JUZ TWO
The theme of guidance continues to run throughout the second juz of the Qur’an. The focus moves towards the laws Allah has revealed. In this juz, Allah explains to us various laws of Islam related to every area of life. The laws of fasting in Ramadan, Hajj, marriage, divorce, warfare, and criminal law are all detailed. The believer will strive to obey the law as it is guidance from our Creator.
The theme of guidance appears in the verses of Ramadan, in which Allah reminds us that He revealed the Qur’an in Ramadan as a guidance for humanity. Notice that Allah referred to the Qur’an as guidance for the God-conscious at the beginning of the surah. In the middle, He refers to it as guidance for humanity. This is because the message is meant for all of humanity and is accessible to anyone, but only the God-conscious will
pay heed and follow it.
The theme of guidance flows throughout the verses of Ramadan. Allah revealed the book of guidance during the month of guidance and calls on us to thank Him for that guidance. This is followed by a verse reminding us about the importance of duʿa. Duʿa is another important theme that flows throughout the first three juz of the Qur’an.
In this juz, Allah reminds us, “Whenever My servant asks of Me, tell him I am near.” This is a beautiful reminder to draw near to Allah through duʿa. He also reminds us to “enter into submission completely, and do not follow the footsteps of Shaytan.” Guidance cannot transform us if we pick and choose which aspects of it to follow. We must submit to Allah’s guidance completely to experience its benefits.
The juz ends with the story of the children of Israʿīl when they asked for a king but refused to follow him. The few who followed him were successful, despite being outnumbered. This is a reminder that success lies in following the guidance of Allah, even if only a minority of people follow it. The truth will prevail and “how often have a small group defeated a larger group with Allah’s permission. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.”
The surah concludes in the third juz but we will conclude our brief tafsir of it here so we can focus on Surah Al ʿImran in the next juz. Towards the end of Surah al-Baqarah, we find the greatest verse in the Qur’an known as Ayat al-Kursi. Ayat al-Kursi is both a duʿa for protection and a reminder that Allah is the Greatest and we are constantly in need of Him.
The surah then ends with another duʿa. The closing verses are a confirmation that we believe in the guidance that Allah has revealed to his prophets, followed by a duʿa in which we admit that we are weak and often slip up. We ask Allah to keep us firm upon guidance and to overlook our mistakes and sins.
The surah comes full circle with this duʿa. It begins by declaring that the Qur’an is guidance for the God-conscious, then explains the paths of guidance and misguidance through descriptions, stories, and laws. Finally, it ends with a duʿa for protection from misguidance and losing our way, asking Allah for firmness upon the straight path.
By Dr. Omar Suleiman & Sh. Ismail Kamdar
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