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The Quran

'The Recitation'

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This sura is seen to be a precise table of contents of the Quranic message. It is very important in Islamic worship, being an obligatory part of the daily prayer, repeated several times during the day. 1 In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, [a] the Giver [b] of Mercy! [c] 2 Praise belongs to God, Lord [d] of the Wo

Quran Chapter 1 - The Opening

53 Remember when We gave Moses the Scripture, and the means to distinguish [right and wrong], so that you might be guided. 54 Moses said to his people, ‘My people, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf, so repent to your Maker and kill [the guilty among] you. That is the best you can do in the eyes of yo

Quran Chapter 2 [part 3] - The Cow - Covenants with the Children of Israel, Broken Covenants

111 They also say, ‘No one will enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian.’ This is their own wishful thinking. [Prophet], say, ‘Produce your evidence, if you are telling the truth.’ 112 In fact, any who direct themselves [a] wholly to God and do good will have their reward with their Lord: no fear for them, no

Quran Chapter 2 [part 6] - The Cow - Religious Prejudices, Abraham the Leader

178 You who believe, fair retribution [a] is prescribed for you in cases of murder: the free man for the free man, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. [b] But if the culprit is pardoned by his aggrieved brother, this shall be adhered to fairly, and the culprit shall pay what is due in a good way. This i

Quran Chapter 2 [part 9] - The Cow - Rules for the Believers

233 Mothers suckle their children for two whole years, if they wish to complete the term, and clothing and maintenance must be borne by the father in a fair manner. No one should be burdened with more than they can bear: no mother shall be made to suffer harm on account of her child, nor any father on account of his. T

Quran Chapter 2 [part 12] - The Cow - Instructions for Life Continued

The Medinan sura begins by emphasizing that the Quran confirms the earlier scriptures and goes on to say later that the central tenet of faith is devotion to God (verses 19–20). The story of Zachariah, Mary, and Jesus is given in verses 35–64 and the fact that Jesus was unfathered, just as Adam was created without a fa

Quran Chapter 3 [part 1] - The Family of Imran - Confirmation, Precise or Symbolic?, An Invitation

102 You who believe, be mindful of God, as is His due, and make sure you devote yourselves to Him, to your dying moment. 103 Hold fast to God’s rope all together; do not split into factions. Remember God’s favor to you: you were enemies and then He brought your hearts together and you became brothers by His grace; you

Quran Chapter 3 [part 4] - The Family of Imran - Community, Misbehavior, Victory in the Hands of God

180 Those who are miserly with what God has granted them out of His grace should not think that it is good for them; on the contrary, it is bad for them. Whatever they meanly withhold will be hung around their necks on the Day of Resurrection. It is God who will inherit the heavens and earth: God is well aware of every

Quran Chapter 3 [part 7] - The Family of Imran - An Illusion, Patience Rewarded

43 You who believe, do not come anywhere near the prayer if you are intoxicated, [a] not until you know what you are saying; nor if you are in a state of major ritual impurity– though you may pass through the mosque [b] – not until you have bathed; if you are ill, on a journey, have relieved yourselves, or had intercou

Quran Chapter 4 [part 3] - The Women - Prayer and Those Cursed, Obey God and His Messengers

141 The [hypocrites] wait to see what happens to you and, if God brings you success, they say, ‘Were we not on your side?’ but if the disbelievers have some success, they say to them, ‘Did we not have the upper hand over you, and [yet] protect you from the believers?’ God will judge between you all on the Day of Resurr

Quran Chapter 4 [part 6] - The Women - Repent to Avoid a Painful Punishment, Jesus was a Messenger

This is a Medinan sura and the longest in the Quran, containing material revealed over several years, and named after the story of the cow which the Israelites were ordered to slaughter (verses 67 ff.). The sura opens with a response to the plea for guidance in Sura 1, ‘The Opening’, dividing mankind into three groups

Quran Chapter 2 [part 1] - The Cow - Book of Guidance, The Hypocrites, Worship God Alone

75 So can you [believers] hope that such people will believe you, when some of them used to hear the words of God and then deliberately twist them, even when they understood them? 76 When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We too believe.’ But when they are alone with each other they say, ‘How could you tell them abo

Quran Chapter 2 [part 4] - The Cow - Revelation Rejected

133 Were you [Jews] there to see when death came upon Jacob? When he said to his sons, ‘What will you worship after I am gone?’ they replied, ‘We shall worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, one single God: we devote ourselves to Him.’ [a] 134 That community passed away. What they e

Quran Chapter 2 [part 7] - The Cow - The Religion of Abraham, A New Direction

196 Complete the pilgrimages, major and minor, for the sake of God. If you are prevented [from doing so], then [send] whatever offering for sacrifice you can afford, and do not shave your heads [a] until the offering has reached the place of sacrifice. If any of you is ill, or has an ailment of the scalp, he should com

Quran Chapter 2 [part 10] - The Cow - The Pilgrimage, Embrace Islam and Reject Satan

243 [Prophet], consider those people who abandoned their homeland in fear of death, [a] even though there were thousands of them. God said to them, ‘Die!’ and then brought them back to life again; God shows real favor to people, but most of them are ungrateful. 244 Fight [b] in God’s cause and remember that He is all

Quran Chapter 2 [part 13] - The Cow - Stories and Reflections

31 Say, ‘If you love God, follow me, and God will love you and forgive you your sins; God is most forgiving, most merciful.’ 32 Say, ‘Obey God and the Messenger,’ but if they turn away, [know that] God does not love those who ignore [His commands]. 33 God chose Adam, Noah, Abraham’s family, [a] and the family of Imran

Quran Chapter 3 [part 2] - The Family of Imran - Family matters, Story of Jesus, True Explanation

130 You who believe, do not consume usurious interest, doubled and redoubled. Be mindful of God so that you may prosper– 131 beware of the Fire prepared for those who ignore [Him]– 132 and obey God and the Prophet so that you may be given mercy. 133 Hurry towards your Lord’s forgiveness and a Garden as wide as the h

Quran Chapter 3 [part 5] - The Family of Imran - A Test, Remain Steadfast, God Forgives

A Medinan sura gives a number of instructions, urging justice to children and orphans, and mentioning inheritance and marriage laws. The sura also talks of the tensions between the Muslim community in Medina and some of the People of the Book (verses 44, 61), moving into a general discussion of war: it warns the Muslim

Quran Chapter 4 [part 1] - The Women - Instructions, Inheritance

71 You who believe, be on your guard. March [to battle] in small groups or as one body. 72 Among you there is the sort of person who is sure to lag behind: if a calamity befalls you, he says, ‘God has been gracious to me that I was not there with them,’ 73 yet he is sure to say, if you are favored by God, ‘If only I

Quran Chapter 4 [part 4] - The Women - Take Care, About Fighting and Emigration

The central theme of this Medinan sura is the regulation of lawful and unlawful food, obedience to which is part of the pledge between God and the believers (verses 1–5, 87–108). Part of the sura concerns hunting for food during the pilgrimage and respect for the rites of pilgrimage. God had also taken pledges from the

Quran Chapter 5 [part 1] - The Feast - Legislation of Contracts + Offerings to God

30 [Prophet], when your Lord told the angels, ‘I am putting a successor [a] on earth,’ they said, ‘How can [b] You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed, when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?’ but He said, ‘I know things you do not.’ 31 He taught Adam all the names [of things], then

Quran Chapter 2 [part 2] - The Cow - The Story of Adam, Remember God’s Favors

94 Say, ‘How evil are the things your belief commands you to do, if you really are believers!’ Say, ‘If the last home with God is to be for you alone and no one else, then you should long for death, if your claim is true.’ 95 But they will never long for death, because of what they have stored up with their own hands:

Quran Chapter 2 [part 5] - The Cow - Faithlessness

155 We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property, lives, and crops. But [Prophet], give good news to those who are steadfast, 156 those who say, when afflicted with a calamity, ‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return.’ 157 These will be given blessings and mercy from their Lord, and it

Quran Chapter 2 [part 8] - The Cow - Punishment for Disbelief, Righteousness Explained

213 Mankind was a single community, then God sent prophets to bring good news and warning, and with them He sent the Scripture with the Truth, to judge between people in their disagreements. It was only those to whom it was given who disagreed about it after clear signs had come to them, because of rivalry between them

Quran Chapter 2 [part 11] - The Cow - Instructions for Life

261 Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause are like grains of corn that produce seven ears, each bearing a hundred grains. God gives multiple increase to whoever He wishes: He is limitless and all knowing. 262 Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause, and do not follow their spending with reminders of their be

Quran Chapter 2 [part 14] - The Cow - Charity and Contracts, Faith and Supplication

70 People of the Book, why do you deny God’s revelations when you can see they are true? 71 People of the Book, why do you mix truth with falsehood? Why do you hide the truth when you recognize it? 72 Some of the People of the Book say, ‘At the beginning of the day, believe in what has been revealed to these believer

Quran Chapter 3 [part 3] - The Family of Imran - Who is Trustworthy, Reminder, God Knows Everything

160 If God helps you [believers], no one can overcome you; if He forsakes you, who else can help you? Believers should put their trust in God. 161 It is inconceivable that a prophet would ever dishonestly take something from the battle gains. Anyone who does so will carry it with him on the Day of Resurrection, when ea

Quran Chapter 3 [part 6] - The Family of Imran - True Believers or Hypocrites, Grace and Bounty

15 If any of your women commit a lewd act, call four witnesses from among you, then, if they testify to their guilt, keep the women at home until death comes to them or until God shows them another way. [a] 16 If two men commit a lewd act, punish them both; if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone– God is

Quran Chapter 4 [part 2] - The Women - About Women, Serve God

101 When you [believers] are travelling in the land, you will not be blamed for shortening your prayers, if you fear the disbelievers may harm you: they are your sworn enemies. 102 When you [Prophet] are with the believers, leading them in prayer, let a group of them stand up in prayer with you, taking their weapons w

Quran Chapter 4 [part 5] - The Women - The Prayer, Wrongdoers Only Harm Themselves, Fear God

7 Remember God’s blessing on you and the pledge with which you were bound when you said, ‘We hear and we obey.’ Be mindful of God: God has full knowledge of the secrets of the heart. 8 You who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witness impartially: do not let hatred of others [a] lead you away from

Quran Chapter 5 [part 2] - The Feast - God’s Covenant, Ordained Punishments

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