Stages of Building in the Meccan Qur'an and Sūrat Ghāfir

Occasion: Transcription of a khatira delivered on 19 February 2026 Source: A transcription of a video khatira by Dr. Ahmed Abouseif — [Watch the original video on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE5sSM_xhX0)

Editor's note: The automatic transcript of this session is badly garbled, and most of it consists of recitation and side conversation with those present, so this article is limited to what could be established from it.

Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the servant of Allah and His Messenger, our master Muḥammad ﷺ, and upon his family and Companions. To proceed: this is our second session with the "Ḥā-Mīm" surahs.

The stages of building in the Meccan Qur'an

The session began by sketching a picture of the stages of the Meccan Qur'an. The first of them is the stage of awakening, or "the inner earthquake", represented by Sūrat al-Muddaththir, al-Takwīr, al-Layl and al-Mursalāt; among its verses are His words ﴿ذَرْنِي وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيدًا﴾ (Leave Me with the one I created alone), ﴿عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَا أَحْضَرَتْ﴾ (a soul will know what it has brought), and ﴿وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَى إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى﴾ (By the night when it covers, and the day when it shines forth, and by Him who created the male and the female; indeed, your strivings are diverse).

It was followed by the stage of building certainty of belief, exemplified by Sūrat Yā-Sīn, including ﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُبِينٌ﴾ (Does man not see that We created him from a drop of fluid, and then he is an open adversary?).

Then the stage of building the patient believing character, exemplified by Sūrat Luqmān: ﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَانُ لِابْنِهِ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ (And when Luqmān said to his son while advising him: O my son, do not associate anything with Allah; indeed, association is a tremendous wrong); for it is certainty that shapes character.

Then the stage of building the community, identity and social awareness.

Then the stage of confrontation and managing conflict, which includes Sūrat Ghāfir and the story of Mūsā, peace be upon him, with Pharaoh.

Then the stage of preparing for the transition to building the state and the nation, or legislation and the like.

The speaker then restated their order: awakening, then building belief, then building identity and community, then confronting arrogance, then the transition to building the nation, the state, or legislation.

The Ḥā-Mīm surahs and Sūrat Ghāfir

Then he entered upon the Ḥā-Mīm surahs^[1], recited the opening of Sūrat Ghāfir, ﴿تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ﴾ (The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Knowing), and listed the surahs that begin with the revelation of the Book. From Sūrat Ghāfir he recited the names of Allah: ﴿غَافِرِ الذَّنْبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوْبِ شَدِيدِ الْعِقَابِ ذِي الطَّوْلِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ﴾ (Forgiver of sin, Accepter of repentance, severe in punishment, Possessor of bounty; there is no god but He; to Him is the final return).

Then he paused at the supplication of the angels: ﴿الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا فَاغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ﴾ (Those who carry the Throne and those around it glorify the praise of their Lord, believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who believe: Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way, and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire).

He paused at His words ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُنَادَوْنَ لَمَقْتُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ مَقْتِكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِذْ تُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى الْإِيمَانِ فَتَكْفُرُونَ﴾ (Indeed, those who disbelieved will be called to: The hatred of Allah for you was greater than your hatred of yourselves, when you were invited to faith and you disbelieved), and said that it is a very great and very weighty word. Then he recited ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي يُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُنَزِّلُ لَكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ رِزْقًا﴾ (It is He who shows you His signs and sends down provision for you from the sky), and then ﴿الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَا ظُلْمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ﴾ (This Day every soul will be recompensed for what it earned; no injustice today; indeed, Allah is swift in reckoning).

--- ^[1]: Editor's documentation: The surahs mentioned are al-Muddaththir, al-Takwīr, al-Layl, al-Mursalāt, Yā-Sīn, Luqmān and Ghāfir. The verses: al-Muddaththir 11, al-Takwīr 14, al-Layl 1–4, Yā-Sīn 77, Luqmān 13, Ghāfir 2–3, 7, 10, 13 and 17.