Sura 55 Ar-Rahman (The Most Gracious) Mecca
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is one of the most popular chapters of the Quran. It reads like a psalm of praise which enumerates the power of Allah in creation. There are many verses about the Muslim heaven which have the re-occurring refrain ’Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?’
The title comes from verse 1: (Allah) Most Gracious!
Allah taught the Quran to Muhammad
“It is He who has taught the Quran” (v 2).
Examples of the enumeration of the works of Allah
“He has created man” (v 3)
“The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed” (v 4)”
and the herbs and the trees both (alike) prostrate in adoration” (v 5, 6).
“It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures” (v 10)
“He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery” (v 14)
“And He created Jinns from fire free of smoke” “Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?” (16)
Judgement of jinn and men
“On that day no question will be asked of man or jinn as to his sin. Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
The sinners will be known by their marks: and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet. Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
This is the hell which the sinners deny: In its midst and in the midst of boiling hot water will they wander round!
Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?” (v 39-44)
Description of the Muslim heaven
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ut for such as fear the time when they will stand before their Lord, there will be two gardens – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Containing all kinds (of trees and del ights) – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
In them (each) will be two springs flowing (free) – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
In them will be fruits of every kind, two and two – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
They will recline on carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the fruit of the gardens will be near. – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
In them will be (maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or jinn before them has touched - Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Like unto rubies and coral. – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Is there any reward for good other than good? – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
And besides these two, there are two other gardens, - Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Dark-green in colour (from plentiful watering). - Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
In them (each) will be two springs pouring forth water in continuous abundance: -Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
In them will be fruits, and dates and pomeg ranates: - Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
In them will be fair (companions), good, beautiful – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Companions restrained (as to their glances), in (goodly) pavilions; – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Whom no man or jinn before them has touched – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Reclining on green cushions and rich carpets of beauty. – Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Blessed be the name of thy Lord, full of majesty, bounty and honour.” (v 46 -78)
Four gardens are mentioned. Some suppose that the first two are for men and jinn of a high order, and the o ther two for those of an inferior character.
It has been noted that the promise of the Houries of Paradise are almost exclusively found in suras written at a time when Muhammad had only a single wife of sixty years of age, and that in all the ten years subsequent to the Hijrah, women are only twice mentioned as part of the reward of the faithful in heaven. The proper wives of the faithful are spoken of as accompanying their husbands into the gardens of bliss in several suras for example Sura Al-Isra 17:23: “Gardens of perpetual bliss: they shall enter there, as well as the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring: and angels shall enter unto them from every gate.”
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Sura 56 Al Waqiah (The Event)
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he chapter takes its name from the first verse with the statement that the coming day of judgement is inevitable: “When the event inevitable cometh to pass.” The chapter therefore goes on to describe the rewards of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked at the judgement day and lastly shows the possibility of the resurrection of the dead. The judgement affects both the believers and the unbelievers and they are to be distinguished as to whether the books will be delivered to them into the right hand or the left.
The three distinct classes
“And ye shall be sorted out into three classes. Then (there will be) the companions of the right hand; What will be the companions of the right hand? And the companions of the left hand, what will be the companions of the left hand? And those foremost (in faith) will be foremost (in the hereafter)” (v 7-11).
The three distinct classes are: 1. Those on the right hand who will be happy; 2. Those on the left hand who will be miserable; 3 Those who preceded others in the faith, either the first of Muhammad’s converts or the prophets.
The Companions of the right-hand 
“In gardens of bliss: A number of people from those of old, and a few from those of later times. (They will be) on thrones encrusted (with gold and precious stones), Reclining on them, facing each other. With goblets, (shining) beakers, and cups (filled) out of clear-flowing fountains: No after-ache will they receive there from, nor will they suffer intoxication: And with fruits, any that they may select: And the flesh of fowls, any that they may desire. And (there will be) companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes, Like unto pearls well-guarded. A reward for the deeds of their past” (v.12-24 and etc).
“And on thrones (of dignity), raised high. We have created (their companions) of special creation. And made them virgin pure (and undefiled), Beloved (by nature), equal in age, For the companions of the right hand” (v 34-38).
The Companions of the left-hand
“The companions of the left hand, what will be the companions of the left hand? (They will be) in the midst of a fierce blast of fire and in boiling water, And in the shades of black smoke: Nothing (will there be) to refresh, nor to please” (v 41-44)
“Ye will surely taste of the Tree of Zaqqum. “Then will ye fill your insides therewith, “And drink boiling water on top of it: “Indeed ye shall drink like diseased camels raging with thirst!” Such will be their entertainment on the day of requital!” (v 52-56)
Discussion on the Resurrection (v 57-74)
Only the clean can touch the Quran
“Furthermore I call to witness the setting of the stars, And that is indeed a mighty adjuration if ye but knew, That this is indeed a Quran most honourable, In a book well-guarded, Which none shall touch but those who are clean: A revelation from the lord of the worlds” (v 75-80)
The words ‘none shall touch but those who are clean’ are often written on the cover of Qurans’ Respect is expressed with both purity of body and mind.
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57 Sura Al-Hadid (Iron) Medina
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he chapter takes its name from iron which is mentioned in verse 25
“ ……… and We sent down iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help.”
In this chapter Muslims are urged to contribute towards the spread of their faith; the hypocrites are condemned and there is a statement that apostles were also sent to former nation.
God omniscient and omnipresent
“Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, let it declare the praises and glory of Allah: for He is the exalted in might, the wise.
To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth:
It is He who gives life and death; and He has power over all things.
He is the first and the last, the evident and the immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things” (v 1-3).
Victory for the war-effort
“And what cause have ye why ye should not spend in the cause of Allah? For to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. Not equal among you are those who spent (freely) and fought, before the victory, (with those who did so later). Those are higher in rank than those who spent (freely) and fought afterwards. But to all has Allah promised a goodly (reward). And Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do. Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan? For (Allah) will increase it manifold to his credit, and he will have (besides) a liberal reward” (v 10, 11).
Although a number of orientalist scholars believe these verses refer to the victory at Badr, Baidawi and a good number of Muslim commentators say the victory referred to is that of the taking of Mecca. Those who took an active role in this campaign and shared in the victory are ranked higher than those who fought campaigns afterwards.
Reproof of hypocrites who hesitate to make war on unbelievers
“One day will the hypocrites men and women say to the believers: “Wait for us! Let us borrow from your light!” It will be said: “Turn ye back to your rear! Then seek a light (where ye can)!” So a wall will be put up betwixt them, with a gate therein. Within it will be mercy throughout, and without it, all alongside, will be (wrath and) punishment! (Those without) will call out, “Were we not with you?” (The others) will reply, “True! But ye led yourselves into temptation; ye looked forward (to our ruin); ye doubted (Allah’s promise); and (your false) desires deceived you; until there issued the command of Allah. And the deceiver deceived you in respect of Allah. “This day shall no ransom be accepted of you, nor of those who rejected Allah.” Your abode is the fire: that is the proper place to claim you: and an evil refuge it is!” (v 13-15)
Apostles sent to former nations
“We sent aforetime our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the book and the balance (of right and wrong), that men may stand forth in justice; and We sent down iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, unseen, Him and His messengers: For Allah is full of strength, exalted in might. And We sent Noah and Abraham, and established in their line Prophethood and revelation: and some of them were on right guidance. But many of them became rebellious transgressors. Then, in their wake, We followed them up with (others of) Our messengers: We sent after them Jesus the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel” (v 25-27).
‘Balance’ may mean a rule of justice, but some think it was an actual balance. ‘We have sent down iron’, means we taught men how to dig it out of mines. Both the Old Testament and the Gospel are here acknowledged to be given by God. We are not to understand by the word Gospel the actual volume of the New Testament or any one of its component parts, but rather the revelation made to Jesus by God himself, which Muhammad may have imagined to have been committed to writing subsequently, in the same way as his own Quran.
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Sura 58 Al-Mujadilah (The Disputation) Medina
The title of this chapter is taken from the first verse “Allah has indeed heard the statement of the woman who pleads (disputes) with thee.” The title verse deals with the abolition of an idolatrous custom. We also read about the secret plotting of the hypocrites against Muhammad while from the Muslim increased respect is required for Muhammad. ’The party of God’ are told to separate themselves from the ‘hypocrites.’ 
The Disputation
“ Allah has indeed heard the statement of the woman who pleads with thee concerning her husband and carries her complaint to Allah: and Allah hears the arguments between both sides among you: for Allah hears and sees. If any men among you divorce their wives by Zihar (calling them mothers), they cannot be their mothers: None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. And in fact they use words (both) iniquitous and false: but truly Allah is one that blots out (sins), and forgives (again and again). But those who divorce their wives by Zihar, then wish to go back on the words they uttered, should free a slave before they touch each other and etc:” (v 1-4)
Khawla bint Thalaba came to Muhammad after being divorced under the Zihr system before the time of Islam. Muhammad told her that it was not lawful for her to live with her husband anymore. The woman went home very concerned about this decision because she had small children and made her complaint to God. Then this passage was revealed allowing a man to take his wife again, despite the divorce, as long as he performed acts of charity.
Resisting Allah and Muhammad His Messenger
“Those who resist Allah and His messenger will be humbled to dust, as were those before them: for We have already sent down clear signs. And the unbelievers (will have) a humiliating penalty, On the day that Allah will raise them all up (again) and show them the truth (and meaning) of their conduct. Allah has reckoned its (value), though they may have forgotten it, for Allah is witness to all things” (v 5, 6).
God knoweth all things
“Seest thou not that Allah doth know (all) that is in the heavens and on earth? There is not a secret consultation between three, but He makes the fourth among them, Nor between five but He makes the sixth, nor between fewer nor more, but He is in their midst, wheresoever they be: In the end will He tell them the truth of their conduct, on the day of judgment. For Allah has full knowledge of all things” (v 7)
Unbelievers in secret counsels
“Turnest thou not thy sight towards those who were forbidden secret counsels yet revert to that which they were forbidden (to do)? And they hold secret counsels among themselves for iniquity and hostility, and disobedience to the messenger. And when they come to thee, they salute thee, not as Allah salutes thee, (but in crooked ways): And they say to themselves, “Why does not Allah punish us for our words?” Enough for them is hell: In it will they burn, and evil is that destination!” (v 
“Secret counsels are only (inspired) by the Evil One, in order that he may cause grief to the believers; but he cannot harm them in the least, except as Allah permits” (v 10).
The hypocrite Muslims privately derided Muhammad and even though they were prohibited to hold clandestine meetings they still continued.
True believers in secret councils
“O ye who believe! When ye hold secret counsel, do it not for iniquity and hostility, and disobedience to the Prophet; but do it for righteousness and self-restraint; and fear Allah, to Whom ye shall be brought back” (v.9).
Muslims are commanded to make room for the prophet and the more honourable of his companions. They are not to crowd him as they once used to do to hear his discourses.
“O ye who believe! When ye consult the messenger in private, spend something in charity before your private consultation. That will be best for you, and most conducive to purity (of conduct). But if ye find not (the wherewithal), Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (v 12)
This conduct was thought to be appropriate in order to honour the prophet.
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