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Following the position of Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, this translation confirms Allah’s Qualities such as His Face, Hands, and Eyes, as well as the fact that He is established on the Throne and that He has a Kursi (Seat or Footstool)—in a manner that befits His Majesty and Honour. These qualities can be found in many verses, including 2:255, 7:54, 11:37, 13:2, and 48:10.
In some places, the word ‘Face’ in relation to Allah is sometimes understood to mean ‘He Himself.’ This understanding can be found in verse 28:88, which reads, “Everything is going to die, except Him Himself,” and verse 55:27 which reads, “Only your Lord Himself, full of Majesty and Honour, will remain forever.” This is based on commentary from scholars of tafsir, such as Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurṭubi, Aṭ-Ṭabari, Al-Baghawi, As-Sa’di, Ibn ’Ashur, and many others. In the words of Imam Ibn Taimiyah in his Fatâwa (collection of religious rulings), “The fact that Allah’s Face, full of Majesty and Honour, will remain forever means in essence: Allah Himself.”
"إن بقاء وجهه المذوى بالجلال والإكرام: هو بقاء ذاته"
Moreover, when I say in Arabic, “I did this only for you,” this may mean that I did it because of your family or friends. However, when I say, “I did this only for your face,” it means that I did it only because of you, not anyone else. In the same way, if a verse states that something good is done “seeking Allah’s Face,” this style is understood in Arabic to mean “it is done sincerely for Allah, seeking to please Him alone and no one else.” Footnotes include the literal translation to emphasize that Allah does have a Face.
For more details, watch this lecture by Shaykh Abu Usamah At-Thahabi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yutyvyTGQqY
There are two editions of The Clear Quran® Series:
- The English edition, which is meant for dawah (calling people to Islam), uses the word ‘God’ so that it is easier for non-Muslims to read and relate to the text.
- The Arabic-English edition, which is meant for Muslims, uses the word ‘Allah.’
To make the book more manageable for young students, it has been divided into four volumes. In its entirety, The Clear Quran® Tafsir for Kids will be over 1,500 pages. A new volume is released every two years, with an expected completion date of 2024, inshAllah (God willing). Volumes are divided based on an authentic ḥadith reported by Imam Aḥmad, wherein the Prophet ﷺ said that the Quran is made up of four sections:
- Aṭ-Ṭiwal الطِّوَال (the long surahs), which—according to many scholars—include Al-Baqarah (2) to At-Tawbah (9).
- Al-Mi’un الْمِئُون (the surahs of about 100 verses), which include Yunus (10) to Al-Qaṣaṣ (28).
- Al-Mathani الْمَثَانِي (the surahs less than 100 verses), which include Al-’Ankabut (29) to Al-Fatḥ (48).
- Al-Mufaṣṣal الْمُفَصَّل(the short surahs), which include Al-Ḥujurat (49) to An-Nas (114) as well as Al-Fatiḥah (1).