Exegesis of the Qur’an (Tafsir): Selected chapters starting from Surah al-‘Alaq

Sundays 10:30 am – 11:30 am

6 April - 15 June 2025

In-person: Ruskin College, Room G.03, Dunstan Road, Old Headington, OX3 9BZ

Online: Delivered via Zoom

In our final term this year, we will focus on the shorter surahs located towards the end of the Quran, which are commonly memorised and recited in daily prayers. However, we often overlook the meanings behind these verses and the scholarly interpretations that deepen our understanding of each surah, highlighting the essential ideas that shape the Quranic worldview.

Every Surah will be explained and analysed from various perspectives: the time it was revealed, its chronological placement, the relationship between the Surah’s opening and the corresponding closing verses of the previous Surah, prophetic mentions, and scholarly insights that illuminate the context of its revelation. Furthermore, its linguistic features, such as word arrangement, rhetorical elements, and the rationale behind the verses' structure, will be highlighted, underscoring the Quran’s assertion of uniqueness.

Participants can expect to encounter the following surahs:

96. al-‘Alaq – The Blood Clot
97. al-Qadar – Power
98. al-Bayyinah – The Clear Proof
102. al-Takhathur – Vying for Increase
103. al-‘Asr – The Declining Day
112. al-Ikhlās – Sincerity
113. al-Falaq – The Daybreak
114. al-Nās – Humankind