Islamic Articles

Another aspect of the Qur’an which serves to indicate its unique and exceptional nature is the remarkable and inexhaustible attraction that it exerts. Today, more than fourteen centuries after the revelation of the Qur’an, the captivating sound of t...

Another aspect of the Qur’an which serves to indic...

In another place, the Commander of the Faithful ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib describes the Holy Qur’an as follows: “Then God revealed to him (the Prophet [S]) the Book. It is a light whose radiance shall not be extinguished; A lamp whose flame shall no...

In another place, the Commander of the Faithful ‘A...

Therefore, let us ponder and reflect upon what the Prophet (S), the teacher of the Holy Qur’an, said about the excellence of the Holy Qur’an. He said about it in a sermon thus: "... Therefore, when mischief come to confuse you like the segments o...

Therefore, let us ponder and reflect upon what the...

No pen is capable of describing the excellence and magnificence of the Glorious Qur’an. This statement is absolutely correct, because while describing the Holy Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad (S) himself said: “The superiority of the Speech of God over othe...

No pen is capable of describing the excellence and...

Let us start by reflecting upon what Qur’an has to say about itself. The Qur'an introduces itself as the guidance for the worlds (3:96); and the manifest light (4:174). According to Qur’an, Allah has laid down solution of every human problem in the...

Let us start by reflecting upon what Qur’an has to...

Up until this point, the conditions and fundamental pillars upon which a correct commentary of the Qur`an lie upon have been made clear. However in relation to this, a question is raised which we must answer: What is the meaning of the phrase mention...

Up until this point, the conditions and fundamenta...

In regards to the time of their revelation, the verses of the Qur`an are divided into two categories – they are either verses which were revealed before the migration (to Madinah), or those which were revealed after the migration (to Madinah). ...

In regards to the time of their revelation, the ve...

The Qur`an was revealed in an environment in which the people were accustomed to a particular style of life and thus, the verses of the Qur`an which were sent down were suitable to and alluded to the lifestyle, traditions and customs of those people....

The Qur`an was revealed in an environment in which...

A great portion of the verses of the Qur`an are in relation to the history of the previous prophets and we are given a brief insight into the lives of some of these great men and the ways of their struggles with the oppressors and tyrants of their ti...

A great portion of the verses of the Qur`an are in...

The meaning of the ‘early history of Islam’ are those events which took place after the official appointment of the Prophet Muhammad (‘s) – specifically that which occurred after the migration to Madinah as a [significant] portion of the verses...

The meaning of the ‘early history of Islam’ are th...

Having an awareness of the philosophical and scientific theories is a valuable source for the mind which would permit the intellect to expand and would lead to valuable interpretations of the Qur`an. By this we mean that although one must keep away f...

Having an awareness of the philosophical and scien...

Going forth to study the verses of the Qur`an with preconceived notions is one of the greatest of dilemmas in the exegesis of the Qur`an. The person who, with prefabricated beliefs looks at the Qur`an and feels that his goal is to search for proofs t...

Going forth to study the verses of the Qur`an with...

Being fully aware of the various viewpoints and opinions of Muslim commentators on the Qur`an who have spent their entire lives engrossed in the Qur`an, and who can rightfully be called the ‘teachers of the science of the Qur`an’ is another foundatio...

Being fully aware of the various viewpoints and op...

Paying attention to the context of the verses, that is which comes before and after a particular verse (which we wish to comment upon) is in some ways, a branch of the sixth prerequisite of tafsir – consideration of the harmony that exists in a...

Paying attention to the context of the verses, tha...

A Consideration of the Harmony between all the Verses of the Qur`an1 What has been mentioned so far makes up the primary foundation of Qur`anic exegesis. However, one of the important conditions for the correctness of tafsir and its strength is that...

A Consideration of the Harmony between all the Ver...

Some of the verses of the Qur`an pertain to Islamic law and jurisprudence. They talk about the acts and deeds of those obligated to observe the Islamic laws and explain their rulings. The number of such verses in the Qur`an are not few and some scho...

Some of the verses of the Qur`an pertain to Islami...

The Noble Qur`an was revealed over the span of twenty-three years, following a chain of questions and answers [from the people] or with various events and incidents taking place. Having knowledge of the history of revelation of the verses offers us ...

The Noble Qur`an was revealed over the span of twe...

With complete clarity, the Qur`an introduces itself as the explainer of all things, when it states: وَ نَزَّلْــنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِـبْـيَاناً لِّكُلِِّ شَيْءٍ “And We have sent down The Book (Qur`an) upon you (Muhammad) as a clarifier of all...

With complete clarity, the Qur`an introduces itsel...

Knowledge of the meaning of the individual words of the Qur`an is one of the fundamental prerequisites for the commentary of the Qur`an, since understanding compounded word is only possible after comprehending its original components. At this point,...

Knowledge of the meaning of the individual words o...

The first prerequisite in the exegesis of the Qur`an is that the commentator must have a complete knowledge of the rules of Arabic grammar so that under the shadow of this comprehensive knowledge, he is able to clearly differentiate the ‘the subject ...

The first prerequisite in the exegesis of the Qur`...

The Twentieth Century of the common era, corresponding to the fourteenth century of the Islamic calendar, started off with an awakening of the Eastern world, especially the Muslims. In this century, the magical spell of colonialism was, to an extent,...

The Twentieth Century of the common era, correspon...