JIQ: Young Professionals

Rashed Hasan/MyLLife Team

3/8/2025

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Session 8: Summary and Discussion

Surah Al-Anam (v.112 – 165) & Surah Al-Araf (1-93)

What We Read and Process We Followed

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Session 8 Assigned Reading:

• Chapter 6: The Cattle (Surah Al-Anam) – v. 112-165 (end)
• Chaptere 7: The Elevation (Surah Al-Araf) – v. 1 - 93
• A total of 143 verses - 1 hour at regular pace
• ~40 verses each weekly – dedicate 30-45 mins for reflective and deeper reading each week
• Consistent routine and building weekly rhythm

Context and Relevance

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• Chapter 6 context (Continuing from last session)
• Take the Qur’an and this life seriously
• God rewards good deeds multiple times but bad deeds in the same measure – a show of God’s generosity to good people
• Every generation that succeed has to prove themselves as to why they deserve God’s blessing
• Chapter 7 context (revealed late Makkan)
• Story of Adam/Eve and the Devil
• God’s grace to livings beings on this earth
• Stories of various ancient messengers – Noah, Lot, Shuaib, Hud, Salih…
• Accountability

Range of Topics Covered

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Surah Al-Anam (beyond what was covered in Session 7)

• Every prophet has assigned enemy (Remember Adam/Eve and the Devil?)
• We need to be careful who we follow – the majority is not always on the right path, even some of the leaders
• We succeeded previous generations, and a next generation will succeed us in due time, but all will go back to God to know the final truth
• Human life is sacred – can’t be taken without proper justification
• Qur’an is a blessing, and we cannot receive God’s blessing while ignoring the Qur’an
• Sectarian divide is disliked by God as it weakens a community
• Strong commitment and dedication is necessary to achieve success in our earthly endeavors as well as outcome we seek in the lif

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Range of Topics Covered

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Surah Al-Araf ()

• Story of Adam/Eve and the Shaitan is detailed
• Shaitan’s arrogance, deception and persistent effort to derail human beings
• Adam/Eve’s knowledge, freewill, failure to listen, humility, forgiveness and challenges in this earthly life
• They both replied: “O Our Sustainer, we have wronged ourselves; unless you forgive us and show mercy on us, we both will be among those who have lost their way.”
• God said: “Go forth (to the earth), some of you adversaries of others. On the earth you will have your living quarters and your livelihood for a time. It is here that you will live, it is here that you will die, and from here you will be raised (on the Day of Resurrection).”

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Conversation…

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• Any verses that resonated with you and why?
• Observations/Reflections you want to share
• Questions you want to explore/ask

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Surah Al-Anam: Highlights (v. 112 - 125 )

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• God allowed enemies against every prophet—the devils among men and jinn, some of them inspiring others with gilded speeches and arguments, only to deceive. If your Sustainer had willed, they would not have done that. Therefore, remain aloof from them and from their falsehoods.
• If you were to follow many of those who inhabit the earth, they would lead you away from Guidance coming from God. They follow nothing but their own conjectures and manufactured lies.
• Certainly, many people deviate from guidance by their ignorance and errant views.
• Stay away from any sin—in public or in secret.
• For those who deny the truth, their doings are made to appear good to them
• We allow the leaders in every land to be its evildoers so that they plan in it; but their plan is against themselves, which they do not perceive.
• Whomever God wills to guide, He opens up his heart to Islam (faith and goodness)…

Surah Al-Anam: Highlights (v. 126 - 153 )

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• This is a norm from your Sustainer, Who does not destroy a town where its inhabitants are unaware. Each town is treated according to a measure of what they do. Your Sustainer God is not unaware of what they do.
• If God wills, He may remove you and make whom He wills to succeed you in a manner that He made you to succeed your predecessors.
• God is the One Who produces in fields cultivated or growing wild—date palms, fruits and grains of various sorts, olives, and pomegranates, similar and in varieties. Consume of the fruits as they ripen and share their due to others when you harvest. Don’t be wasteful; God does not love the prodigal.
• As for the followers of the Jewish faith, We (God) prohibited animals with claws, oxen and sheep (Leviticus 7:23), and all their fats except what is on their backs or in the intestines or internal organs or what is inside the bones—these restrictions are a form of punishment for their continued rebellion; indeed We (God) speak the truth.
• Say: “Come and let me convey what God has forbidden: Assign no partner to God, and be good to your parents; do not kill your children for fear of poverty—God provides for you and for them; do not get close to anything shameful—openly or in secret; do not take a human life that God has made sacred, except for reason of justice.

Surah Al-Anam: Highlights (v. 154 - 165 )

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• This is a book (the Qur’an) that We have revealed as blessings; therefore, follow its teachings and be mindful of your responsibility so that you might receive His blessings;
• (Beyond belief) those who create division in their faith and turn into sectarian divides, you have no relationship with them.
• Whoever earns a good and beautiful deed, God will multiply its rewards ten times, and whoever brings about an evil deed will face its consequences accordingly; no wrong will be done to them.
• Say: “My prayer and my worship, my sacrifices and perseverance, my life’s pursuits, and my ever-approaching death—all are directed to God’s will, the Sustainer of the Universe! He has no partners. I am commanded to this, and I am the first to submit and act (as a Muslim).”
• At the end of your life, you return to you Cherisher God so that He can inform you on matters that you differed on (while alive).
• God is the One Who made you (the current generation) the successor on earth and made some of you excel over others so that God may ascertain your worth with respect to His gift He has given you.

Surah Al-Araf: Highlights (v. 1 - 28 )

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• You should know that We have given you firm footings on this planet earth and provided all means to sustain your lives; yet you hardly ever give thanks (to God).
• He (the Devil) said: “I am better than him (Adam); You created me from fire, whereas you created him from dust (see also 3:59).” God said: “You are removed from your current state; you cannot behave arrogantly (in this state); go forth, and you will be among those who are humiliated.”
• They both replied: “O Our Sustainer, we have wronged ourselves; unless you forgive us and show mercy on us, we both will be among those who have lost their way.”
• God said: “Go forth (to the earth), some of you adversaries of others. On the earth you will have your living quarters and your livelihood for a time. It is here that you will live, it is here that you will die, and from here you will be raised (on the Day of Resurrection).”
• O Children of Adam (and Eve): Do not let the Devil deceive you as he caused your parents (Adam and Eve) to be expelled from Heaven and removed their garments to expose their shamefulness. The Devil and his hosts can see you, whereas you are (at times) unable to see or perceive them. We (God) have made the Devil aligned with those who deny faith in God.

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Surah Al-Araf: Highlights (v. 29 - 53 )

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• Say (to them): “My Cherisher God only commands what is just and what is right. Devote yourself wholeheartedly in every act of worship of God, and seek his blessing with sincerity, and be true to His guidance. (Remember that) God is the One Who brought you into existence, and to Him you will return.”
• O Children of Adam (and Eve): Whenever a Messenger from among you comes to convey My (God’s) messages and guidance, whoever then becomes conscious (attaqwa) and acts in goodness (aslaha), they will have no reason to fear nor any reason to regret, whereas those who deny Our messages and guidance out of arrogance, it is they who will face Hellfire and remain therein.
• Those who believe and do good, as We (God) do not put a burden on any soul beyond what it can bear—these are the companions of Paradise where they will reside.
• Are they really waiting for its finality—on the Day when it will come (all truth will become manifest)? Those we were unmindful of it will say: “(We do now realize) that the Messengers of God came with truth; is there anyone who can intercede on our behalf? Is there a way for us to go back so that we could do things differently than we did before?”

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Surah Al-Araf: Highlights (v. 54 - 93 )

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• Resort to your Sustainer in humility and in your private moments. God certainly disdains transgressions of any kind. Do not make mischief and corruption on earth after it is made to conform (to human and natural orders) and refer to God with consciousness and ardent aspirations.
• God is the One Who sends the wind bearing news of His impending mercy—clouds laden (with moisture and water) and driven (by wind) to a land devoid of life and pouring down abundant water which causes all kinds of fruits (and vegetation) to come forth. This is how We (God) extract the dead (and the living) so that you can be thoughtful and mindful.
• We (God) sent Noah to his people
• We (God) sent Hud (as a prophet) to the people of ʿĀd (a descendant of Noah)
• To the People of Thamud, We sent Salih, who was of them,
• (Similarly) We sent Lot, and he said to his people:
• To the people of Midian, We sent one of them—Shuaib,

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Session 9: March 5^th (Sat at 11AM)

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• Link to reading –https://myllife.org/read/monthly-quran-readings.html/title/session-9
• Weekly rhythm – each week (reading/reflections)
• Perhaps keep a journal, if that is helpful

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