Surah-e-shura (42.
4-5)
To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: and He is most high, most great.
5. The heavens are almost rent asunder from above them, and the angels celebrate the
praises of their Lord, and pray for forgiveness for beings on earth: Behold! Verily Allah
is He, the oft-forgiving, the most merciful.
(a) Main Theme of Passage:
The two verses are from sura al-Shura, revealed in Makkah shortly after sura fussilat
and its theme is God’s unity expressed by His grandeur and authority.
He enjoys unshared authority over entire universe.
The Quran says: “His are all things in the heaven and on the earth” (2:255).
It also mentions the effect of God’s might on the heavens that hardly sustain this
immense burden.
The passage also refers to the countless angels who are busy in the prayers and
glorification of the Lord and also invoke His mercy and pardon for humans who tend to
disobey their lord. The Quran declares this weakness of humans as: “It is man that wrongs
his own soul” (10:44).
(b) Importance of the Theme:
Theme of this message guides Muslims about two articles of faith: Belief in Tawhid
and angels.
The passage tells Muslims about God’s power, authority and glory in order to make
them His obedient servants.
By referring to the angels praising God and seeking forgiveness for humans, it tells
them about God’s mercy. Humans, because of free will, can commit sins but God is ready to
forgive them.
Belief in God’s mercy and forgiveness prepares Muslims to repent over their
misdeeds.
The Quran re-assures Muslims by saying: “Despair not of the mercy of God; for
God forgives all sins, for he is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful’’ (39:53 al-zulmar). Surah
97(al-Qadr) also tells about: “the angels and the spirit” descending in the night of Power to
distribute God’s mercy.
5. Sura Al- Ikhlas (112)
1. Say: He is Allah, the one and only; 2. Allah, the eternal, absolute; 3. He does not
beget, nor is He
begotten; 4. And there is none like Him.
(a) Main Theme of Passage:
Theme of this early Makkan is God in himself in terms of His unique person.
It outlines the most fundamental and cardinal aspects of Tawhid (oneness of God).
It out rightly declares God’s unity and emphatically negates the false belief of God
having ancestors and descendants.
It further highlights God’s unity by saying that God’s nature or person can never be
compared to anyone throughout the universe.
It also mentions God’s freedom from time and space by saying that he has always
been and will always be there.
This way, the passage crystallizes the belief of Tawhid.
(b) Importance of the Theme:
Theme of this passage purifies Muslim’s belief in Tawhid and that is why the passage
is named al-Ikhlas (the purity of faith).
Muslims learn from this passage that God is unique in all aspects.
This uniqueness and supremacy of God highlights human inability and limitation
before his Lord.
Thus, it eliminates all forms and degrees of shirk or associating partners with God.
Muslims recite this sura in daily prayers in order to reiterate rejection of shirk.
It is so important that the Holy Prophet declared it equivalent to one third of the
Quran.
Its theme is so important that the Quran repeatedly mentions this: “and your God is
one God” (2:163, al-Baqarah) and “God! there is no God but He”(2:255).
Belief in Tawhid, in turn affects the conduct of Muslims as they develop a strong
sense of God’s presence and knowledge.
It also mentions God’s freedom from time and space by saying that he has always
been and will always be there.
This way, the passage crystallizes the belief of Tawhid.
