>> QUESTION FROM 5-30-09 <<
to be answered 6-6-09

In the Holy Quran, night and night time “Lail” preserves a special meaning. There are certain characters for night “Lail” and certain holy occasions have occurred through night and night-time “Lail.” The following seven themes are as examples: 1) Revelation occurs at night, 2) Mi`raaj of the Holy Prophet happened at night, 3) Night of Qadr (Grand Night) is better than a thousand months, 4) Blessed night, 5) Miqaat (appointment) with Musa took place at night, 6) Tahajjud (awake for prayer) arises at night, and 7) Allah the Almighty swears by the Ten-night “Layalen `Ashr.”   Please find these seven occasions that happened at night (“Lail”) in the Holy Quran. Find at least one Ayah for each, and write the Ayaat, chapter numbers, and Ayaat numbers.
    

PAST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

May 30, 2009

QUESTION 33:  The following Ayaat indicate the seven characters and occasions of night “Lail”:

1. Revelation occurs at night: Surah al- Qadr 97, Ayah 1:  “Surely We revealed it (the Holy Quran) on the grand night.”

2. Mi`raaj of the Holy Prophet happened at night: Surah al-Israa` 17, Ayah 1:  “Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”

3. Night of Qadr: Surah al- Qadr 97, Ayah 3:  “The grand night is better than a thousand months.”

4. Blessed night: Surah al-Dukhaan 44, Ayah3:  “Surely We revealed it on a blessed night surely We are ever warning –“

5. Meeqaat (appointment) with Musa took place at night: Surah al-A`raaf 7, Ayah 142:  “And We appointed with Musa a time of thirty nights and completed them with ten (more), so the appointed time of his Lord was complete forty nights, and Musa said to his brother Haroun: Take my place among my people, and act well and do not follow the way of the mischief-makers.”

6. Tahajjud (awake for prayer) arises at night: Surah al-Israa` 17, Ayah 79:   “And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory.”

7. Allah the Almighty swears by the Ten-night “Layalen `Ashr”: Surah al-Fajr 89, Ayah 2:  “(I swear) by the ten nights,”

 May 23, 2009

QUESTION 32:  The word and phrase  “Tabarak-Allah,” meaning “blessed is Allah,” is mentioned three times in the Holy Quran. Through this phrase, The Almighty Allah (swt) has praised and admired Himself for certain occasions.  Please find the three occasions the phrase  of “Tabarak-Allah” has been mentioned in the Holy Quran. Write the Ayaat, chapter numbers, and Ayaat numbers.

ANSWER:  The following Ayaat indicate the phrase of  “blessed is Allah” in the Holy Quran.

1. Surah al-A`raaf 7, Ayah 54: “Surely your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods of time, and He is firm in power; He throws the veil of night over the day, which it pursues incessantly; and (He created) the sun and the moon and the stars, made subservient by His command; surely His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.”

2. Surah al-Mu`menoon 23, Ayah 14:  “Then We made the seed a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators.”

3. Surah Ghafir 40, Ayah 64:  “Allah is He Who made the earth a resting-place for you and the heaven a canopy, and He formed you, then made goodly your forms, and He provided you with goodly things; that is Allah, your Lord; blessed then is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.”
   

May 16, 2009

QUESTION 31:  The phrase of Oneness of God (Kalimah al-Towhid) is mentioned in the Holy Quran in four different forms: Please find these four different forms of “Kalimah” in the Holy Quran. Find at least one Ayah for each, and write the Ayaat, chapter numbers, and Ayaat numbers.

1. The phrase: “La illaha ila hu,” meaning “there is no god but He,” 

2. The phrase:  “La illaha ila ana,” meaning “there is no god but I,”

3. The phrase:  “La illaha il Allah,” meaning “there is no god but Allah,”

4. The phrase: "La illaha ila ant,” meaning “there is no god but Thou.”

ANSWER:  The following Ayaat indicate the four different forms of “Kalimah” in the Holy Quran.

1. The phrase: “La illaha ila hu,” meaning “there is no god but He.”  This form is mentioned 30 times in the Holy Quran.  For example: Surah al-Baqarah 2, Ayah 163: “And your God is one God! there is no god but He; He is the Beneficent, the Merciful.”

2. The phrase:  “La illaha ila ana,” meaning “there is no god but I.”  This form is mentioned 3 times in the Holy Quran.  For example:  Surah Taahaa 20, Ayah 14:  “Surely I am Allah, there is no god but I, therefore serve Me and keep up prayer for My remembrance”

3. The phrase:  “La illaha il Allah,” meaning “there is no god but Allah."  This form is mentioned 2 times in the Holy Quran.  For example: Surah Muhammad 47, Ayah 19:  “So know that there is no god but Allah, and, ask protection for your fault and for the believing men and the believing women; and Allah knows the place of your returning and the place of your abiding.”

4. The phrase: "La illaha ila ant,” meaning “there is no god but Thou.”  This form is mentioned one time in the Holy Quran: Surah al-Anbiyaa` 21, Ayah 87:  “And Yunus, when he went away in wrath, so he thought that We would not straighten him, so he called out among afflictions: There is no god but Thou, glory be to Thee; surely I am of those who make themselves to suffer loss.”

May 9, 2009

QUESTION 30:  How many Surahs (chapters) in the Holy Quran begin (after Bismillah) with Tasbeeh (glorifying Allah)?  The Tasbeeh and glorifying Allah is mentioned in certain words like: “Subhan, Yusabbehu, Sabbaha.  Please find these chapters and write names and numbers of the chapters, and the first Ayah which includes the word of Tasbeeh.

ANSWER:  There are seven Surahs (chapters) begins with the word of Tasbeeh:

1. Surah al-Israa` 17, Ayah 1:  “Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”

2. Surah al-Hadid 57, Ayah 1: "Whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares the glory of Allah, and He is the Mighty, the Wise."

3. Surah al-Hashr 59, Ayah 1:  “Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth declares the glory of Allah, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.”

4. Surah al-Saff 61, Ayah 1:  “Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth declares the glory of Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.”

5. Surah al-Jum`ah 62, Ayah 1:  “Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth declares the glory of Allah, the King, the Holy, the Mighty, the Wise.”

6. Surah al-Taghabun 64, Ayah 1:  “Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High,”

(Note:  Due to the differences in Arabic Grammar and English Grammar, the words "glory" or "glorify" that begin the Arabic sentence, often fall in another place of the English sentence)

May 2, 2009

QUESTION 29: How many Surahs (chapters) in the Holy Quran begins (after Bismillah) with the holy word “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “all praise is due to Allah?”   Please find these chapters and write names and numbers of the chapters, and the first Ayah which includes the word “Alhamdulillah.”

ANSWER:  There are five Surahs (chapters) begins with the word "Alhamdulillah, meaning “all praise is due to Allah:"

1. Surah al-Fatihah 1, Ayah 2: “All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.”

2. Surah An`aam 6, Ayah 1: “All praise is due to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light; yet those who disbelieve set up equals with their Lord.”

3. Surah al-Kahf 18, Ayah 1: “(All) praise is due to Allah, Who revealed the Book to His servant and did not make in it any crookedness.”

4. Surah Saba` 34, Ayah 1: “(All) praise is due to Allah, Whose is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and to Him is due (all) praise in the hereafter; and He is the Wise, the Aware.”

5. Surah Fatir 35, Ayah 1: “All praise is due to Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Maker of the angels, messengers flying on wings, two, and three, and four; He increases in creation what He pleases; surely Allah has power over all things.”

April 25, 2009

QUESTION 28:  There are some special characteristics and Adaab for “Masjid” (Mosque) mentioned in the Holy Quran. The following six features are as examples: 
1) In the Masjid, Allah's name is much remembered;
2) Allah is the real owner of the Masaajid;
3) We are asked to wear our beautiful apparel at every Masjid;
4) The Masjid should be founded on piety (Taqwa);
5) Only he shall visit the Masaajid of Allah who believes in Allah and the latter day;
6) The most unjust is the one who prevents (men) from the masaajid of Allah.
Please find these six characters and Adaab for “Masjid” in the Holy Quran. Find at least one Ayah for each, and write the Ayaat, chapter numbers, and Ayaat numbers.

ANSWER:  The following Ayaat indicate the six characters and Adaab for “Masjid ” in the Holy Quran.

1. In the Masjid, Allah's name is much remembered: Surah al-Hajj 22, Ayah 40: “Those who have been expelled from their homes without a just cause except that they say: Our Lord is Allah. And had there not been Allah's repelling some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah's name is much remembered; and surely Allah will help him who helps His cause; most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.”
2. Allah is the real owner of Masaajid:: Surah al-Jinn 72, Ayah 18:  “And that the mosques are Allah's, therefore call not upon any one with Allah”
3. We are asked to wear our beautiful apparel at every Masjid (time and place of prayer): Surah al-A`raaf 7, Ayah 31: “O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters.”
4. The Masjid should be founded on piety (Taqwa): Surah al-Towbah 9, Ayah 108:   “Never stand in it; certainly a masjid founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it; in it are men who love that they should be purified; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.”
5. Only he shall visit the Masaajid of Allah who believes in Allah and the latter day: Surah al-Towbah 9, Ayaat 17-18: “The idolaters have no right to visit the mosques of Allah while bearing witness to unbelief against themselves, these it is whose doings are null, and in the fire shall they abide. Only he shall visit the mosques of Allah who believes in Allah and the latter day, and keeps up prayer and pays the poor-rate and fears none but Allah; so (as for) these, it may be that they are of the followers of the right course.”
6. The most unjust is the one who prevents (men) from the masjids of Allah:Surah al-Baqarah 2,Ayah 114:  “And who is more unjust than he who prevents (men) from the masjids of Allah, that His name should be remembered in them, and strives to ruin them? (As for) these, it was not proper for them that they should have entered them except in fear; they shall meet with disgrace in this world, and they shall have great chastisement in the hereafter.”

April 18, 2009

QUESTION 27: The word “Masjid” (meaning “Mosque”) is mentioned 22 times in the Holy Quran. Out of these, five of them are directly or indirectly mentioned by specific names: Masjid al-Haraam, Masjid al-Aqsaa, Masjid Qubaa, Masjid al-Kahf, Masjid Ziraar.  Please find these five “Masjid” in the Holy Quran, find at least one Ayah for each, and write the Ayaat, chapter numbers, and Ayaat numbers.

ANSWER: The word “Masjid ” is mentioned 22 times in the Holy Quran. Out of these Masaajid, the following five masjids are directly or indirectly mentioned by specific names:

1. Masjid al-Haraam, Surah al-Baqarah 2, Ayah 150:  “And from whatsoever place you come forth, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you are turn your faces towards it”

2. Masjid al-Aqsaa, Surah al-Israa 17, Ayah 1:  “Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”

3. Masjid Qubaa, Surah al-Towbah 9, Ayah 108:  “Never stand in it; certainly a masjid founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it; in it are men who love that they should be purified; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.”

4. Masjid al-Kahf, Surah al-Kahf 18, Ayah 21:  “And thus did We make (men) to get knowledge of them that they might know that Allah's promise is true and that as for the hour there is no doubt about it. When they disputed among themselves about their affair and said: Erect an edifice over them -- their Lord best knows them. Those who prevailed in their affair said: We will certainly raise a masjid over them.”

5. Masjid Ziraar, Surah, Surah al-Towbah 9, Ayah 107:  “And those who built a masjid to cause harm and for unbelief and to cause disunion among the believers and an ambush to him who made war against Allah and His Apostle before; and they will certainly swear: We did not desire aught but good; and Allah bears witness that they are most surely liars.”