 الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين والسلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم الحمد لله الحمد لله الذي أرسل رسوله بالهداء ودين الحق ليزهره ألد من كله ولا وكريه المشكول وعشد الله إلا الله وحده لا شريك لهم وأشهد وانا محمد العبده ورسوله أما بقى يا أيها الهدرين إتقل الله إتقل الله إن الله مع العالم التقين دخلان بدين بالدعط في يوم باسم الله وانت with the scene of An-Nas and in between كل هورف كل لر كل آية is an ocean and one can dive into that ocean whether it be a hoof or an aya and bring out whatever jewels الله سبحانه وتعالى بستو سبحانه and our ability to carry them just as the Quran begins with بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم and then with the opening of hearts with Surat Al-Fatihah the opening then it begins the exposition of the themes of the Quran or the theme of the Quran very often I'm asked by people especially those who are educated in western universities and westerners that they have difficulty focusing on the Quran because it seems unrelated to them Insha'Allah what we'll do today in the next 20 minutes is to provide a thematic underpinning to the Quran so especially the young people when they engage in conversations with westerners those who are educated in science and technology are able to convince them of the central message of the Quran imagine if you would a giant universe revolving around a central axis and in that universe there are many universes many stars and the central axis is what is the axis of the Quran it is the central message of the Quran is is and around the central axis you have multiple themes that support the central thesis which is not complete until we say what we'll do today Insha'Allah is to focus on Surat Al-Bahra why Surat Al-Bahra because Surat Al-Bahra presents difficulties to a large number of people they look at the 286 IS and the 6144 who roof of Surat Al-Bahra and they say what I'm discouraged it's too long see there are multiple ways to read a book and what I'm trying to do is to bring it to the level of some of the young people so that they can understand it one is a linear way you can start with the beginning to the end the other one is a central hub and the outwards auction those who deal with distributed systems in internet technologies for instance would probably relate to it but somewhat in a distant fashion there is a central hub of la ilaha illallah and the spokes lead out and lead in all the way again back to la ilaha illallah Surat Al-Bahra consists of 286 ayah what is an ayah an ayah by definition is a sign that came from Allah SWT and writing on it you can go back to the presence of Allah SWT it's a dynamic arrow write on it an alternate analogy is to say it is like the pupil of the eye you open it it opens one nista and that nista has multiple doors and you open each door and that leads to other vistas at infinitive until it reaches to the infinity and you get tired and you come back to where you started from an ayah is self sustained eloquence an ayah is fire that burns though fire has not touched it each ayah is self contained and another analogy is to say that there is a vast panorama of a جول كنبس at the center of it is and you have these other jewels all the way around each one of them thematic that brings your attention back to in surat al-Bahra you have at least 7 themes this is to make it easy for young people to read the Quran there are multiple ways to approach it we'll see how far we can get in the next 20 minutes there are 7 themes in surat al-Bahra and to summarize them because you'll remember them if I summarize it in the beginning Insha'Allah we'll probably also capture them again at the end they are the following first is the introduction image Allah سبحانه وتعالى the requirements of reading the book for whom it is intended what's the purpose of the book and the divides of humanity into 3 categories those who have faith those who have no faith and those who are hypocrites the second theme of surat al-Bahra is the creation of man creation of Adam you'll see that in 10 simple ayahs because they are not law Allah سبحانه وتعالى described so much that it is impossible for any combination of scholars for a lifetime to create even one single portion of the single ayah the creation of man and the attributes of man and the circumstances surrounding the creation of man the third portion of it has to do with history Allah سبحانه وتعالى supports the basic premise with the history of Manic Israel all the way to the appearance of Isa A.S and the fourth theme is the construction of this new community the community of Islam starting with Ibrahim A.S his appearance in the construction of the Kaaba and the direction of the Kibla all the way to the rules and regulations the laws that governs this new community for what it is a community which is a balanced community believing in Allah سبحانه وتعالى and joining what is good and forbidding what is evil then Allah سبحانه وتعالى to buttress the central theme also offers examples from nature that's the introduction of science the science that we see out there and each science speaks to us the language of that we don't know how to read it every atom every galaxy every universe every electron every proton every spring says but we don't know how to read it points to those eyes as well and then it goes into a crescendo the ayat al kursi الله لا إله إلا هو هو الله لا إله إلا هو هو الله لا إله إلا هو you can stop right there when you say هو أهو الله you can stop right there because no matter how many lectures you give how many books you write how many scholars you bring how many Allah you bring no matter how many news you bring you cannot untangle the secrets of هو it reaches that crescendo and having reached that crescendo الله سبحانه وتعالى then buttresses is further giving examples from the life of our prophet the father of all prophets if you will Ibrahim A.S ends with an appeal for the creation of a community of nations a community of believers a community of belief the last two artists of the Quran of Surat Al-Baghra were not revealed to anyone else except our prophet Muhammad these are the seven themes in Surat Al-Baghra now let's see how we can somehow throw some light on this it's impossible to do justice even one of them but I want to offer an introduction so that Ibrahim people go back with the belief that it's so easy it's so clear it's so obvious that even I can go back and now in Surat Al-Baghra and as Surat Al-Baghra is like a mini Quran go back and study the Quran in a thematic way see it begins with and then it says no one knows the meaning but I understand it it's only one understanding from Allah to Luw to Muhammad or from Allah to Muhammad no one knows the meaning it's just my humble understanding of it it says Allah SWT it says does not say that that is the book in reference to out there it's a word from Allah SWT in the beginning it establishes the continuity of all religion only Islam does that that book combines the books of all the books that have been revealed from the time of Adam to the final book revealed to our Prophet Muhammad it says there is no no ambiguity here it's clear it's clear as daylight is there for anybody to understand if people read about the Quran they come back to this it's too long I don't understand it it doesn't have any theme in this there is no crookedness there is no ambiguity in it it's all clear even a child can understand it to the extent that Allah SWT gives him the ability to understand of course a great scholar will see multiple meanings in it and Allah will read one single ayah and probably loses senses and of course the Prophet SAW when he said if you knew what I knew you got little and you cried a lot because he read the Quruf they were revealed to him the pristine format for what the Quran is a book of guidance it is not a book of history it is not a book of science there is history in it there is science in it but the science and history and monument of the central theme لا إله إلا الله see they study the Quran one can think of it as resting upon three legs one is the internal ethos of Islam what is in the heart starts with لا إله إلا الله only the heart knows that the names of Allah SWT the second leg is the nature science what Allah SWT shows us in the science on the outside and the third one is history the unfolding struggle of man on this earth so that through it we understand for whom for those who are conscious of Allah SWT who believe in him who are afraid of him who have fade in the hereafter that which is unknown that which is beyond our perception these are the prerequisites to understanding the Quran و ده للمتقنة اللدينة يونه رب الغيب و يونه السلاة و من ما رضخناه من before و أستخدام ما رضخناه من before and what's the first thing Allah SWT wants us to do is to establish Salat prayer believe, have faith faith is the dynamic principle of a civilization where there is no faith there is no civilization when there is faith you have the possibility of a civilization and the next thing what is it that a believer is supposed to do to pray Christians, Jews Muslims any other believers it has to be on the basis of prayer and what's the next thing to pray of that which Allah SWT has given you and give it to the other و ده للمتقنة اللدينة يونه الرباق و يونه السلاة و من ما رضخناه من before تخ it's still in the sense that taking a piece of bread and sharing it with the man our woman who is visiting your home the breading of the bread see, these are the fundamentals الله وسلم for faith for Believe the emphasis on prayer the emphasis on charity تبدأ مجدداً ومجدداً ثم في المشكلة الأولى الله سبحانه وتعالى يوضع المنزل إلى ثلاثة الذين لدي مصدر الذين لا لدي مصدر ومن يقول أنهم لدي مصدر ولكنهم لا لدي مصدر أنهم يدخلون لهم ثم في المشكلة الثانية يدخلون لهم في المشكلة الثانية في المشكلة الثانية لأن أدم is in you أنت أدم أنا أدم كل مصدر هو أدم أدم الإسلام الله سبحانه وتعالى يجعله في ذلك الله سبحانه وتعالى يجعله as the Creator الله is the physical body الله is the physical body and He is the body namely He creates nothing الله is the physical body الله is the physical body who is the physical body not only has He created He created Adam in the most beautiful form and then الله سبحانه وتعالى يجعله on his own roof and taught him the names if you are a philosopher people want to define human time and at the minimum I'm going to spend about 2 or 3 minutes on this because it's very important for the young people to understand there's so much confusion about who Adam is what makes us human and the so-called theory of evolution I'll make some comments about that الله سبحانه وتعالى taught him the names therefore the philosophers can say I know therefore I am what were those names those were the names of الله سبحانه وتعالى that Allah turns to the angels and He asks them tell me the names if you know them the angels say يا الله we don't know the names we know only what you taught as angels do not know what Adam knows you have the propensity for the capability for learning that the angels do not knowledge is a gift from الله سبحانه وتعالى I know therefore I am is one definition of human time then He asks the angels to bow down for Adam they do except Iblis here is the introduction of Iblis poor Iblis one has to feel sorry for him all he sees before him is one who is made of طراب one who is made of clay he does not see the roof that has been infused into Adam and he is confused he refuses he exercises his will against the commandment of الله سبحانه وتعالى and He is condemned the introduction of Adam an introduction of Iblis then الله سبحانه وتعالى promises Adam and his Zawja to stay in a state of felicity in this garden of bliss but not to go near the tree and what is the tree one can talk about that for ages also for the time being let's not go there Iblis enters into the picture and he convinces them that if you go near the tree and eat of the fruit you will attain eternity otherwise eternity is going to be denied to you Adam and Eve are there is the exercise of will the free will so a philosopher can say I will therefore I am that's what Nishi said that's what the European philosophers say I will therefore I am and therefore that means to say that forms the ethical basis of the struggle of man on earth because mankind is able to choose the guidance of Allah سبحانه وتعالى even though there is the handicap of the distraction of Iblis the ethical onset of history and Allah سبحانه وتعالى sends them on to earth Iblis and Adam and his progeny together and then there is the promise of Allah سبحانه وتعالى after Adam repents and learns the words of Allah سبحانه وتعالى another definition of Adam even though I is that we can turn we have a heart the owl which means to turn Allah سبحانه وتعالى turns the owl turns they turn to each other another definition of you and I of Adam is that he who turns who turns towards Allah سبحانه وتعالى or who turns away from Allah سبحانه وتعالى I turned therefore I am then he comes down to earth and Allah promises him there will be to you هداية from time to time if you follow this هداية then you attain for a felicity and at the same time along with him he sends this distractor Iblis whose job it is eternally to condemn humankind into this tazabza into this struggle to distract him to promise him poverty to promise him nothingness to distract him to drag him into fahash to drag him into that which is not good and in humankind overcomes that he rises to the highest of the high لخد خلف للنسانة احسن اتفين when he does not he follows the lead Iblis of shaitan لخد خلف للنسانة في احسن اتفين امردد نهو أسفل أسافلين all of these are in those 10 ayahs the definition of Adam the introduction of Iblis what Adam can do and cannot do and ask all the scholars of the world in 10 sentences to describe the nature of man the nature of Iblis some of the aspects attributes of Allah SWT what the angels can do and cannot do let's see if they can come up with even one million million portion of it and yet people say where is the miracle in the Quran in 10 sentences from the 29 to the 39 I ask Allah SWT has given you a definition of what makes us human and you see people who believe in the theory of evolution they lose themselves even before they get started why because they are not defined what they are looking for if you are a scientist you must first ask yourself what am I looking for if you don't know what you are looking for what you are going to find if you are going to look for a creature without tail does that tell you what a human is is that what defines your humanity man or woman is it not the propensity of knowledge the fact that we know the names of Allah SWT that we are writing on that knowledge that Allah gives us able to even go up to heaven is that not what defines us is it not that we are able to turn even after making an error towards Allah SWT is that not what defines our humanity is it not our will that defines humanity is it not that we have been bestowed something that has not given to the angels is that not what defines humanity define humankind first what is man what are you looking for then go back look one maybe you will come up with an answer you won't because it comes from Allah SWT see in the theory evolution loses itself even before it gets started it is unscientific it's a good theory it's elegant makes a lot of people turn their heads I will have to stop here by again recapping and appealing to especially the young people study the Quran there are multiple ways of studying the Quran the best way is of course the way it was revealed start with Surat Al-Fatiha and go to Surat Al-Nas that is the best way Allah SWT but if you have difficulty for children for instance they start out with the short Surahs towards the end there is Barakah in the last 6th of the Quran the last 19 Surahs of the Quran starting with Iqra the Iqra the last 6th of the Quran the last 19 Surahs of the Quran or you can study thematically if you are a scientist you can look for the IAS relating to science and walk back write those errors those IAS back to Allah if you are a historian or sociologist you can write the histories revealed in the Quran and the histories that have accumulated since the Quran was revealed to our Prophet Muhammad and write back and back again to the focus لا إله إلا الله if you are someone who is interested in the inner workings of the nafs read what Allah SWT has revealed about the nafs write it back to the basic which is لا إله إلا الله no matter where you are in this paradigm in this universe you can write back these waves Allah SWT in one of the IAS in Surah Al-Baghra says سِبَخَتَ اللَّه see many people this last comment I want to make because of the absence of time our great forefathers they have written good commentaries Alhamdulillah Allah SWT give them Jannah but every commentary of the Quran is subject to the dynamic limitation of he who translates and makes a commentary on it the Quran cannot be translated they translated to mean some translator said it means the religion of Allah or baptism of Allah or they said it is the colors the dyes that people used to make in the old days I have translated to mean the wavelengths of Allah Allah SWT senses wavelengths through every atom and you don't have to look out there there are billions and trillions of atoms within your own body listen to them ride those waves align your life to the wavelength of Allah the wavelength of Allah that is the true alignment that is what you read in the third focus nature the fourth focus which is the onset of the community the fifth one it has to do with the interfaith that Allah SWT revealed to our Prophet SWT to believe not only in what was revealed to him but to what was revealed to all the prophets before كلر آمنة بلاي ملايكة يكوتون بي رسولين لا نفلق بين أحد من رسولين if you are engaged in interfaith remember that presented we believe in all the faiths that were revealed before us going back to Allah مليسوله it's a constraint of time that prevents me from going deeper into it there are oceans oceans in every one of them oceans in every atom oceans in every heart and one can stand here and lecture for hours days and months together I end with the appeal as I always do to everyone to make friends with the Qur'an study it that's your friend that's your guidance you find the answers therein for all the problems we face in the world and certainly in this land of America لخالخ و لهذا و استخدام الله الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين و السلام و السلام و على رسول الله إن الله و ملايكة يصلون على النبي يا أي والذين عالمين صلوا عليه و سلام و بسلام الله و صلي الله سيدنا محمد و على عالي محمد ربنا لا تجيب قلوبنا بعد إنتهداتنا و هبلنا ملادن برحمة إنه كانت البحاب ربنا لا تواخزنا إن سينا أوراقتانا ربنا ولا تحمل علينا يستنكما حلوضه و ذو وذين قمنا ربنا و الله تحملنا و الله تحصلنا به و أفوانا وفرلنا ورحمنا أنت مولانا فنصرنا على الخرم الكافرين برحمة ليها إن الله يعمل قضي بالحصان و ينتهيز القربة و ينهى و ينفح شائي و النورك الكرطوي يوضعكم و أعضعكم و يفكرون و يفكر الله و أفن مصر