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Description of  The Three Shelters

By Bilal Philips. Commentaries on Soorahs al-Ikhlaas, al-Falaq and an-Naas. This Tafseer contains a far greater depth of understanding due to the number of other classical and contemporary commentaries used like al-Qurtubee’s al-Jaami‘ li Ahkaam al-Qur’aan, Ibn al-Qayyim’s Compilations, ash-Shawkaanee’s Fat’h al-Qadeer, ash-Shanqeetee’s Adwaa ul-Bayaan, as-Sa‘dee’s Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan, and Al ‘Uthaymeen’s Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-Kareem. The Qur’aan is a book of guidance for all peoples in all times until the Day of Judgment, showing them the correct path in their relations with their Creator and in their relations with themselves as individuals and as groups. At the same time, the Qur’aan was revealed to one man living in a specific time and place among a specific community. On occasions, certain events would occur about which the Prophet’s followers were unsure, or on other occasions they might actually ask him about some matters which were unclear to them. In response to these and similar needs, verses were revealed to the Prophet (PBUH). These events represent the context in which revelation came and are referred to as “asbaab an-nuzool” (reasons for revelation). The Qur’aan, therefore, used particular incidents to give instructions of universal significance. The circumstances for a particular revelation could only be known to the witnesses of the relevant events or someone who was informed by a witness. Therefore, the only reliable source for this knowledge is the companions of the Prophet (PBUH). Like the hadeeths of the Prophet (PBUH), the reliability of such reports depends upon the reliability of the chain of narrators. The statement of a student of the companions (taabi‘ee) about the reason for a given revelation is usually considered weak by the scholars of hadeeth, if he did not attribute his opinion to one of the sahaabah.