JUZ SEVEN

The seventh juz of the Qur’an begins at verse 83 of Surah al-Maʾidah and ends at verse 110 of Surah al-Anʿam. The juz begins by recognizing that many of the People of the Book were righteous and sincere. They recognized the message of Islam as being the same as that of the previous prophets and accepted it. This was specifically true for a group of Christians.

And you will find that the nearest in affection towards the believers are those who say, “We are Christians.” That is because among them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant. And when they hear what was revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears, as they recognize the truth in it. They say, “Our Lord, we have believed, so count us among the witnesses.”

One of the greatest examples of this was Najashi, the ruler of Abyssinia at that time. He was a just Christian king who sheltered the Muslims. When the verses of Surah Maryam were recited in his court, his priests began to weep as described in this verse. Najashi secretly accepted Islam and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prayed a janazah in absence for him when he
passed away. He is an exemplary example of a sincere believer.

As the core theme of Surah al-Maʾidah include the laws of Islam, many of these laws are detailed in this juz. This includes the law of kaffarah. Kaffarah refers to the Islamic method of making up for a broken oath. It is part of the ease of Islam that Allah has given us this way out when we make oaths that we later realize we are unable to fulfill.

This is followed by the prohibition of alcohol and gambling. These two vices were destructive norms in Arab society as they are in many societies today. The laws prohibiting alcohol were revealed slowly over time to allow for gradual change, teaching us the wisest manner of reforming a society. The final verse prohibiting alcohol completely is this verse in Surah al-Maʾidah, “O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, idolatry, and divination are abominations of Satan’s doing. Avoid them, so that you may prosper.” The
next verse explains the reason for this prohibition, “Satan wants to provoke strife and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of God, and from prayer. Will you not desist?”

With so many laws revealed in this surah, some believers may experience anxiety about their past sins. To comfort them, Allah revealed that He does not hold people accountable for the sins they committed before Islam or before the law was revealed. “Those who believe and do righteous deeds will not be blamed for what they may have eaten, provided they obey, and believe, and do good deeds, then maintain piety and faith, then remain
righteous and charitable. God loves the charitable.”

The remainder of the surah focuses on the stories of past nations. There is a comparison here between the stories of Moses and Jesus. The followers of Moses asked unnecessary questions out of mockery which led to the religion becoming stricter upon them. The disciples of Jesus, however, asked God for a table from Heaven to feast from. They asked this out of sincerity so that they could witness a miracle. Allah answered their prayers,
and a beautiful feast was sent down from Heaven for them.

The surah ends with a reminder that there is only One God, and that Jesus is his messenger. Trinity is an unacceptable belief in Islamic theology, and the sincere followers of Jesus are called once more to abandon it and follow the pure message of monotheism.

The next surah in the Qur’an is Surah al-Anʿam. Here the reader will notice a major tonal shift in both style and content. This is because Surah al-Anʿam is an early Makkan surah, the first after a long series of Madinan surahs. While the Madinan surahs before it focused on laws and politics, Surah al-Anʿam focuses purely on the message of tawḥid. This links up with the ending of Surah al-Ma’idah which called sincere Christians to tawḥid; the
next surah is all about the Oneness of God and His Noble Attributes.

Studying the differences between Surah al-Maʾidah and Surah al-Anʿam gives us a beautiful example of the differences between Makkan and Madinan revelation. Madinan revelation tends to be more focused on laws, while Makkan revelation focused only on beliefs as that is the foundation of the faith. Because of this, the content of Surah al-Anʿam is very different from the surahs before it. It focuses primarily on the Oneness of Allah,
His Signs, and the story of Abraham’s confirming the Oneness of Allah. It also lists all of the major prophets by name, teaching us not only what to believe about God, but which prophets we need to believe in as well.

Makkan revelation emphasizes the story of Abraham as he was an ideal role model of Islamic monotheism. Abraham submitted to God when everyone around him rejected monotheism, and his story became legendary. The Jews, Christians, and even the pagans of Makkah all knew his story well, so it served as a powerful reminder to all of them to return to the way of Abraham.

The juz ends with a reminder to always remain polite in our calling to the truth. We should avoid insulting the gods of other people, as in return they may insult Allah. Good manners, wisdom, and kindness are the foundations upon which pure Islamic daʿwah are built.

Do not insult those they call upon besides God, lest they insult God out of hostility and ignorance. We made attractive to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them of what they used to do.

Dr. Omar Suleiman & Sh. Ismail Kamdar

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John Doe

23/3/2019

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John Doe

23/3/2019

John Doe

23/3/2019

JUZ SEVEN

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