385 Page Notes

27 Surah An-Naml (continued)

Page 385 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

28 Surah Al-Qasas

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 385 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Surah An-Naml

Page 385 of the standard Madinah Mushaf marks the conclusion of Surah An-Naml (27:89–93) and the opening of Surah Al-Qasas (28:1–5).

The first half of the page details the dramatic contrast between the rewards of those who bring good deeds on the Day of Judgment versus the punishment of those who bring evil. It ends with the Prophet’s ($\rho$) personal manifesto: he is commanded only to worship the Lord of Makkah, to recite the Qur'an, and to leave the guidance of mankind to Allah. The second half of the page introduces the oppressive atmosphere of Pharaoh's Egypt and his systematic persecution of the Children of Israel.

The Sunnah heavily complements this transitional page, outlining eschatological safety, the sanctity of Makkah, and historical context regarding Pharaoh’s tyranny.

1. Hadiths Related to Safety from the Great Terror (Verses 89–90)

“Whoever brings a good deed will have better than it, and they will be safe from the terror of that Day. And whoever brings an evil deed - their faces will be overturned into the Fire, [and it will be said], 'Are you recompensed except for what you used to do?'” (27:89–90)

The Ultimate "Good Deed" (Al-Hasanah)

While "good deed" is general, the Sunnah provides a specific definition for the ultimate good deed that grants an absolute guarantee of safety from the "Great Terror" (Al-Faza') mentioned in verse 89.

Hadith: The Prophet ($\rho$) was asked by Abu Dharr: "O Messenger of Allah! Is 'La ilaha illallah' (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah) considered a good deed?" The Prophet ($\rho$) replied: “It is the very best of all good deeds.”

• Source Citation: Musnad Ahmad (Hadith 21487), Al-Tayalisi (Hadith 479). Classed as Sahih by Al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami' (Hadith 2489).

Tafsir Integration: Based on this Sunnah definition, classical companions like Ibn Abbas and Abu Hurairah explicitly stated that Al-Hasanah in verse 89 refers to Tawhid (Monotheism), and the "evil deed" in verse 90 refers to Shirk (Polytheism).

Protection from Being "Overturned" into the Fire

Verse 90 describes the terrifying punishment of deniers being thrown face-first into hell. The Sunnah outlines standard daily supplications the Prophet ($\rho$) taught to protect believers from this exact fate.

Hadith: The Prophet ($\rho$) said: “Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times, Paradise will say: 'O Allah, admit him to Paradise.' And whoever seeks protection from the Fire three times, the Fire will say: 'O Allah, protect him from the Fire.'”

• Source Citation: Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Hadith 2572), Sunan al-Nasa'i (Hadith 5521). Classed as Sahih.

2. Hadiths Related to the Sanctity of Makkah (Verse 91)

“[Say, O Muhammad], 'I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city, who made it sacred and to whom belongs all things...'” (27:91)

The Prophet ($\rho$) applied this exact verse during the Conquest of Makkah, delivering a major legal decree defining the divine boundaries of "this city."

The Declaration at the Conquest of Makkah

The Sunnah details the spatial and legal realities of Makkah's sacred status (Hurmah) highlighted in verse 91.

Hadith: On the day of the Conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah ($\rho$) stood up and said: “Verily, Allah made this city sacred on the day He created the heavens and the earth, and it remains sacred by the sanctity of Allah until the Day of Resurrection. Fighting in it was not made lawful for anyone before me, nor was it made lawful for me except for a single hour of a day... Its thorny bushes must not be cut, its game must not be chased, and its fallen land-property must not be picked up except by one who makes a public announcement of it...”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3189), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1353).

3. Hadiths Related to the Divine Recitation (Verse 92)

“And [I have been commanded] to recite the Qur'an. And whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul; and whoever goes astray - say, 'I am only of the warners.'” (27:92)

The Sunnah of Continuous Quranic Recitation

The Prophet ($\rho$) fulfilled the command to "recite the Qur'an" diligently, establishing a structured habit (Wird) of nightly recitation that he encouraged his followers to replicate.

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ($\rho$) said: “Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah will have a reward, and that reward will be multiplied by ten. I do not say that 'Alif-Lam-Mim' is a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter.”

• Source Citation: Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Hadith 2910). Classed as Sahih.

4. Hadiths Related to Pharaoh’s Tyranny (Surah Al-Qasas, Verses 3–4)

“Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector of them, slaughtering their sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.” (28:4)

The bottom of page 385 transitions into Surah Al-Qasas, highlighting Pharaoh's state-sponsored infanticide against the newborns of the Children of Israel.

The Spiritual Status of the Slaughtered Children

Pharaoh slaughtered the young boys of Israel to stop a prophesied savior from destroying his throne. The Sunnah provides comfort regarding the spiritual destination of these innocent victims.

Hadith: The Prophet (PBUH) described a dream where the Angel Jibril showed him the levels of the afterlife. He saw a man sitting under a massive tree surrounded by countless children. Jibril explained: “The old man at the foot of the tree is Abraham, and the children around him are the children of mankind who died upon the natural fitrah (before the age of accountability).” Some Muslims asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Even the children of the polytheists?" He replied, “Even the children of the polytheists.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 7047). This establishes that the children slaughtered by Pharaoh's decree are under the direct care of Prophet Ibrahim in Paradise.

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. (1997). Sahih al-Bukhari (Vols. 1-9). Darussalam Publishers.

• Al-Nasa'i, A. (2007). Sunan al-Nasa'i. Darussalam Publishers.

• Al-Tirmidhi, M. (2007). Sunan al-Tirmidhi. Darussalam Publishers.

• Ibn Hanbal, A. (2012). Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal. Mu'assasat al-Risalah.

• Muslim, I. (2007). Sahih Muslim. Darussalam Publishers.

Surah Al-Qasas

Page 385 of the standard Madinah Mushaf contains the final verses of Surah An-Naml (27:89–93) and the opening section of Surah Al-Qasas (28:1–5).

Verses 1 through 5 of Surah Al-Qasas introduce the overarching theme of the chapter: the tyrannical rule of Pharaoh (Fir'awn) in Egypt, his systematic oppression and division of the population, his state-sponsored infanticide targeting the male newborns of the Children of Israel (Bani Isra'il), and Allah's divine decree to favor the oppressed and make them leaders and inheritors of the land.

The Sunnah and classical Hadith literature provide critical historical, theological, and legal context for these opening verses.

1. Hadiths Related to the Broken Letters: "Ta-Seen-Meem" (Verse 1)

“Ta, Seen, Meem.” (28:1)

Surah Al-Qasas opens with these isolated or disjointed letters (Al-Muqatta'at). The Sunnah establishes how these letters are to be treated code-wise as unique words of revelation, and how reciting them yields immense spiritual reward.

Reward for Every Single Letter

The Prophet ($\rho$) explicitly used these types of structural letters to explain that the Qur'an is calculated letter-by-line for divine rewards, reinforcing that even independent letters like Ta, Seen, and Meem possess intrinsic value.

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ($\rho$) said: “Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah will have a reward, and that reward will be multiplied by ten. I do not say that 'Alif-Lam-Mim' [or similarly 'Ta-Seen-Meem'] is a single letter, rather Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter.”

• Source Citation: Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Book 45, Hadith 2910). Classed as Sahih by Al-Albani.

2. Hadiths Related to Pharaoh’s Division of Society (Verse 4)

“Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector of them...” (28:4)

Verse 4 outlines Pharaoh's political strategy: dividing his population into separate castes or "factions" (Shiya'an) to weaken them and exploit the Children of Israel as slave labor. The Sunnah strongly condemns social stratification, tribalism, and creating artificial divisions to tyrannize others.

The Condemnation of Arrogance and Tyranny

Pharaoh's core sin on this page is 'Ala (exalting himself/arrogance). The Sunnah provides a severe warning against harboring even a fraction of this pharaonic trait.

Hadith: The Prophet ($\rho$) said: “He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance will not enter Paradise.” A man asked, "What if a person likes his clothes and shoes to look good?" The Prophet replied: “Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty. Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down upon people [tyrannizing them].”

• Source Citation: Sahih Muslim (Book 1, Hadith 91).

3. Hadiths Related to the Slaughter of Newborn Boys (Verse 4)

“...slaughtering their sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.” (28:4)

Pharaoh instituted a policy of murdering newborn boys because astrologers or a dream warned him that a boy born to the Children of Israel would overthrow his kingdom. The Sunnah directly addresses the spiritual status of these slaughtered infants.

The Status of the Innocent Slain Children

Because thousands of innocent infants were murdered under this state decree before Prophet Musa grew up, the companions questioned the fate of children who die before the age of accountability. The Sunnah provides definitive comfort regarding their whereabouts.

Hadith: The Prophet ($\rho$) narrated a long dream where the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) showed him the landscapes of Paradise. He saw a magnificent garden where a very tall man was surrounded by an immense number of children. Jibril explained to the Prophet: “The tall man in the garden is Abraham, and all the children around him are those children who died upon the natural fitrah (before reaching adulthood/accountability).”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 7047).

Tafsir Connection: Classical commentators (such as Ibn Kathir) note that this narrative guarantees that the thousands of baby boys systematically murdered by Pharaoh's regime are under the personal, paternal care of Prophet Ibrahim in the highest levels of Paradise.

4. Hadiths Related to Elevating the Oppressed (Verse 5)

“And We wanted to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors.” (28:5)

Verse 5 establishes a major cosmic rule: Allah ultimately sides with the oppressed (Al-Mustad'afeen) against structural tyrants, stripping the oppressors of power and giving leadership to the weak.

The Unfiltered Supplication of the Oppressed

The Sunnah turns this theological reality into an active warning for leaders, judges, and governors, noting that Allah answers the prayer of the oppressed instantly, just as He answered the plight of Israel against Egypt.

Hadith: When sending Mu'adh bin Jabal to govern Yemen, the Prophet ($\rho$) gave him strict instructions to avoid taking people's property unjustly or abusing his power, warning him: “Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for indeed, there is no screen/barrier between it and Allah.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 2448), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 19).

Prophetic Lineage from the "Oppressed" Inheritors

The historical reality of verse 5—where the slaves of Egypt became the leaders and inheritors—reverberated through history. The Sunnah records that foreign monarchs recognized this divine pattern; God always starts or preserves His prophetic lines through those who were historically broken or oppressed by worldly kings.

Hadith: During the famous diplomatic interrogation where Heraclius (the Eastern Roman Emperor) questioned Abu Sufyan about the qualities of Prophet Muhammad ($\rho$), Heraclius asked: "Do the nobles follow him or the poor and weak (Mustad'afeen)?" Abu Sufyan replied, "It is the weak and poor who follow him." Heraclius later concluded: “Such are the followers of the Prophets [referencing the exact pattern of Musa's people in Surah Al-Qasas verse 5].”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 7), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1773).

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. (1997). Sahih al-Bukhari (Vols. 1-9). Darussalam Publishers.

• Al-Tirmidhi, M. (2007). Sunan al-Tirmidhi. Darussalam Publishers.

• Ibn Kathir, I. (2000). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim. Dar Taybah.

• Muslim, I. (2007). Sahih Muslim. Darussalam Publishers.