View Full Version : Favorite Parts of the Qur'an
Greetings to All!
If you ask a Christian to site their favorite verse of the Bible, most can refer to a passage. Many will say John 3:16. I like Romans 8:28, which tells us that all things work for the good to those who love Allah. I also love Psalm 23, which starts "The Lord is my shepherd. What else should I want?" To me, these passages reassure me that no matter how bad things seem, God's love will triumph, and I can continue to trust him. I memorized these verses when I was very young. When I am overwhelmed with work, financial worries, guilt, sickness, relationship problems, or whatever, I can call to mind my favorite passages of the Bible to find strength to get through the crisis.
I have been asking in several ways what Muslims find beautiful in Islam. Typical responses have focused on internal consistency of the whole Qur'an, textual transmission purity, the rationality of Islam, and consistency with science. But I am really trying to ask something else.
So let me approach my question another way. What is your absolute favorite verse of the Qur'an and why? What verse speaks to your heart and what does it say to you?
I will be away fromt he internet over Christmas, so I won't be responding or anything. Take your time to think about it. I hope to gain a better understanding of the beauty of the Qur'an and a better appreciation of Islam through this question.
If you are in a culture that celebrates this season, have a happy holiday.
Peace and Blessings!
jcecil3
Netcurtains
07-02-2002, 00:48
LAST EDITED ON 07-02-02 AT 09:04 AM (GMT)[p]This board is obviously going to get heated arguments
and debates. There will be quotes and religious books and
science and art, Poetry and crimes and tears and jokes.
This though, on an individual level, is all nonsense.
None of us really are interested in another mans bible/koran
quotes.
What everyone who is not religious REALLY wants to know
is your PERSONAL story. How did YOU end up becoming a
muslim? If one or two muslim people will tell me their
story I will be willing to say how I became a christian.
Any takers?
My favorite part of the Quraan...
hard question. Well.... every time i read a chapter i love it so much that i do'nt know if i love it more than the one before or not! But its totally amazing.
Let me post some of my favourite parts that i have studied. I am not yet even done studying half the quraan but here it goes:
Chapter 20
Ta*Ha. We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress, But only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allah). A revelation from Him (Allah) Who has created the earth and high heavens. The Most Beneficent (Allah) Istawa (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and all that is between them, and all that is under the soil. And if you speak (the invocation) aloud, then verily, He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden. Allah! La ilahla illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He)! To Him belong the Best Names.
and
So bear patiently what they say, and glorify the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting, and during some of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day (an indication for the five compulsory congregational prayers), that you may become pleased with the reward which Allah shall give you. And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them (polytheists and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah), the splendour of the life of this world that We may test them thereby. But the provision (good reward in the Hereafter) of your Lord is better and more lasting.
I'll paste more later if Allah wills... but now its time to go to school
= )
later
salam
Rasha
Greetings Rasha!
Thanks for your input. The second verse you site struck me as beautiful the way you quote it. It reminds me of Psalm 113 in the Bible, which goes:
Alleluia! Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting let the name of the LORD be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD; above the heavens God's glory. Who is like the LORD, our God enthroned on high, looking down on heaven and earth? The LORD raises the needy from the dust, lifts the poor from the ash heap, Seats them with princes, the princes of the people, Gives the childless wife a home, the joyful mother of children. Alleluia!
Peace and Blessings!
jcecil3
more favourite parts:
Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah, and He is the All-Mighty, All-Wise. His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, It is He Who gives life and causes death; and He is Able to do all things. He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing. He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then Istawa (rose over) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do. His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And to Allah return all the matters (for decision). He merges night into day (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the night is added into the hours of the day), and merges day into night (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the day is added into the hours of the night), and He has full knowledge of whatsoever is in the breasts. Believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ), and spend of that whereof He has made you trustees. And such of you as believe and spend (in Allah's Way), theirs will be a great reward. And what is the matter with you that you believe not in Allah! While the Messenger (Muhammad ) invites you to believe in your Lord (Allah), and He (Allah) has indeed taken your covenant, if you are real believers. It is He Who sends down manifest Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) to His slave (Muhammad ) that He may bring you out from darkness into light. And verily, Allah is to you full of kindness, Most Merciful.
The whole chapter is beautiful but I will stop and keep u with this for now.
salam
Well speaking abt favorite Parts of the Qur'an, i love this ayah a lot. it reads
"Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious." Noble Qur'ân 16:125
Assalaamu alaikum ya muslimeen.
Greetings and good day to all.
I can understand the question and perhaps the reasoning behind it. And...the standpoint from which this question is coming is very 'christian' in it's 'feeling'...if you know what I mean.
I have a rhetoric question for the muslims here.
Is it truly fitting that we 'pick and choose' favorite verses or passages from the Quran?? Is it for us to prefer any said verse or passage or even sura over any others?
I think that we should examine this well before we ourselves fall short and fall into a sin of 'qualfying' the Quran into something which it is not.
For me, personally, finding a favorite verse or passage or sura is the most difficult thing. For surely, all of the Quran is Allah's word and message of guidance to mankind, and each section and verse seems to hold equal importance as the others.
I was once put in my place quite frankly by a local scholar/reciter/sheikh. It so happened that Sheikh Abdurrahman As-Sudeis was visiting with my husband and stayed overnight a couple of night,s, and while here, he led the prayers (particularly the fajr) in our neighborhood masjid.
MashaAllah, tabarakAllah...to hear his voice resounding in our neighborhood masjid...and echoing throughout the town...was a magnificent thing indeed.
Anyways, while my husband and his guests (the Sheikh and some of those traveling with him, as well as my husband's brothers and dear friends) were having an evening out in our garden, I asked my husband to please request for the sheikh to recite Surat-Al-Rahman in the fajr prayer. As muslims, I am sure that all of you are familiar with surat-Al-Rahman. It has perhaps the most beautiful poetic cadence of all the Quran. As well as quite deep meaning. (not to mention recorded effect when used in ruqya treatment).
He (the Sheikh) had already led the fajr prayer the day before, and I asked my husband to ask him to please lead the fajr prayer again the next morning...it would be his last morning with us. And I was so anxious to hear his voice resounding once again in our masjid. And he did not let us down...he proceded to lead the prayer the next morning for the fajr.
But...to my dissapointment...he did not recite Surat-Al-Rahman, but rather recited Surat-Al-Waaqiah. It is also a beautiful sura...but I was intent on hearing him recite surat-Al-Rahman.
Anyways, after the salat was finished, the sheikh spoke with my husband before retiring to his room for some more rest before continuing on his journey. And he expressed his concern that he hoped that I (who requested that he recite surat Al-Rahman) was not to be disappointed. But he needed to point out to me and to demonstrate to me that recitation of Quran, and in particular for the prayer, is not like requesting a singer or performing band to play a song. This is worship...very personal and very serious. And we need to make sure that in our worship, we devote it clearly and plainly to Allah, not seeking any worldly gains or appreciation from our peers (i.e. riyaa). And so, this was his reason for not answering my request to recite that surah. He mentioned that Surat-Al-Waaqiah was also a beautiful surah...was it not? And that it had great deep meaning as well...perhaps even more.
And so...I was not dissapointed...but learned an important lesson, alhamdulillah. that the Quran is words of inspiration and reminder and warning...and not something to be used as a thing of admiration for any reason. And not something to 'play or perform upon request'.
For me, I have found that the Quran as a whole is certainly a great reminder for us all, as well as a source of healing and inspiration and consolation. And so, I cannot really 'pick and choose'.
However, there are certain verses or passages or even complete surahs which have special meaning...due to either their coincidence in situation with me personally, or due to what has been revealed thru the ahadith.
For instance, the opening chapter...surat-Al-Fatihah...although only seven verses...is the condensed meaning of the whole Quran...and it is a prayer in and of itself. It is extremely important to each and every muslim...for without it, the prayer is not accepted. As well, it is a well-established section to use in ruqya treatment.
The verses go as such:
'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;Most Gracious, Most Merciful;Master of the Day of Judgment.Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek,Show us the straight way,The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.' (s. 1, v. 1-7)
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When I was learning about Islam, it took me nearly 2 years before I finally became a muslim. Whenever I would feel myself pulled towards islam, I would encounter some of my muslim friends either making some statement of offense to me and my previous beliefs(christianity) or pressuring me to become a muslim...all of which only had the opposite effect of turning me further away from Islam.
It was nothing more and nothing less than a verse of the Quran which inspired and pushed me to that final point of no return of which I needed to become a muslim. And for this reason, the following verse holds a dear spot in my heart:
'If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).'(s. 3, v. 85)
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There is a recording of a hadith in which some of the companions complained to the prophet(SAAW) that one of their companions, when leading the prayer, tended to recite surat-Al-Ikhlaas seemingly in great repetition. (i.e. implying that he was reciting this short sura too much, and not reciting more lengthy verses). When the prophet(SAAW) approached that companion about this, his (the companions') response was that the reason that he used this sura for recitation in the prayers so much was that he truly believed in his heart the total one-ness and unity of Allah, and that the verses of this sura expressed His Almighty qualities in this light so eloquently and yet so simply plain. And when he recited the verses in reminder for the prophet(SAAW), the prophet(SAAW) gave his approval to the man for his usage of the verses so often in his prayer, seeing as how his reasoning was such, rather than for the superficial reason of using short and quick verses (as was implied by the companions).
and this sura goes as such:
'Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;And there is none like unto Him.'(s. 112, v. 1-4)
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The other two surahs of the 'muawadha' group are surat-An-Naas and surat-Al-Falaq. They are used in conjunction with surat-Al-Ikhlaas as recitation for remembrance in the mornings and evenings, and constitute (as related through the ahadith) the making up of a shield for the muslim against all evils, as well as established form of ruqya treatment. They are also vivid reminder that with the protection of Allah, nothing can harm one. And so these verses also hold a dear spot in my heart:
surat-Al-Falaq:
'Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn,From the mischief of created things;From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads;
From the mischief of those who practise secret Arts;And from the mischief of the envious one as he practises envy.(s. 113 , v. 1-5)
surat-An-Naas:
'Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind,The King (or Ruler) of Mankind,The God (or Judge) of Mankind,From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who withdraws (after his whisper),(The same) who whispers into the hearts of Mankind,Among Jinns and among Men.'(s.114, v. 1-6)
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Ayat-Al-Kursi is well-established and recognized as protection as well from all evils, and in particular from the jinn and devils. And another verse to recite as remembrance in the mornings and evenings, to build up the protective sheidl of the muslim. And this verses reads as such:
'Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).'(s. 2, v. 255)
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The last two verses of surat-Al-Baqarah is a passage well-established to be referred to us as sufficing for us. In other words, he who recites this verse in the evening and/or morning will find that he is truly in the full protection of Allah.
And this verse reads as follows:
'The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His Messengers." And they say: "We hear, and we obey, (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; our Lord! lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; help us against those who stand against Faith."'(s. 2, v. 285-286)
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Truly...this can and does go on and on. There are truly countless other verses which are dear to me for various reasons. And in fact, in truth, I cannot pick and choose any favorites. All have their own special meaning and their special place in my heart...and so I find it utterly impossible to choose any favorite.
I pray that Allah may also forgive me if I make the mistake of making any choice of a favorite. For I truly fear His wrath...and pray that He shall take mercy upon me and enter me into His garden.
While I'm on this...another terribly important verse...is reminding us that Allah's mercy is near...but for those who will ask. A terribly important reminder for us all:
'When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way.'(s. 2, v. 186)
I pray that we shall all be led to that which is best.
Lulua.
Assalamu alikom sis..
first jazaky Allah khairan for sharing...
but I think when we as muslims say "best part of the quraan" it is not really the evaluation of these verses but more a personal attachment to particular verses because of the meaning.
For instance... If you asked me what I'd like to hear Sura Noor or say sora al Anfal. I'd pick al Noor. I won't be upset if you did put sura al Anfal. But... the fact that I have for instance studied the tafsir of sura al noor means that I have explored the meaning and made sure I really really understand what is meant by the sura... that makes it "more beautiful" in my eyes cause I know what Allah is saying to me.
Yes all of the Quraan is beautiful... but the meaning is more beautiful when you know what the verses are saying deep within.
:) just a personal opinion.... that when we say i love this verse... it is not that u do'nt like anything ... its that u have this "personal relationship" with this particular verse. Allahu a'alam.
Assalaamu alaikum.
Oh, sis...I agree with you 100%...that in mentioning about a verse or a passage as being a 'favorite' is indicating a personal relationship or perhaps personal experience in relation to that verse...and not selecting or prioritizing one verse over another. And I think that is what i ended up leaning towards in my post. It is just that I think that we need to beware ourselves of falling into such a sin or mistake as selecting a verse over another...for all is truly so beautiful...and all of it is Allah's word.
Along that line, I agree with you also of the beauty of sura-Al-Noor. In particular the passage in which it is mentioning about the quality of Allah as being the light of the worlds. ('noorun 'ala noor').
Also, surat-al-Kaafirun...it gives me such inspiration...and has evolved to become a 'trademark' passage that I like to refer to so much...in reference in speaking to the non-believers...'for you your religion and for me mine'. So true. And so inspirational.
May Allah guide us all to that which is best.
Lulua.
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