the Hereafter.
Among the characteristics of these mindful believers (Al-Muttaqeen), in addition to the previous ones, are:
(d) They firmly and comprehensively believe in the Qur’an sent down by Allah to you, Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), with certainty and detailed acceptance, including full adherence to its laws and guidance.
(e) They have a general belief in the previous scriptures sent by Allah to the prophets before you, Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), acknowledging their divine origin but without obligating strict adherence to their specific laws.[3]
(f) They hold an unwavering, certain faith in what occurs after death and on the Day of Judgment, as conveyed by Allah and His Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) in the Qur’an and Sunnah.[4]
5. Those are guided by their Lord, and those are the successful.
Those described by all the previous qualities are the only ones truly guided by Allah to remain steadfast in true faith.
It is not appropriate to attribute guidance, righteousness, or piety to anyone else who does not believe in Allah and His Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him).
They are also the successful ones who attain Allah’s pleasure, victory, gains, reward, bliss, entry into Paradise, and the ultimate blessing of seeing Allah Almighty in the Hereafter. [5]
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[1] In the authentic hadith: “The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Surah As-Sajdah — Alif Lam Meem, Tanzil — during Fajr prayer on Fridays and also the opening verse of Surah Al-Insan (Hal Ata ‘ala Al-Insan).” [Agreed upon].
And according to ‘Abdullah ibn Masoud, the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) recited Ha Meem, Al-Dukhan (Surah) during the Maghrib prayer. [Hasan hadith – Nata’ij al-Afkar by Ibn Hajar].
[2] Prayer and almsgiving (Zakat) are parts of faith; thus, their mention alongside faith in this noble verse is an example of specifying a general concept to honor and encourage these acts.
[3] If asked: How can faith in the Scriptures and the Messengers be considered part of the unseen when people have seen them? We respond: The unseen aspect of the Messengers is that Allah sent them, and the unseen aspect of the Scriptures is that Allah revealed them.
[4] We believe that Allah revealed previous scriptures to His prophets and messengers. Some of these scriptures we know, while others remain unknown to us. As for the scriptures currently held by the Jews and Christians, they have been subject to distortion and fal-sification. Therefore, they are not the original Torah or Gospel that Allah revealed to Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them).
[5] Linguistically, Iman (faith) means “belief” or “conviction.” In the technical terminology of Sunni doctrine, it encompasses: heartfelt conviction with submission and surrender to Allah, verbal acknowledgment by declaring the shahada (entering Islam) and accepting its rulings, and actions of the limbs by performing what Allah has prescribed and refraining from what He has forbidden. Faith increases with obedience of Allah and decreases with disobedience.
Interpreting faith as mere heart belief in the linguistic sense alone is an innovation (Bid’a or heresy) contrary to the creed of the first righteous generations (Al-Salaf).
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