Awwal Marra Atadabbar al-Quran
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Sharikat SB
Awwal Marra Atadabbar al-Quran (For the First Time I Contemplate the Quran) is a contemporary guide to Quranic contemplation and exegesis authored by Adil Muhammad Khalil . The book presents structured introductory overviews of every chapter of the Quran from Surat al-Fatiha to Surat al-Nas to facilitate understanding for readers before recitation .
Purpose and Scope
The author composed the work to address common barriers readers encounter when attempting to understand and reflect on the meanings of the Quran . Conceived as an introductory key to classical commentaries, it summarizes insights from prominent exegetes into a step-by-step framework intended to be accessible to beginners while remaining beneficial to advanced students .
Structure and Methodology
The work covers all 114 surahs in the standard order of the Quranic text . For each surah, the author structures the discussion across eight distinct axes:
- Classification and verse count: Identifies whether the surah is Makkan or Madinan—adopting the criterion preferred by Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i that what was revealed prior to the Hijra is Makkan and what was revealed after it is Madinan regardless of location—alongside the total number of verses .
- Names of the surah: Lists the transmitted names of the chapter in order, primarily drawing from al-Itqan fi 'Ulum al-Quran by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti and al-Tahrir wa-l-Tanwir by Muhammad al-Tahir ibn 'Ashur .
- Reason for naming: Explains the context and reason behind the surah's designation, also relying largely on al-Suyuti and Ibn 'Ashur .
- Virtues: Mentions authentic virtues associated with the surah from canonical hadith collections (such as the Sahihayn and the four Sunan), referencing verification by hadith scholars such as Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi and Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani .
- Correspondence between beginning and end: Examines thematic connections between the opening and concluding passages of the surah (a section omitted from Surat al-Mulk onward due to the shorter length of those surahs) .
- Central theme: Outlines the overarching objective and core subject of the chapter, relying on al-Biqa'i's Masand al-Nazar alongside classical commentaries such as those of al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir .
- Detailed topics: Breaks down the thematic sections of the surah in numbered points correlated with verse ranges (omitted from Surat al-Balad onward), relying mainly on al-Biqa'i, Ibn 'Ashur, and Muhammad Mahmud Hijazi's al-Tafsir al-Wadih .
- Subtle insights and benefits: Concludes with selected exegetical nuances (lata'if) and practical benefits (fawa'id), citing specific source works after each point .
Reception and Publication
The work received endorsements from several contemporary scholars, including Dr. Muhammad al-Humud al-Najdi of the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society in Kuwait, Dr. Abd al-Muhsin Zibin al-Mutairi, professor of tafsir at Kuwait University, and Fahd Salim al-Kandari, imam of the Grand Mosque of Kuwait . The book has seen multiple printings, including its thirteenth edition published in Kuwait in 1438 AH / 2017 CE across 348 pages .
Answer updated