Themes of Quran

Allah in Himself
The passages set for special study which represent the fundamental Quranic theme of ‘God in
Himself’, give us the prefect knowledge about God’s personality, Oneness and attributes. In the first place
these passages shed light on the concept of Tawhid. It is the first and the main principle of Islamic faith. It
means that Allah is the Supreme Being, Creator, Sustainer and Master of the Universe.
Surah Baqarah (2:255) also known as the Verse of Throne(Ayat al Kursi) clearly mentions Tauhid
(Oneness of God) “Allah, there is no god but He the Living, the self-subsisting, Eternal.”
It tells us that Allah is a personality but His nature is sublime and far beyond our limited conception.
He is the ultimate reality and free from all limitations of time and space. “No slumber can seize him nor
sleep…”
Throne (Kursi) is a symbol of authority. This tells us that He is the King ruling over all that exists. In
everything is the working of God’s power, will and authority. Quran says: “then He established himself on
the throne” (10:3, 13:2)
Surah Anaam 6. 101-103
These verses of surah Anaam speak of the absolute unity and Authority of Allah over the entire universe,
being the only Creator and Protector of everything . Therefore, He alone is to be worshipped .Allah creates
on His own without any help which shows that not only the Creation ,but the plan and means of creation
are all on account of His Will .Quran says “To Him is due to primal origin of the heavens and the earth.”
Since everything is creation of Allah, the question of His heaving a son does not arise. Allah, unlike humans,
is free from all human attributes and far superior to be in need to have children or spouse. As mentioned in
surah Ikhlas,
“He does not beget nor is He begotten”It is further states that human vision does not comprehend Him,
but He comprehends everything of the universe and nothing remains hidden from Him. Nothing is
conceived from Him. He watches us all the time and knows our intentions, Ayat ul kursi States, “He knows
what is before or after or behind them” Allah’s nature is so subtle and far beyond our limited conception
so as to be invisible to the physical eye and to be imperceptible to the senses. His presence can only be felt
through the manifestation of His creation and His total control over it
Surah Fussilat 41.37
This passage speaks of the cosmic sign of the universe as the great signs of Allah’s lordship, authority,
wisdom and power. These signs are not to be worshipped. Instead, by pondering over them one can
understand the reality of Allah’s Greatness and creative power. People have repeatedly been told in the
Quran that natural objects on earth and sley are creation of Allah with no power or authority .Night and
day are not conflicting power but are both creations of Allah. Allah is the sole cause and the source of all
that exits and whatever exits is a sign of His creative power. The objectives in this verse is to express the
glory of Allah and His exclusive worthiness for worship in the minds of the human beings. This verse invites
people to look over the wondrous creation of Allah and believe in Him. Quran says, “Behold! In the
creation of the heavens and earth and the alternation of night and day there are indeed signs for men of
understanding”
The cycle of the night and day clearly points to the fact that sun and moon are not the objects of divine
power, but are helpless and powerless objects . They are moving according to the law of Almighty Allah . So
Allah alone should be worshipped and not the things which he has created which are actually subservient to
His commands. Thus these passage reflect that Allah is unique in His attributes and power. He alone is
worthy of worship and praise
Surah ash Shura 42. 4-5
This passage highlights Allah’s total authority and ownership. All that is in the heaven and on the earth is
the exclusive property of Allah and He has full authority and controls to deal with it in any manner He
wants. He is the Master and Owner of the earth and heavens and everything contained in them, in any
form whatsoever, and no one else has any part or share in His ownership, His attributes and His Power. It is
said in Quran “His are all things in the heavens and on earth”Allah’s glory and praise is so majestic that
even the magnificent heavens tremble before His Might and Splendour above them and are almost ready
to burst asunder by His glory .The angels, who are noble and pure beings , celebrates the glory of Allah
.they look after the safety of all beings on earth and pray to Allah for their forgiveness .They reflect on one
side on Allah’s glory and praise and on the other, to His forgiveness and mercy.
As all humans beings are weak and are liable to err and sin , Allah has willed upon Himself the law of grace
and mercy. Allah is forgiving and Merciful is clear from the fact that people persist in transgressing His
commands and rejecting His message, yet He mercifully goes on giving them respite so that they may
realize their mistakes and come to the right path. The Quran says, “He has inscribed for Himself (the rule
of ) Mercy”
Surah Ikhlas 112
The name of this sura is Ikhlas meaning “Purity of faith” which is core matter because faith in the absolute
unity of Allah is the foundation of Islam. Allah is one, without any hint of plurality, He has no one to share
in His lordship, neither in His essence or His attributes. He is the only one to whom worship is due, all
other things or being are His creatures and in no way resemble Him are comparable to Him in rank,
attributes work or power The Quran says, “And your God is one God.”
Allah is Eternal and Immortal without beginning or end , not limited by time or place or circumstances. He
is absolute no sustained or dependent on any other person or thing whereas all other are dependent on
Him for beginning as well as their continued existence.
This sura negates the concept of polytheism and destroys all assumptions of family relations of Allah when
it is said “He begets not nor is He begotten.”And there remains no room for confusion in this regard the
Quran says , “No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him.”
The fact that Allah is matchless and unique in every respect beyond the range of human imagination
explains why any attempt at depicting Him by means of figures or symbols must be denial of truth. The
Quran says“He said : O my People! Worship Allah! You have no other god but Him”

2(b) In your opinion, why should Muslims try to understand God’s attributes? Give
reason(s) for your answer. [4]
It is extremely important for Muslims to understand God’s personality and attributes because now a days
many Muslims are becoming detached from God. Learning about God’s attributes allows them to have an
understanding of Him which increases their understanding of the world around them, or their faith, etc.
Because God is beyond humankind’s knowledge/perception, understanding Him through what He says about
Himself in the Qur’an allows humans to know why God is important to them in their lives.

God’s relationship with Created world

The Holy Quran is replete with descriptions of Allah’s relationship with the created world. These passages
are about God’s relationship with creation, but each talk about that relationship in a distinctive way. They
all allow humankind to see the link between them and God. It is not just about God giving human beings
things for their sustenance, but humans need to give thanks in return and live their life remembering Him,
which can be done in different ways.
• Surah al Fatiha(1)mentions God as the creator and controller of all that is in the heavens and the
earth. He is the most compassionate and forgiving and only He can guide humans to the path of His
obedience. He deserves all praise and worship that can be done in many ways, prayer, following the
sunnah, making dua, etc“Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.”. This surah
also emphasizes upon worshipping God alone and to turn to Him for help and guidance. Asking for
 help is important which is why this is used as a prayer. It says “ You alone we worship and your aid
we seek.”
• verses of Surah al Baqarah[2:21-22]mention God as the Cherisher and Sustainer of all that exists.
These verses speak of God’s favours upon us for our sustenance which includes the creation of man
himself, heavens and the earth, rain and growth of fruits. It says “Who has made the earth your
couch and heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens......”.They should therefore
look after their environment and protect the things that God has provided for them. It also reminds
Muslims of their duty to worship God alone and to avoid shirk, which is the greatest sin in Islam. God
wants humans to acknowledge that He is the one who provides them with this, and not anyone else,
and so they should not seek to praise others for what they have been given by God.It says “Then do
not set up rivals with Allah when you know.”
• Surah Al Alaq (96:1-5) shows the link between humankind and God by emphasising the creation
of humans, and that He then gave knowledge to humans, the tool for their learning. They in return
should seek knowledge by reading and writing whenever they can as well as teaching it.
“Read in the name of your Lord and Cherisher , who created.”(96:1). This passage also dignifies God as the
greatest teacher who teaches all forms of knowledge to mankind and made them superior over all other
creatures. “He, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know.”
• Surah al Zilzaal (99)tells us about God as the master of the Day of Judgement. It tells us that
everything in the system of the universe is subservient to God, as on the Day of Judgement the earth
will start shaking in obedience to His command. This shows that the earth is created for humankind’s
benefit and that they will be judged at the end of time according to how they lived their lives on it.
“Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it and anyone who has done an
atom’s weight of evil shall see it.”
That could be related to how well they followed God and His Messenger (pbuh), how they fulfilled their
obligations, or how they looked after the earth which was created for their benefit. They have a responsibility
for their actions, so although God provides for humans, they have to do good to show God that they are
grateful
• Surah Naas (114)speaks of God as the safest refuge from all kinds of evil because He is the most
powerful. “Say! I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.”
It warns humans against secret whispers of evil by Satan within their hearts, who whisper evil/bad ideas to
humans, and then disappear and leave them on their own. “From the mischief of the whisperer who
withdraws.”
Since God is all powerful and provider of all necessities and protection therefore, only he can protect
Muslims from all evils especially the internal ones i.e Satan and jinns. “From jinn and from mankind” It is
one of the surahs of protections.
God’s Messengers
Adam (2.30–37): Adam was the first human to be created by God. God had told the angels He
would place a representative on earth, and the angels asked why, if he will only make mischief unlike the
angels who only glorify God. When God spoke to Adam, he gave himknowledge about Himselfthrough
the things he was taught the names of, and the lessons he learnt in obedience to God. God gives
knowledge to whom He wills. “And He taught Adam the names of all things.” It shows the superiority
of humans over angels due to what they know, and so it stresses the importance of gaining knowledge.
God also told Adam that he and his wife should live in the Garden but they were not to touch a specific
tree. “But donot approach this tree, or you will run into harm and transgression.” Satan, who was
jealous of Adam and had refused to bow to him, came to tempt Adam and his wife into eating from the
tree. He is from the mischief makers who whisper evil into the minds/hearts of humans.
God sent Adam and his wife to live on earth. Adam realised his mistake and through this event turned to
God for forgiveness. And God, because He is the most merciful, turned towards Adam, meaning He
forgave Him. . Through these events Adam learnt about God’s creation, His Knowledge and His
forgiveness.
This passage tells Muslims about the favours God gives his prophets. He gives them knowledge for
guidance, and He forgives when people turn to Him in repentance.

Ibrahim (6:75-79) was a native of Mesopotamia, presently southern Iraq. He lived amongst the idolaters.
His father Azar was an idol maker. Most of the people of his time worshiped the sun, the moon, and the
stars and prayed to them. He was given knowledge of God through the law and order of the heavens and
the earth. One night he went out in search of God to the mountains. He looked to the stars and the moon
and the sun, which people at his time worshipped. God inspired him to realise that the things in creation
that do not last cannot be the things to be worshipped as God does not change.
“Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be of those who go astray.”
Ibrahim was gifted with exceptional wisdom Through which he understood the concept of Oneness of
God despite he was born in the people who were polytheists. It describes the stages of Ibrahim’s spiritual
enlightenment until he declared the unity of Allah to his people and forbade them from associating
partners with Allah (shirk). “And never shall I give partners to Allah.”
Through these events he turned himself to believe in God and did not associate partners with Him. God
showed Ibrahim His Unity, and His control over creation.
“How should I fear (the beings) you associate with Allah when you fear not to give partners to Allah..”
(6:81)
It also show that all the Messengers conveyed the same message of oneness of Allah (Tauheed)

Jesus (5.110) was the son of Maryam (Mary). His birth was a Miracle. He was born to Maryam
without a father by Allah’s command. He spoke as an infant and defended his mother. He was given
special miracles which helped him understand God’s personality and His ultimate power. God asked Jesus
to recount the blessings that God had given him and his mother (Maryam), showing that God gives his
prophets favours to help them in their lives. God then gives a list of the things He has given Jesus, and
the benefits of those favours: He was given the holy spirit which allowed him to speak to the people as
a child and when he was older. He was also taught the Law and the Gospel to teach the people how to
live their lives in accordance to God’s laws. He was also able to give life to the dead and heal the sick, by
the will of God. “And you heal those born blind, and the lepers by my leave ,and behold you bring forth
the dead by my leave.” (5 :110)
He also protected Jesus from the unbelievers who accused Jesus of magic and did not believe His powers
were a sign of God’s majesty. “That they said (in boast) “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary the
Apostle of Allah;” But they killed him not, nor crucified him but so Allah raised him up unto Himself;
and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.” This all showed Jesus the favours he was given by God which
allowed him to believe in Him and follow Him.

The Prophet Muhammad faced hardships like the other prophets, but God reminds him that He
gave him blessings in this life and the next.
God revealed Surah Kauthar(108) to console and give hope to the Prophet (P.B.U.H) under the increasing
difficulties in Makkah by promising that he would be given abundant blessings in this worldly life and in
the hereafter.” To you have we granted abundance”. It is interpreted as fountain in heaven, his spiritual
progeny (Muslims) and his daughter Fatima, who gave him two grandsons Hassan and Hussain. Prophet
(P.B.U.H) was instructed to remain loyal to his faith by continuing to live as God taught him. “So pray to
your Lord and sacrifice”. It also warned that it would not be the Prophet (P.B.U.H) but his enemies that
would be cut off. “He who hates you, he will be cut off”.
 Surah Duha (93) reassured him that “your lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased”. It also gave
him the glad tiding of successful future life by saying, “and the hereafter will be better for you than the
present .”which reffered to his successful future life in Madina. It reminded the prophet (pbuh) of God’s
support for him throughout his life “did he not find you an orphan and give you shelter ; And he found
you wondering and he gave you guidance ; And he found you in need and he made you independent”
After the revelation of these surah the Prophet (P.B.U.H) continued his mission with renewed hope,
strength and devotion.
In this way these passages of Quran strengthen our belief in all the messengers which is an article of faith in
Islam. They also show God’s special concern for his chosen people and how they were helped throughout
their lives.
2(b) ‘God gave humankind guidance and teachings.’ Why does the Qur’an lay emphasis on
the need to gain knowledge? [4]
• Having given guidance (through the Qur’an and sunnah, etc.), God wants knowledge to be used to
learn about life and to live lives in a good way.
• Without learning, humans would not know about their rights and responsibilities or about their
potential as human beings.
• In order to respond to what God wants or what is of benefit to themselves or others, they have to
learn how to respond. God is full of mercy and love, He is guiding people so they benefit in this life
and in the next.
• The most beneficial knowledge would be that which helps a person fulfil their rights towards God,
fellow humans, and to develop themselves.