Chapter 1 Major Themes of the Holy Quran
Topic Surah Al- Ikhlas (112)
Surah Al- Kauthar (108)
Surah Az Zizaal (99)
Part-a: briefly describe the main theme(s) in each Passage.
Part-b: briefly explain the importance of these themes in a Muslims life today
Following are the general outlines of each part of the question
Part (a) Part (b)
Introduction: Implementation of Themes:
Name of Surah and its meaning How important the teaching(s)
Category of passage is for a Muslim
What Muslims can learn from
Period of revelation the themes
Type of Surah What advantages would that
have for the individual and
(Makki/Madni)
community? (Practical
Background (if any) examples)
Main Theme: Brief Examples
(Depending on Theme)
Explanation of Theme
• Historical
Relevant Reference of Quran or
• Modern /Current Time
hadith
Major Themes of the Holy Quran
Guidelines to attempt Quranic Passage:
Part (a) Introduction must be
This passage is Surah Ikhlas which means purity and mentioned first.
sincerity and is 112th surah of the Quran. It falls in the like meaning, category
category of Allah's relationship with himself and is an and type of surah
Early Makki Surah.
Background
This Surah was revealed to answer the questions asked by
must be
Quraysh about the God of Prophet SAW and the message he mentioned next
was preaching. Abdullah ibn Masood RA reported that (briefly if any)
Quraysh said to Prophet SAW, "Tell us about the ancestry
of your Lord." Thereupon this surah was sent down.
Main theme to be
The main theme in this surah explains Tawhid and the mentioned in keywords
Oneness of Allah, Refusal of shirk and his matchless after the background
(if any)
qualities.
Tawheed is also elaborated in ayatul kursi and surah Al
Add example of
An’aam. Surah An’aam also states, “That is Allah, your
other surahs that
lord! There is no god but He, the Creator of all things” has similar theme
(6:102) (cross refer)
This surah outlines most fundamental and significant aspect
of Islam i.e., Tawheed. The word Ahad cannot be used for
anyone inaffirmation except Allah, The Mighty and Majestic
because He is Perfect. He is the Only one to be
worshipped, "It is You we worship and You we ask for Explain the theme
help, (1:5). This surah also negates all aspects of shirk referring to the
associated with Allah keywords
mentioned above
Allah is ‘Samad’, He is independent of all and everything is
Add reference from
dependent on Him for their survival. He has the knowledge
Quran or Hadith
about everything and everything is in His control. He is most related to the
wise and is Perfect in His wisdom. Allah is Eternal and theme/teachings
Absolute, He is free of time and space, He has always been of the passage
there will always be there, without any beginning or end.
Quran says, "He is the First and Last." (57:3).
This Surah also negates about Allah having any family,
children or spouse. Allah is Unique and Matchless and
cannot be compared to any of His creations, Allah is beyond
human imagination..
Part (b)
This Surah teaches us many lessons, it encourages Muslims to
spread the message of Oneness of Allah to other people just as
Prophet (SAW) was instructed when people asked him about the
concept of one God.
The word ‘Qul’ in this Surah is not only used for Prophet (SAW)
but shows that it is a responsibility of every Muslim to save others
from committing the sin of Shirk.
The teachings of the surah strengthen Muslim’s belief that Lessons of
they should only worship Allah alone and should not ascribe surah to be
partners to Him. Muslims must not replace God with fictional mentioned
role models, other rich celebrities or influencers with power, according to
fame and money as previous nations have done. the theme
This Surah also refreshes the faith and believes of the Muslims
that Muslim’s center of belief is Tawheed they are not like Jews
and Christians who claim that Allah has a son.
The word Samad teaches us that Allah can help us in every
matter. No one other than Allah has the ability to harm or protect
us. Muslims can observe Allah’s matchless attributes to
understand that nothing is impossible for Allah (SWT). If Muslims
will understand Allah matchless attributes they will understand
shirk and its punishment. This will have positive impact in their
lives and they will avoid major and minor shirks like; visiting the
deceased person grave and asking for help or wearing
different amulets/lucky charm for protection, going to
soothsayers or magicians for solving worldly matters.
This Surah is so important that the Prophet (SAW) declared it Importance of the
equivalent to one third of the Quran as reported by Bukhari. passage (if any)
Following are the points you should consider while attempting surah passages question:
Do’s Don’ts
Students are required to identify and refer to the
theme of the passage for attempting part (a)
Students must not write extra detail
of the background of surah
First, they will write the main keywords of surah
and then will explain them precisely as per the Students must not paraphrase the
passage requirement. surah translation in part (a)
Students should not repeat the
Students are required write the importance of the keywords of part (a) in part (b) again
passage for attempting part (b) like ‘should’ or ‘must’.
Don’t write in first person narration.
Use the words such as “should” and “must” in Like “We can learn from this
part (b) along with importance, lesson or current passage etc.” instead write “Muslims
time example related to the surah can learn…”
Reference from Qur’an can be quoted from same translation of the passage and most
preferably from other passage in part (a).
Following are the examples of opening lines for part (a) and part (b) answer.
Part (a) Part (b)
This passage is related to surah
……
(if only complete surah is not
given) This surah inspires believers to….
Theme of this passage URGES Muslims to….
The main theme of the passage
The passage gives special emphasis… (then
explains…
add lessons)
This passage highlights the…
This surah incites every human being to…
This surah describes …
The theme if this passage contains important
This passage addresses lessons for Muslims today………..
These verses mainly deal with…
The passage speaks about the
importance of…
Background of Some Surahs
Surah Al- Ikhlas (112):
It is said to have been revealed during the Quraysh Conflict with Prophet (SAW) in
answer a challenge over the distinguishing attributes of the GOD, Prophet (SAW) invited
them to worship. Al-Ikhlas is not merely the name of this surah but also the title of its
contents, for it deals exclusively with Tawhid.
Surah Al-Kauthar (108:1-3):
It was a revealed as a consolation to the Prophet (SAW) when he was taunted after his sons’
death and foretold the destruction of his (SAW)’s opponents.
1. Allah in Himself
Surah Al- Ikhlas (112:1-4)
1: Say, He is Allah, the one. 2: Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute. 3: He does not
beget, not, noris He begotten. 4: And there is none like Him.
Part ‘a’ References Part ‘b’ Examples
A man must not do shirk with Allah in
“And your Allah is one Allah; there is no god but He, any form. For e.g., belief in astrological
the most Gracious, Most Merciful.” (Al Baqarah-163) science for future etc.
“Allah forgives not that partner should be set up with This surah rejects all other religious
beliefs that includes atheism
Him, but he forgives anything else to whom He
please.’’ (Al Nisa) These verses help Muslims remember that
He and only He is absolute. Thus, the
“and your God is one God” (2:163, al-Baqarah) passage is a source of contentment and
“there is no God but He” (2:255). spiritual strength for Muslims in their lives.
Part-a: briefly describe the main theme(s) in each Passage
Introduction:
This passage is Surah Ikhlas which means purity and sincerity and is 112th surah of the Quran with total 4
verses. It falls in the category of Allah's relationship with Himself and is an Early Makki Surah.
Background:
This Surah was revealed to answer the questions asked by Quraysh about the God of Prophet SAW and the
message he was preaching. Abdullah ibn Masood RA reported that Quraysh said to Prophet SAW, "Tell us
about the ancestry of your Lord." Thereupon this surah was sent down.
Theme of Surah:
The main themes are: Tawhid and the Oneness of Allah, Refusal of shirk and his matchless qualities.
Surah Ikhlas outlines most fundamental and significant aspect of Islam i.e., Tawheed. The word Ahad
cannot be used for anyone in affirmation except Allah, The Mighty and Majestic because He is Perfect. He
is the Only one to be worshipped, "It is You we worship and You we ask for help, (1:5). This surah
also negates all aspects of shirk associated with Allah
Allah is ‘Samad’, He is independent of all and everything is dependent on Him for their survival. He has
the knowledge about everything and everything is in His control. He is most wise and is Perfect in His
wisdom. Allah is Eternal and Absolute, He is free of time and space, He has always been there will always
be there, without any beginning or end. Quran says, "He is the First and Last." (57:3).
This Surah also negates about Allah having any family, children or spouse. Allah is Unique and Matchless
and cannot be compared to any of His creations, Allah is beyond human imagination..
Surah Al- Ikhlas (112:1-4)
Part-b: briefly explain the importance of these themes in a Muslims life today
This Surah teaches us many lessons, it encourages Muslims to spread the message of
Oneness of Allah to other people just as Prophet (SAW) was instructed when people asked him
about the concept of one God. The word ‘Qul’ in this Surah is not only used for Prophet (SAW)
but shows that it is a responsibility of every Muslim to save others from committing the sin of
Shirk.
The teachings of the surah strengthen Muslim’s belief that they should only worship Allah alone
and should not ascribe partners to Him. Muslims must not replace God with anything alongside
him like fictional role models, other rich celebrities or influencers with power, fame and
money as previous nations have done.
This Surah also refreshes the faith and believes of the Muslims that Muslim’s center of belief is
Tawheed they are not like Jews and Christians who claim that Allah has a son.
The word Samad teaches us that Allah can help us in every matter. No one other than Allah has
the ability to harm or protect us. Muslims can observe Allah’s matchless attributes to understand
that nothing is impossible for Allah (SWT). If Muslims will understand Allah matchless attributes
they will understand shirk and its punishment. This will have positive impact in their lives and
they will avoid major and minor shirks like; visiting the deceased person grave and asking for
help or wearing different amulets/lucky charm for protection, going to soothsayers or
magicians for solving worldly matters.
This Surah is so important that the Prophet (SAW) declared it equivalent to one third of the
Quran as reported by Bukhari.
2. Allah’s relation with His Messengers
Surah Al-Kauthar (108:1-3)
1: To you have We granted abundance. 2: So, pray to your Lord and sacrifice. 3: For he who hates you,
he will be cut off.
Part ‘a’ References Part ‘b’ Examples
▪ Allah says, “And when your Lord announced, “If you Muslims can find comfort through this Surah when
are thankful, I will increase my favors upon you.” they face offensive behavior from their enemies,
(Quran, 14:7). as in the case of the burning of the Quran in
▪ “Rejected were the Messengers before you; with Sweden, or the caricatures made by French
patience and constancy they bore their rejection newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
“(An’am 6:34).
Part-a: briefly describe the main theme(s) in each Passage.
Introduction: This passage is Surat al Kawthar, which was revealed in Makkah. It is the shortest Surah of
the Quran and has 3 verses in total. The title ‘al-Kawthar’ means ‘abundant goodness’, and refers to a
river in paradise. It belongs to the category ‘Allah’s relationship with His Messengers’.
Background: Anas narrated, “One day the Messenger of Allah ( )ﷺwas sitting amongst us that he dozed off. He
then raised his head smilingly. We said: What makes you smile. Messenger of Allah? He said: A Sura has just
been revealed to me, and then recited [Surat al Kawthar].” [Sahih Muslim]. It is also narrated that this Surah was
narrated when some of the Quraysh mocked the Prophet ﷺthat his lineage will be cut off as his sons have
died.
Theme of the Surah:
The main themes are: Allah’s favors upon His Messengers, Gratefulness to Allah, Allah comforts and
supports His Messengers.
• This surah highlights Allah’s favors upon His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ. The passage mentions Allah
has honored the Prophet ﷺby granting al-Kawthar to him, which is a river in paradise. According to many
exegetes, al-Kawthar refers to ‘abundant goodness’, hence, it would be inclusive of all of Allah’s favors
upon the Prophet ﷺin the world and in the Hereafter, such as prophethood, Quran, wisdom, victory, dignity.
• This surah emphasizes on the importance of being grateful to Allah, as Allah commands the Prophet ﷺ
to offer Salah and sacrifice only for the sake of Allah, in gratitude for Allah has bestowed upon him. Allah
says, “And when your Lord announced, “If you are thankful, I will increase my favors upon you.”
(Quran, 14:7).
• The surah also points out how Allah comforts and supports His Messengers, as when some of the
Quraysh mocked the Prophet ﷺdue to the death of his son, saying his lineage will not continue, and his
legacy will be cut off, Allah comforted the Prophet ﷺby reminding him of His favors, and informed that His
wrath will befall the enemy of the Prophet ﷺ. His haters and enemies will be the ones cut off of all goodness,
while the Prophet’s name will remain alive until the day of Judgement.
Surah Al-Kauthar (108:1-3)
Part-b: briefly explain the importance of these themes in a Muslims life today
Importance of the theme:
The themes of this passage contain important lessons for the Muslims:
From this Surah, Muslims learn of Allah’s favor upon the Prophet ﷺ, in the form of the high
status he was granted. Hence, the Muslims must hold him in high esteem, and must tread
on his path and follow His sunnah, seeking to get similar goodness that was granted to the
Prophet ﷺ, and hope for an opportunity to drink from the cistern of Kawthar on the day of
Judgement. Muslims should pray to Allah to choose them from the fortunate ones who will
receive a drink from the Kawthar.
Allah SWT commanded the Prophet ﷺto establish Salah and offer sacrifice in gratitude for
Allah’s favors. Muslims must be grateful to Allah for the bounties He has provided them
with, by striving to offer voluntary prayers, observing voluntary fasts, and giving charity. The
specific command to establish Salah and offer sacrifice highlights the significance of these
two acts of worship. Muslims must not be reckless towards their Salah, and should
demonstrate eagerness in carrying out the great act of worship that is sacrifice.
Allah comforted the Prophet ﷺwhen the enemies mocked him, and informed that His wrath
will befall his enemies. When Muslims are offended by the enemies, like in case of the
burning of Quran in Sweden, or the caricatures made by French newspaper Charlie Hebdo,
they must realize that if they can’t avenge for the offences by themselves, Allah’s wrath will
surely befall these despicable people, and these efforts to mock and belittle Islam cannot do
any harm to it.
3. Allah’s relation with His Creation
Surah Al-Zilzal (99-1-8)
1: When the earth is shaken to her utmost convulsion, 2: And the earth throws up her burdens, 3:
And man cries out: ‘What is the matter with her?’, 4: On that day will she declare her tidings: 5: For
that your Lord will have given her inspiration. 6: On that day will men proceed in companies sorted
out, to be shown their deeds. 7: Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good see it!
8: And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it.
Part ‘a’: Reference: Part ‘b’: Examples:
▪ Allah says, “The One who created life and death • It keeps them away from displaceable things like
to test you who amongst you is the best in lying,cheating, gossiping, not fasting etc.
actions.(al-Mulk 67:2)”
• Develop fear of Allah in daily matters. Helping others
▪ “Then indeed, upon us is their account.” [88:26]. andmaking ease for them.
Part-a: briefly describe the main theme(s) in each Passage.
Introduction:
The meaning of the name of this surah is ‘The Earthquake’. It is a Madni surah. It falls in the category of
‘Allah’s relationship with the created world’. It consists of eight verses.
Theme of Surah:
The main themes are: God as Powerful, Accountability, His ultimate Justice; responsibility for actions.
This Surah describes some of the major events of the day of Resurrection, how this earth will come to an end,
in order to instill fear in the hearts, to remind them the purpose of their existence and the accountability of their
actions. Allah says, “The One who created life and death to test you who amongst you is the best in
actions.(al-Mulk 67:2)” His power & control over all things is shown in this passage. Allah elaborates on the
Day of Judgment, when this earth will be brought to an end by a violent earthquake, the earth will spill out the
dead ones buried in it, which will cause man to inquire in confusion and bewilderment, “What is the matter
with it?” Allah will cause the earth to testify to our deed.
This passage also highlights the accountability mankind will be subject to, and the justice they will receive, as
they will be sorted into different groups based on their deed, to be shown the outcome of their deeds.
The passage indicates the ultimate justice of Allah, that not even a deed as tiny as an atom, whether good or
bad would be unnoticed. The word ‘atom’ refers to any minute object that is unobservable with the naked eye.
This reminds the people that they will be responsible for their actions on earth and will be held accountable.
Surah Al-Zilzal (99-1-8)
Part-b: briefly explain the importance of these themes in a Muslims life today.
This passage has a great impact on Muslims’ lives today. Firstly, this passage emphasizes a very important
article of faith which is to believe in the Day of Judgment. This belief shapes the character of a Muslim.
This Surah develops sense of accountability in the hearts of Muslims and they try to perform all their deeds
as per Allah’s will. They try to give rights of Allah, Huqooqullah, and the rights of mankind, Huqooq-ul-Ibaad.
It develops horror and fear of the Day of Judgment which stimulates them to perform righteous deeds.
This belief makes Muslims careful about their deeds. It keeps them away from displaceable things like lying,
cheating, gossiping, not fasting etc. It also develops fear of Allah in daily matters. If Muslims realize how
horrifying the day of resurrection will be, they will be fearful of Allah from every aspect, such as not chasing
this worldly life, not wasting time and getting indulged in any inappropriate activity, even if no one is watching
them.
Lastly, it inspires them to be focused on their true mission which is the preparation for the Hereafter. Also,
Muslims in war torn countries such as Kashmir, Palestine, Syria, should not lose hope when being persecuted
or being targeted for cruelty by anyone and have faith that there is a day when all criminals will be caught and
the tiniest of deeds will not be missed out. “Then indeed, upon Us is their account.” [88:26].
Here Allah motivated Muslims that He will hold everyone accountable for everything they are doing.
Earthquakes remind us about how Day of Judgement would be like. The recent earthquakes in Turkey in
2023 were not less than a Qiyama which mimicked how the day of judgement would be like.
We should live in this Dunya considering it our temporary abode and we should not chase this worldly life.
We should perform our duties towards Allah so we can be successful in the afterlife.
These are not the only points candidates can mention, and personalizing the
passages to their own or Muslims’ lives, or giving thoughtful answers with
examples, could take them higher up the levels.
