Shakirah Hunter

The holy Qur’an provides a love like no other. A love that takes different forms, time and a unique closeness. The Sahabah expressed their love to the words of Allah either by standing up for hours in recitation, or studying the meanings, or dedicating their lives to writing and compiling the Qur’aan. Some spent every moment finding out everything they could to cement this relationship with Al Furqaan. We see the manner in which Abdullah ibn Masood (ra) took his love for the words of Allah in a statement wherein he said: “I swear by the being besides whom there is none worthy of worship that I know about every verse of the Qur’an, about whom it was revealed and when it was revealed”. The incredible attention by the Sahabah to the Kalaam of Allah is a unique one. We see Ali (ra) highlighting this to us: “By Allah, I know about every verse whether it was revealed at night or during the daytime, in the plains or in the mountains.

As we prepare a welcome for the month of Ramadhan, we will focus on the deep knowledge regarding every ayah of the Kalaam of Allah.

Classification of the Ayaat into Makki and Madani:

We often hear of the classification of the ayah into Makki and Madani and we misinterpret this to mean that it was revealed in Makkah or Madina. However the correct explanation is that those ayaat that were revealed before the Hijrah (the emigration from Makkah to Madina ) are regarded as Makki, whilst those revealed after the Hijrah are regarded as Madani. There are some ayaat that were revealed in Makkah at the time of the conquest of Makkah yet are regarded as Madani.

• The style of the Qur’an is unique in that there are subtle differences that highlight the difference between the Makki ayaat and the Madani Ayaat. Allah Ta’ala uses the word “kalla – Certainly Not” only in the Makkan Surahs. This word is repeated by Allah Ta’alah 33times in 15 surahs and they all occur in the second half of the Qur’aan.
• Every surah containing a verse of Sajdah (besides the sajdah in Surah Hajj according to Imam Shafiee) is a makki Surah.
• Every surah which refers to Adam (as) and Shaitan – besides Surah Baqarah – is a Makki Surah.
• Every surah that mentions the hypocrites is a Madani Surah.
• In Makki surahs Allah Ta’ala refers to people as “yaa ayyuhanaas- Oh mankind” while in Madani surahs Allah addresses them as ‘Yaa Ayyuhal ladheena Aamanu- Oh you who believe”
• The Makkan Surahs are generally short and concise whilst the Madani surahs are long and detailed.
• The style of the Makan surahs contains more similies, metaphors, parables and an extensive vocabulary is used. The Madani surahs are simpler in comparison.