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

Time & Location

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

 

Course Description

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-Takathur – Vying for Increase

103. al-‘Asr – The Declining Day

112. al-Ikhlās – Sincerity

113. al-Falaq – The Daybreak

114. al-Nās – Humankind