The virtues of both reciting the Qur’an in general and specific
chapters and verses in particular are well established. Particularly, it is
recommended to recite Surah al-Kahf every Friday as a protection from the Dajjal and Surah Waqiah every night as a prayer for increase in provisions. The
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, referred to Surah Yasin as the "heart
of the Qur'an," and it is commonly recited while someone is dying. This course
seeks to present the commentary on these three oft-recited chapters of the
Qur'an so that they are recited with greater reflection and understanding.
The tasfir of Surah al-Kahf will focus on the general lessons
and historical background of the story within the chapter, aiming to show the
beauty behind this Qur'anic narrative. On the other hand, the tafsir of Surah
al-Waqiah and Surah Yasin will consist of an in-depth word-by-word analysis,
with a focus on linguistic bearings on meaning, relevant grammatical points, and
the wisdom behind the ordering of the verses.
By the end of the course, you will obtain a good understanding
of the general lessons in each of the three chapters covered. You will gain an
appreciation of the linguistic points discussed when studying tafsir,
highlighting the huge gulf between studying a tafsir and merely reading a
translation. You will also become familiar with approaching the deep meanings of
the Qur'an so that you can better understand, reflect upon, and appreciate the
rest of the Qur'an. In addition, you will desire to study not only more tafsir
but also the necessary knowledges, especially Arabic, that are required to study
tafsir in-depth.
The commentary in this course is based mainly upon
Tafsir al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir of Ibn ‘Ashur, Tafsir Abu al-Su'ud, and Tafsir al-Razi.
The translation of the Qur'anic chapters is mainly taken from A.J. Arberry.
The instructor of this course, Shaykh Sohail Hanif, is a
full-time instructor in Arabic grammar at the Qasid Institute of Arabic language
in Amman. He has studied privately with scholars in Amman, Jordan, specifically
Arabic and tafsir with Shaykh Ali Hani, fiqh with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, and
aqida with Shaykh Isa Rabih
Having a working, living, and knowledge-based relationship with
the book of Allah means having a relationship with Allah Himself. It is of the
most important and surest means to being spiritually alive and connected with
your creator.