Recitation 323A

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
ألسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Dear Quran Lovers,
Let us continue to recite surah 2 Al-Baqoroh (synopsis of Islam). Please refer to the text:
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
O = an Eight Angles Star = the beginning of a section.
(177)لَيْسَ اُلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ اُلْمَشْرِقِ وَاُلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنَّ اُلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاُلْلهِ وَاُلْيَوْمِ اُلْأَخِرِ وَاُلْمَلَئِكَةِ وَاُلْكِتَبِ وَاُلنَّبِيِنَ وَءَاتَى اُلْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِى ذَوِى اُلْقُرْبَى وَاُلْيَتَمَى وَاُلْمَسَكِينَ وَاُبْنِ اُلسَّبِيلِ وَاُلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى اُلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ اُلصَّلَوةَ وَءَاتَى اُلزَّكَوةَ وَاُلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَهَدُواْ صلى وَاُلصَّبِرِينَ فِى اُلْبَأْسَآءِ وَاُلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ اُلْبَأْسِ قلى أُوْلَئِكَ اُلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ صلى وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ اُلْمُتَّقُونَ
لَيْسَ اُلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وَجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ اُلْمَشْرِقِ وَاُلْمَغْرِبِ = "Lai-sal-Bir-ro Ant~Tu-wal-Lu~ Wau-ju~ha Kum Qi-ba-lal-Masy-ri-qi Wal-Magh-ri-bi",  "Lai-sa" = Not, Not to be, "al-Bir-ro" = the dutiful, the devoted, the pious, the righteous, do good, "An" = that, "Tu-wal-lu~" = you (pl.) turn toward, "Wu-ju~ha" = faces, "Kum" = your (pl.), "Qi-ba-la" = toward, "al-Masy-ri-qi" = the East, "Wa" = and, "al-Magh-ri-bi" = the West,
وَلَكِنَّ اُلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاُللهِ وَاُلْيَوْمِ اُلْأَخِرِ وَاُلْمَلَئِكَةِ وَاُلْكِتَبِ وَاُلنَّبِيِّنَ = "Wa La~kin~nal-Bir-ro Man A~Ma-na Bil-Lahi Wal-Yaw-mil-A~ki-ri Wal-Ma-la~~i-ka-ti Wal-Ki-ta~bi Wan~Na-biy-yi~na",  "Wa" = and, "La~kin~na" = but, "al-Bir-ro" = the devoted, good deed, "Man" = who, "A~ma-na" = believe, have Faith, "Bi" = in, "Al-Lahi" = Allah, "Wa" = and, "al-Yaw-mi" = the Day, "al-A~khi-ri" = the Last (al-Yaw-mi al-A~khi-ri = the Hereafter/life after death), "Wa" = and, "al-Ma-la~~i-ka-ti" = the Angels, "Wa" = and, "al-Ki-ta~bi" = the Scripture, "Wa" = and, "an~Na-biy-yi~na" = the Prophets,
"Lai-sal-Bir-ro Ant~Tu-wal-lu~ Wu-ju~ha Kum Qi-ba-lal-Masy-ri-qi Wal-Magh-ri-bi Wa La~kin~nal-Bir-ro Man A~ma-na Bil-Lahi Wal-Yaw-mil-A~khi-ri Wal-Ma-la~~i-ka-ti Wan~Nabiy-yi~~n".  = It is not by turning your face towards the East and to the West is a good deed, but a good deed is to believe/ have Faith in Allah and in the Hereafter and in the Angels and in the Scriptures and in the Prophets".
(This verse is lengthy and it is the basic teaching of Islam. Let us review it carefully. The People of the Scriptures decribed the meaning of good deed as turning their faces towards the East as the Christians do, and turning their faces to the West like the Jews do in prayers. But Allah say, mere turning the faces towards the East and the West is not the only good deed. Good deed is (i) To believe in Allah s.w.t. and obey His commandment, (ii) to believe in the Hereafter where all good deeds done on earth will be rewarded with the Paradise and all the luxuries and comfort therein, and where all evil deeds will be punished in the Fiery Hell, (iii) to believe in the Angels who carry out duties that Allah s.w.t. fixed on them, (iv) to believe in the Scriptures, including the Quran, (v) to believe in the Prophets a.s. of Allah s.w.t. Among them, there are 313 or 314 Messengers of Allah, and only 25 Messengers are mentioned in the Quran. Our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. is the last and the final Prophet cum. Messenger of Allah s.w.t.).
(vi) (to be continued).
Until we meet again in the next session, see you all Quran Lovers soon.
والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Abdul Hamid Mohd Yusof.