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

Ramadan 2013 Posts

Seventeenth Night of Ramaḍān

Surat TaHa (020)

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

1. Ta Ha

2. It was not to distress you [Prophet] that We sent down the Qurʾān to you,

3. but as a reminder for those who hold God in awe,

4. a revelation from the One who created the earth and the high heaven,

5. the Lord of Mercy, established on the Arsh.

6. Everything in the heavens and on earth, everything between them, everything beneath the soil, belongs to Him.

7. Whatever you may say aloud, He knows what you keep secret and what is even more hidden.

8. God––there is no god but Him––the most excellent names belong to Him.

9. Has the story of Moses come to you [Prophet]?

10. He saw a fire and said to his people, ‘Stay here––I can see a fire. Maybe I can bring you a flaming brand from it or find some guidance there.’

11. When he came to the fire, he was summoned, ‘Moses!

12. I am your Lord. Take off your shoes: you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa.

13. I have chosen you, so listen to what is being revealed.

14. I am God; there is no god but Me. So worship Me and keep up the prayer so that you remember Me.

15. The Hour is coming––though I choose to keep it hidden––for each soul to be rewarded for its labour.

16. Do not let anyone who does not believe in it and follows his own desires distract you from it, and so bring you to ruin.’

17. ‘Moses, what is that in your right hand?’

18. ‘It is my staff,’ he said, ‘I lean on it; restrain my sheep with it; I also have other uses for it.’

19. God said, ‘Throw it down, Moses.’

20. He threw it down and– lo and behold!– it became a fast-moving snake.

21. He said, ‘Pick it up without fear: We shall turn it back into its former state.

22. Now place your hand under your armpit and it will come out white, though unharmed: that is another sign.

23. We do this to show you some of Our greatest signs.

24. Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly become a tyrant.’

25. Moses said, ‘Lord, lift up my heart

26. and ease my task for me.
27. Untie my tongue,

28. so that they may understand my words,

29. and give me a helper from my family,

30. my brother Aaron–

31. augment my strength through him.

32. Let him share my task

33. so that we can glorify You much

34. and remember You often:

35. You are always watching over us.’

36. God said, ‘Moses, your request is granted.

37. Indeed We showed you favour before.

38. We inspired your mother, saying,

39. “Put your child into the chest, then place him in the river. Let the river wash him on to its bank, and he will be taken in by an enemy of Mine and his.” I showered you with My love and planned that you should be reared under My watchful eye.

40. Your sister went out, saying, “I will tell you someone who will nurse him,” then We returned you to your mother so that she could rejoice and not grieve. Later you killed a man, but We saved you from distress and tried you with other tests. You stayed among the people of Midian for years, then you came here as I ordained.

41. I have chosen you for Myself.

42. Go, you and your brother, with My signs, and make sure that you remember Me.

43. Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has exceeded all bounds.

44.  Speak to him gently so that he may take heed, or show respect.’

45. They said, ‘Lord, we fear he will do us great harm or exceed all bounds.’

46. He said, ‘Do not be afraid, I am with you both, hearing and seeing everything.

47. Go and tell him, “We are your Lord’s messengers, so send the Children of Israel with us and do not oppress them. We have brought you a sign from your Lord. Peace be upon whoever follows the right guidance;

48. it has been revealed to us that punishment falls on whoever rejects the truth and turns his back on it.”’

49. [Pharaoh] said, ‘Moses, who is this Lord of yours?’

50. Moses said, ‘Our Lord is He who gave everything its form, then gave it guidance.’

51. He said, ‘What about former generations?’

52.Moses said, ‘My Lord alone has knowledge of them, all in a record; my Lord does not err or forget.’

53. It was He who spread out the earth for you and traced routes in it. He sent down water from the sky. With that water We bring forth every kind of plant,

54. so eat, and graze your cattle. There are truly signs in all this for people of understanding.

55. From the earth We created you, into it We shall return you, and from it We shall raise you a second time.

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

 65. The Sorcerers said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’

66. ‘You throw,’ said Moses, and––lo and behold!––through their sorcery, their ropes and staffs seemed to him to be moving.

67. Moses was inwardly alarmed,

68. but We said, ‘Do not be afraid, you have the upper hand.

69. Throw down what is in your right hand: it will swallow up what they have produced. They have only produced the tricks of a sorcerer, and a sorcerer will not prosper, wherever he goes.’

70. [So it was, and] the sorcerers threw themselves down in submission. ‘We believe,’ they said, ‘in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.’

71. Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in him before I have given you permission? This must be your master, the man who taught you witchcraft. I shall certainly cut off your alternate hands and feet, then crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. You will know for certain which of us has the fiercer and more lasting punishment.’

72. They said, ‘We shall never prefer you to the clear sign that has come to us, nor to Him who created us. So decide whatever you will: you can only decide matters of this present life–

73. we believe in our Lord, [hoping] He may forgive us our sins and the sorcery that you forced us to practice– God is better and more lasting.’

74. Hell will be the reward of those who return to their Lord as evildoers: there they will stay, neither living nor dying.

75. But those who return to their Lord as believers with righteous deeds will be rewarded with the highest of ranks,

76. Gardens of lasting bliss graced with flowing streams, and there they will stay. Such is the reward of those who purify themselves.

77. We revealed to Moses, ‘Go out at night with My servants and strike a dry path for them across the sea. Have no fear of being overtaken and do not be dismayed.’

78. Pharaoh pursued them with his armies and was overwhelmed by the sea.

79. Pharaoh truly led his people astray; he did not guide them.

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

Surat al-Anbiya – The Prophets (021)

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

16. We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them playfully.

17. If We had wished for a pastime, We could have found it within Us– if We had wished for any such thing.

18. No! We hurl the truth against falsehood, and truth obliterates it– see how falsehood vanishes away! Woe to you [people] for the way you describe God!

19. Everyone in the heavens and earth belongs to Him, and those that are with Him are never too proud to worship Him, nor do they grow weary;

20. they glorify Him tirelessly night and day.

21. Have they chosen any gods from the earth who can give life to the dead?

22. If there had been in the heavens or earth any gods but Him, both heavens and earth would be in ruins: God, Lord of the Throne, is far above the things they say:

23. He cannot be called to account for anything He does, whereas they will be called to account.

24. Have they chosen to worship other gods instead of Him? Say, ‘Bring your proof. This is the Scripture for those who are with me and the Scripture for those who went before me.’ But most of them do not recognize the truth, so they pay no heed.

25. We never sent any messenger before you [Muhammad] without revealing to him: ‘There is no god but Me, so serve Me.’

26. And they say, ‘The Lord of Mercy has taken offspring for Himself.’ May He be exalted! No! They are only His honoured servants:

27. they do not speak before He speaks and they act by His command.

28. He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede without His permission ––indeed they themselves stand in awe of Him.

29. If any of them were to claim, ‘I am a god beside Him,’ We would reward them with Hell: this is how We reward evildoers.

30. Are the disbelievers not aware that the heavens and the earth used to be joined together and that We ripped them apart, that We made every living thing from water? Will they not believe?

31. And We put firm mountains on the earth, lest it should sway under them, and set broad paths on it, so that they might follow the right direction,

32. and We made the sky a well-secured canopy– yet from its wonders they turn away.

33. It is He who created night and day, the sun and the moon, each floating in its orbit.

34. We have not granted everlasting life to any other human being before you either [Muhammad]– if you die, will [the disbelievers] live forever?

35. Every soul is certain to taste death: We test you all through the bad and the good, and to Us you will all return.

36. When the disbelievers see you, they laugh at you: ‘Is this the one who talks about your gods?’ They reject any talk of the Lord of Mercy.

37. Man was created hasty: I will show you My signs soon, so do not ask Me to hasten them.

38. They say, ‘When will this promise be fulfilled, if what you say is true?’

39. If the disbelievers only knew, the time will arrive when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces or their backs, and they will get no help.

40. It will come upon them suddenly and stupefy them; they will be powerless to push it away; they will not be reprieved.

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

51. Long ago We bestowed right judgement on Abraham and We knew him well.

52. He said to his father and his people, ‘What are these images to which you are so devoted?’

53. They replied, ‘We found our fathers worshipping them.’

54. He said, ‘You and your fathers have clearly gone astray.’

55. They asked, ‘Have you brought us the truth or are you just playing about?’

56. He said, ‘Listen! Your true Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He who created them, and I am a witness to this.

57. By God I shall certainly plot against your idols as soon as you have turned your backs!’

58. He broke them all into pieces, but left the biggest one for them to return to.

59. They said, ‘Who has done this to our gods? How wicked he must be!’

60. Some said, ‘We heard a youth called Abraham talking about them.’

61. They said, ‘Bring him before the eyes of the people, so that they may witness [his trial].’

62. They asked, ‘Was it you, Abraham, who did this to our gods?’

63. He said, ‘No, it was done by the biggest of them– this one. Ask them, if they can talk.’

64. They turned to one another, saying, ‘It is you who are in the wrong,’

65. but then they lapsed again and said, ‘You know very well these gods cannot speak.’

66. Abraham said, ‘How can you worship what can neither benefit nor harm you, instead of God?

67. Shame on you and on the things you worship instead of God. Have you no sense?’

68. They said, ‘Burn him and avenge your gods, if you are going to do the right thing.’

69. But We said, ‘Fire, be cool and safe for Abraham.’

70. They planned to harm him, but We made them suffer the greatest loss.