Storytelling From the Quran

   A dear friend of mine, Miriam, recently had the blessed opportunity to attend a lecture given by Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan in person. Being a huge fan of Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan I asked her what the talk was on and it turned out it was the same one that I've been dying to attend ever since I heard about it - how the Quran tells its stories. Anyone who has read the translation of the Quran or even tried to read it may have noticed how the stories in the Quran are not in chronological order and sometimes you have bits and pieces of the story scattered throughout it. Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan informs us at to why this has been done in his many talks on Divine Speech which can be found at BayyinahTV. But in this particular lecture which my friend attended, two stories told in two separate Surah's (Chapters) were analyzed - the story of Prophet Musa (Moses) and the Story of Prophet Yusuf.  The story of Prophet Musa is told in Surah Al Qassas while the story of Prophet Yusuf is told in Surah Yusuf. In Surah Yusuf Allah (God) begins by saying: We relate to you, [O Muhammad], the best of stories in what We have revealed to you of this Qur'an although you were, before it, among the unaware.  (12:3)

   In this Ayah (verse), the word that is used for "stories" in the Arabic language is the word Qassas and is the same word used in Surah Al Qassas. After realizing this correlation, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan did some in-depth study of the two stories and this is what he found:

• Both stories begin with some kind of foretelling of how the outcome will be, but also begin with both of them in their youths.
• One is born into a slave community and the other is from a noble family.
• One's father is mentioned, and the other's mother is.
• One is thrown into the water of a well to rid of him, and the other is thrown into water to attempt to save him. 
• One's older siblings are the cause of being put into the water, and the other's older sibling is his savior. 
• They both end up in an Egyptian palace, one as a servant and the other as a prince. 
• One will destruct the ruling party, and the other will save it. 
• One is raised by two mothers, and the other has an absent father as his role model.
• Yusuf (AS) leaves the palace for a crime he did not commit. Musa (AS) leaves for a crime he did.
• One is captured and jailed without crime. And the other escapes though he committed a crime.
• One has extraordinary strength, and the other has extreme beauty, which is the cause for their leaving.
• One's name was denounced in public, and the other in private.
• One comes back to the palace to confess his crime, and the other comes back proving his innocence.
• One story shows how a relationship between a man and a woman should not happen, and the other shows how it should.
• And finally, one brings the message of Islam to Egypt, and the other leaves with the believers out of Egypt. 

Why give a speech about the Quran?

Look at my previous post first before reading this. It's titled: "Gems of the Quran"

  A year ago, I probably wouldn't even have thought of giving a speech about the Quran. Tbh, my knowledge and interest in the Quran was limited to just reading and memorizing it (something my parents encouraged which eventually grew to a personal wish to finish memorizing the Quran (not that I was all that dedicated)). I rarely read the translation and the little knowledge (my knowledge is STILL very limited) I had was from compulsory Islam classes and my parents. I didn't just suddenly wake up one day and decide I was interested in knowing more about the Quran - I was too caught up in what I considered more important and interesting. What started it was something so unexpected it's almost crazy. It started with a conversation. A conversation with a non-Muslim about the Quran and for the first time I was in a position where I had to prove to someone that the Quran WAS the word of God. The more I talked to him, the more I realized I knew absolutely nothing about the book I claimed was a miracle from my Lord. I spent three days and nights - eating next to nothing - researching for hours trying to answer his questions. The more I researched - the more I was amazed at my findings. I came to realize what a beautiful book the Quran is, it's language, depth and wisdom is beyond what I have ever imagined. I came across amazing people such as Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan and Sheikh Abdul Nasir (may Allah bless them) who have dedicated their entire lives to teaching the Quran in a way that pulls you in: makes you want to listen. And it was the first time I was introduced to the Quran as a speech - as if Allah (God)  was directly talking to me as I felt his words on my tongue. And that is when I realized what the Quran truly is - it is not book to be read once, put down and be forgotten - but rather a speech - one that begs to be heard, and felt by the heart. A speech that has the power to change people's entire lives. 

Who would have known that a non-Muslim would make me interested in my own religion? Amazing. Seriously. Amazing.

Gems of the Quran

My fourth toastmaster's speech given on February, 03, 2013*. The objective of the speech was "How you say it". I really hope you enjoy it! =) 

   Have any of you ever thought of delving into the wonders of the Quran? For those of who do not know what the Quran is, it is the Holy book of Muslims- a proclaimed miracle that was sent down to mankind from God in times of need -  like a beacon in a stormy night.

Fellow Toastmasters, honorable guests, good evening.

  I feel  that learning the Quran is like diving in to the ocean; the deeper you go, the more intrigued you become. Just like any other form of literature, the Quran has its own unique literary gems hidden deep inside of it. But to actually extract the wonders of the Quran yourself requires a great deal of knowledge and dedication because of the richness of the Arabic language. Which is why today I am going to show you just a few of the marvels concealed in the words of the Quran that you would otherwise not see if you just skimmed over the surface. 

In Surah Al Mu'minoon, God says: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ,  Successful indeed are the believers. Aflaha means success and is used in the Arabic language to indicate the highest level of success. Interestingly, the word Aflaha or Falah is also used by Arabs to refer to the farmer or specifically the farmer during the crop season. The work a farmer does is all year long – he tends to his crops in the scorching summer heat – replants them in case of winds or any form of calamity – and at the end of the year, he harvests them. The entire time, the farmer is exerting a great amount of effort but he does not see the fruits of his labor until the very end. Which is exactly like the believer. The believer is constantly striving for God's sake in order to gain that final unseen reward, Paradise.

   In another Surah, Surah Al Ahzab, God says: مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّـهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ Allah has not put for any man two hearts inside his body. What's important to notice is that the word Rajul is used which singles out men in particular. Also, to refer to the place where the hearts are kept, the word body (jowf) is used instead of chest Sadar even though throughout the entire Quran God talks about "the hearts in the chests". Why has this been done?

   Well, you see when a woman is carrying she contains two hearts inside her body, her own and the baby's. In both  these examples precise words were used in order to convey a specific message.

   Another gem can be found in Surah Al Ikhlas, where God says:  اللَّـهُ الصَّمَدُ The Self-Sufficient Master. But the word Al Samad actually has a couple of meanings: As a verb it means to turn attention towards someone or to demand from them a fulfillment or need. The word Masmood is actually what Al Samad implies and it is someone who people turn to in time of need.

   Another verbal meaning is when you make someone your goal, when you aspire to reach them, when you aspire to please them or when you aspire to attain them. When you make someone the goal in your life that is Al Samad.

   Al Samad can also refer to someone who is not in need of anyone else and no one can overpower them in terms status or in any attribute. In Arabic literature it's used for a person who cannot be overcome, meaning he can't be overcome in battle, you can't out do them in business, or in their leadership or in their studies or anything for that matter. That person would be Al Samad.

  Al Samad can also be an adjective and it is used to describe something that is whole, without any blemishes or faults. For example, a pure brick of Gold would be Al Samad, or a boulder without any holes to let water or air inside would be Al Samad. Something absolute, something concrete.

  So now the question arises, which of the meanings applies to this verse? The answer is all of them. That's one of the gems of the Quran, a single word used can have multiple meanings all of which apply to the same verse. 

And finally in Surah Al Mudathir God says:  وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ. Declare the greatness only of your master . The و here actually has many different meanings in Classical Arabic. One of the meanings is to signify the beginning of a sentence just like you have the capital letter in English. If you look at this verse with that in mind you can see that it is actually a palindrome. A palindrome is a word or a phrase that is spelt the same backwards and forwards which as you can see is the case here.

These four were just a few of the many gems buried deep within the very essence of the Quran. Just like the ocean floor, the Quran has a number of gems waiting to be discovered.  The fact is we don't realize the beauty and power concealed behind the words of the Quran because it is one book we take for granted.

In Surah al Ra'ad Allah says:
And if there was any Qur'an by which the mountains would be removed or the earth would be broken apart or the dead would be made to speak, [it would be this Qur'an].   

There is so much more to this book that we are missing and so much that we could gain just by becoming it's Students of Knowledge. All it takes is an enthusiastic spirit with the determination to undertake a fascinating journey into the very depths of it's pages. As William Blake once said: In the universe, there are things that are known and things that are unknown and in between there are the doors.

This speech was inspired by the information that was gained by listening to Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan. You can find his videos on Youtube and find Tafsir (in depth study of the Quran) done by Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan and Sheik Abdul Nasir. 

Other Linguistic Miracles can be found here.