Surah baqarah (2:30-37)
(a)Main Theme:
Theme of the passage is God’s messengers.
It describes the story of creations of Adam and his
especially elevated status granted by God’s decree.
This superiority of Adam was duly acknowledged by
all angels except Iblis who showed arrogance (since he
was a Jinn, not an angel).
Adam and Eve were granted paradise but Iblis
maneuvered their exile from there, out of jealousy and
malice.
On repentance on their mistake Adam and Eve
were pardoned by God who awarded them a new phase
of worldly living.
The Quran mentions this phase at another place
as: “it is We, Who have placed you with
authority on earth” (7:10).
(b) Importance:
Theme of this passage contains important lessons
for Muslims.
They are told the reason for making human being
superior over all other creatures.
God appointed man (byway of Adam) as his
vicegerent on earth because of the knowledge and free
will.
The free will is a test for humans as they can be
enticed by Satan to commit sins.
The Quran warns about this by saying:“for
Satan is an avowed enemy to
man” (12:5, Yusuf).
The passage further tells about God’s mercy and
forgiveness as he accepted repentance by Adam.
The Quran reminds Muslims repeatedly of this
attribute of God: “if anyone does evil, or
wrongs his own soul but afterwards
seek God’s forgiveness. He will find
God Oft-forgiving and most
Merciful” (4:110, Al-Nisa)
12.Sura Al-an’aam (6:75-79)
75. So also did We show Abraham the power and the
laws of the heavens and the earth, so that he
might have certainty. 76. When the night covered
him over, he saw a star: He said: ‘This is my Lord.’
But when it set, he said: ‘I do not love things that
set.’ 77. When he saw the moon rising in splendour,
he said: ‘This is my Lord.’ But when the moon set,
he said: ‘Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be
among those who go astray.’ 78. When he saw the
sun rising in splendour, he said: ‘This is my Lord;
this is the greatest.’ But when the sun set, he said:
‘O my people! I am indeed free from your giving
partners to Allah.’ 79. ‘For me, I have set my face
firmly and truly towards Him who created the
heavens and the earth, and never shall I
give partners to Allah.’
(a)Main Theme:
Theme of this passage is God’s messengers and
this passage outlines the story of Prophet Abraham in
search of One Supreme God.
Abraham was gradually guided to identify the real
Creator and Lord by way of his creations such as the
Sun, the Moon and the Stars.
He eventually realized that God is eternal and
therefore He rejected the polytheism (shirk) that was
the hallmark of the society around him.
He finally, declared the shahada (proclamation of
belief in one God) as a sign of acquiring internal peace.
(b)Importance:
Theme of this passage teaches Muslims to refuse
Shirk i.e. associating partners with God and to believe in
Tawhid.
They should learn that celestial bodies merely
reflect God’s glory and are only God’s creatures.
They should never be worshiped because the
Quran categorically declares: “He has made
subject to you the night and the day;
the sun and the moon; and the stars
are in subjection by his
command” (16:12, al-Nahl).
Muslims should also believe God granted prophet-
hood to his messengers by various modes and that all
these messengers preached the universal message of
Tawhid
Prophet Ibrahim’s proclamation of Tawhid was not
different from the shahada taught by the Prophet
Muhammad (SAW).
Therefore Muslims should respect all the
messengers equally.
13.Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:110)
Then will Allah say: ‘Jesus son of Mary! Recount my
favour to you and to your mother. Behold! I
strengthened you with the holy spirit, so that you
spoke to the people in childhood and in
maturity. Behold! I taught you the Book and
Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel. And behold! You
make out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by
my leave, and you breathe into it and it becomes a
bird by my leave, and you heal those born blind, and
the lepers, by my leave. And behold! You bring forth
the dead by my leave. And behold! I restrained the
Children of Israel from you when you showed them
the clear signs, and the unbelievers among them
said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’
(a)Main Theme:
Theme of this passage is God’s association with His
messengers.
It describes God’s address to Jesus in the Divine
Court in the presence of children of Israel.
It outlines the prophetic signs of Jesus that include
his ability to speak from the cradle, give life to the dead
and cure the leper and the blind.
Above all he was taught the divine wisdom through
the Torah and the Gospel but despite all this he was
rejected by his people who even tried to crucify him.
(b)Importance:
Muslims are taught many important things though
the theme of this passage.
They are required to believe that, like other
messengers Jesus was also a man chosen by God.
He was granted miraculous powers so that men of
wisdom should identify him.
The Quran referred to this fact as: “thus
does
God make clear to you His signs in
order that you consider” (2:219, al-
Baqarah).
Muslims also learn that God’s messengers were
always rejected despite such clear signs by the
‘spiritually dead’ and ‘sick in heart’ people who are
mentioned by the Quran as: “those who reject
our signs are deaf and dump and midst
of darkness profound” (6:39, al-
An’am).
Muslims also learn that the rejecters of truth will
stand accountable before God in the Hereafter.
14.Sura Al-Duha (93)
1. By the glorious morning light, 2. And by the night
when it is still, 3. Your Lord has not forsaken you,
nor is he displeased. 4. And truly the Hereafter will
be better for you than the present. 5. And soon your
Lord will give you so that you will be pleased. 6. Did
He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? 7.
And He found you wandering, and He gave you
guidance. 8. And He found you in need, and made
you independent. 9. Therefore, do not treat the
orphan with harshness, 10. Nor drive the beggar
away; 11. But tell about the bounty of your Lord!
(a)Main Theme:
Theme of the passage is God’s special relation with
the Holy Prophet.
The passage was revealed after a long break that
worried the prophet, and his makkan enemies began to
mock him.
God consoled him re-assuring that he would not
abandon him.
God reminded the prophet some of His past favours
on him.
The prophet was a born orphan but God made
arrangements for his growth and upbringing.
God then granted him prophet-hood,
His greatest reward. Purpose of these reminders is
to re-assure him of similar support in future. However,
God instructed him to be kind to those in need as
this would reflect his gratitude to God.
(b)Importance:
The theme of this passage teaches Muslims the
importance of faith in God’s help.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) was re-assured by God in
the midst of mockery in Makkah.
Muslims today should also retain their faith in
difficult times by remembering the Quranic
promise: “So, verily with every difficulty
there is a relief” (94:5, al-Inshirah).
Muslims should believe that all messengers of God
were rejected and ridiculed but they remained firm in
their mission.
They should also believe that the relationship with
God can be strengthened by their kindness to the weak
and unsupported people because such an attitude is an
expression of love for God.
“it is righteous to
The Quran says:
spend of your substance out of love
for Him, for your kins, for
orphans” (2:177, al-Baqarah).
15.Sura Al-Kauthar (108)
1. To you have We granted abundance. 2. So pray to
your Lord and sacrifice. 3. For he who hates you,
he will be cut off
(b)Main Theme:
Theme of the passage is God’s relation with his
messengers.
It mentions God’s special care for the Holy Prophet
(SAW) in time of difficulties.
The Prophet was mocked by the Makkans on the
death of his sons from Khadija (RA).
God consoled him by promising him abundance of
success and destruction of the ones who insulted him.
He told the prophet to remember God through
regular prayer and to develop the spirit of sacrifice so
that he could continuously strengthen his bond with God
and to get constant divine support.
(b)Importance:
This passage, like surah 93, teaches Muslims to
have faith in God’s support that surely teaches the noble
people.
The holy prophet was assured
of “abundance” in the face of persecutions in
Makka. This “abundance” came in the form of his
countless followers and his descendants through his
daughter Fatima.
His insulters, on the other hand, perished for ever.
So, a noble mission always survives though it is rejected
by the misguided people.
The Quran testifies to it: “rejected
were the
Messengers before you; with patience
and constancy they bore their
rejection“ (6:34, al-An’am).
The passage teaches Muslims to develop spirit of
sacrifice and establish prayer as these are the best
means of getting closer to their lord, as is endorsed by
the Quran: “and establish regular prayer
in order to remember Me”(20:14, Taha).
