Surah Al-Baqarah — Opening of the Tafsir Discussion

(Introduction and Verses 1–2: “Alif Lam Mim” and “Dhalikal Kitabu la rayba fihi hudal lil muttaqin”)

Introduction: Praise and Salutations

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘Alamin, wa sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam ‘ala Nabiyyina Muhammad wa ‘ala alihi wa ashabihi ajma’in.

Today is a special day for us. We are about to begin the process of learning the meaning of the Qur’an, grammar (nahw–sarf), and balaghah (rhetoric), and at the same time we are beginning the process of learning ‘aqidah, ‘amal (deeds), and akhlaq (character).

1. The Goal of Our Journey and the Importance of Consistency

1.1 Sticking to it the way we started

We must be careful to stay committed the way we have begun.
Many of us join any good initiative at the start with great enthusiasm, but afterward continuing it becomes difficult for us.
“Ahabbul a’mal” — the deeds most beloved to Allah are those that are done regularly, even if they are small.

1.2 Our goal

We hope that just as Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) has given us the tawfiq to begin this, He will also grant us the tawfiq to complete it within our lifetime.
This is our goal — to know the meaning of the entire Qur’an, and to attain self-purification.
And if Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) wills that none of us complete this process within our lifetime, then at least may we die upon this path, and may Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) accept all our efforts.
May the Qur’an be a proof for us on the Day of Judgment, an intercessor for us, and a cure for the diseases of our hearts.

2. The Virtue of Learning and Teaching the Qur’an

2.1 The “Khairukum” hadith

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others.
We can all be students of the Qur’an, and we can all be self-sufficient teachers ourselves.
But by sharing it, by reciting it to at least one person — whether that be my student, a member of my family, or my child — we can all easily engage in the process of spreading and teaching the Qur’an.

2.2 The reward for guiding others to good

“Man dalla ‘ala khairin falahu mislu ajri fa’ilihi” — whoever shows the way to any good deed receives a reward equal to the one who performs it.
We may die one day, but if we can leave the practice of this knowledge among those who come after us, our reward will continue.
Perhaps those who come after me in the future will find guidance by following some path I showed. After attaining guidance, they may do great works for Islam. But that reward will come into my record of deeds.

3. Why Are We Beginning with Surah Al-Baqarah?

Our goal is to know the tafsir of the entire Qur’an, learning from it what is worth teaching.
It would have been logical to begin with Surah Al-Fatihah. But I have discussed Surah Al-Fatihah several times in the past, and I will continue to do so in the future, insha’Allah.
Surah Al-Fatihah is a surah that needs to be discussed repeatedly — just as it needs to be recited repeatedly every day, whether simply as such or for a specific reason, it will be discussed again and again, insha’Allah.
But since it has been discussed in the past, we wanted to begin this new journey — a very beautiful journey, our dream journey — with something new, so that we may have a little more enthusiasm.
Insha’Allah, we began with Surah Al-Baqarah.

4. How the Discussions Will Be Conducted

4.1 This is a continuous journey, not a single course

This is not a single course. When we begin the discussion, we will realize that if we truly know the Qur’an, the Qur’an will merge with our flesh and blood — if we want to realize this goal.
Reaching the end is not my goal here. “Somehow I finished it” — that is not our goal.
If we want to know and understand every verse of the Qur’an and implement it in our time, then this process will take time.
This is not a course. It is a continuous journey.

4.2 A combination of live and recorded classes

We will combine live classes and recorded lectures.
The live classes may be a little long.
But most will be recorded, and the recorded lectures will be short lectures.
Insha’Allah, I will try to keep the discussions within 10 to 15 minutes.

4.3 Quizzes

On top of that, there will be quizzes on Telegram and YouTube.
Insha’Allah, you will take the quizzes regularly. This will be beneficial for you, and you will recite the portion we discuss.

5. Ways to Truly Benefit

Many of us only have the strength to listen to the discussion. That too is good, alhamdulillah. But if we truly want to benefit, we must do a few things.

5.1 Taking notes

My strong recommendation is that you must take notes.
I may give you notes; I will give you many things, but there is no substitute for taking your own notes.
You need to have your own notebook, and the words we say that may be written on the slides — try to write them down in your own way.
This will help you greatly to remember this information, to remember the tafsir, to remember the semantics and the grammar.

5.2 Regular revision

You must revise it regularly. We do not do this either.
If you truly want to benefit, you should set aside a time every day — half an hour or less, 20 minutes, 15 minutes.
You will read the notes you wrote each day.
As we progress, the amount of time spent reading will increase. And then your allotted 15 minutes or half an hour will not be enough for a full revision.
As much as possible, revision will be done from the next day onward. That is, as we continue on this journey, we will often come back and review what we saw.
Personally, each of you will continue this revision. You will set aside a time for revision, as I said. Then it will be extremely beneficial, insha’Allah.

5.3 Recitation and the “Two Minute Quran” channel

Along with that, you will be given quizzes for recitation.
I have a channel called “Two Minute Quran”; those of you who have not subscribed, be sure to subscribe there.
There I recite the verses, alhamdulillah, along with explaining the rules of recitation and the rules of tajweed.
You will watch from there, watch the recitation, and do it yourselves repeatedly and revise repeatedly.

5.4 Mudarasah (revising with a companion)

The best revision is mudarasah. One method of revision is a good method.
Mudarasah means revising with someone — trying to tell it to someone.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) himself would do mudarasah of the Qur’an with Jibril (‘alaihis salam) in Ramadan. The leader of humanity and the leader of the angels — these two would do mudarasah of the Qur’an.
So even if you have a single companion, by discussing with them you will be able to master the knowledge of tafsir and the knowledge of the Qur’an very well, insha’Allah.

6. Communication Channels

That was my introduction.
You will stay connected with my Telegram channel — indeed all announcements come there.
All these lectures on YouTube — if Allah grants you the tawfiq — you will find everything to view in the form of a playlist.

7. The Virtue of Surah Al-Baqarah and Related Hadiths

Let us begin our discussion today. At the start of our discussion, we will look at the virtue of Surah Al-Baqarah and some hadiths. Surah Al-Baqarah is an extremely beneficial surah.

7.1 “Do not make your homes graveyards”

That is, recite the Qur’an at home, because this indicates that the graveyard is not a place for reciting the Qur’an.
Often I see many people go to a grave, sit on the grave, and recite the Qur’an. The graveyard is not a place for reciting the Qur’an, nor is it a place for reciting the Qur’an and giving its reward to the deceased.
Although there are some scholars who have opinions on this matter, still, from what I have studied it seems there is no basis for it.
So the Messenger (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is saying: make the home a place of recitation; do not let your homes become like graves, where the Qur’an is not recited and prayer is not offered.
So a portion of our prayer and recitation of the Qur’an must be at home.

7.2 Protection against Shaytan

Then he said “Inna Shaytan” — indeed Shaytan flees from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah is recited.
So Surah Al-Baqarah is a very good means of protection against Shaytan.

7.3 “Read the Qur’an” — reading with understanding

In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Read the Qur’an, read the Qur’an.”
Whenever it is said “Read the Qur’an,” this is the only book that we automatically, by default, think we will read without understanding. And for every other book, if we are told to read, we first understand that I must read and understand what is said in it. This is an interesting matter.
Even if we do not understand the Qur’an, there is still reward for reciting it. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala has given reward for reciting the Qur’an, that is, for reciting without understanding.
But when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) says “Read the Qur’an,” we should not understand it to mean that we will only read the letters and not understand the meaning.
Allah Ta’ala revealed the Qur’an to be understood and known in meaning. It is not intended to be read without understanding.

7.4 The Qur’an’s intercession on the Day of Judgment and “Sahibul Qur’an”

This becomes clearer in the next part: “Read the Qur’an, because on the Day of Judgment the companions of the Qur’an, those who are with it, will come as intercessors for their companions.”
The companions of the Qur’an are those who recite the Qur’an, practice the Qur’an, know its meaning, and act upon it.
“Sahibul Qur’an” — reading the Qur’an means understanding the Qur’an, acting upon it, keeping the iman of the Qur’an in our hearts, keeping the practice of the Qur’an in our limbs, and keeping the akhlaq of the Qur’an in our character.

7.5 Al-Baqarah and Aal-‘Imran: two radiant surahs

Then he said Al-Baqarah, Aal-‘Imran. The reason we brought the hadith is the virtue of Surah Al-Baqarah.
He said, read two radiant surahs — one is Al-Baqarah and the other is Aal-‘Imran.
“Innahuma ya’tiyani yawmal qiyamati” — on the Day of Judgment these two surahs will come like two clouds, “ka-annahuma ghamamatan” or “sama’iyatan” — or like two birds spreading their wings, arguing on behalf of their companions, speaking on behalf of their companions — those who read Al-Baqarah and Aal-‘Imran, acted upon them, and implemented them in their lives.

7.6 Surah Al-Baqarah against magic

Then he said, “Read Surah Al-Baqarah. Mastering Surah Al-Baqarah is a blessing (barakah), and abandoning it is a cause of regret. The magicians cannot cope with it” — that is, Surah Al-Baqarah is extremely effective against magic.
So we saw that Surah Al-Baqarah is a powerful weapon against Shaytan and magic.

7.7 What the Companions understood by “he has read a surah”

Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, “Al-Baqarah and Aal-‘Imran” — here too it is notable: when the Companions said that someone had read a surah, what did that mean?
If it were said that a Companion had read Surah Al-Baqarah, for them it meant that he had memorized the surah, understood its meaning, learned all the rules and regulations contained within it, and mastered them. All of this together was meant by someone having “read” Al-Baqarah.
If someone had mastered two surahs — Surah Al-Baqarah and Aal-‘Imran — then his rank would rise.
Why? Because these two surahs contain many rules and regulations.

7.8 Their importance as Madani surahs

These two surahs were revealed for the community of believers.
When we open the Mushaf and begin reading, Al-Baqarah and Aal-‘Imran are at the beginning. But in terms of revelation, they were not at the beginning.
They were not revealed in the Makkan period; they were revealed in the Madani period. That is, after the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)’s migration to Madinah, when the Islamic state was established, these two surahs were revealed for the Muslim society and the community of believers, containing all the rules and regulations.
They contain many rules. That is why these two surahs are extremely important.

8. The First Verse: “Alif Lam Mim” (Al-Huruf Al-Muqatta’at)

8.1 The disjointed letters have no independent meaning

The first verse of Surah Al-Baqarah is “Alif Lam Mim.” These are actually disjointed letters, and disjointed letters have no meaning.
As in any language — if I say in Bengali ka, kha, ga, gha, or in Arabic “Alif” or “Ta” — these have no meaning. In English, A, B, C, D as separate letters carry no meaning.
When letters come together, a word is formed, and when words come together, a sentence is formed.

8.2 In how many surahs and how many letters

Question: In how many surahs of the Qur’an are these disjointed letters found at the beginning, and how many letters are found there?
Answer: Such disjointed letters are found at the beginning of 29 surahs, and there are 14 letters.
Memorizing or learning these is not important for you. But you may be interested in this list of which disjointed letters are at the beginning of which surah. You may also keep a screenshot of it. And we will give you notes, insha’Allah.

8.3 Which letters in how many surahs (the list)

“Alif Lam Mim” — is at the beginning of six surahs.
“Ha Mim” — the most, at the beginning of seven surahs.
“Alif Lam Ra” — at the beginning of five surahs.
One surah’s name will be seen in two places: Surah Ash-Shura — “Ha Mim” and “‘Ain Sin Qaf.” That is, Surah Ash-Shura has “Ha Mim” as well, then “‘Ain Sin Qaf” as well.
“Ta Sin Mim” — appears in two surahs — Surah [Ash-Shu’ara] and Surah Al-Qasas.
All the rest are at the beginning of a single surah: “Alif Lam Mim” is Alif Lam Mim, “Sad” or a single letter, “Nun,” with two “Sad,” “Yasin,” or “Taha,” and so on.

8.4 No authentic narration exists, but the mufassirin have researched it

On this subject there is no authentic narration from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), but the mufassirin have mentioned various meanings for it.
Question: What indication is in it? What is its significance? These disjointed letters have no meaning — so what did Allah intend?
The mufassirin have researched this from the past. So it is not harmful.

8.5 An integrated method of learning

If we go back to the ancient tafsir, we will discuss at the same time the books of tafsir, the mufassirin, and the methods of tafsir. I will learn, insha’Allah, practically.
These are different subjects, but in this tafsir we will try to learn many things together, gradually and practically. This is beneficial for us people.
If we want to learn each subject separately — Arabic language separately, grammar separately, tafsir separately, usul al-tafsir separately — then it will become difficult for us, and the very main objective will fail. What is that? What is Allah Ta’ala telling me to know.
Then, if we proceed keeping the main objective in mind, we will learn many things along the way, and when we learn practically, we will also remember it easily.

9. Introduction to the Books of Tafsir and the Mufassirin

9.1 The characteristics of the books of tafsir

There are many books of tafsir, and the books of tafsir have various characteristics.
There are some books of tafsir that are, of course, reliable for us.
There are some books that are not suitable for everyone to read — not everything in them is acceptable, but there is an opportunity to benefit from them.
Each book of tafsir has its focus in a different direction.

9.2 The tafsir of Imam At-Tabari

If someone opens the tafsir of Imam At-Tabari, they can easily go back to understand what the scholars of the past said about these disjointed letters — which in Arabic are called “Al-Huruf Al-Muqatta’at” — and whether the Companions said anything.
I am not sure whether it is available in Bengali. I once saw an Islamic Foundation translation; I saw a portion, I had it. That is, the Islamic Foundation at some point translated At-Tabari or partially translated it. But whether it is fully available, I do not know.
No one studies tafsir except religious students — those who know Bengali or English and usually Arabic — because it is a little academic, but it is extremely beneficial and it is my favorite tafsir. It should certainly be read by every student of knowledge.
We, ordinary people, will learn a little from it, insha’Allah, as much as possible.
His time is 310 AH.

9.3 The timeline of the mufassirin and the generations of the Salaf

The reason for giving this image is to give you an idea, alongside my discussion, about the timeline of these mufassirin. 310 AH means quite ancient.
Before Imam At-Tabari, the three best generations of the Muslim Ummah had passed: the generation of the Companions, the generation of the Tabi’in, and the generation of the Tabi’-Tabi’in.
The tafsir of these three generations is the foundation of our tafsir. They interpreted the Qur’an in this way. This is the foundation of our tafsir, the pure tafsir. Because they are the best generations. May Allah be pleased with them.
“The best of my Ummah is my generation” — that is, the Companions, then the two generations after them. These three generations are the best generations. Their understanding of the Qur’an was also the best.

9.4 The Salaf’s tafsir in the form of narrations

Their tafsir is generally found in the form of narrations. For example, Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said such-and-such about this word of this verse — this is found with a chain of narration. Ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said this with a chain of narration.
And these are found in the books of hadith. It is found in the books of hadith and tafsir.

10. How the Companions Did Tafsir

10.1 Not word by word, but as needed

The Companions did not interpret the Qur’an word by word, as today’s mufassirin do. If someone is asked to do tafsir, he will understand that he must explain the meanings of the words of the verse, explain the meanings of the sentences, explain what was understood from it, and so on.
The Companions or the Tabi’in did not always do tafsir this way, because they were Arabs, and by hearing the Arabic language people understood a basic meaning of the Qur’an.
Then there were some words that needed to be explained, or some verses that needed to be reconciled, or these words needed to be explained or elaborated from the perspective of the Shari’ah.
When this need arose, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would also do tafsir, and the Companions would too — whenever such a need arose that not everyone would understand this word, or this terminology needed to be explained.
From this it is clear that whenever a word is not explained, it should be understood in the sense that it has its apparent (literal) meaning in Arabic.

10.2 The speaker and the listener know the same language

There are two parties here: one is the speaker who is speaking, and the other is the listener to whom it is being spoken.
Here, Allah is speaking, and those to whom it is given know the language.
So there is no need to explain and define everything again — only that which is new, or where a new meaning has been added to the linguistic meaning, or a special meaning is intended. For example, the word “zulm” (mentioned in the discussion of the next verse).

10.3 Why excessive definition complicates the matter

The first three generations of the Companions did not ask unnecessary questions about what was clear at the time.
Example: If I want to give the definition of a “chair,” and define what “sitting” means, then the matter becomes more complicated — what was clear at the time becomes unclear.
So there is no point in asking questions about a clear matter, nor is there any point in doing tafsir of it.

10.4 Where the first complete continuous tafsir comes from

This is why we do not find, from the Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), such a complete tafsir from beginning to end as we read or wish to read today.
The first and most complete book of this type of tafsir we find is the tafsir of Imam At-Tabari, where he explained many things. Even so, there is no need to explain every word, because it is Arabic.

11. A Practical Illustration: The Explanation of the Word “Zulm”

11.1 The literal meaning of the verse and the Companions’ concern

When Allah revealed the verse “Alladhina amanu” — those who believe and do not mix their faith with zulm, they are secure and they are the guided ones — the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) needed to give a little explanation.
Why was an explanation needed? Because the Companions first understood the verse literally: that if one does no zulm along with faith, then he will be secure, saved from Allah’s punishment, and guided.

11.2 The Companions’ eagerness to understand the Qur’an

It is notable that the Companions did not sit without understanding when a verse of the Qur’an was recited. As soon as a word struck them, they wanted to understand it.
And in Arabic, zulm means all kinds of injustice, great and small. The Companions know this very well, and to them it seems a difficult matter.
If, after believing, I must be secure, saved from punishment, and receive guidance, then I cannot commit any zulm at all, great or small. I cannot wrong even myself. I cannot wrong people.
Is wronging oneself all sins? Because a person wrongs himself through sin.
We all know that zulm is punishable, and wronging people is something punishable. If a person wrongs himself and others, no matter how careful he is, then do we have no security?

11.3 The Companions did not stay silent — they asked

The Companions did not stay silent about this. Instead of hoping for 10 rewards for every letter, they became anxious to know its meaning, because they would implement it.
We are not so eager to know this meaning. Why? Because we have already assumed that it is not for implementation, it is just a blessing — we will read it only for blessing: Shaytan will leave my house, reward will come, 10 good deeds will come. We assume the implementation continues even if we do not do it. This is why we do not have that urgency to understand what is being said here.
But what the Companions immediately became anxious about was that this is a terrifying verse. How will I implement it? After believing, no zulm will come from me — this is a difficult matter for me.

11.4 The Prophet’s (ﷺ) explanation: zulm here means shirk

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) explained that it is not what you are thinking.
He explained with another verse: look at what Luqman (‘alaihis salam) says — “O my dear son, do not commit shirk, for shirk is a great zulm.”
In this way the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) explained that no zulm can occur after faith — here shirk is meant. Here the word “zulm” has come in the meaning of shirk.
So if one wishes to attain basic security and guidance, then along with his faith he must protect his faith from shirk.

12. The Foundation of Tafsir: Returning to the Statements of the Salaf

12.1 “Salaf” is not a sect

What Imam At-Tabari (rahimahullah) did was — these three generations of the Salaf are called the Salaf.
When we hear “Salaf,” some may think they are speaking of a sect. This is not a matter of a sect. We are all obligated to connect ourselves to the Salaf.
This is the mainstream of Islam, because no one will newly invent the teachings of Islam. It must come from the hands of these three generations. We must see what they said.
We received all the Qur’an and hadith from them. I received the text and its explanation from them.

12.2 Imam At-Tabari’s method: compiling and analyzing narrations

What did people like Imam At-Tabari do when they came? If they came and opened some of these tafsirs of Imam At-Tabari, you will see what the Companions said about this verse.
For example, if you open “Alif Lam Mim,” you will find 13 statements for it. These are from the first three generations — because he, Imam At-Tabari, died in 310 AH, he is the one after the first three generations.
He first came and said, with chains of narration: Ibn ‘Abbas said this, Ibn Mas’ud said this, ‘Ali said this — whoever has whatever statement.
Then among the Tabi’in, what did Mujahid say, what did Qatadah say.
Then in the third generation, what did Zayd bin Aslam say, what did ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam say, what did Muqatil say.
Then he analyzed their statements and presented his own research, and in between he also inserted the statements of the linguists.

12.3 The lesson: the Salaf did not avoid questions — they did tafsir

We see that about “Alif Lam Mim” and all these “Muqatta’at” (the disjointed letters mentioned at the beginning of 29 surahs), 13 kinds of statements are found.
Consider this: “Alif Lam Mim, Ha Mim, Yasin, Qaf, Nun” — the disjointed letters have no meaning, but surely Allah revealed this for a reason. Despite there being no narration from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), 13 kinds of statements are found from the Companions and Tabi’in of the Prophet (ﷺ).
From this we understand: our early generations, whom I called the Salaf — the Companions and the Tabi’-Tabi’in — were extremely eager and serious about knowing and explaining the meaning of the Qur’an.
You may have heard from many that “Alif Lam Mim, Ha Mim” cannot be interpreted, no one interpreted it, it cannot be done, only Allah knows best, that is the end of the matter.
But in reality, the Companions did not come and say that no, this cannot be discussed. Rather, they did tafsir — even though it has no meaning, they are trying to find an indication. The Tabi’in said that yes, there is an indication in it.

12.4 Returning to the source to verify any claim

Whenever you want to understand the correctness of something, any claim — where should you go? You should go to what the Salaf said. I must return to the source.
If we could return to the source, there would be no confusion today.
When you look at the state of the Muslim Ummah now, you see quarrels everywhere. On every matter, you see quarrels and disagreements, and we call one group after another misguided.
All these quarrels and disagreements, one group’s claims against another — we could resolve them, and we still can. It is not that we can no longer do it; we still can — if we return to that one place, our source. Our source is the statements of the Salaf.
The same applies to tafsir — we will see what the Companions did. They did not come and say that no, this cannot be discussed; rather they did tafsir, they searched for indications.
According to your common notion, you will hear many speakers say, “only Allah knows best, that is the end of the matter.” Yet the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) entered into tafsir and tried to explain or determine it in great detail.

12.5 Ibn al-Jawzi and “Zad al-Masir”

Ibn al-Jawzi — of a slightly later era — came after Imam At-Tabari (310 AH). (This is the Hijri year.)
His book is “Zad al-Masir.” This book has a special characteristic (it is not written here, you may take notes).
The special characteristic of the book “Zad al-Masir”: it is not a tafsir like Imam At-Tabari’s. It is probably six volumes, while Imam At-Tabari’s is, I think, 24 volumes.
Its special feature is that it only narrates the aqwal (statements) — that is, if there are various opinions about a word of a verse or the meaning of a verse, what are those opinions (three, four, five, six, whatever).
In this book, he mentioned six different opinions about “Alif Lam Mim” and the Huruf Al-Muqatta’at.

13. A Summary of the Various Opinions on Al-Huruf Al-Muqatta’at

We have brought you a summary:

Opinion 1 — An indication of the Ism al-A’zam: Some say these are an indication of Allah’s “Ism al-A’zam.” That is, it is something encoded — these are letters with no meaning; if we could decode it, we would know that it is Allah’s “Ism al-A’zam” (the Greatest Name). If we call upon Allah by any name, Allah will surely grant it.
Opinion 2 — The name “Allah”: According to some, it (indicates) the name “Allah.”
Opinion 3 — Names by which He swears an oath: According to some, these are names of Allah by which He has sworn oaths. These are a kind of oath, an oath by the names of Allah.
Opinion 4 — Names of the Qur’an: Some say these are names of the Qur’an, various names of the Qur’an.
Opinion 5 — Names of surahs: Some say these are names of the surahs.
Opinion 6 — Abbreviations of certain sentences: Some say these are actually abbreviations of certain sentences. For example, as narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) — he said “Alif Lam Mim” means “Ana-Allahu a’lam” — “I am Allah, I know best.” That is, he means that “Alif Lam Mim” points to the sentence “Ana-Allahu a’lam,” and so on.

Important note: There are various opinions, but since none of these opinions is proven through hadith, we cannot definitively say they are correct or incorrect, nor can we say anything definitively about them.

13.1 The final opinion — an indication of the Qur’an’s miracle (i’jaz)

The final point: these indicate the miracle (i’jaz) of the Qur’an. This is another opinion.
This opinion was supported among the scholars of the past by Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah), and among recent scholars by Ibn ‘Uthaymin (rahimahullah).
Ibn Kathir’s timeline: 774 AH. Roughly speaking, of the time that has passed from the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) until today, Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah) was at the midpoint. His tafsir is also famous — “the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir.”
Ibn ‘Uthaymin’s timeline: 1421 AH — that is, a scholar of our recent times. He was a great scholar of Saudi Arabia. He died somewhere around the year 2000 (1421 AH in the Arabic calendar).

The explanation of this opinion:

These disjointed letters actually indicate the miracle (i’jaz) of the Qur’an.
By saying “Alif Lam Mim,” attention is being drawn — look, the Qur’an is before you. This is being shown to the Arabs.
To the Arabs, this Qur’an is a combination of all these letters, which are familiar to you — “Alif Lam Mim, Ha, Ra, Sad, Qaf, Nun, Qaf, Ha, Ya, ‘Ain, Sad.” The Qur’an is a combination of all the letters that you know.
Despite this, composing a single surah like it is beyond your capacity. So you can understand that this Qur’an came from none other than Allah.
This is the indication of these disjointed letters. This opinion was mentioned by Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah) in his tafsir and supported by Ibn ‘Uthaymin (rahimahullah) in recent times.
This is our discussion about the disjointed letters.

14. The Second Verse: “Dhalikal Kitabu la rayba fihi hudal lil muttaqin”

Now we move to the first clear and comprehensible verse — the second verse: “Dhalikal Kitabu la rayba fihi hudal lil muttaqin.”

14.1 “Dhalika” — the demonstrative pronoun (Ism al-Isharah)

The word “Dhalika” is used to point. “Dhalika” generally points to something distant. In Arabic, “Dhalika” is called “Ism al-Isharah,” used to point to something far.
Here it comes in the meaning of “Hadha.” “Hadha” is used to point to something near. So “Dhalikal Kitab” means “Hadhal Kitab” — that is, it is near us, because the Qur’an is with us, the Qur’an is not far from us.

14.2 The significance of using “Dhalika” — high status

When pointing to the Qur’an, one could have pointed with the word “Hadha,” calling it “Hadhal Kitab.” So why is it called “Dhalikal Kitab” instead of the book that is near us?
About its significance, Ibn ‘Uthaymin (rahimahullah) says that it points to the high status of the Qur’an.
That is, much is being explained with a single word — the act of pointing is the same, and instead of “Hadha,” “Dhalika” (used for pointing to something far) is used to point to the high status of the Qur’an.
As if to say that the status of this book is extremely high, and those who hold fast to this book will also have high status in the world. Ibn ‘Uthaymin (rahimahullah) gave this explanation from the word “Dhalika” in his tafsir.

14.3 “La rayba fihi” — word analysis

“Dhalikal Kitab” — that is the book.
“La” in Arabic means “not”/negation; it does not indicate anything or carry any (positive) meaning.
“Rayb” means doubt. “La rayba” — no doubt.
“Fihi” is a combination of two words: “Fi” means in/within, and “hi” is a pronoun. This pronoun points to this book.
So “Dhalikal Kitabu la rayba fihi” — that is the book in which there is no doubt.

14.4 The three meanings of “La rayba fihi”

It has three meanings, and in this case all three are acceptable:

No doubt in the truth of the Qur’an: Some say it means that there is no doubt that the Qur’an is true. (“Rayb” concerning the whole book — there is no doubt about the truth of the Qur’an.)
No doubt about any part of the Qur’an: “Fihi” — there is no doubt about any part of it. In this sense, there is no error anywhere in the Qur’an, and there is no room for doubt about error.
No doubt about the source: There is no doubt about its being revealed by the Lord of the Worlds.

14.5 A fundamental principle of tafsir: multiple meanings being correct together

There is no barrier to the three possible meanings being correct together. This is a fundamental principle of tafsir.
Often, multiple meanings are found in the tafsir of a verse. In that case, we must see:
- Whether the meanings are contradictory — that is, whether if one is correct, the other cannot be.
- If not, then we see whether there is a conflict with another verse or hadith.
- If not, then it is possible for multiple meanings to be correct at the same time.
For this reason, often a broad range of meanings can be derived from every verse of the Qur’an.

14.6 Support from the Qur’an: “Afala yatadabbarunal Qur’an”

The three meanings described here are supported by evidence elsewhere in the Qur’an. For example, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala says: “Afala yatadabbarunal Qur’an” — do they not reflect deeply upon the Qur’an? If it were from other than Allah, they would have found in it much inconsistency.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala said that if they had reflected on the Qur’an, they would have seen that the Qur’an has so many verses, that so many different subjects are discussed in it.
The Qur’an has given guidance on many subjects, including: people’s beliefs, personal worship, deeds, economics, social policy, politics, and war. Besides, much has been said about nature, the earth, the sky, and the universe.
Despite this, one part of the Qur’an does not contradict another. Even if at first glance it seems that one verse does not match another, if one goes a little deeper, he will see there is no contradiction between them. Rather, he can discover from it all kinds of information that will amaze him with the purity of the Qur’an.
So from this we found that there is nothing in the Qur’an that can be doubted.

14.7 The method: “Tafsir al-Qur’an bil-Qur’an”

We obtained this tafsir through this verse. This is a method of interpreting the Qur’an — interpreting one verse of the Qur’an with another verse.
“La rayba fihi” — that is the book in which there is no doubt. When you interpret this verse with Surah An-Nisa, verse 82 — where it is said that if it were from other than Allah, you would have found in it much inconsistency — then that too is an explanation of “La rayba fihi.”
The tafsir you did is called “Tafsir al-Qur’an bil-Qur’an” — the tafsir of the Qur’an by the Qur’an.

14.8 Two scholars renowned for “Tafsir al-Qur’an bil-Qur’an”

“Tafsir al-Qur’an bil-Qur’an” is one of the many ways and methods of tafsir, and it has gained renown in the field of Qur’anic tafsir. Two scholars have gained renown in it:
1) Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah): whose book’s image was shown earlier.
2) Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shanqiti (rahimahullah): a recent one, whose book is named “Adwa al-Bayan.”
- He is from the Shanqit region, from Mauritania, African. He migrated to Saudi Arabia and established himself there as a great scholar.
- Not only he, but his family and his children too are now great scholars in Saudi Arabia. One of his children is also a specialist in tafsir; he teaches in Madinah. He is a very wonderful person.
- (The speaker’s comment:) I have never seen him in person; I liked him so much from watching videos, he did tafsir so beautifully. You will be captivated seeing his character in videos, and captivated hearing his words — he is so humble and gentle.
- His son is Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shanqiti, who wrote the book “Adwa al-Bayan.” This too is a wonderful masterpiece of interpreting the Qur’an by the Qur’an.

14.9 Another supporting verse: Surah As-Sajdah

The second verse of Surah Al-Baqarah, “Dhalikal Kitabu la rayba fihi,” can be interpreted with a verse of Surah As-Sajdah.
“Alif Lam Mim, Tanzil” — see, it too begins with “Alif Lam Mim” — “Tanzilul Kitabi… Rabbil ‘Alamin” — the revelation of this book, in which there is no doubt, from the Lord of the Worlds.
The place where there is no doubt is where it came from — there is no doubt that its source or origin is the Lord of the Worlds.
So we see that these three interpretations have support from other verses of the Qur’an, and this is an example of interpreting the Qur’an with the verses of the Qur’an.
Timeline: Ibn Kathir (rahmatullahi ‘alaihi) gained renown in the past; in the present/recent times, Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shanqiti (rahmatullahi ‘alaihi) died probably around 1393 AH.

15. The Third Clause: “Hudal lil muttaqin”

Let us explain this clause — it is simple, it will take a little time. “Hudal lil muttaqin” — guidance for the muttaqin (the God-conscious).

15.1 Review: the characteristics of the Qur’an obtained so far

From “Dhalika”: With just one word it is indicated that its status is extremely high, and those who hold fast to the Qur’an will also have high status. Information was obtained from a single word.
From “Kitab”: It is a book. “Kitab” means “Maktub” — that which is written. That is, it is written and will be preserved in written form.
From “La rayba fihi”: There is no room for doubt in it. From there again, three interpretations were obtained:
1. The Qur’an is certainly true.
2. There is no inconsistency in the Qur’an.
3. The Qur’an came from the Lord of the Worlds — there is no doubt about it.

15.2 “Lil muttaqin” — word analysis

This is our third point: “Hudal lil muttaqin” — it is guidance for the muttaqin.
“Lil muttaqin” is two words; “Al-muttaqin” means the muttaqi, one who possesses taqwa.
In the plural it can come in two ways: “Muttaqin” or “Muttaqun.” Because of this word’s grammatical position, sometimes “Muttaqin” (with ya-nun) comes, sometimes “Muttaqun” (with waw-nun) comes, but there is no difference in meaning. Why this happens we will learn gradually, insha’Allah — we do not need to know everything at once.

15.3 The question: Is the Qur’an guidance only for the muttaqin?

“Huda” means guidance. Now we must break it down a little to see what guidance actually is.
From here a question arises: So is the Qur’an guidance only for the muttaqin (those who have taqwa)? Is the Qur’an not guidance for all people?
This question arises because elsewhere Allah Himself has said “Hudal lin-nas” — “Shahru Ramadanalladhi unzila fihil Qur’an” — the Qur’an was revealed in Ramadan, “Hudal lin-nas,” as guidance for all of humanity. (That verse too is in Al-Baqarah.)
So is the Qur’an guidance for all of humanity or guidance for the muttaqin? Here it is said, guidance for the muttaqin. Why are both correct? — Because we must look at the meaning of guidance.

15.4 The translation of the verse

Translation: That is the book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for the muttaqin. — We obtained the complete translation.

15.5 The definition of taqwa

Before explaining guidance, let us look at the definition of taqwa. What is a muttaqi? A muttaqi is one who possesses taqwa.
What is taqwa: Taqwa is the name for protecting oneself from Allah’s wrath and punishment by following His commands and prohibitions.
Taqwa has an internal aspect and an external aspect:
- Internal (fear): It begins from fear — that if I disobey Allah, Allah will punish me, He will be angry with me. From this fear comes the urge to protect oneself — that I must save myself from Allah’s punishment and from Allah’s wrath.
- External (action): To save myself, I must perform some deeds, I must follow His commands and prohibitions. This is then the external side of taqwa.
The whole thing is taqwa: by following Allah’s commands and prohibitions, by implementing His Shari’ah, we have protected ourselves from His wrath and punishment. This is taqwa. And one who possesses this taqwa is called a muttaqi.

15.6 The two meanings of guidance (hidayah)

Today’s final point — the meaning of guidance. Guidance actually has two meanings, by which “Hudal lin-nas” and “Hudal lil muttaqin” can be reconciled:

Meaning 1 — Hidayatul ‘Ilm (the guidance of knowledge): One meaning of guidance is the knowledge that identifies the truth. In this sense, the Qur’an is guidance for everyone. It is in this sense that “Hudal lin-nas” applies — the Qur’an is giving us the knowledge by which it identifies truth and falsehood; this is for all of humanity. The Qur’an distinguishes between truth and falsehood.
Meaning 2 — Hidayatul ‘Amal / Hidayatut Tawfiq (the guidance of action and success): Another meaning of guidance is the ability to follow this knowledge. In this sense, the Qur’an is not guidance for everyone, because even after knowing the truth, not everyone will accept the truth. In this sense the Qur’an is not guidance, because not everyone will have the success of following the Qur’an — only the muttaqin benefit by following the Qur’an.

15.7 Application: asking Allah for both kinds of guidance

This is why, when we ask Allah for guidance, we will remember that from now on we ask for both — not just knowledge, but knowledge and the ability to act according to the knowledge.
Because how many people die in misguidance after knowing the truth, after acquiring knowledge and understanding it.
The example of Abu Talib: who said to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), “I know that what you are doing is right, but I cannot accept the disgrace of abandoning the religion of my forefathers.”
- What a trivial matter! Why does he choose eternal Hell? Because of a trivial kind of self-esteem — people would say that Abu Talib abandoned the religion of his forefathers. How ridiculous.
- But look, despite being the uncle of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he did not attain guidance — even though he recognized the truth.
This is why, when we ask Allah for help, we should ask from our hearts — that Allah may help us to know and accept the truth.
As taught in other supplications: that Allah gives us the ability to recognize the truth as truth and follow it; and gives us the ability to recognize falsehood as falsehood and avoid it.

15.8 Conclusion: both verses are correct

“Al-Qur’an Hudal lin-nas” is also correct, because it has clarified the truth for all of humanity.
“Hudal lil muttaqin” is also correct, because only the muttaqin — those who have taqwa, who are eager to flee from Allah’s punishment and wrath and to be saved by following His commands — will be guided by the Qur’an.

Appendix (A): Rules of the Zoom Class

(Spoken during the discussion, addressed to new participants)

For those of you who have come to the Zoom class for the first time today — in our Zoom class you can only write something in the chat box. You cannot turn on your own mic or turn on video.
If you raise your hand, I can give you the mic. But in the middle of the discussion, we usually do not do that; if we do, we will say so at the end of the discussion.
If you have any question, normal communication is usually done in the chat box. (I asked you a question, and you wrote the answer in the chat box.)
If you have any question related to the topic, or did not understand something in today’s discussion, there is a section in the Q&A — write there, I will answer at the end of the class, insha’Allah.
In the middle of the class, some of you are raising your hands; in the middle of the class today I do not want to give the opportunity to speak. We will finish the discussion, insha’Allah.

Appendix (B): The Speaker’s Remarks to the Audience

Some parts of my discussion may seem a little difficult for ordinary people. But we too are ordinary people here, and I am also a student of knowledge. So this will be beneficial for both sides. If someone has difficulty understanding, there is no harm; many will benefit. Everyone can benefit according to their capacity. Whoever does not understand will be a little patient. But I do not think I am saying anything very difficult.
(Regarding Al-Huruf Al-Muqatta’at:) Are you angry? I am saying a lot; it may seem there is no need to say so much about such a small matter. I hope you are not angry. We are reading and understanding this gradually. I hope these will be beneficial for us, insha’Allah.

Appendix (C): A Note on Timing (spoken during the discussion)

Today we will finish the class at 10 o’clock, insha’Allah, as much as possible. The rest we will arrange later, no problem.

Closing and Supplication

This is all of our discussion today, insha’Allah. Since today was an introduction, the discussion became a little long.
Next topic: In the next live or recorded class, we will look at the characteristics of the muttaqin in the next three verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, which Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala makes easy.

Supplication:

May Allah accept our efforts — “Minna innaka Antas-Sami’ul ‘Alim.”
May Allah, in return, forgive our sins and grant us Paradise.
May Allah grant us the tawfiq to remember this knowledge, to implement it, to act upon it, and to walk on this path.
May we die after completing this discussion of the Qur’an that we have begun.
(The speaker’s words:) We here are people of various ages. My own age is not small. Many of you may be over 50, and among my audience over 60. Will I live to see this through to the end? Will I be able to finish it? There is no certainty about whether you will keep listening to the discussion. But I want to die upon this path. We want to die on this path while acquiring knowledge and learning the Qur’an.
May Allah grant us success. Subhanallah.

Naseel Shahrukh - Quran Explanation (BANGLA) Transcript organized (English)

Naseel Shahrukh - Quran Explanation (BANGLA)