الر [ Alif-Laam-Ra ] - 'Alif-Laam-Ra' is known as ‘Solemn Verse' (Ayat-e-Muqatta'at - آیتِ مقطعات).

Fourteen Arabic alphabets have been used, in varied combinations, in 14 ‘Solemn Verses' (Ayaat-e-Muqatta'at - آیاتِ مقطعات) in the form of initials of 29 Chapters (سورة) of holy Quran. Alif-Laam-Ra (الر) is one of them.

Since Quran is 'Mubeen' (الْمُبِينِ); its description is clear and manifest. The meanings of all the verses of Quran, including 'Solemn Verses' (آیاتِ مقطعات) are surely known to its principle addressee, ie., Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم). It is also likely that Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) has informed the meanings of these Verses to some of his Sahabah and Awliya Allah.

We believe in whatever is meant by the 'Solemn Verses' (آیاتِ مقطعات) by Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) and His Apostle Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم).

Since we have been commanded to read the Quran carefully and try to understand the significance of every verse of the Quran, we do ponder over these verses. And when we think, by focusing our attention towards Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) and His Apostle Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) for guidance, it comes to our mind that the 'Solemn Verses' (آیاتِ مقطعات) are actually the 'Solemn Titles of Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) given by Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) throughout the Quran. Our understanding is based on the fact that Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) has addressed Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) in the Quran by specific names, like Muzzammil (مزمل - O' beloved who covers self in a coverlet), Muddassir (مدثر - O' beloved, who covers self in a bed sheet). With this understanding, it is most likely that Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) other names / titles have been mentioned in Quran by denoting certain initials/alphabets.

This will be their wish when they will see the torment of Hell. This world is a test for all human beings. The test is to believe in the unseen. When the fact is open for you, there is no test. The time to be successful in the test and to earn recompense is by Sahih Iman and goods is in this world. If you die as unbeliever, the retribution for your unbelief is Hell. Thus, there is no use of wishing anything on the day of Judgment.

The respite for the wrongdoings is for a specific time. Once that time is over, the punishment comes in this world itself. And the torment in Hereafter is more severe.

Once the divine decree arrives, nothing can be done about it.

Every prophet was mocked by the disbelievers and hypocrites during their life time.

The devout followers of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم), the Awliya Allah are also mocked by the followers of deviant sects. They call Awliya Allah's pious graves as places of worship. They call Awliya Allah as lying Idols in their graves.

Salafis/Wahhabis/Ahle Hadhith and their like minded people have destroyed the pious graves of Sahabah, members of Prophet's (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) family and dignitaries of Islam in the world. They even attempted to desecrate the pious grave of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) and destroy his green dome. Those who indulge in such evil acts and those who support these acts (Deobandis), will surely be the dwellers of Hell. There cannot be second opinion in this context.

Even if angels come in front of people, they will have to come in the shape of human beings. Angels are formless. When the disbelievers see them, they will not believe them. This is what had happened in the case of the people of Loot (عليه السلام). When two angels arrived in his home to give him the news of the impending torment on his people, they came in the shape of two youthful human beings. His people did not recognize them and in their inebriation of wine and evil conduct, they wanted to act with them like they were acting with each other in their society. What happened? The entire community of disbelievers were destroyed. Makkan pagans are reminded about this fact in the above verses.

The promise of protection of Quran has been undertaken by Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ). And with what an undeniable way He has proved it.

There is no religious or non-religious book in the world that has been protected on par with Quran.

If Islam is the religion to be endured, then endurance of its foundation, its revealed book Quran, has an equal importance. A thing which is not secured; the authentication of which is not known, the tradition of which is not continuous, how can it be propagated with certainty and confidence?

The Torah (Taurat), the Bible and other scriptures cannot be proved by a continuous narration or even by infrequent narration (خبرِ احاد). The status of Quran is that, from the time of Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) till today, there are millions of its continuous narrators and memorizers ( حُفَّاظْ). There is no city or village in the world that does not have at least a few people who have memorized the Quran. The memorizer does not dare recite a word wrongly or even make a mistake in vowel point during 'Salatut Taraweeh in the month of Ramadhan as he will be prompted by the listeners.

There are phonetic expressions and attributes of words required to be known for the recital of Quran. Like if someone does not take care of a clacking pronunciations (قُلْقُله), Sibilant pronunciation (هَمس) or could not differentiate between lengthy prolongation (مَدِّ طويل), moderate prolongation (مَدِّ مُتَوَسِّط) and natural prolongation (مَدِّ طَبَعِي) or undertakes heavy pronunciation (تَفْقِيْم) or soft pronunciation (تَرْقِيْق) at a wrong place, or in place of suppressed pronunciation (اِخْفَاء), makes clear pronunciation (اِظْهَار) or assimilation (اِدْغَام), he is prompted by the listeners.

In addition, everything has been counted in Quran, the number of verses, number of words, number of non repeated words, number of letters alif, ba, etc., all have been counted. No book in the world has been preserved in the world as has been the case with Quran.

All the Galaxies, the stars, planets and other physical objects are within the first sky. There are at least 100 billion galaxies within the first sky. And, there are 6 more skies which are in 'the World of Similitude (عالمِ مثال). Allah's (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) Arsh is located on the 7th sky.

The planet Earth and our Solar System is part of the Milky Way Galaxy. The stars that are visible to us in the night are all part of Milky Way Galaxy. It is estimated that the Milky way Galaxy contains billions of stars/planets. Out of which we can see about 10,000 from planet earth.

The Sun is our nearest star at 150 million kilometers away. It is so large that over a million planet Earths can fit into it. The next nearest star is about 4 light years away. One light year is the distance traveled by light in one year, about 9,500 billion kilometers.

How big is the Cosmos, and how Big, and Powerful and Wise is its Creator, our Lord! How small is the Planet Earth and how insignificant we are, the dwellers of planet earth! How can someone rebel against the Lord of this Universe?

No one is allowed to go to the edge of the first sky to listen or watch the angels working on the second sky. If a Jinn or a Davil tries to reach there, a shooting flame (meteoroid) follows it with which he comes back to the place of his residence. However, this is not the case with Awliya Allah. With prior permission, they can visit all skies. Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) visited all skies and the Arsh during Me'raj.

When you become the favorite of Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ), as a Sadaqah of the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم), then, the mercy of Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) covers you from all sides and all restrictions are lifted with which you can even visit the Arsh of Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) with His permission.

What angels did to Adam (عليه السلام) was the Prostration of Reverence (Sajdah-e-Tahiyya or Sajda-e-Ta'azeem).

There are two types of prostrations in Islam, namely, (i) Prostration of Worship (Sajdah-e-Ibadah), and (ii) Prostration of Reverence (Sajdah-e-Tahiyya or Sajda-e-Ta'azeem).

Sajda-e-Ibadah (Prostration of Worship) to anyone other than Allah ( عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) is Shirk in Islam. A person who commits shirk is treated as out of Islam

Sajda-e-Tahiyya is a kind of greeting. In earlier times, when a person used to meet a dignitary, he used to prostrate in front of him. Sajda-e-Tahiyya has never been an act of Shirk. Angels prostrating to Adam ( علیھ السلا م) and brothers of Yusuf (علیھ السلا م) prostrating in front of him are the examples of Sajda-e-Tahiyya. Since Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) stopped people from doing Sajda-e-Tahiyya, it is now forbidden in Islam. Now, if a Muslim greets a dignitary with Sajda-e-Tahiyya, it will be treated as undesirable and sin.

It is in Hadith Narrated Anas (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ). 'A camel came and prostrated in front of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم). A goat came and prostrated in front of him. (Looking at this) Abu Bakr Siddique (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) and other companions also sought permission to prostrate (in front of him). But the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) said, ‘It is not appropriate for a human being to prostrate in front of another human being’. (Ahmad, al-Bazzar).

It is in Hadith - Narrated Abu Huraira (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ): Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) said : 'If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone other than Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ). I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah).

It is important to know that Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) does not lead His creatures/servants into error. It is the individuals who follow their desires and wrongful reasoning to fall into error

All angels were commanded to bow down in front of Adam (عليه السلام) as a mark of respect and greeting. All did, except Iblis. He showed arrogance and did not join the angels in prostration and became open Kafir. What he argued was a sheer stupidity. He became the first one to give importance to the reasoning of mind with limited knowledge, over the divine command. The reasoning of his mind was also not appropriate on that occasion. When he saw that the angels, who are surely better creation than him (he was from Jinns) were prostrating to Adam (عليه السلام), he should have realized that there is something important about Adam (عليه السلام) which is hidden from his mind. He also had seen that Adam's (عليه السلام) knowledge surpassed the knowledge of all other creatures, including the angels. In such a scenario, to reject divine command was a sheer stupidity and arrogance for which he was punished by Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ).

The reason for Satan's arrogance was, Allah's (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) beneficence had gone to his head as he was given the assignment to teach angels. He started thinking that he was better than angels. And in that arrogance he considered even Jibreel (عليه السلام) as his rival. Surely, Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) was aware of what Iblis was up to.

Satan's arrogance did not allow him to seek forgiveness from his Lord. He became mad in his pride and became the enemy of Adam (عليه السلام) and his progeny. Adam (عليه السلام) did not do him any harm. For no reason, he became his enemy.

(أعوذ بالله من الشيطن الرجيم). We take refuge of Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) from the reproved and reproached Satan

O' Our Lord, we are grateful to you for your support to us against Satan. O' People, it is not in your interest to be friend with Satan and rebel against your Lord who favored you over all his creatures and who sent you His Apostles to explain you the facts of this Cosmos.

When the good news of son Ishaq was given to Ibrahim (عليه السلام), his wife Sarah (عليها السلام) was also present there. They both showed surprise at the good news as both were old at that time.

It is important to know that Loot (عليه السلام) did not have children. He had a wife who was not a believer. There were some other family members in his house who may have been his close relatives.

It is wrongly mentioned in corrupted versions of Bible (Genesis 19:30-38 New International Version) that he had two daughters who intoxicated him, slept with him and had sons. Astaghfirullahal Azeem.

The translators and commentators of Quran who claimed that Loot (عليه السلام) offered his daughters to the wrongdoers, seemingly are influenced by the false stories in the Bible.

Their town lies on Hijaz-Syria highway. Travelers come across the signs of destruction in the region that lies southeast of the Dead Sea.

Aikah means 'thick forest'. This is the ancient name of Tabuk. Aikans were the people of Prophet Shuaib (عليه السلام).

Al-Hijr was the capital city of the people of Thamud. The ruins of this city are near the modern city of Al-Ula between Madina and Tabuk.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) forbade Muslims to stay in that valley during their journey to Tabuk. But Salafis have developed this place as tourist center where people are encouraged to visit and stay.

Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) was a Muslim Moroccan scholar and explorer who widely traveled the medieval world. It is reported that Ibn Batuttah reached Madain al-Salih on his way to Makkah. He wrote, 'I have seen the buildings of Thamud carved into red mountains; the paintings look so bright as if they have been put on only recently. The rotten bones of human beings are found in them even today.'

The above verse describes the importance of Sura Al-Fatiha in the Quran.

The deviant sects, Kharijis, Salafis, Deobandis, and their like minded groups accept the meaning of some verses, and misinterpret other verses to suit their deviant beliefs. The same thing they do with Prophet's (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) Ahadith. They misinterpret certain Quranic verses to lead people away from the right path of Islam.

It is in Hadith - وكان ‏ ‏ابن عمر ‏ ‏يراهم شرار خلق الله ‏ ‏وقال إنهم انطلقوا إلى آيات نزلت في الكفار فجعلوها على المؤمنين - Ibn Umar (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) considered the Khawarij and the heretics (Salafis and their like minded groups) as the worst beings in creation (meaning worst than Satan and his subordinate Shayateen), and he said : 'They went to verses which were revealed about the disbelievers (the pagans of Makka) and applied them to the Believers (Prophets, Sahabah, Awliya Allah and Muslims). (Bukhari).