Taraweeh Tonight: Connect With The Quran – Eleventh Night of Ramadan

Ramadan 2013 Posts

Eleventh Night of Ramaḍān

Surat Hud – Hud (011)

Allāh, the Al-Mighty, says what can be interpreted to mean:

114. [Prophet], keep up the prayer at both ends of the day, and during parts of the night, for good things drive bad away– this is a reminder for those who are aware.

115. Be steadfast: God does not let the rewards of those who do good go to waste.

116. If only there had been, among the generations before your time, people with a remnant of good sense, to forbid corruption on the earth! We saved only a few of them, while the unjust pursued the enjoyment of plenty, and persisted in sin.

117. Your Lord would not destroy any town without cause if its people were acting righteously.

118. If your Lord had pleased, He would have made all people a single community, but they continue to have their differences–

119. except those on whom your Lord has mercy– for He created them to be this way, and the word of your Lord is final: ‘I shall definitely fill Hell with both jinn and men.’

120. So [Muhammad], We have told you the stories of the prophets to make your heart firm and in these accounts truth has come to you, as well as lessons and reminders for the believers.

121. Say to those who do not believe, ‘Do whatever you can: we too are doing what we can,’

122. and ‘Wait: we too are waiting.’

123. All that is hidden in the heavens and earth belongs to God, and all authority goes back to Him. So [Prophet], worship Him, and put your trust in Him: your Lord is never unaware of what you [people] are doing.

Surat Yusuf – Joseph (012)

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

7. There are lessons in the story of Joseph and his brothers for all who seek them. 8. The brothers said [to each other], ‘Although we are many, Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are –– our father is clearly in the wrong.’

9. [One of them said], ‘Kill Joseph or banish him to another land, and your father’s attention will be free to turn to you. After that you can be righteous.’

10. [Another of them] said, ‘Do not kill Joseph, but, if you must, throw him into the hidden depths of a well where some caravan may pick him up.’

11. They said to their father, ‘Why do you not trust us with Joseph? We wish him well.

12. Send him with us tomorrow and he will enjoy himself and play– we will take good care of him.’

13. He replied, ‘The thought of you taking him away with you worries me: I am afraid a wolf may eat him when you are not paying attention.’

14. They said, ‘If a wolf were to eat him when there are so many of us, we would truly be losers!’

15. Then they took him away with them, resolved upon throwing him into the hidden depths of a well– We inspired him, saying, ‘You will tell them of all this [at a time] when they do not realize [who you are]!’–

16. and at nightfall they returned to their father weeping.

17. They said, ‘We went off racing one another, leaving Joseph behind with our things, and a wolf ate him. You will not believe us, though we are telling the truth!’

18. and they showed him his shirt, deceptively stained with blood. He cried, ‘No! Your souls have prompted you to do wrong! But it is best to be patient: from God alone I seek help to bear what you are saying.’

19. Some travellers came by. They sent someone to draw water and he let down his bucket. ‘Good news!’ he exclaimed. ‘Here is a boy!’ They hid him like a piece of merchandise– God was well aware of what they did–

20. and then sold him for a small price, for a few pieces of silver: so little did they value him.

21. The Egyptian who bought him said to his wife, ‘Look after him well! He may be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ In this way We settled Joseph in that land and later taught him how to interpret dreams: God always prevails in His purpose, though most people do not realize it.

22. When he reached maturity, We gave him judgement and knowledge: this is how We reward those who do good.

23. The woman in whose house he was living tried to seduce him: she bolted the doors and said, ‘Come to me,’ and he replied, ‘God forbid! My master has been good to me; wrongdoers never prosper.’

24. She made for him, and he would have succumbed to her if he had not seen evidence of his Lord– We did this in order to keep evil and indecency away from him, for he was truly one of Our chosen servants.

25. They raced for the door– she tore his shirt from behind– and at the door they met her husband. She said, ‘What, other than prison or painful punishment, should be the reward of someone who tried to dishonour your wife?’

26. but he said, ‘She tried to seduce me.’ A member of her household suggested, ‘If his shirt is torn at the front, then it is she who is telling the truth and he who is lying,

27. but if it is torn at the back, then she is lying and he is telling the truth.’

28. When the husband saw that the shirt was torn at the back, he said, ‘This is another instance of women’s treachery: your treachery is truly great.

29. Joseph, overlook this; but you [wife], ask forgiveness for your sin– you have done wrong.’

30. Some women of the city said, ‘The governor’s wife is trying to seduce her slave! Love for him consumes her heart! It is clear to us that she has gone astray.’ 31. When she heard their malicious talk, she prepared a banquet and sent for them, giving each of them a knife. She said to Joseph, ‘Come out and show yourself to them!’ and when the women saw him, they were stunned by his beauty, and cut their hands, exclaiming, ‘Great God! He cannot be mortal! He must be a precious angel!’

32. She said, ‘This is the one you blamed me for. I tried to seduce him and he wanted to remain chaste, but if he does not do what I command now, he will be put in prison and degraded.’

33. Joseph said, ‘My Lord! I would prefer prison to what these women are calling me to do. If You do not protect me from their treachery, I shall yield to them and do wrong,’

34. and his Lord answered his prayer and protected him from their treachery– He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.

35. In the end they thought it best, after seeing all the signs of his innocence, that they should imprison him for a while.

36. Two young men went into prison alongside him. One of them said, ‘I dreamed that I was pressing grapes’; the other said, ‘I dreamed that I was carrying bread on my head and that the birds were eating it.’ [They said], ‘Tell us what this means– we can see that you are a knowledgeable man.’

37. He said, ‘I can tell you what this means before any meal arrives: this is part of what my Lord has taught me. I reject the faith of those who disbelieve in God and deny the life to come,

38. and I follow the faith of my forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Because of God’s grace to us and to all mankind, we would never worship anything beside God, but most people are ungrateful.

39. Fellow prisoners, would many diverse gods be better than God the One, the All Powerful? [No indeed!]

40. All those you worship instead of Him are mere names you and your forefathers have invented, names for which God has sent down no sanction. Authority belongs to God alone, and He orders you to worship none but Him: this is the true faith, though most people do not realize it.

41. Fellow prisoners, one of you will serve his master with wine; the other will be crucified and the birds will peck at his head. That is the end of the matter on which you asked my opinion.’

42. Joseph said to the one he knew would be saved, ‘Mention me to your master,’ but Satan made him forget to do this, and so Joseph remained in prison for a number of years.

43. The king said, ‘I dreamed about seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones; seven green ears of corn and [seven] others withered. Counsellors, if you can interpret dreams, tell me the meaning of my dream.’

44. They said, ‘These are confusing dreams and we are not skilled at dream-interpretation,’

45. but the prisoner who had been freed at last remembered [Joseph] and said, ‘I shall tell you what this means. Give me leave to go.’

46. ‘Truthful Joseph! Tell us the meaning of seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, seven green ears of corn and [seven] others withered,

47. then I can return to the people to inform them.’ Joseph said, ‘You will sow for seven consecutive years as usual. Store all that you reap, left in the ear, apart from the little you eat.

48. After that will come seven years of hardship which will consume all but a little of what you stored up for them; 49 after that will come a year when the people will have abundant rain and will press grapes.’

50. The king said, ‘Bring him to me,’ but when the messenger came to fetch Joseph, he said, ‘Go back to your master and ask him about what happened to those women who cut their hands– my Lord knows all about their treachery.’

51. The king asked the women, ‘What happened when you tried to seduce Joseph?’ They said, ‘God forbid! We know nothing bad of him!’ and the governor’s wife said, ‘Now the truth is out: it was I who tried to seduce him– he is an honest man.’

52. [Joseph said, ‘This was] for my master to know that I did not betray him behind his back: God does not guide the mischief of the treacherous.

53. I do not pretend to be blameless, for man’s very soul incites him to evil unless my Lord shows mercy: He is most forgiving, most merciful.’

54. The king said, ‘Bring him to me: I will have him serve me personally,’ and then, once he had spoken with him, ‘From now on you will have our trust and favour.’

55. Joseph said, ‘Put me in charge of the nation’s storehouses: I shall manage them prudently and carefully.

56. In this way We settled Joseph in that land to live wherever he wished: We grant Our mercy to whoever We will and do not fail to reward those who do good.

57. The reward of the Hereafter is best for those who believe and are mindful of God.