Surah al Baqarah

Ayahs 122 - 129

Ayah 122

O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds.

Favours

Musa (a.s)

Torah

Saved from

Pharoah

Mann & Salwa

Spring Water

Shade of Clouds

Kingdom

Bani Israel was favoured & Preferred

Obey Allah

Call Others to Straight

Path

We are guided and

favoured now

Obey Allah

Call Others to Straight

Path

But Bani Israel forgot about the purpose, What did we do?

and (remember) when Your Lord proclaimed 'If you are grateful, I will

surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.'

[Ibrahim: 7]

When we are favored...

LESSONS

• The greatest blessing Allah SWT gives us, is of imaan

• We should remember the blessings we have• Every group is not the same; some may be

preferred with more wealth, more talent etc.• Be GRATEFUL for what you have

Ayah 123

And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no

compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor

will they be aided.

Roots

• Jeem zaai yaa – to come in use for the other; even if you’re the child of a prophet, your father can’t help you if you didn’t do anything yourself in this world

• Aain daal laam – something that is equivalent • Sheen faa aain – to join; to plead a request

Intercession

Shafaa’aKubra/Uzma

Prophet to intercede to Allah

for the Day of Judgement to begin

Shafaa’aSugra

Allah must Allow the Intercessor to

Intercede

Allah must be please with the person being interceded for

Conditions

Stop Relying on Others

Do Something Yourself

Ayah 124

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he

fulfilled them. [ Allah ] said, "Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." [Abraham] said, "And of my descendants?" [ Allah ] said,

"My covenant does not include the wrongdoers."

Intro to Ibrahim A.S.

• Sent after Nuh A.S.; was from Iraq• Sent around 2000 B.C.• Mentioned 25 times in the Qu’ran• The people opposed him and he was exiled• Went to Makkah and Palestine• He was made the leader and father of all

prophets

Roots

• Baa laam yaa – a trial in which there is hardship; difficulty; could also be something good that a person is enjoying, and then it becomes a test of gratitude

• Ibtilaa – to test someone to reveal their true worth; “His” Lord – Allah SWT might put us in tests for us to get closer to Him

Roots• Kaaf laam meem – it may be Kawni (Allah’s

decree) or Share’ee (commandments); Ibrahim A.S. was tested with both

• Taa meem meem – to complete something fully; nothing remains unclear (Ibrahim a.s. passed all the tests by completely carrying out all the commands)

• Hamza meem meem – to intent/aim for something; one who is followed/consulted; linguistically: imam (Abrahamic Faiths)

Roots

• Ibrahim A.S. was very soft-hearted; he wanted this blessing of religious leadership for his children too

• Dhaal raaw hamza – to create; give birth to• OR• Dhaal raaw raaw – a particle; small particles

spread out; doesn’t apply to just immediate children but also progeny/descendants

Roots

• Noon yaa laam – to reach a goal• Allah’s reply: those people who do wrong, will

not be leaders, even if they are from Ibrahim A.S.

كلمات

Kawni

Decree

Sharaee

Akham

Tests of Ibrahim

(a.s)

Opposition from Father

Thrown in Fire

Left Wife & Son in a

Barren Land

Ordered to Slaughter

Son

Leadership only comes when a person sacrifices.

Wisdom Behind Tests

To check capabilities

To increase in reward

To make one stronger

To prepare one for future

So every person that goes through a test is being prepared for what is going to come

ahead.

"The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that

wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with

that earns His wrath." (al-Tirmidhi)

Rasool Allah (s.a.w) said

LESSONS

• 1. We should remember Ibrahim A.S.• 2. Being happy with Allah’s decree

• 3. Allah tests those who are righteous; tests are a means of improving ourselves; don’t

underestimate yourself • 4. Tests show the sincerity/truthfulness of a

person; also expiation for sins• 5. Leadership is not inherited but its earned

through one’s own hard work

REFLECT!

• BANI ISRAEL TESTED THROUGH BLESSINGS AND FAILED THE TESTS

• IBRAHIM A.S. TESTED THROUGH DIFFICULTIES AND PASSED

• WHAT KINDS OF TESTS AM I GOING THROUGH?

• AM I PASSING OR FAILING THESE TESTS?

Ayah 125

And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of]

security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer.

And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], "Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying

[there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer]."

Roots• Baa yaa taa – where you spend the night; i.e.

house (i.e. Kaabah; the House of Allah)• Thaa waaw baa – when something is returned

to its original state; technically: the Kaabah is a place where people go again and again to quench their spiritual thirst

• Context: Story of the building of the kaabah; this was the dua of Ibrahim A.S., that the hearts of people are inclined towards the kaabah

Roots• Hamza meem noon – secure and peaceful;

people always respected the haram; even animals and plants are secure there

• It’s a place where you don’t have any worries• Allah made Makkah a sanctuary • Qaaf waaw meem – the station of Ibrahim A.S.• 1. the stone that was used by Ibrahim A.S. when

building the kaabah 2. general sense; all the rites of Hajj where Ibrahim A.S. stood for worship

He was honoured because he didn’t wait to sacrifice the dearest thing to him in the way of Allah.

More Roots…

• Saawd laam yaa – a place for salaah• 2 rakaat performed after tawaaf• refers to all of the rituals • Taaw haa raaw – physical and intangible

cleanliness (i.e. shirk, bidaa)• Taaw waaw faa – can only do this around the

kaabah;

More Roots…

• Aain kaaf faa – to do ihtekaaf in the masjid; seclude oneself for a period of time to worship Allah SWT

• Ruku and sajdah are mentioned here because they show humility

Context

• Ibrahim and Ismael A.S. were ordered to build the kaabah

• After building it, they were also told to clean and maintain it

• Although he was a leader, Ibrahim A.S. was still part of the “cleaning staff”

• Clean the masjid so that people can come and pray there

طهرا بيتي

TangibleDirt

Filth

Intangible

Shirk

Sins

Don’t just build the Kaba but maintain it

Places where Allah is remembered should be kept clean

LESSONS

• 1. we should involve our children in building/cleaning the mosques of Allah (Ismael A.S. helped his father).

• 2. cleaning the masjid is a great honor for a person

• 3. Etiquettes of the masjid: (hadith): whoever eats a raw onion/garlic should not come to our masajids because whatever is displeasing to man, is displeasing to the angels

If we become sincere for Allah and perform a deed,

Allah will guard that deed,

even after we die.

Lesson

Those who benefit mankind are the ones

who are remembered in the hearts of people.Allah preserves their

traces!

Ayah 126

And [mention] when Ibraham said, "My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits - whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day." [ Allah ] said. "And whoever disbelieves - I will grant him enjoyment for a

little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the destination."

Roots

• Baa laam daal – a place that is populated; also has a boundary; could be a country or town

• refers to Makkah here• Hamza meem noon – everything in that city is

safe; secure is the one who is in it and there is no violence amongst them

• Thaa meem raaw – not just fruits; asked for provisions, because Makkah is a dessert

Roots• Meem taa aain – everything that a

human/animal needs to survive • Allah said He will also provide for the

disbelievers, but only temporarily • Daawd Raaw Raaw – force something difficult

over another; people will resist the hell-fire; they will be thrown into the fire

• Saawd yaa raaw – a place where something ends up/stops (how bad is hell fire as a place to stop).

Having Dunya is Important, but giving importance to Dunya

over Akhira is not right

Lesson

• Give importance to the akhirah• Dua for deen and dunya, because you do need

good quality dunya to worship• Ibrahim A.S. made dua for food too, so we

should make dua for little things as well

Ayah 127

And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the

Hearing, the Knowing.

Roots

• Qaaf aain daal – to sit; the basis of something• getting help from someone else is not a bad

thing or sign of weakness; Ismael A.S. helped out his father

• interesting to note what father and son were saying WHILE constructing the Kaabah

• Qaaf baa laam – to accept something happily; be happy with what we have done

Lessons

Ask Allah to Accept it

Don’t waste it by mentioning over & over

Don’t Boast after getting Tawfeeq

Ask Allah for the Tawfeeq

Ayah 128

Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in

submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of

repentance, the Merciful.

Roots

• Muslimain – to increase in their submission; keep us submissive to you throughout our lives

• Raaw hamza yaa – visualize/point out; where and how to worship (explain to us our ways of worship so clearly, as if we can see it)

• Noon seen kaaf – sacrifice; it’s a source of purification

Eman is something that fluctuates, so we should keep on

making du’a to Allah

What is the state of our du’a?

Lessons

Ummah Righteous Offspring

Messenger

Ibadah Knowledge Teacher

Ibrahim (a.s)’s du’a shows his wisdom and farsightedness

Ibadah requires Knowledge & Knowledge requires a Teacher

Ayah 129

Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite

to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed,

You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise."

Recitation

Wisdom(Hadith & Seerah)

of the Book

Purification of Soul

Understanding

Very Clear Du’a

Mess

enge

r Teacher

Roots

• Aain laam meem – (with shaddah) to teach gradually; reciting isn’t enough

• Haa kaaf meem – to do the right thing at the right time

• the sunnah of the Prophet SAW tells us HOW to act out the commands

• Prophet SAW taught them the wisdom behind the commands

Takhliyyah Tahliyyah Tazkiyyah

What is Purification?Zaai Kaaf Yaa

Lessons

• This was the role of the Prophet SAW/teaching curriculum that we should

follow as well• When making dua, use the appropriate

attributes of Allah SWT

• Engage in purification by removing bad habits and replacing them with good