lesson Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Learn Quran Tajwid

The First Day

Allah said,
“A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in.”
[Quran 9:108]

*
Five years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessing be upon him), in 638 CE, the dating of the Islamic calendar was firstly introduced by the second caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, attempting to solve administrative problems during his period. That was, as Ibn Kathir (d. 1373 CE) narrated, because one Shahabi who was a governor of Iraq, Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari, wrote to Umar Ibn Al-Khattab in distress: “There are letters have reached us from you, o Amirul Mu’minin, but we do not know how to deal with them. We read a document dated the month of Sha’ban, but we do not know which of the Sha’bans is meant: is it the month that has passed, or that which is to come?”

Not like names of days and months, Arabs at that time had not had numbering system of years yet. They only named years by the most significant event or situation occured during those years. For instance, the year of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth called “The Year of Elephants”, named after Aksumite warriors who attempted to attack Kaaba with their war elephants. Al-Biruni (d. 1050 CE) also mentioned that Muslims named the year 10 AH as “The Year of Farewell”.

Receiving Abu Musa’s complaint, Umar call a number of senior Shahabis to discuss this very issue. They all agreed to invent a new calendar system instead adopting both Persian or Roman calendar. Then they began disputed which year should be the first year of this new Islamic Calendar. Some said, “From the year of the Prophet’s birth.” Others proposed, “From the year of thr Prophecy when Quran first revealed.” Ali suggested, “From the year of Hijra to Medina.” Umar agreed with him saying, “We begin from the year of Hijra, because it distiguished between the truth and the falsehood.”

Next, they talked the beginning month over between several suggestions. Umar approved Uthman’s proposal to begin every Islamic year from the month of Muharram, reasoning it by saying “It is the month when people returned from they hajj (pilgrimage).” even the Prophetic hijra was in Rabi’ul Awwal. After this discussion, Umar announced this agreement and spread the using of this Islamic calendar and that year itself was consequently the 16th AH (After Hijra).

Some scholars, like Dr. Yassir Qadhi, stated that the 108th verse of At-Tawbah in Quran may be a sign to this calendar: “A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in.” Note that Allah called the Prophetic Hijra when our Prophet built Quba mosque as “awwali yawm/the first day”. It is somehow like a sign that Islamic Calendar will refer to this historical moment. Allah knows best.

This sunset (Islamic days begin every sunset), 10th September 2018, we are going to enter 1st Muharram 1440 AH the first day of the Islamic new year. For many muslims, Islamic New Year is more of a time for personal reflection than parties and celebrations. It is, therefore, a time when people make new year resolutions, especially those who return home from their hajj (pilgrimage). We should make our resolutions in this new year to make our worldly life and our Hereafter life much better. If our beloved Prophet arranged and designed everything for his hijra very well, why we live our life and spend our time without any planning?

We hope you go to this link and donate for our Quranic projects:
http://kitabisa.com/learnqurantafsir

Was Iblis a Fallen Angel?

By Nur Fajri Romadhon

1Blog25Sep

Allah stated,
“And when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam!’ and they prostrated, but Iblis (did not). He was of the jinn so he departed from the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange.”
[Quran 18: 50]

One of interesting issues to talk about, even actually it has no essential effect to our faith, is the question about the origin of Iblis. Was he an angel or a jinn? In some Western literatures, even it is not mentioned literally in Torah, Bible nor Quran, we find the term “fallen angels”, which refers to angels who were expelled from Heaven for showing disobedience and ungratefulness to God. They were originally created to believe in God and serve him, but now they are enemies to both him and humanity. Was Iblis one of those fallen angels?

Honestly, some Islamic scholars believed it. This opinion is actually based on some Israiliyyat (Israelites’ traditions), which mentioned that the name of Iblis was “Azazil” and he used to live on the earth. He was one of the strongest of the angels in terms of knowledge and intelligence. Responding Israiliyyat, Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (d. 1449 CE) said that if those known to be true because the revelation to the Prophet Muhammad, we confirm them. And if those not known to be true or false, we may tell them without saying whether they are true or false. But if those known to be false, because the revelation to our Prophet, we must reject them.

Nonetheless we cannot accept this Israiliyyat particularly because in chapter of Al-Kahf verse number 50, Allah clearly stated, “He was a jinn so he departed from the command of his Lord” (kana min al-jinn fa-fasaqa ‘an amri Rabbihi). This is a crystal clear evidence supporting the opinion that Iblis was not an angel. It is just because the conjunction “fa” in the Arabic text is indicative of the reason. Fakhruddin Al-Razi (d. 1210 CE) explained, “The sentence ‘He was of the jinn’ indicates that Iblis’ disobedience to prostrate wasbecause he was a jinn.” On the contrary we saw that angles never disobey Allah’s commands. Allah describes them, “…who disobey not, from executing the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.” [Quran 66:6].

Simultaneously, there are a number of differences between Iblis and angels. Our Prophet mentioned them as two different creatures when he said, “The angels were created from light, Iblis was created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.” [Muslim]. Angels also do not have any descendants whereas Jinn have. Allah said: “Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you?” [Quran 18:50]

Furthermore, those Islamic scholars who held the opinion that Iblis was an angel also misinterpreted the sentence “‘So angels prostrated, except Iblis” which appear seven times in Quran, firstly in chapter of Al-Baqarah verse number 34. They said if Iblis was not an angel, then he must not be blamed when he did not prostrate because Allah only asked angels to prostrated when He said, “When we commanded to angels (wa idh qulnaa lil malaaikah)”. Ibn Kathir (d. 1373 CE) answered this understanding by saying, “When Almighty Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam, Iblis was regarded to be inclusive in that command. Although he was not of their kind, he was like them and he was performing their deeds. Because of that, Iblis was also regarded as the addressee of that command directed to the angels. And he was condemned since he did not obey that command.”

Additionally, Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami (d. 1566 CE) said, “It is obviously clear that the signification of the sentence ‘He was of the jinn’ is stronger than the sentence ‘So all angels prostrated, except Iblis’, because separated exception comes a lot in Quran and hadiths.” Separated exception is one of two kinds of exception in Arabic grammar. It means “but” rather than “except” because the thing excluded and the things not excluded are two different kinds of beings. For example, “Those workers went but their children (did not go).” Allah said, “They have no knowledge of it but following of assumption (they only have).” [Quran 4: 157]. We all know that following the assumption is not a knowledge at all, yet we see here that Allah excludes it from knowledge. Similarly, Allah said, “So all angels prostrated, except Iblis” should be understood like this: “So all angels prostrated, but Iblis (did not prostrate).”

To sum up, we consider a small dispute between Islamic scholars whether Iblis was an angel or not, but the right opinion belongs to those scholars who says that he was not an angel, instead he was a jinn and the ancestor of jinn. Hasan Al-Basri (d. 642 CE) and other tabi’is said, “Iblis was not one of the angels, not even for a second. He was the origin of the Jinn just as Adam was the origin of mankind.”

*
We hope you go to this link for more experience:
https://tafsir.learn-quran.co/en/surah-18-al-kahfi/ayah-50

This Worldly Life and Water

By Nur Fajri Romadhon

0Blog, People, Tips7Sep

Allah said,
“And present to them the example of the life of this world, its being like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and then it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.”
[Quran 18:45]

The word “Dunyaa” in Arabic morphology is derived from the root word “danaa” which literally means to be near or to be low. This word which has passed to several Asian, European and African languages is often used in Quran to call this “worldly life” that opposes to the Hereafter (Aakhirah). It is called “Dunya” because it has much lower class than Aakhirah as it is also considered nearer to us than the Hereafter life.

Allah mentioned over here the parable of this worldly life. How it is like the water which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it. It mingles with the seeds that are in the earth, so they grow and become good, producing bright, fresh flowers, then after that it becomes dry and broken pieces, withered up, which the winds scatter tossing them about right and left. This is the real face of “Dunya” which will eventually cease and come to a halt.

Al-Qurtubi (d. 1273 CE) explained in his Tafsir how compatible this parable is. He said that Allah compared Dunya to water for the following secrets.

Firstly, water does not settle and remain in one place. Equivalently, Dunya does not remain the same upon one state of affairs. Someone may be rich right now, but next month he may lost his wealth, or vice versa.

Secondly, water goes away and does not remain likewise Dunya will eventually come to an end. Some women can be proud of her adorableness when she was young, but three decades later that beauty is absolutely going to fade.

Thirdly, nobody is able to enter water without getting wet. Similarly for Dunya, no one is perfectly safe from its trials and calamities even he tries his best in swimming. We all know what will happen later to those who deeply dive or even sink into Dunya forgetting Aakhirah.

Fourthly, if you have the right amount of water it is a useful nursery, but if it goes beyond the limit it is a harmful destroyer like flood or tsunami. Analogously to Dunya, its subsistence is beneficial while its excess is harmful. Dunya is not forbidden, instead it is important in life. But it will become disaster when somebody takes it more than its proper quantity. Of course, everyone should recognize their own measures. May Allah help us to be proportional in this worldly life and keep it in our hands not inside our hearts.

Written by Nur Fajri Romadhon

4 Things You Can Do in Ramadan with Learn Quran

By Fadilah Arief

0Blog, Tips13May

Ramadan is the most special month of the year and a good chance to learn more about Quran. It is the month of Quran revelation as it mentioned here:

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. (Al Baqarah: 185)

Multiple rewards await in this holy month. When the day is packed with our activities, you have the night to do more prayers and asking for forgiveness. You only have 24 hours so you have to make sure every second counts. Nevertheless, your gadget can be a distraction and procrastination tool, hindering you from a meaningful Ramadan. Technology should improve your productivity to and make life easier.

Here are four things that you can do in Ramadan to improve your Quran skills with Learn Quran:

Improve your Tajwid skills and knowledge Learn Quran Tajwid App
- You must have learned some tajwid rules but now there are some ayah you don’t know how to read it. You hesitate to stop or to continue when you see some waqaf signs in the middle of an ayah. These are the signs to revisit the tajwid lessons. When you’re busy, this app can help you to learn and practice tajwid anywhere.
Create a plan to master all the lessons in Learn Quran Tajwid App
- There’re 22 lessons in total. If you already master the alphabet, you can skip it. If you want to learn only about the tajwid rules, you can go straight to the 14th lesson. Make a personal plan and make sure you can cover all selected lessons in one month. After Ramadan, you can recite Quran with more self confidence and may be you can teach others.
Learn one ayah everyday with Learn Quran Tafsir while you’re commuting
- Learn Quran Tafsir is presented in a bit size so you don’t feel overwhelmed with all the tafsirs. There’s a button to show a random ayah so you can use it if you have no exact plan which ayah to learn. You can also make a plan, for example you want to finish reading all tafsirs in Juz 30 during Ramadan. You can go to the selected surah and ayah by clicking the menu on the left side.
Support Learn Quran Foundation as ‘Amal Jariyah
- If you enjoy Learn Quran Tafsir, you can support us with donation in our campaign page here or via PayPal to [email protected]. Your support is very valuable to improve Learn Quran Tafsir features and make sure more people can enjoy using this Quran search engine too. Moreover, in Ramadan every good deeds creates multiple rewards, Insha Allah.

“My Lord, put my heart at peace for me and make my task easy for me,” (Taha: 25-26)

Ramadan is a good chance for us to focus and learning more about Quran. And with Learn Quran, we can practice Quran recitation and get more depth with the Quran in a modern way. Bismillah.

Seven Habits of Stephen Covey in Quran

By Nur Fajri Romadhon

1Blog27Apr

A friend of mine asked me hours ago, “If Quran is complete, why then there is no life guidance similar to those popular seven habits written three decades ago?”

I answer, “Firstly, those habits were only creation of that great man. Other writers could make it five, nine, add things, change others. Those are not the scripture which cannot be changed. Even the author himself add the 8th habit. Writers after him also make another version of these beneficial habits.

Secondly, the seven habits really exist in Quran and it teaches us more than these seven habits. It is impossible that Allah who is the Merciful and who knows everything best then does not guide us to such useful manners. In fact, there are several verses signify these habits and command us to do so as follows.

1st habit: Be proactive

Highly effective people make improve their lives through the things that they can influence rather than being reactive to external forces. Change in this world starts from within. Allah said: Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. [Quran 13:11]

2nd habit: Begin with the end in mind

Begin everything you do with a clear picture of your ultimate goal. Allah frequently reminds us about the Hereafter to always remember that everything we do should be oriented towards it. He said: O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow. (Quran 59:18).

3rd habit: Put first things first

We will be asked about our priority list. Choosing to do something before another wrongly could bring us to Hellfire like people who were late to embrace Islam or perform noble deeds until they passed away. Allah said: Everyone will then know what he has put forth and kept back. [Quran 82:5]
4th habit: Think win-win

Be considerate of the feelings of others. Do not always look for our happiness if it makes people suffer. Even when people do awful acts upon us, we should respond them with pious deeds to make all of us gain positive results then we become friends rather than enemies. Allah said: Repel evil by that deed which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity will become as though he was a devoted friend. [Quran 41:34]
5th habit: Seek first to understand, then to be understood

In Islam, you are prohibited to cut others’ talk before they have finished it. You also must listen well to what Allah and the Prophet said firstly then try to understand and learn it, after that you should obey, then Allah will give you His mercy. Allah said: And if they had said, “We hear and obey” and “Wait for us to understand,” it would have been better for them and more suitable. [Quran 4:46]

6th habit: Synergize

Through mutual trust and understanding, one often can solve conflicts and find a better solution that would have been obtained through either person’s own solution. Allah urges this point several times in Quran. For instance, He said: And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.[Quran 5:2]

7th habit: Sharpen the saw

In Quran Allah never commands us to request the addition of anything except daily additional knowledge or skill. Muslims should endlessly develop their quality. Allah said: and say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” [Quran 20:114]

May Allah help us to be those highly effective people. Allah knows best.

Never Underestimate Something Based on Few Data: Humans

By Fadilah Arief

1Blog11Mar

By: Nur Fajri Romadhon, Lc.

Angels asked God when He told them that He is going to create the first human,

“Will You place in the Earth who will spread corruption there and shed blood, while we glorify Your praises and proclaim Your holiness?” God responded, “I know what you do not know.” [Quran 2: 30]

Here we see angels didn’t respect humans because they only knew that humans will make messes in the world like creatures prior to them. They thought that they are enough to worship Allah and make Him please.

Before humans, Ibnu Abbas narrated that Jinns had lived on Earth and became its main rulers. Yet, those Jinns killed each others and destroyed everything. Based on this precedent, angels thought there is no need to make new creatures who likely will do similar crimes. But Allah knows what angels haven’t known.

It is an undeniable fact that some of humans will show crimes as angels have expected. But as Al-Baghawi said, there are still many exceptional things inside them which angels don’t have. Allah exactly knows much better about humans than angels. Hence, angels shouldn’t underestimate humans due to very little knowledge about them.

For instance, there will be prophets from humans, and no prophet from angels. Angels also don’t have any immoral desire. They worship Allah all time automatically without even thinking to give up. On the other hand, human beings have both noble and evil tendencies. They have a freedom to choose any of them as well. Then when they decide to perform noble deeds, to not spread corruption nor to shed blood, it means that they have defeated their greed and laziness and have made great efforts in order to do so.

Some lessons:

– Never look down on people just because we know few bad things about them.

– Struggling to be pious at perilous situation is worthier than being pious at such Islamic circumstance.

– Prophets and pious humans are better than all angels as Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah believe.

Tag : lesson

The First Day

Was Iblis a Fallen Angel?

This Worldly Life and Water

4 Things You Can Do in Ramadan with Learn Quran

Seven Habits of Stephen Covey in Quran

Never Underestimate Something Based on Few Data: Humans

DOWNLOAD NOW!

SUPPORTED BY