Taraweeh Tonight: Connect With The Quran – Twenty Third Night of Ramadan

Ramadan 2013 Posts

Twenty Third Night of Ramaḍān

Surah Fatir – The Creator (035)

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

1. Praise be to God, Creator of the heavens and earth, who made angels messengers with two, three, four [pairs of] wings. He adds to creation as He will: God has power over everything.

2. No one can withhold the blessing God opens up for people, nor can anyone but Him release whatever He withholds: He is the Almighty, the All Wise.

3. People, remember God’s grace towards you. Is there any creator other than God to give you sustenance from the heavens and earth? There is no god but Him. How can you be so deluded?

Further on Allah, the Al-Mighty, says what can be interpreted to mean:

15. People, it is you who stand in need of God – God needs nothing and is worthy of all praise.

16. If He wills, He can do away with you and bring in a new creation,

17. That is not difficult for God.

18. No burdened soul will bear the burden of another; even if a heavily laden soul should cry for help, none of its load will be carried, not even by a close relative. But you [Prophet] can only warn those who fear their Lord, though they cannot see Him, and keep up the prayer – whoever purifies himself does so for his own benefit – everything returns to God.

19. The blind and the seeing are not alike,

20. Nor are darkness and light;

21. Shade and heat are not alike,

22. Nor are the living and the dead. God makes anyone He wills hear [His message]: you cannot make those in their graves hear.

23. You are only here to warn them

24. We have sent you with the Truth as a bearer of good news and warning – every community has been sent a warner.

25. If they call you a liar, their predecessors did the same; messengers came to them with clear signs, scriptures, and enlightening revelation

26. And afterwards I seized the disbelievers– how terrible My punishment was!

Surah Ya Sin (036)

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

1. Ya Sin

2. By the wise Qur’an,

3. You [Muhammad] are truly one of the messengers sent

4. On a straight path,

5. With a revelation from the Almighty, the Lord of Mercy,

6. To warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, and so they are unaware.

7. The verdict has been passed against most of them, for they refuse to believe.

8. [It is as if] We had placed [iron] collars around their necks, right up to their chins so that their heads are forced up

9. And set barriers before and behind them, blocking their vision; they cannot see.

10. It is all the same to them whether you warn them or not; they will not believe.

11. You can warn only those who will follow the Qur’an and hold the Merciful One in awe, though they cannot see Him: give such people the glad news of forgiveness and a noble reward.

12. We shall certainly bring the dead back to life, and We record what they send ahead of them as well as what they leave behind: We keep an account of everything in a clear Record.

13. Give them the example of the people to whose town messengers came.

14. We sent two messengers but they rejected both. Then We reinforced them with a third.

15. They said, ‘Truly, we are messengers to you,’

16. But they answered, ‘You are only men like ourselves. The Lord of Mercy has sent nothing; you are just lying.’ They said, ‘Our Lord knows that we have been sent to you.

17. Our duty is only to deliver the message to you,’

18. But they answered, ‘We think you are an evil omen. If you do not stop, we shall stone you, and inflict a painful torment on you.’

19. The messengers said, ‘The evil omen is within yourselves. Why do you take it as an evil omen when you are reminded of the Truth? You are going too far!’

20. Then, from the furthest part of the city, a man came running. He said, ‘My people, follow the messengers.

21. Follow them: they are not asking you to reward them and they are rightly guided.

22. Why should I not worship the One who created me? It is to Him that you will be returned.

23. How could I take besides Him any other gods, whose intercession will not help me and who would not be able to save me if the Lord of Mercy wished to harm me?

24. Then I would clearly be in the wrong.

25. I believe in your Lord, so listen to me.’

26. He was told, ‘Enter the Garden,’ so he said, ‘If only my people knew

27. How my Lord has forgiven me and set me among the highly honoured.’

28. After him We did not send any army from heaven against his people, nor were We about to:

29. There was just one blast, and they fell down lifeless.

Further on Allah, the Al-Mighty, says what can be interpreted to mean:

60.’ Children of Adam, did I not command you not to serve Satan, for he was your sworn enemy,

61. But to serve Me? This is the straight path.

62. He has led great numbers of you astray. Did you not use your reason?

63. So this is the Fire that you were warned against.

64. Enter it today, because you went on ignoring [my commands].’

65. On that Day We shall seal up their mouths, but their hands will speak to Us, and their feet bear witness to everything they have done.

66. If it had been Our will, We could have taken away their sight. They would have struggled to find the way, but how could they have seen it?

67. If it had been Our will, We could have paralysed them where they stood, so that they could not move forward or backward.

68. If We extend anyone’s life, We reverse his development. Do they not use their reason?

Surah as-Saffat – Ranged in Rows (037)

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

19. Just one blast and – lo and behold! – they will look

20. And say, ‘Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgement.’

21. [It will be said], ‘This is the Day of Decision, which you used to deny.

22. [Angels], gather together those who did wrong, and others like them, as well as whatever they worshipped

23. Beside God, lead them all to the path of Hell,

24. And halt them for questioning:

25. “Why do you not support each other now?” ’

26. No indeed! They will be in complete submission on that Day –

27. And they will turn on one another accusingly.

28. They will say, ‘You came to us from a position of power.’

29. They will say, ‘No! It was you who would not believe –

30. We had no power over you – and you were already exceeding all limits.

31. Our Lord’s sentence on us is just and we must all taste the punishment.

32. We led you astray as we ourselves were astray.’

33. On that Day they will all share the torment:

34. This is how We deal with the guilty.

35. Whenever it was said to them, ‘There is no deity but God,’ they became arrogant,

36. And said, ‘Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?’

37. ‘No: he brought the truth and confirmed the earlier messengers;

38. You will taste the painful torment,

39. And be repaid only according to your deeds.’

40. Not so God’s true servants.

41. They will have familiar provisions –

42. Fruits – and will be honoured

43. In gardens of delight;

44. Seated on couches, facing one another.

45. A drink will be passed round among them from a flowing spring:

46. White, delicious to those who taste it,

47. Causing no headiness or intoxication.

48. With them will be spouses – modest of gaze and beautiful of eye –

49. Like protected eggs.

Further on Allah, the Al-Mighty, says what can be interpreted to mean:

83. Abraham was of the same faith:

84. He came to his Lord with a devoted heart.

85. He said to his father and his people, ‘What are you worshipping?

86. How can you choose false gods instead of the true God?

87. So what is your opinion about the Lord of all the Worlds?’

88. Then he looked up to the stars.

89. He said, ‘I am sick,’

90. So [his people] turned away from him and left.

91. He turned to their gods and said,

92. ‘Do you not eat? Why do you not speak?’

93. Then he turned and struck them with his right arm.

94. His people hurried towards him,

95. But he said, ‘How can you worship things you carve with your own hands,

96. When it is God who has created you and all your handiwork?’

97. They said, ‘Build a pyre and throw him into the blazing fire.’

98. They wanted to harm him, but We humiliated them.

99. He said, ‘I will go to my Lord: He is sure to guide me.

100. Lord, grant me a righteous son,’

101. So We gave him the good news that he would have a patient son.

102. When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’

103. When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son down on the side of his face,

104. We called out to him, ‘Abraham,

105. You have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who do good –

106. It was a test to prove [their true characters] –

107. We ransomed his son with a momentous sacrifice,

108. And We let him be praised by succeeding generations:

109. ‘Peace be upon Abraham!’

110. This is how We reward those who do good:

111. Truly he was one of Our faithful servants.

Sura Saad – (038)

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

Remember Our servant David, a man of strength who always turned to Us:

18. We made the mountains join him in glorifying Us at sunset and sunrise;

19. And the birds, too, in flocks, all echoed his praise.

20. We strengthened his kingdom; We gave him wisdom and a decisive way of speaking.

21. Have you heard the story of the two litigants who climbed into his private quarters?

22. When they reached David, he took fright, but they said, ‘Do not be afraid. We are two litigants, one of whom has wronged the other: judge between us fairly – do not be unjust – and guide us to the right path.

23. This is my brother. He had ninety-nine ewes and I just the one, and he said, “Let me take charge of her,” and overpowered me with his words.’

24. David said, ‘He has done you wrong by demanding to add your ewe to his flock. Many partners treat each other unfairly. Those who sincerely believe and do good deeds do not do this, but these are very few.’ [Then] David realized that We had been testing him, so he asked his Lord for forgiveness, fell down on his knees, and repented:

25. We forgave him [his misdeed]. His reward will be nearness to Us, a good place to return to.

26. ‘David, We have given you mastery over the land. Judge fairly between people. Do not follow your desires, lest they divert you from God’s path: those who wander from His path will have a painful torment because they ignore the Day of Reckoning.’

27. It was not without purpose that We created the heavens and the earth and everything in between. That may be what the disbelievers assume – how they will suffer from the Fire!

28. But would We treat those who believe and do good deeds and those who spread corruption on earth as equal? Would We treat those who are aware of God and those who recklessly break all bounds in the same way?

29. This is a blessed Scripture which We sent down to you [Muhammad], for people to think about its messages, and for those with understanding to take heed.

30. We gave David Solomon. He was an excellent servant who always turned to God.

31. When well-bred light-footed horses were paraded before him near the close of day,

32. He kept saying, ‘My love of fine things is part of my remembering my Lord!’ until [the horses] disappeared from sight

33. ‘Bring them back!’ [he said] and started to stroke their legs and necks.

34. We certainly tested Solomon, reducing him to a mere skeleton on his throne.

35. He turned to Us and prayed: ‘Lord forgive me! Grant me such power as no one after me will have– You are the Most Generous Provider.’

36. So We gave him power over the wind, which at his request ran gently wherever he willed,

37. And the jinn – every kind of builder and diver

38. And others chained in fetters.

39. ‘This is Our gift, so give or withhold as you wish without account.’

40. His reward will be nearness to Us, and a good place to return to.