JUZ SIXTEEN
The sixteenth juz begins at verse 75 of Surah al-Kahf in the middle of the story of Musa and Khidr. The juz contains all of Surah Maryam and Surah Taha, ending at the conclusion of Surah Taha. The story of Musa is a theme that flows throughout this juz. It begins in the middle of the story of Musa’s adventure with Khidr, the bond between Musa and his brother Harun is mentioned in Surah Maryam, and then Surah Taha focuses entirely on the story of Musa. In these three surahs, we see three different parts of the journey of Musa, as a student, a brother, and a messenger.
The theme of miracles is another theme found consistently throughout the juz. The juz begins with the miracles of Khidr and Dhu al-Qarnayn in the second half of Surah al-Kahf. Khidr was a prophet who was granted many miracles and a deep understanding of qadar. Through Musa’s journey with him, they encountered many strange things and Musa learned the importance of trusting Allah’s qadar. Dhu al-Qarnayn was a great leader who was given control over a large portion of the earth. As a miracle, Allah
allowed him to construct a wall that protected the world from Gog and Magog. Gog and Magog will remain hidden behind this wall until the end-times.
Surah Maryam gives us two miraculous births in Yaḥya and ʿIsa . Yaḥya was
granted to his parents at an old age after his father made duʿa for an heir. ʿIsa is the only human created from a mother without a father.105 The core lesson in these stories is to never lose hope in Allah’s Mercy and to ask Allah for whatever we need as He is capable of all things. The miracles of Musa are then listed in Surah Taha as well.
Surah Maryam is an early Makkan surah that was revealed before the migration to Abyssinia. We know this because Jaʿfar recited this surah in the court of the Najashi. The surah has a powerful rhythmic flow that really touches the heart. The message of the surah likewise is deep and touches the heart. A core message in this surah is the Mercy of Allah, which is repeated throughout. The name al-Raḥman appears in this surah sixteen
times.
In the stories of Maryam and Khidr , there is an interesting contrast. Khidr took away the child of a couple to protect them from the child growing up to harm them. They viewed losing their child as a tragedy and were unaware that it was actually to protect them. Maryam was blessed with a child that was initially viewed as a test. She did not realize then that her child would be a great blessing for her. In these two stories, we see how both gaining and losing a child can be perceived differently. Both can be tests from Allah, and whatever Allah wills for us is best for us.
In the story of Prophet Ibrahim , we have an excellent role model of how to call people to Islam. Throughout the story, Ibrahim calls on his father with compassion and wisdom, despite his father’s rejection and harshness towards him. This passage in Surah Maryam should be recited and reflected on for lessons in daʿwah methodology. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sees in Ibrahim an optimistic message. Ibrahim’s father rejected his message, yet others would later embrace it. Likewise, the uncle of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had rejected his message, but many were going to embrace it in the future.
A variety of other prophets are mentioned in Surah Maryam. The brotherhood between Musa and Harun, the steadfastness of Ismaʿil , and the raising up of Idris are all listed as examples of Allah’s blessings on various prophets. The message is clear: obey Allah and He will take care of you in both worlds.
Surah Taha revolves around the story of Prophet Musa with a strong focus on his journey as a messenger. Other repetitions of this story in the Qur’an focus on the reactions of the Pharaoh or his people. Here the focus is on his journey and personal struggles, which parallel those of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Surah Taha holds an important place in the hearts of believers. It was the opening verses of this surah that caused ʿUmar’s heart to open towards Islam, paving the way to victory for the Muslims. The conversion of Umar was the most important conversion of the early Makkan period, and this surah was central to that powerful event.
By Dr. Omar Suleiman & Sh. Ismail Kamdar
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