Daily Summaries from the Quran: Portion 14

A daily collection of snippets and highlights from the Quran. I started collecting these for every single night of Ramadan to send a Christian friend who’s interested in the Quran but struggles to find time to read it. So I thought to share these online for others who might also benefit.

This portion contains answers on questions such as why did God send the Quran, why are there so many different religions?

God’s promise that he will protect the Qur’an from change:

15.9 It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will protect/preserve it.

15.49 Declare unto My servants, that truly it is I — who is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful.

15.50 and yet My Torment is indeed the most painful torment.

15.56 He (Abraham) said, “And who shall despair of the mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?”

15.94–99 So proclaim what you have been commanded, and turn away from the polytheists.

Surely We will be sufficient for you against the mockers,

who set up ˹other˺ gods with Allah. They will soon come to know.

We certainly know that your heart is truly distressed by what they say.

So glorify the praises of your Lord and be one of those who prostrate

and worship your Lord until there comes to you certainty (death)

16.20 And those they invoke other than God create nothing, and they [themselves] are created.

16.21 they are dead — not alive. And they have no idea when they will be resurrected

16.22 Your God is ˹only˺ One God. As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are in denial, and they are too proud.

In pre-Islamic Arabia they used to bury their baby girls alive and Islam banned this:

16.57 And they attribute ˹angels as˺ daughters to God — glory be to Him! — the opposite of what they desire for themselves.

16.58 Whenever one of them is given the good news of a baby girl, his face grows gloomy, as he suppresses his rage.

16.59 He hides himself from the people because of the bad news he has received. Should he keep her in disgrace, or bury her ˹alive˺ in the ground? Evil indeed is their judgment!

The period of grace as in the bible:

15.61 If God were to punish people ˹immediately˺ for their wrongdoing, He would not have left a single living being on earth. But He delays them for an appointed term. And when their time arrives, they cannot delay it for a moment, nor could they advance it.

Why did God send the Qur’an?

To clarify what was corrupted or misunderstood in the previous scriptures and the points of debate amongst the various people which led to different religions and sects forming. That answers the question of why are there different religions. God sent the same message and one religion — it is people that misunderstood, corrupted, rejected portions, added portions, or changed His message and branched off into different religions. That’s why such large chunks of the Qur’an are dedicated to clarifying these misconceptions. To bring people back to the one true path that was intended for all — the way of Abraham — pure monotheism without any deviance. That’s why the final book God sent HAD to be preserved and He promised to guard it Himself. One way was that dozens of people memorised it as soon as portions were revealed so not a letter could be changed. Even today in prayer if someone mistakenly recites even aa instead of oo, three people behind him jump in to correct him.

16.64 And We have not revealed to you the Book, except so that you can make clear to them the things they have differed and as guidance and mercy for a people who believe.

But God gave people freedom of choice hence they separated into different viewpoints and religions:

16.93 And if God had willed, He could have made you [of] one religion, but He lets to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.

16.120 Surely, Abraham was a whole nation unto himself, devoted to God, a man of pure faith; and he was not among the polytheists,

16.121 [utterly] grateful for God’s favors. So God chose him and guided him to a straight path

16.122 We blessed him with all goodness in this world, and in the Hereafter he will certainly be among the righteous.

16.123 Then We revealed to you (O Muhammad): “Follow the faith of Abraham, the upright, who was not one of the polytheists.”

16.127 so be patient for your patience is only with God’s help. And do not grieve over those ˹who disbelieve˺, nor be distressed by their schemes.

16.128 Surely, God is with those who fear Him and those who are good in their deeds