Practice: Al-Masad, Quraysh, Al-Kawthar and review

Last lesson: three short surahs that bring together almost all the rules of the course.

Surah Al-Kawthar (108) • 108:1: ghunnah on إِنَّا; separated madd on the ا of إِنَّا before أَعْطَيْنَاكَ; at the stop, heavy ra in الْكَوْثَرَ (stop sukun after a fatha). • 108:2: heavy ra in لِرَبِّكَ (fatha); izhar in وَانْحَرْ (noon sakinah then ح); heavy ra at the stop. • 108:3: ghunnah on إِنَّ; connected madd in شَانِئَكَ (ا then hamza in the same word); small qalqalah on the ب of الْأَبْتَرُ.

Surah Quraysh (106) • 106:2: lip izhar of the meem sakinah in إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ; connected madd in الشِّتَاءِ. • 106:3: small qalqalah on the ب of فَلْيَعْبُدُوا; heavy ra in رَبَّ. When stopping on الْبَيْتِ, the ي with sukun after a fatha (a so-called "liin" letter) may be lengthened a little: your teacher will show you how. • 106:4: idgham of two meems in أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن and وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ; ikhfa in مِّن جُوعٍ (noon sakinah then ج); idgham with ghunnah in جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم (tanwin then و); izhar in مِّنْ خَوْفٍ (noon sakinah then خ).

Surah Al-Masad (111) • 111:1: separated madd in يَدَا أَبِي; idgham with ghunnah in لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ (tanwin then و); qalqalah at the stop on وَتَبَّ, strengthened by the shadda. • 111:2: separated madd in مَا أَغْنَىٰ; izhar in أَغْنَىٰ and in عَنْهُ; qalqalah at the stop on كَسَبَ. • 111:3: ikhfa in نَارًا ذَاتَ (tanwin then ذ). • 111:4: ghunnah on the meem with shadda in حَمَّالَةَ; qalqalah at the stop on الْحَطَبِ. • 111:5: idgham with ghunnah in حَبْلٌ مِّن and in مِن مَّسَدٍ; qalqalah at the stop on مَسَدٍ.

Review of level 2. You now know: • the four rules of noon sakinah and tanwin; • the three rules of meem sakinah and the ghunnah on ن and م with shadda; • the natural madd and the longer madds; • qalqalah; • heavy and light letters.

What next? Recite a little every day, in front of a teacher when you can. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it." (Bukhari 5027). The centre offers recitation classes: ask at the front desk.

Understanding the surahs: Al-Kawthar, Quraysh and Al-Masad

Before moving on to the review, here is the meaning of the three surahs practised in this lesson.

1. Explanation Al-Kawthar (108). 108:1: Allah granted His Prophet ﷺ "al-kawthar", an immense good, which includes the river of that name in Paradise; the Prophet ﷺ also spoke of the pool where his community will come to drink on the Day of Resurrection (Muslim 400). 108:2: gratitude takes the form of prayer and sacrifice devoted to Allah alone, in contrast to sacrifices offered to idols. 108:3: the one who hates the Prophet ﷺ is himself "abtar", cut off from all good, and is only remembered badly. The tafsirs report that the surah answered those who called the Prophet ﷺ "abtar" after his sons died [À VÉRIFIER : récit rapporté par les livres de tafsir]. Quraysh (106). 106:1-2: Allah reminds Quraysh of the custom He had made easy for them: the winter journey to Yemen and the summer journey to Sham. 106:3: so let them worship, Him alone, the Lord of this House. 106:4: the One who fed them against hunger and made them safe from fear, by inspiring the Arabs with respect for the Sanctuary and its people. The surah follows Al-Fil: the protected House becomes the source of safety and provision. Al-Masad (111). 111:1: the efforts of Abu Lahab, the Prophet's ﷺ uncle, against him are doomed to loss. 111:2: neither his wealth nor "what he acquired", including his children according to the commentators, were of any use to him. 111:3: he will enter a Fire of flames. 111:4-5: his wife, Umm Jamiil, who threw thorns in the Prophet's ﷺ path (others see here the slander that stirs up discord), will have a rope of fibre around her neck there. The surah was revealed while Abu Lahab was alive, and he never converted: a statement of the Qur'an that came true.

2. Lessons to learn • Gratitude to Allah is not just words: it is expressed through prayer and sincere worship. • Those who fight the truth or despise those who carry it do not reach their goal: kinship, wealth and status save no one without faith and deeds. • Safety and provision are blessings never to be taken for granted; the right way to give thanks for them is to worship Allah alone. • Words carry weight: slander stirs up conflict the way wood stirs up a fire.

3. To remember • Al-Kawthar: an immense good granted to the Prophet ﷺ; the response is prayer and sacrifice for Allah. • Quraysh: food and safety; the response is worship of the Lord of the House. • Al-Masad: neither kinship nor wealth protects the one who fights the truth.

4. The message of these surahs Al-Kawthar: Allah fills His Prophet ﷺ with good and defends him; we thank Him through worship devoted to Him alone. Quraysh: every blessing comes from Allah and calls for worshipping Him alone. Al-Masad: hostility to the truth leads to loss, whatever one's wealth and rank.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar fi tafsir al-Qur'an (English translation), with well-known points from the tafsirs of Ibn Kathir and As-Sa'di.