Many rush through readings of the Qur’an during Ramadan without much reflection except that we finished the juz for the day in the same way that we do our duty and go to Jum’ah.
It is essential to know that Juz’ 7 (5:82–6:110) is about prohibitions against warring, killing of game in the Ka’bah; and how the beautiful story of Prophet ‘Isa was corrupted. It also discusses our oaths, the promise of Paradise for believers and the Hellfire for disbelievers. Readers also learn about past Prophets, and the fight of some of the people against the Message. Throughout the juz there are reminders of Allah’s majesty and signs in creation. My reflection, however, is limited.
Many rush through readings of the Qur’an during Ramadan without much reflection except that we finished the juz’ for the day in the same way that we do our duty and go to Jum’ah. The Qur’an is a book of guidance, but what does that mean? The dictionary says that “guidance is advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or difficulty, especially given by someone in authority.” Allah is our authority and has provided copious information for us to use in worshiping Him and solving our problems. Allah presents and thus preserves the stories of the nature of the clans that prior Prophets and our Prophet lived in as symbolic of human communities when confronted with Allah’s Word. It is history as present.
Juz’ 7 begins with a repetition about the sanctity of oaths and the necessity of being transparent in our intentions when we utter them. The shahada is an oath recited at least nine times daily to remind us of who we worship and an acknowledgment of the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad. It is also an oath we can recite when confronted with temptation. Reminders, reminders! How do we value our oaths? Do we intend to do what we swear we are going to do? Yet, Allah extends mercy if the intentions are good. Are we at least grateful when reminded, or do we think we are entitled? Should we be careful in our promises and oath-giving perhaps? In this Juz’, Allah reminds the Arabs what they can and cannot do now that there are sacred precincts. The Qur’an speaks to a diverse crowd of Christians, Jews, polytheists and non-believers, some of whom remembered the stories of Prophets before Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This book, as recited by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), reminds us of the stories they have heard and then points out the fate of believers and unbelievers. The particularly captivating story of Prophet ‘Isa is a reminder because it deals with the fact that we want to worship things that we can see and touch. However, even if we were to see miracles some of us would not believe.
I find myself thinking about the reality of Allah being in control and my wanting to have some control. I want to know that the health treatment will work and that the ailment will go away or whether that job will come. I rarely think about Allah’s control until reminded.
In this juz, Allah reminds the Arabs what they can and cannot do now that there are sacred precincts. The Qur’an speaks to a diverse crowd of Christians, Jews, polytheists and non-believers, some of whom remembered the stories of Prophets before Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This book, as recited by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), reminds us of the stories they have heard and then points out the fate of believers and unbelievers. The particularly captivating story of Prophet ‘Isa is a reminder because it deals with the fact that we want to worship things that we can see and touch. However, even if we were to see miracles some of us would not believe. In this reflection, I find myself thinking about the reality of Allah being in control and my wanting to have some control. I want to know that the health treatment will work and that the ailment will go away or whether that job will come. I rarely think about Allah’s control until reminded. We will pull every trick in the book to get what we want to happen, all while looking for some intermediary to blame rather than ourselves when things don’t go our way.
Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) grew up in an environment full of people who worshiped gods of all sorts. Turning them away from that generational worship took robust descriptors and stories of old. Prophets before ours faced similar hatred and hostility. Ok! Some people came to be convinced that there was a force more powerful than what they believed was in control of the universe, and others were unconvinced and saw the bounty in the things they could see and touch. How does that differ or is it the same for us today? We go to Jum’ah for guidance and often leave the same way we came. If you are female in many masajid, you may not even hear the khutbah to have an opinion as it is a social time for women. In some African American masajid, imams want to bedazzle their listeners with Arabic few understand. Consequently, many imams have heard people crying for guidance in English. Arabic is not the universal language, and the Qur’an says to speak to the people in a language they understand.
Take the time this Ramadan to reflect on Juz’ 7. How do we get closer to being in the right line for Paradise or at least in the suburbs?
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Dr. Aminah Al-Deen is professor emerita of Islamic Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at DePaul University. In 2006, she founded the United States’ first undergraduate baccalaureate program in Islamic World Studies. She is the former Editor in Chief of the Journal of Islamic Law & Culture. Her book publications include: African American Islam, Questions of Faith, Transnational Muslims in America, Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century, Global Muslims in the 21st century, History of Arab Americans: Exploring Diverse Roots and Muslim Ethics in the 21st Century. She is currently the Black-American Muslim Internationalism Project Director and Primary Investigator. She leads the multifaceted research, archiving, and public programming for the project.
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