JUZ ONE
The Qur’an begins with a duʿa for guidance, and an answer to that duʿa. Guidance is the main theme that flows throughout the first juz of the Qur’an. The opening chapter of the Qur’an, Surah al-Fatiha, is a beautifully structured duʿa for guidance. It begins with praising Allah by His beautiful names and attributes, then reminds us to worship Allah alone. This verse establishes our relationship with Allah as a relationship of worship. Allah is our Lord Who alone we worship and seek Divine Help from.
This is followed by a duʿa for guidance, in which we are shown the path of those whom Allah has favored. We are also shown the two paths that lead away from Allah: misguidance by blindly following wrong beliefs and arrogantly rejecting the truth when it is clear thus earning the anger of Allah.
Surah al-Fatiḥah is immediately followed by a declaration that the Qur’an is a guidance for those who are conscious of Allah.10 The opening verses of Surah al-Baqarah clarify that the Qur’an is here to guide us, but we can only access that guidance if we are sincere in striving for righteousness. The rest of the surah builds on this theme by discussing various topics related to the theme of guidance.
The opening passages of Surah al-Baqarah describe the three ways in which people react to the guidance of the Qur’an. The righteous believe in it, embrace it, and strive to follow it. The disbelievers reject it and turn away from it. The third group, the hypocrites, get the most attention as this is a subtle dangerous path that people rarely realize they are upon. The hypocrites outwardly embrace the guidance of the Qur’an, yet internally reject it. They are Muslim on a surface level, yet their attitude towards the revelation is closer to that of the disbelievers. This passage calls on us to introspect and ensure we do not have any of the traits of the hypocrites.
Whether we embrace the guidance of the Qur’an or not depends on our attitude and intention towards it. People who approach the Qur’an with an antagonistic mindset are more likely to reject it. Those who sincerely seek the truth are more likely to follow it; this is why it is “Guidance for the God-conscious.”
The various stories in Surah al-Baqarah show us the different reactions to Allah’s guidance. Humans by our nature will slip up, but how we react to our own mistakes indicates our overall attitude towards Allah. The story of Adam in Surah al-Baqarah is a reminder that the best of people also make mistakes, but in humility they acknowledge their mistakes and repent. This is the path of guidance.
Contrast this with the stories of Iblis and Pharaoh. Both of them actively rejected the truth, even though they recognized it, because of their blind arrogance. Their arrogance blocked them from the path of guidance and led them towards Hellfire. This is a strong warning against the evil trait of arrogance and its effects on the heart. Regarding this, Sufyan Ibn ʿUyaynah said, “Adam sinned out of desire, Satan sinned out of pride. The one who sins out of desire will find it easier to repent than the one who sins out of arrogance.”
Another story mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah is the story of Sulayman. In this surah, Allah declares that Sulayman did not disbelieve; rather, it was the devils who disbelieved. Sulayman was blessed with every worldly privilege, but he did not allow any of these blessings to distract him from the purpose of life. Sulayman is proof that even people who have everything in this world can still pass the test of life if they are sincere.
The final story in this juz is about Prophet Ibrahim. Ibrahim was guided and wanted guidance for his descendants. Allah praises his beautiful character in this surah with a special emphasis on the duʿa he made for his descendants. Ibrahim wished for people from his descendants who would continue the work of calling towards Allah’s guidance. Allah answered his duʿa through his descendants Ismail, Isḥaq, and their descendants who included Musa, ʿIsa, Muhammad, etc.
The surah ends with a reminder that we believe in all of these prophets and confirm everything that was revealed to each of them. Our ummah is called the balanced nation that will bear witness for every other nation, while our prophet is a witness over us. The next juz begins with the changing of the qiblah signifying the transition of revelation from the Israʾelite descendants of Ibrahim to his Ishmaelite descendants.
As Surah al-Baqarah is the longest surah in the Qur’an, its theme continues into the second and third juz in which we will explore other lessons related to guidance and misguidance.
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John Doe
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John Doe
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