CULTURE OF ISLAM

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

Imtiaz Muhsin 29-Jun-12

The main objective of these talks (and therefore the scripts of these talks), is to stimulate thinking. Sensible, rational and logical thinking. So, my message, think, think & think! Be sensible, be rational and be logical.

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

Please Note
1. I have had the great privilege, (since Aug 2010), of presenting talks on the weekly Radio Program Culture of Islam [Every Friday 8 to 8.30 pm, Radio Sri Lanka - FM 97.4] 2. Since these are Radio Talks, I refer to, or address the audience as listeners 3. I am well aware that the audience to these talks would consist of people belonging to a variety of faiths. So as to make people of all faiths feel included, I very often use words and names that are common to all religions. 4. For these reasons, I use the name GOD, as well as Abraham, Moses, Jesus etc as well as the names Allah, Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam), Moosa (Alaihis Salaam), Easa (Alaihis Salaam) etc 5. Muslims by habit usually say Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam, when the name of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, and Alaihis Salaam' when the name of a Prophet is mentioned. However, in these series of talks I have reduced the use of these prayers & sayings to the bare minimum. 6. Muslims, also by habit, use a number of Arabic prayers or sayings, such as Alhamdulillah, Insha Allah and so on. Again, I have reduced the use of these prayers or sayings to the bare minimum. 7. Sometimes I have to write Arabic words in the English script. I have devised my own way of writing Arabic in English, as follows;

th TH

s Ss SW

DHL DHZ

H h

Gh GH

Information on these talks along with all download links can be found on my on my Blog (http://imtiazm.wordpress.com/) The dates or the schedules of these talks can be viewed on the Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/ImtiazMuhsin786) The Scripts of these talks can be downloaded from www.ScribD.com (www.ScribD.com Author Imtiaz Muhsin) The audio files of these talks can be downloaded from YouTube (YouTube Channel Imtiaz Muhsin) The YouTube Link to this talk is at

All Praise and Thanks is due to Allah and Allah alone Alhamdulillah!

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

Dear Friends, Assalamu Alaikum, Alhamdulillah, two weeks ago I began a series of talks, where I have given voice to some perplexing questions, and tried to rationally seek the answers, confident that these answers can be found in the Holy Quran. However, as can be expected, each clue or each Aayath that suggested an answer was actually opening up other questions. So the search broadened in scope as well as deepened in meaning and analysis. So, two weeks ago the 3 questions were; 1. Why is it that our description of what a good Muslim should be, would meet with everyones approval, whilst the Prophet and his close companions, who were the best of all Muslims, faced abuse, aggression and had to even migrate? 2. Who are these people that Allah describes as deaf dumb and blind? Are we in that group? 3. We should believe in the unseen, but have conviction in the hereafter. Why is that? And do our deeds and actions reflect our real conviction in the hereafter? Then last week, I was able to discuss or to elaborate the 1st question and I am sure all listeners would have been surprised by what the Holy Quran was pointing out to us. Alhamdulillah, I was able to quote a number of Aayaths from the Holy Quran that pointed out to us the manner in which the Prophets have been scolded, ridiculed, abused, called mad men, magicians, sorcerers, threatened with stoning, with death and even with expulsion. I enjoyed the research as much as I enjoyed presenting the talk or the evidence to all of you. Now, last week whilst I was presenting to you the Aayaths that describe opposition that the Prophets faced, I was having this feeling that I should also try to explain what the Prophets were trying to do. The different sets of circumstances that they were facing, what Allah was instructing them, what they were telling their people together with the response the people were giving them all with the objective of learning, trying to work out what was happening. Now how do I do that? It is a great learning experience for me too. So this week I decided to discuss one Surah of the Holy Quran I refer to Surah Shuarah. Why Surah Shuarah? Because in this Surah, Allah describes the stories or the experiences of quite a few prominent Prophets. How he instructed them, what these Prophets told their people, how their people turned nasty towards these Prophets, and somehow what I liked most was that each of these Prophets came up with a sort of a refrain explaining their mission I find these words have enormous meaning and is wonderful material for thinking about in contemplative mode at all times.

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

Anyway, whilst reading these Aayaths of this Surah, I began to categorize the Aayaths, and was able to come up with 12 categories. Now when we look at the Aayaths as under each category then a bigger and clearer picture begins to emerge. Let me read to you this list of categories; There are three parties. 1. Allah, 2. The Prophets, and 3. The people to whom these Prophets were sent to. There is a fourth party and that is us. Because it is to us these Aayaths are being read, it is for us to take lessons and to heed advice. So, the Aayaths are categorized according to the interaction between these three or these four parties. These 12 Categories are 1. About Allah - Allahs attributes Allah reminds us about His attributes. 2. About Allah - Allah described Allah describes Himself. 3. Allah speaks with the Prophets. 4. The Prophets, what they tell Allah. 5. The Prophets, what they tell their people. 6. The Prophets, what the people tell them. Can be described as scoldings. 7. People, what they tell the Prophets. 8. People what they tell others. 9. Signs of Allah. 10. What the villains did. 11. What Allah did. 12. Allah advises us. So, as you can see, there are many ways in which I could discuss the Aayaths in this Surah. 1. I could do a brief overview of the whole Surah. 2. Stories of 7 Prophets are described in this Surah. It would be really interesting to see the circumstances that each Prophet is in, what his People are telling him, what he is telling them, and what Allah is telling us about this situation. 3. Read out to you the Aayaths in the categorized format. So that we do not just look at the experience of one Prophet at a time, but we look at the experiences of all these Prophets at different situations. It would be most enlightening to all of us if I were go-through this Surah, in all these 3 ways. This would need a series of talks. Today, my area would be a talk based on the material in this Surah. In the coming weeks, Insha Allah, I would take the story of one Prophet a week, as described in this Surah, and also try to cover the Aayaths category by category, maybe one or two categories a week. Surah Shuara is a Meccan Surah, which means that it was revealed within the 1st 10 years of Prophet hood of Muhammad (Sal) at a period where he was facing opposition, ridicule and even persecution from his people.

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

Thus we get the impression that the Aayaths in this Surah would have strengthened his resolve as well as the resolve of his followers, especially when they listen to the difficulties the earlier Prophets had faced. As-Shuarah means The Poets. It is the 26th Surah in the Holy Quran. It contains 227 Aayaths. It also contains 11 Rukus or ghains, we may refer to them as sections. The names of the Prophets whose stories are described are; 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Moosa (AS) Ibrahim (AS) Nuh (AS) Hud (AS) Saleh (AS) Lut (AS) Shuhaib (AS) Rukus 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 Aayath Nos (10 to 69) (69 to 102) (105 to 122) (123 to 140) (141 to 159) (160 to 175) (176 to 191) Aayaths 70 Aayaths 35 Aayaths 18 Aayaths 18 Aayaths 19 Aayaths 16 Aayaths 16 Aayaths

Of course all the Aayaths are being revealed to Muhammad (Sal), so he is very much involved. Now let me describe to you how the Aayaths of this Surah read. It is very interesting; I shall take it Ruku by Ruku or section by section. The 1st Ruku 9 Aayaths 1 to 9 About Muhammad (Sal)

Begins with THaa Seemm Meem (26:2) These are the Aayaath of the clear Book. (26:3) perhaps you are going to let yourself collapse in grief because they do not believe.

At the very beginning of this Surah we are informed that the Aayaath or the Signs of Allah as described in the Holy Quran is very clear. Then we are informed of the great worry that Muhammad (Sal) had because he greatly desired that everyone should become a Mumin or a believer. The 1st Rukun ends with; (26:8) Surely, in this there is a sign, but most of them are not believers, (26:9) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful.

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

This Aayath (Wa inna Rabbaka laHuwal ghazeezur Raheem) is repeated 8 times in this Surah The 2nd Ruku The 3rd Ruku The 4th Ruku 24 Aayaths 19 Aayths 27 Aayaths 10 to 33 34 to 52 53 to 69 About Moosa (AS) About Moosa (AS) About Moosa (AS)

Aayath numbers 68 & 69, which is the last Aayaths of the 4th Ruku as well as of the story of Moosa (AS) (in this Surah), states as follows; (26:67) Surely, in this there is a sign, but most of them are not believers, (26:68) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful. Then; The 5th Ruku 35 Aayths This Ruku too ends with the 2 Aayaths; (26:103) Surely, in this there is a sign, but most of them are not believers, (26:104) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful.

70 to 104 About Ibrahim (AS)

Then; The 6th Ruku 18 Aayaths 105 to 122 About NuH (AS) In the story of NuH (AS) there is a set of Aayaths that are repeated for 5 of the seven Prophets whose stories are described in this Surah.

These Aayaths describes a message that the Prophet keeps telling his people. The fact that is repeated within the story of these 5 Prophets in just one Surah, impresses on us the importance of this instruction; Let us read these Aayaths, it is like a beautiful refrain, in this Ruku that describes the story of NuH (AS) it appears for Aayath Nos 107 to 110; (26:107) I am an honest messenger for you. (26:108) So, fear Allah and obey me.

(26:109) I do not claim from you any reward for it. My reward is with none but with the Lord of the worlds;

(26:110) so, fear Allah and obey me.

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

Again, this Ruku ends with the 2 Aayaths; (26:121) Surely, in this there is a sign, but most of them are not believers (26:122) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Very-Merciful. Then; The 7th Ruku Then; (26:124) when their brother Hd said to them, Do you not fear Allah? (26:125) I am an honest messenger for you, (26:126) so fear Allah and obey me. 18 Aayaths

123 to 140 Hud (AS) and Qauwm of Aad

(26:127) I do not claim from you any reward for it. My reward is with none but with the Lord of the worlds.

This Ruku ends with the single Aayath; (26:140) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful. Then; The 8th Ruku

141 to 159 Saleh (AS) & Qauwm of Thsamoodh

19 Aayaths

This Ruku too contains the Aayaths that the Prophets proclaim; (26:142) when their brother SliH said to them, Do you not fear Allah? (26:143) I am an honest messenger for you. (26:144) So, fear Allah and obey me.

(26:145) I do not claim from you any reward for it. My reward is with none but with the Lord of the worlds.

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

This Ruku too ends with the Aayath; (26:159) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful. Then; The 9th Ruku Then; (26:161) when their brother LT said to them, Do you not fear Allah? (26:162) I am an honest messenger for you. (26:163) So fear Allah and obey me.

160 to 175 Lut (AS)

16 Aayaths

(26:164) I do not claim from you any reward for it. My reward is with none but with the Lord of the worlds.

This Ruku too ends with the two Aayaths; (26:174) Surely, in this there is a sign, but most of them are not believers, (26:175) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful. Then; The 10th Ruku Then; (26:177) when Shuaib said to them, Do you not fear Allah? (26:178) I am an honest messenger for you. (26:179) So fear Allah and obey me. 16 Aayaths

Shuhaib (AS) and the Ashaabul Aiykah

176 to 191

(26:180) And I do not claim from you any reward for it; my reward is with none but with the Lord of the worlds.

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

This Ruku too ends with the 2 Aayaths (26:190) Surely, in this there is a sign, but most of them are not believers, (26:191) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful. Then; The 11th Ruku

38 Aayaths

192 to 227 8 times 8 times 8 times 5 times 5 times

A summary of the verses that are repeated 1 Inna Fee Zaalika AayaaH, Wamaa Kaana AkSsarahum Mumineen 2 Wa Inna Rabbaka laHuwal ghazeezur Raheem 3 FaththaQuLLaaHa wa ATHeeghoon [N, H & Saleh twice each and L & Sh once each Moosa Ibrahim none] 4 Innee lakum Rasoolun Ameen [Moosa and Ibrahim none] 5 Wamaa Asalukum ghalaihi min Ajr. In Ajriya Illaa ghalaa Rabbil Aalameen [Moosa and Ibrahim none] Now let us just read the 1st Ruku (26:1) T sn mm. (26:2) These are the verses of the manifest Book. (26:3) (O Prophet,) perhaps you are going to let yourself collapse in grief because they do not believe. (26:4) If We so will, We can send down to them a sign from the sky, for which their necks will stay bent in submission.

(26:5) Never a new message comes to them from the RaHmn (the All-Merciful Allah), but they become averse to it.

(26:6) Thus they rejected (the Truth); well, soon will come to them the real descriptions of what they used to ridicule.

84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah

(26:7) Have they not looked at the earth, how many of the noble pairs (of vegetation) We have caused to grow in it? (26:8) Surely, in this there is a sign, but most of them are not believers, (26:9) and indeed your Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful.

Did you not find that reading these Aayaths now was more enlightening. I hope that you enjoyed listening to this talk as much as I have been enjoying doing the research and then collecting the material for this before presenting it to you. May Allah Taalah guide us all and accpet us all. Jazza Kalla Khairan Assalamu Alaikum
Imtiaz Muhsin Colombo Sri Lanka crescent786@hotmail.com

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84 Learning from the Stories of Prophets - Surah Shu'rah