This was the first surah that I took any great interest in right from young.
I still remember the recitation of hand, all memorized able to recall: albeit with a few jolts.
I remember the tape version, how the reciter a one Alfa Hussain Mohammed would pronounce the words even with the Yoruba intonations, which was always evident with his work.
I remember as a child waking up from sleep and going to sit in the living room while my dad was performing his nightlong prayers. I remember the smell of incense burning in the background – in particular the long one packaged in the green and white box.
I remember my dad sitting on his prayer mat whilst I was cuddled up on the sofa both sitting in silence until I fell sleep. (Maybe this is where I got my love of sleeping on the sofa and living room; I cannot seem to shake this habit)
I was mesmerized by this surah for a long time. A lot to do with the clout and pageantry surrounding its mysticism. I remember some people said that the prophet Mohammed said that this was the heart of the quran – The powerful surah with the seven “mubins”.
Why this is of importance I don’t know and why the number is important I don’t know either.
Question: What is peoples fixation with the numbers 3, 6, 5, 7, 9, 11?
I remember the seven “mubins” very well: when my dad will get us all to sit and say prayers reciting the surah 7 times, with each “mubin” he will get us to recite 7 “Qursiyu”
Out of this fixation, I memorized this surah. Reciting it to give me a sense of achievement and accomplishment that Yes! I too can get it – whatever was out there with this surah will come to me too.
I would look at it and read it: Arabic only – whenever I looked at the translation it just washed over me – gobbledygook- just like when I pick up a physics book and read, I just read but I don’t know what I am reading. The translations just washed over me, I am reading but I am not getting, I am juts fixated with the mubins – as I have been mesmerized by everyone’s fixation with it.
It wasn’t until about 2-3 years ago with trying to find out about worshipping God that I looked at the translation of what I had been reading and it struck me…What exactly do people see in this surah?
When reading through the translation, what strikes me is the gloominess and advent of retribution for people who end up disbelieving. Which in a way is befitting because it means for those who cannot see God alone but for the partnering “God with his last prophet” that such people are just digging themselves deeper into the ground.
This surah talks about consequences and reminds of warnings of disbelieving, of DOJ, reminds us of the blessings from God…
Then I started to see chapter 36 in a different light. Whist the memorization has stuck in my head- albeit I may need a few jolts of verses to remember it- I no longer hold it awe or am I fixated by it.
I am now interested in surah Maryam, Furqan and Ibrahim. Firstly because the recitation by Abdul Sudais is one of the most beautiful melodious ones I have ever heard and also because I feel - in particular for Surah Maryam- that the gripe between major world religions are clarified for me in them. It embodies the crux of what we all argue about or have issues about.
Remember the part in the quran where it offers a logical agreement to us all
If I can recall, God help me with this “ that we should come to a logical agreement whereby we do not worship besides God any other.” Which for me is a fair cop out whereby we agree to disagree. If we say we worship God, then lets leave all the minor differences out of the way and focus on this one God who we say is the creator of all things.
Anyway I digress again……
For translations see : http://www.submission.org/quran/webqt.php, enter the chapter number and compare up to six translations side by side. my preffered translations are khalifas and progressive muslims
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