Quran Talk Blog

There is much debate among traditional Muslims if the 113 occurrences of Bismillah at the start of all the Suras, except for Sura 9, are part of the Quran. According to the Malikıs, the Bismillah is not a Quranic verse at all except for (Q.27:30). The Hanafıs believe that the Bismillah is a Quranic verse by itself; nevertheless, it … Continue reading Bismillah & Salat

The Shahadah ( شهادة ) is the declaration of faith and the testimony one needs to uphold in order to be able to potentially be redeemed into God's kingdom. It is mentioned throughout the Quran some 30+ times in various forms and is most commonly stated as: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُashhadu lā ilāha … Continue reading Shahadah And Bearing Witness

The expression إلَّا ٱللَّه (illā-l-lah) which translates to "except God" occurs exactly 19 times in the Quran: 2:83, 3:7, 3:62, 3:64, 3:135, 9:18, 11:2, 11:26, 14:9, 16:79, 18:16, 21:22, 27:65, 33:39, 37:35, 38:65, 41:14, 46:21, and 47:19. #1: 2:83 وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَٰقَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينِ وَقُولُوا … Continue reading Except God

The Arabic word كَانَ (kāna) in the Quran can either be translated as "was," which would infer past tense or "is," inferring present tense. A verse that demonstrates the two uses as well as how this can sometimes lead to differences in interpretation can be seen in the following verse. 33:40مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ … Continue reading 33:40: Was vs. Is

One of the biggest blessings that God bestowed upon the people is that of livestock. [20:53] He is the One who made the earth habitable for you, and paved in it roads for you. And He sends down from the sky water with which we produce many different kinds of plants. [20:54] Eat and raise your livestock. … Continue reading Livestock

One of the verses in the Quran that is commonly misunderstood is the following. [8:35] Their Contact Prayers (Salat) at the shrine (Ka'bah) were no more than mukāan wataṣdiyatan ( مُكَاءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ). Therefore, suffer the retribution for your disbelief. (٣٥) وَمَا كَانَ صَلَاتُهُمْ عِنْدَ الْبَيْتِ إِلَّا مُكَاءً وَتَصْدِيَةً فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ The confusion in … Continue reading Whistling and Clapping?

In Sura 61, The Column (Al-Suff / الـصـف ), we see how Jesus subtly prophesies the coming of Muhammad in his comment about the messenger to come after him by embedding the root of Muhammad's name into this statement. [61:6] Recall that Jesus, son of Mary, said, "O Children of Israel, I am GOD's messenger to … Continue reading Rashad Khalifa Prophesied in Hadith

When God's messengers are sent to a people more often than not, it is not that the people did not believe in God, but that they refused to accept the messenger and the message they were sent with. [6:33] We know that you may be saddened by what they say. You should know that it is … Continue reading History Repeats: Rejecting God’s Messengers

The word Salat ( الصَّلَاة ) comes from the root و ص ل, which means to join, connect, or establish a connection. This is the reason Salat is translated as the Contact Prayer. Some individuals confuse the root for Salat with the root ص ل و, which means to pray, supplicate, or bless. This is … Continue reading Salat is a Ritual Prayer