﷽

Reminder, we launched the Heavenly Order mobile app for iOS and Android.

And another reminder that we’re now on a monthly schedule, not weekly.

This is Part 6 of our analysis of Sūrat az-Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold). Here is Part 1, and here is last month’s post if you missed it.

Here is what we were looking at:

There is another proposed structure for the entire sūrah, this time seen as a mirror structure. We looked at the micro structures within [L] last month.

Section [M] has a mirror structure within it.

Continuing on, we find that Section [N] also has a couple structures within it.

Section N1 – Lessons to internalize

Section N2 – A case study from the time of Prophet Moses

And Allah ﷻ knows best.

Next post we will continue to break down this new proposed organization into more mini-structures.

﷽

Alhamdulillah, there are now 3 official ways for you to interact with Heavenly Order that’s visually interactive.

For those who like desktop, you can access everything without a phone at https://heavenlyorder.app. You can also access it on your phone browser, but that’d be inefficient, especially when you have the following options.

For my fellow Americans, 90%+ of you are on iPhone, so check out the iOS app here. It also works on iPad.

And, finally, for my international audience (and for the 10% of Americans I respect more 😤), here is the Android release! Should also work for tablets!

If you download the app, please check it out, give me feedback, and leave a review!

Both apps are integrated with Quran.com, so you can access audio, translations, and even login to bookmark āyāt across the app and website.

Jazakum Allah khayran to those who volunteered to be on my Android testing team. I couldn’t have gotten approval without your support.

And, quick update on the Heavenly Order book. It’s being professionally typeset, and should be ready to publish for everyone to get a physical edition by early Sept, insha’Allah.

It’s currently out for early review with some shuykh/academics I know and respect. Hopefully one of them comes back with something nice to say.

Finally, finally, I’ve shifted to a monthly cadence for this newsletter. It’ll help me be more consistent if it’s something manageable like that. Otherwise, I was missing months at a time. Sorry about that.

Bārak Allah fīkum,

Munir

Subscribe now

﷽

Reminder, we launched the Heavenly Order mobile app for iOS.

The Android one is also ready, but Google keeps rejecting it because they say it needs more testing… make du’a. They’re so annoying.

This is Part 5 of our analysis of Sūrat az-Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold).

There is another proposed structure for the entire sūrah, this time seen as a mirror structure.1

Breaking each section down further, we can find further symmetry, as well as connections between the aforementioned sections. Beginning with Section [L], it can be broken down into 4 mini sections.

Section L1 – The Ultimate Reminder and its consequences

Section L2 – In the heavens and the earth are reminders

Section L3 – The ungratefulness of the slave

Section L4 – Blind following and its consequences

And Allah ﷻ knows best.

Next post we will continue to break down this new proposed structure.

﷽

Six years ago, on May 30th, 2020, I began this blog in the hopes of documenting all the research I could on the Quran’s structure, organization, and coherence. Here are where things stand today:

The Heavenly Order Book

I’m happy to say the book is complete! Well, a first edition that I already sent out to paid subscribers.1 It’s formatted for an e-book, but it doesn’t look pretty. So, I want to do two things.

First, here a link to the current e-book for free for everyone! The book focuses on Juz ʿAmma (the final section of the Quran), since it contains the suwar most people are familiar with. It’ll be a good 1st edition to get this to the masses and garner feedback for future editions.

Second, I would like to hire someone to do fancy inDesign edits for me and make it a very nice looking book (that Paid Subscribers will get for free. This one won’t be given out like above). But before I go to Upwork to find someone, is there anyone on this email (or a friend you know) who would like this work? I’ll pay market rates. I figured that if I could get someone who loves the material to format the book, it’ll turn out twice as nice. And if you can do book covers, same deal!

If you (or your friend) are interested, please fill out this form:

Heavenly Order Book Formatting Help

Mobile App and Webpage

Alhamdulillah, if you missed the emails, the Heavenly Order Apple App is released! Leave a review if you’ve had a chance to use it. And please email me feedback if you have it!

And the Android App is (finally!) in final review. They rejected me the first time for trivial matters, but insha’Allah it goes through this go around. Could be out in less than a week!

Also, if you’re on desktop or a web browser in general, you can visit the web app I made at HeavenlyOrder.app. No need to wait for the Android app for all my international friends.

What’s cool about this app is that it’s integrated with Quran.com. So if you log in there and on the app, you can bookmark āyat across the website and app and leave yourself notes or reflection that get synced up.

Going Forward

I still plan to post on Fridays, but I’ll be honest, it’s so difficult these days to be consistent. Growing responsibilities as an adult, and whatnot. So, expect me to continue posting, just not at the weekly cadence this once was :(

For anyone with more free time than me, here is a list of suwar I have not even looked into yet that could use some help. If you have a structure you’d like to propose, please email me back!

• Al-An'am (The Cattle)

• Hud (Hud)

• Ibrahim (Abraham)

• Al-Hijr (The Rock)

• An-Nahl (The Bee)

• Al-Anbiya' (The Prophets)

• Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

• Ash-Shu'ara' (The Poets)

• Al-Mu'min (The Believer) / Ghafir

As for any sūrah not listed above, it means I’ve already published on it, or I have the research ready to go, but I’m working on compiling it into a coherent post. See what’s already published at the Table of Contents.

Another Project for the Future

As I continue to burn down my list of remaining suwar, another project I’ve wanted to undertake is the translation of At-Tanāsubu bayn as-Suwar fi l-muftatahi wal-Khawātīm (The Connection between the Suwar in their Beginnings and Endings) by Dr Fāḍil Ṣaliḥ as-Samarrāī'.

It’s a two part book. The first half looks at the connection between the beginning and end of every individual sūrah. I reference it a lot when I start my research on a sūrah.

The second half of the book in particular is what I really want to spend my time on though. It looks at how the ending of one sūrah relates to the beginning of the next sūrah in the compiled order. How does the end of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah relate to the beginning of Sūrat al-Baqarah? How about al-Baqarah to Āl ʿImrān? Etc.

This is something called “Dovetailing” and it’s not a topic I give a lot of attention to. Translating Dr Fāḍil Ṣaliḥ’s work would allow me to bring it to the English language2 and, for my own selfish purposes, to practice my Arabic skills.

Another Other Project

I’ve been publishing weekly on my other blog called Quran Gems. Its goal is to introduce all the “linguistic miracles” of the Quran to a non-Arabic speaking audience. I already have all the posts written from past work, so it’s not taking time from this blog.

Click below to subscribe to it if that interests you.

Quran Gems

Exploring the linguistic miracle of the Quran, one gem at a time.

By Heavenly Order

Lastly

That’s it. 6 years, finally an e-book to send around, and research on 73 suwar published, many more in my notes, and a mobile app to share it with the masses.

Thanks for reading any of these posts. Thanks to those who continue to share their own structural observations with me, and thanks to those who comment with their thoughts and prayers!

Free Palestine!

﷽

Reminder, we launched the Heavenly Order mobile app for iOS a couple weeks back

The Android one is also ready, but it needs 6 more testers before they let me release it. If you have an Android device and are interested in helping, please provide your email to this form and I’ll get you a link to try the app out. And once 12 of you use it, I’ll be good to publish it.

This is Part 4 of our analysis of Sūrat az-Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold). For reference, here is the overall structure we’re discussing.

CONNECTIONS

[J]/[J’] – Allah ﷻ rhetorically asks, “have We made besides the Most Merciful deities to be worshipped?” This implicitly gets an answer in the connected section when Allah ﷻ commands us, “follow Me.” There was never doubt in who we worship. Additionally, Allah ﷻ assures the Messenger ﷺ, “Indeed, you are on a straight path (ṣirāṭin mustaqīm).” This is echoed later after Allah’s aforementioned command to follow Him alone, “This is a straight path (ṣirāṭun mustaqīm).

[K]/[K’] – The center shows the parallels between the mission of Moses and Jesus. Both were sent and rejected, both were laughed at, and both their stories were made as examples for the groups after them. Looking more closely, we can actually see the parallels play out in the āyāt themselves

And Allah ﷻ knows best.

Next post will look at an alternative structuring of Sūrat az-Zukhruf

﷽

A note before we begin our 3-months-overdue post. Alḥamdulillah, we launched the Heavenly Order mobile app for iOS a couple weeks back (and thank you to those who have given it a nice rating!). The Android one is also ready, but it needs 12 testers before they let me release it. If you have an Android device and are interested in helping, please provide your email to this form and I’ll get you a link to try the app out. And once 12 of you use it, I’ll be good to publish it.

This is Part 3 of our analysis of Sūrat az-Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold). For reference, here is the overall structure we’re discussing.

CONNECTIONS

[G]/[G’] – These two sections distinguish between groups of people who are led to their final destinations. The first is someone who was led by someone close to them, but they are actually led astray and end up in the Fire, lamenting their friendship. On the other end is someone whose companionship was so powerful and positive that it leads them to enter Paradise together. And instead of them saying anything, it is Allah ﷻ who speaks, assuring them, “My servants, no fear will there be concerning you this Day, nor will you grieve…enter Paradise, you and your kinds, delighted.”

[H]/[H’] – The Messenger ﷺ is rhetorically asked if he can “make the deaf hear, or guide the blind or he who is in clear error?” which make seem strange in isolation, but is actually enhanced by the connected section. There, Allah ﷺ reminds us about Prophet Jesus and all the “clear” miraculous signs he showed his people. But, despite the miracles performed before them, they still rejected. The message to the Messenger ﷺ is now complemented. It is as if to say, “Prophet Jesus could not convince the majority of his people, and he had miracle after miracle performed for them. Why would you think your people are any different?”

[I]/[I’] – The simple connection here is that when Allah ﷻ tells us to “adhere to that which is revealed to you,” he makes it clear in the mirrored section that one of the ways we err is when we forget His command, “And never let Satan avert you. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.”

This structure is to be concluded in Part 4.
…hopefully it doesn’t take another 3 months this time

Good news! The Heavenly Order mobile app (for iOS) is now available worldwide! It was having issues with EU regions, but I fixed it :)

For those using it, I’d appreciate any feedback you’ve got. Either post it here or give a nice rating on the app store to amplify its reach.

Speaking of amplifying reach, apparently for the Replit competition I entered, part of your grading is on how “viral” your video is. So, unfortunately, I have to share it widely to get it out there.

Look, it’s not worth your full time, so skip to the last 10 seconds for a nice conclusion. And if you could like it, share it with friends, and maybe even comment something mundane like “wow, I can’t believe orientalists are so blind to this!” that’d help it reach more people.

Jazākum Allah khayran (May Allah reward you all immensely). I’m trying to get the Android app out too! It just requires more testing before they let you release anything. Something about “standards” and “app integrity.” Pray that it’s soon!

-- Munir

Subscribe now

﷽

The prodigal son returns

Yeah, it’s been a while. I really need to complete Sūrat Zukhruf, BUT I have great news to share :)

The Heavenly Order (iOS) mobile app is here!

And Android is under review and will hopefully be ready soon.

PLEASE download and help me know how it can improve! Email me back here, comment below, send a DM in substack. I want to know how to improve it. I plan on pushing lots of updates as I hear back from people. My goal is to make it much nicer looking, but I wanted to get it functioning first.

Better news, this works pretty well on mobile, but it is probably best when used in landscape mode on a tablet. This is meant to be a tool that you use in your Quran study circles. Something to enhance your studies and help orient you as you get deep in the āyah-by-āyah analysis.

In related news, I’m going to enter this app into a couple competitions.

One is for Replit, the tool that made this app. They want to see what’s being made with their service, and the CEO is Amjad Masad, a Palestinian who never backs down from the Zios on Twitter, so, we gotta support. There’s no voting process, just need your prayers.

The second is for Quran Foundation

.These are the people behind Quran.com. I feel this app really checks all the boxes of what they’re looking for. So please pray it succeeds there as well.

Bārak Allah fīkum. Again, really sorry I haven’t been posting consistently. In shā Allah I’m much better going forward.

-Munir

Overview

Heavenly Order is a Quran study app. We are committed to your privacy. This policy explains what information the app does and does not collect.

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The app retrieves Quranic verse text from a public API (alquran.cloud) to display Arabic and English translations. No personal data is sent as part of these requests.

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The app contains a link to our Substack publication (heavenlyorder.substack.com). Tapping this link opens your device’s browser. Substack’s own privacy policy governs any data collected on their platform.

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We do not use any analytics tools, advertising networks, or tracking technologies.

Children’s Privacy

The app does not collect information from anyone, including children under 13.

Changes to This Policy

If this policy changes, we will update the date above.

Contact

If you have any questions, you can reach us through heavenlyorder.substack.com.

Sorry I haven’t posted in a couple of months. But, I wanted to give my paid subscribers two big updates.

1. I’ve been working on an interactive website that shows all the structures I’ve gathered. I’m s…

Read more

This is Part 2 of our analysis of Sūrat az-Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold). For reference, here is the overall structure we’re discussing.

CONNECTIONS

[D]/[D’] – Both sections speak about others attributing partners and children to Allah ﷻ. The first half of the sūrah touches more on the negative consequences behind making up these lies about Allah ﷻ. The second half is a simple statement around the Messenger ﷺ. Hypothetically, if Allah ﷻ had a child worthy of being called a god, then the Messenger ﷺ would have been the first to worship this hypothetical deity. The fact the Messenger ﷺ is not calling to any alternative gods is proof of their nonexistence.

[E]/[E’] – These two sections highlight those who dared to reject the ḥaqq (truth), i.e., revelation, after it came to them. The first section gives examples of those in this life rejecting the ḥaqq (truth) and the arguments they have for doing so. Their stubbornness is encapsulated in the case study of Prophet Ibrahim and his people. This section ends, “So we took retribution from them; then see how was the end of the deniers,” but does not give the details of their punishment. The later section begins talking about the denizens of Hell begging for relief. The audience hears these āyāt and thinks, “What did they do to end up here?” The section ends, “We had certainly brought you al-ḥaqq (the truth), but most of you, lil-ḥaqq (to the truth), were averse,” which is a call back to the linked section from earlier in the sūrah. The ambiguity of their “retribution” is finally answered here.

[F]/[F’] – It begins with a description of worldly luxuries and wealth which entice the listener, but Allah ﷻ reminds us, “But all that is not but the enjoyment of worldly life. And the Hereafter with your Lord is for the righteous.” The Hereafter is said to be better, but there is not description in this beginning section. Once we get to the linked section, we get a good idea of all the pleasures in store for us, with arguably the best thing said being, “There will be whatever the souls desire and the eyes delight in. And you will be there forever.”

To be continued in Part 3.

Sūrat az-Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold), is a Makkan sūrah considered to have been revealed around the time the Quraysh were conspiring to assassinate the Messenger ﷺ, which explains many of the themes found throughout. When viewed in its entirety, the sūrah appears to form one big mirror structure.1

CONNECTIONS

[A]/[A’] – The sūrah begins and ends on the idea of the disbelievers rejecting revelation, whether that be the Quran directly or the Messenger ﷺ who brings the Quran. In the beginning, Allah ﷻ rhetorically asks, “Then should We turn the message away, disregarding you (ṣafḥan), because you are a transgressing people?” And by the end of the sūrah Allah ﷻ commands the Messenger ﷺ, “So disregard them (faṣfaḥ) and say, “Peace.” But they are going to know.”

[B]/[B’] – Both sections clarify that the disbelievers’ issue is not that they deny the existence of Allah ﷻ, because that fact is too obvious. He tells us in both halves of the sūrah, “Wa-la’in sa’alta-hum man (If you asked them who) khalaqa as-samāwāti wa-l-arḍa/khalaqa-hum (created the heavens and the earth/created them) la-yaqūlunna (they’ll definitely say), ‘They were created by the Exalted in Might, the Knowing/Allah.’”

[C]/[C’] – There is heavy emphasis on Allah’s control over both the heavens (as-samā’) and the earth (al-’arḍ) in both. In the earlier section, Allah ﷻ uses the rain reviving earth to remind us “that is how you will be brought back.” Similarly, in the later section, Allah ﷻ reminds us that “to Him alone you will all be returned.” Allah ﷻ uses all this surrounding context to emphasize the exaltations and glory (subḥāna) due to Him.

To be continued in Part 2.

This is Part 12 of the series on Sūrat al-Ḥadīd. Please see the last post for Part 11.

Continuing on, the next section, Section [I’] – Avoid deception; come to Allah, is arguably seen as a ring structure.

CONNECTIONS

[H1]/[H1’] – The concluding section ends with Allah ﷻ censuring those who are stinginess and encourage others to be stingy as well. These kinds of people turn away from Allah ﷻ. This contrast heavily with the bounty that Allah ﷻ freely gives us all without need for compensation, but Allah ﷻ reminds us of His forgiveness in case we fell into the previous camp at any point.

[H2]/[H2’] – Allah ﷻ lists out a few things that He sent to mankind, all of which was meant to test and prove ourselves as believers. The result of passing these tests lay in the paired section, “Believers, be conscious of Allah and believe in His messenger!”

[H3]/[H3’] – At the center Allah ﷻ highlights two groups with similar outcomes. Both were previous nations, given scripture and messengers to adhere to. But, in both cases, they transgressed their original laws and Allah ﷻ notes about all of them, “wa-kathīrun min-hum fāsiqūn (but many of them were corrupt.”

Taken altogether, the overall sūrah appears to form a mirror structure.

CONNECTIONS

[H]/[H’] – The sūrah began with a lengthy passage praising Allah ﷻ through His many names and attributes; a subtle reminder to us that we need to appreciate and praise Him more than we do. This complements the ending well as Allah ﷻ warns us of previous nations that received a similar message, but went astray when they forgot Allah’s status and boundaries.

[I]/[I’] – The central message about revelation being sent to us to deliver us from “darkness to light” parallels nicely with the later reminders to avoid the deception (darkness) of this world and to turn our hearts back to Allah ﷻ (light).

[J]/[J’] – The center hits on all the themes mentioned above. Believers will have light on the Day of Judgement due to their true belief in Allah ﷻ, and hypocrites will lack light on account of their inability to believe and appreciate Allah ﷻ as He deserved to be.

Below is another plausible structure found within the sūrah, though it does not fit as part of any of the above macro-structures.

And here is a simpler, macro-level mirror structure of the entire sūrah.

And Allah ﷻ knows best.

We have now completed our study of Sūrat al-Ḥadīd! It only took four months… In shā’ Allah the next sūrah is written at a more regular cadence :)

Okay, so if you’re from outside the US or Canada, you can skip ahead and enjoy the Quran-related gift below (don’t skip ahead if you’re from North America!).

Bluntly, I’m Director of Masjid Partnerships at a startup called Inpairs, which is a halal matchmaking app for serious Muslims, and I need your help.

As Director, I got a quota to hit. See the link below? Please click and sign up to join the waitlist for the soon-to-be-released mobile app. You get a free gift for doing so.

Munir needs better marketing methods

“But I’m not looking to get married.” I don’t care. Just sign up. It’s for a waitlist for a mobile app, so you don’t have to make an actual inpairs profile. Help a brother out! I’ve been providing a free blog for 5.5 years, do this for me and I’ll call it even! It takes 10 seconds.

I want to help this poor soul.

Don’t worry, we don’t sell your data. I can personally vouch for that. And, if you’re someone genuinely interested in this app, reply to this email with questions or comments. Maybe I’ll provide you a promo code 👀

Brother, please stop asking. This is pathetic at this point.

Quran-related Gift

So that this isn’t just a marketing email, please enjoy this pdf that organizes the macro-structures of every sūrah I have something on (even some I haven’t covered yet!).

📖 All Sūrah Structures 📖

The table of contents is linked, so click on the sūrah you want and go straight to it! If you want the details, you can always reference the actual post here on the substack, but as a quick reference that you can screenshot, share around, etc, this should be quite useful.

Would love to hear if you use this in any way.

May Allah ﷻ bless you all.

And please do me a solid and sign up if you are in the US/Canada! Help me stay employed!

Lord have mercy, he’s asking again

This is Part 11 of the series on Sūrat al-Ḥadīd. Please see the last post for Part 10.

Continuing on, the next section, Section [I’] – Avoid deception; come to Allah, is arguably seen as a ring structure.

CONNECTIONS

[I3]/[I3’] – Allah’s reminder that life is a place of deception pairs nicely with Allah ﷻ stating that He does not like those who are self-deluded (i.e., deceive themselves) and arrogantly boast about it.

[I4]/[I4’] – Allah ﷻ tells us to seek His forgiveness and then reminds us that He owns everything and blesses us as He wishes. The forgiveness may seem out of place at first, but makes a lot more sense when we consider the connected section. Allah ﷻ commands us to not be impressed by what He gave us, because, as He stated earlier, He gives to whom He wills, and therefore we did nothing to deserve it. This realization leads one back to asking His forgiveness for those moments of arrogance we may have experienced.

[I5]/[I5’] – Combined, these two sections reduce one’s anxiety. Understanding that we cannot stop Allah’s divine decree helps us reconcile all the opportunities that pass us by in life. Those moments were not written for us, so there is no need to despair over them.

[I6] – In the middle of all this talk on Allah’s infinite bounty and divine decree is the simple reminder that it is all easy for Allah ﷻ. He controls everything, and He gives everything, but despite all that He does, it is still easy for Him.

In Part 12, we’ll conclude our exploration of this entire sūrah.

This is Part 10 of the series on Sūrat al-Ḥadīd. Please see the last post for Part 9.

It is from this point onwards where my analysis largely differs from the ones above. Section [J’] – Believers and light; Disbelievers and fire is a relatively large mirror structure.

CONNECTIONS

[J4]/[J4’] – Allah ﷻ rhetorically asks, “Wasn’t time already for those who believed that their hearts trembled from the mention of Allah and from what was sent down of Truth?” There is no answer given here, but the end of this mirror structure instead gives us the outcome of answering this call, “Forgiveness from Allah, and pleasure.”

[J5]/[J5’] – Allah ﷻ warns us not to be like the previous religious communities that slowly allowed their hearts to become corrupt. This is linked to the consequence for those who don’t heed the warning, “And in the Afterlife is an intense punishment.”

[J6]/[J6’] – There are two metaphors used for the Earth’s revival. The first, that of rain coming down to give life to a barren ground, is likening revelation descending onto a person’s dead heart and giving it spiritual life again. The second, land being cultivated by a farmer who watches it go from life back to death, is a reminder that everything in this life eventually loses its worth and will go back to death (i.e., Allah).

[J7]/[J7’] – Allah ﷻ praises those who give in charity and promises them a generous reward for being so wise with their money. In contrast, Allah ﷻ later succinctly describes the human condition. Instead of making wise choices, we waste time, go after beauty, become arrogant, and then compete in having the most wealth and children. All of our focus tends to be on this life as opposed to the next.

[J8]/[J8’] – The center, much like all the previous parts, contrasts the good and the bad. First come the believers who are said to have “their reward and their light.” The other half is about the disbelievers who are aptly described as “the people of the Blaze.”

In Part 11, we’ll continue our exploration of this entire sūrah.

As-Salām ʿalaykum,

It’s been a while since I updated the subscribers, or provided any value. So, quick updates, and something tangible to take home:

1. Ever since our family welcomed the third kid, it’s …

Read more

This is Part 9 of the series on Sūrat al-Ḥadīd. Please see the last post for Part 8.

The last structure I would like to explore is my own proposal. Like the above, I also believe this sūrah is best divided into six sections, but where I split my sections differs. Additionally, I find that the entire sūrah forms a mirror structure when all six pieces are brought together.

For the first section, Section [H] – Proper appreciation of Allah’s status, just like the two breakdowns above, it spans the first six āyāt. I am not particularly convinced of one structure versus the other. Both have lots of merit. In either case, the theme seems the same; Appreciate Allah’s status as the One who rules all.

As a reminder, here are their structures:

Section [I] – Darkness to Light also aligns with both structures above in that it spans āyāt 7-11. But unlike above, I think it also works as a parallel structure.1

CONNECTIONS

[I1]/[I1’] – The injunction to “āminū bil-lāhi wa rasūli-Hi (believe in Allah and His messenger)” is paralleled by Allah ﷻ rhetorically asking, “What is wrong with you all that you do not tu’minū bil-lāhi (believe in Allah) while the Messenger calls you all litu’minū (to believe) in your Master. And He had already taken a covenant with you if you were truly mu’minīn (believers).” And He continues emphasizing the miraculous signs He send upon His servant, the Messenger ﷺ.

[I2]/[I2’] – The second half focuses on how believers should spend as a show of faith. The first half of the structure ends “Wa-‘anfiqū (And spend) from what He has made you successors. For those who have believed among you wa-‘anfaqū (and spent), there will be a great reward.” Similarly, the entire section ends censuring those who do not spend. He says, “Wa-mā la-kum lā tunfiqū (And why do you not spend) in the cause of Allah while to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth? Not equal among you are those who ‘anfaqū (spent) before the conquest [of Makkah] and fought [and those who did so after it]…” And the final āyah here concludes with the same theme, asking, “Who would loan Allah a good loan so He will multiply it for him and he will have a noble reward?”

Section [J] – Believer’s light; Hypocrite’s lack light spans the same length as both structures above proposed, but I place it into a parallel structure.

CONNECTIONS

[J1]/[J1’] – The “believing men and believing women,” are the subjects of the first half and introduced as being “seen”, in contrast to the “hypocritical men and hypocritical women,” who begin the second half, but are introduced as “saying.” As the section will go on to illustrate, they have nothing to show, so they compensate through their words.

[J2]/[J2’] – The believers will have “nūr (light) being produced from in front of them and from their right sides. The hypocrites will have no such “nūr” and instead will be told, “Go back behind you and seek light.”

[J3]/[J3’] – The believers will be told of their reward; “gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally,” which stands in contrast to the destiny of the hypocrites. They will have the reason for their guilty verdict explained and then will have their final punishment laid out, “Your refuge is the Fire. It is most worthy of you, and wretched is the destination.”

In Part 10, we’ll continue to explore this final proposed structure.

This is Part 8 of the series on Sūrat al-Ḥadīd. Please see the last post for Part 7.

Finally, the last section, Section [G] – Conclusion, is a perfect parallel summary of every preceding section. The previous five sections find a parallel in the remaining two āyāt.

CONNECTIONS

[G1]/ [G1’] – The section with all the descriptions of Allah ﷻ pairs nicely with the command to “be mindful of Allah.”

[G2]/[G2’] – The next section implored us to believe in the Messenger ﷺ, spend in the cause of Allah ﷻ, and described our spiritual resurrection. Similarly, the next part of the parallel āyah asks us to “believe in His messenger,” and in exchange we will be spiritually blessed with “a double portion of His loving mercy.”

[G3]/[G3’] – The section all about our light on the Day of Judgment aligns with the next part which states that Allah ﷻ will “make a light for you by which you will walk.”

[G4]/[G4’] – The warning that turning away from revelation can harden our hearts is followed by the urge to “rush to the forgiveness of your Master!” Again, this perfectly parallels the next part of the āyah, “and He will forgive you; and Allah is Forgiving and Lovingly Merciful.”

[G5]/[G5’] – Finally, the concluding section that reminds us to revere and aid the messengers matches the final āyah of the sūrah in which Allah ﷻ unequivocally states to the People of the Book that Allah ﷻ controls all favors and bounties, which includes prophethood and messengership.

In Part 9, we’ll begin to explore a final proposed structure.

This is Part 7 of the series on Sūrat al-Ḥadīd. Please see the last post for Part 6.

When you look at all the previous sections together, you find they form a ring structure spanning the first 4/5ths of the sūrah.

CONNECTIONS

[D]/[D’] – The first section emphasizes that Allah ﷻ is with us and He sees what we do. The final section is where Allah ﷻ outlines where He tests our adherence to the first part. Allah ﷻ wants to see who will aide His messengers without seeing Him.

[E]/[E’] – We are told to have faith, that the Messenger ﷺ was sent to bring us from darkness to light, and that we should spend. On the opposite end, Allah ﷻ rhetorically asks if the time has passed for believers to humble themselves to Allah ﷻ. He also adds that we should repent, bring our souls back to life, and that we should spend.

[F] – In the center if the crux of it all; Light and Darkness on Judgment Day.

In Part 8, we’ll continue to explore this proposed structure.