Teacher's Book Surah Ash-Shams

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams SURAH 91: AL-SHAMS ‫سورة الشمس‬ THE SUN Learning Outcomes: At the end of this Surah, the students will be able to: 1. Understand the metaphor of the morning sun that reflects the pause of revelation event. 2. Understand the promises that Allah made for the Prophet and His blessings that He gave him. 3. Understand the importance of sharing the blessings of Allah and its news with others. SURAH OVERVIEW Surah al-Shams is a Meccan surah. It was revealed in the early stages of the da’wah of the Prophet. “al-Shams” means the Sun, referring to the pure natural state of the soul but has the potential to become contaminated, blackened by the ugliness of sins, just like the Sun when it is covered by the darkness of night. The theme of this surah is to differentiate between good and evil, and to remind the people who are so stubborn in realizing and accepting this difference, and they insist on treading the wrong path. This surah fulfils the aim by presenting a metaphor. Just as the sun and the moon, the Earth and the Heaven are different from one another and are opposites of one another, so too good and evil are distinctively and unmistakably different from one another. Then, this surah describes the fact that not only Allah has bestowed us with bodily faculties and intellectual faculties for us to interact with and understand the world around us, but he also has guided us by inspiring us with an intrinsic knowledge of truth and falsehood, good and evil, and reason to weigh the rewards and consequences of pursuing good and evil.  Besides that, this surah also emphasizes that the fate of man in the hereafter depends on how he makes use of the benefits that are bestowed to him in this world. If he makes use of his predisposition towards good and controls himself from his predisposition towards evil, then he will enjoy an everlasting success in the hereafter. However, if he fails, then he will be met with an irrevocable regret. Then, the surah also gives an example of an ummah who failed themselves by denying the blessings that Allah has bestowed on them. These people are the people of Thamud, to whom Prophet Salih was sent. These people were so indulging in their sins that they dared to challenge and defy the Prophet. And when a miracle was presented to them in the form of a marvellous camel, they slaughtered it out of a spirit of rebellion. In consequence, the people were punished collectively. 

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams This story signals to the Meccans that this example is not a distant example, unrelated to them. In fact, it serves as a warning to them. If they remain stubborn in their misguidedness, they too will face the same fate as the people of Thamud. Surah al-Shams is related to surah al-Layl in that it serves as an introduction for surah al-Layl. Surah al-Shams describes the inherent ability of man to choose for the better or the worse, as well as the promises and the threats that are retaliated against these choices. Meanwhile, surah al-Layl details out the good actions and the bad ones referred to in surah al-Shams. TAFSIR CORNER 1. The Bright Sun. “By the sun and its brightness.” Allah begins the surah by taking an oath in the name of the Sun and its brightness. This introduction is then followed by other oaths on other natural objects. All of these will be the metaphor by means of which the real messages are to be presented. Firstly, He swears by the brightness of the sun to indicate the nature of the soul, which contains natural moral uprightness. 2. The Moon That Follows the Sun. “And the moon as it follows it.” Then, Allah swears by the moon that follows the Sun. When the moon follows the Sun, this means that the Sun’s turn has ended. And it has to veil itself behind the curtains of night. This is a metaphor for the soul when it chooses to neglect its original goodness. If it chooses to become evil, then its light of goodness will be side-lined behind the curtains of its crookedness. 3. Allah Swears by Daytime. “And the day as it reveals it.” This metaphor arrives at the same meaning, which is about the natural capacity in man to be good, and its nobility is like the brightness of daytime. This metaphor is very accurate about the nature of the soul.  When the morning light comes, darkness is immediately catted away. Similarly, when a person does good, no matter how dark his heart is, with the smallest amount of goodness that he did, the suppressed goodness in him will inevitably emerge.   4. Allah Swears by the Night. “And the night as it conceals it.”

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams And this is different from those who do wrong, the badness does not immediately engulf his heart and turn him into a bad person. Instead, just like night-time replaces the day gradually, so too bad deeds do not transform a person into a bad person immediately. This metaphor is not only apt in describing the nature of the soul, but also the encompassing mercy of Allah in that He does not allow bad deeds to pollute the soul immediately. LESSON 1: SUNCATCHER (VERSE 1): DIY Introduction: The relationship between the moon and the sun influences the natural phenomena that are mentioned in the following verses. Lesson 1 conducts an activity to understand the science of the sun. Set Induction: In verse 1, Allah mentions the brightness of the sun. Let us do an activity to understand the nature of sunlight. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. Understand the science of sunlight. 2. Understand the meaning of sunlight as symbolizing reason. 3. Materials: 1. Beads. 2. Non-stick pan. 3. Tongs. 4. Refer: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln680Z684Ew) Procedure: 1. Using a pair of tongs, arrange the beads in a non-stick pan according to the students’ heart desire. 2. The students can use different colours and create their own designs. 3. Put the beads in an oven for 30 minutes with the temperature of 400 degree Celsius. 4. Then, take it out and let it cool. Lessons: 1. Allah has created the bright sun to help us see, with which we manage our daily affairs.  2. The sun is the source of vision. Through it, objects become visible. And through it also objects get their colours. 3. Similarly, Allah bestows upon man the intellect to help him with his daily affairs and in obeying Allah. Lesson Assessment: What are the importance of the sun in enabling life on earth? What does the sun symbolize in this surah?

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams LESSON 2: THE MOON FOLLOWING THE SUN (VERSE 2) Introduction: Lesson 2 conducts an activity on the phases of the moon because of the changes that occur in the sun. Set Induction: In verse 2, Allah describes that the moon follows the sun in its predetermined orbit. Let us play a game to understand the nature of the moon following the sun. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. Understand the phases of the moon. 2. Understand the symbol of the moon in surah al-Shams. Materials: 1. 5 sun-shaped pads. 2. A picture of the moon. 3.  Tape. Procedure: 1. Divide the students into groups of five. 2. Appoint a student to be the moon. 3. Stick the picture of the moon on the student’s shirt. 4. Refer: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqZJqz4RpB4) Lessons: 1. The moon is given a guidance to follow the sun, but never to meet and overcome it. 2. Similarly, every phenomenon and creature in this world has been given the guidance to function in their predetermined roles. Lesson Assessment: 1. How many phases of the moon are there? 2. How do the phases of the moon occur? 3. What does the moon symbolize in surah al-Shams? Ans: It symbolizes the systematic arrangements of the world, by which we can understand and arrive at knowledge about Allah. 

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams TAFSIR CORNER 5. Allah Builds the Firm Heaven. “By the sky and He Who built it.” Next, Allah describes the creation of heaven as being firm and its Creator. The marvel of heaven surely indicates the power of its Creator. Certainly, the Creator is more magnificent than the one that is created. Also, with such a wonderous creation, it is impossible to assume that it came into existence all by itself. Instead, there must be a creator that brings it into existence. 6. Allah created the Earth as a Resident. “By the earth and He Who spread it.” Similarly, the perfect and complete Earth, filled with all sorts of nourishment for all beings, it is impossible that all these exist by themselves. Surely, there is a creator. Furthermore, the harmony, the balance, and the interconnection that nature exhibits – none of them behaves in a chaotic manner – also points to the fact that the creator of this universe must not be more than one. The Creator of this universe is the one and only God.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams LESSON 3: OZONE LAYERS (VERSE 5) Introduction: After touching on the phenomena that occur in space, this surah continues with the discussions that touch on the terrestrial phenomena. Lesson 3 conducts an experiment to understand the function and importance of the ozone layers. Set Induction: In verse 5, Allah makes an oath on the construction of the sky. What does it mean by the construction? How is the sky constructed? What is the construction shape of the sky? Let’s explore. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. Understand the science of the ozone layers. 2. Understand the importance of the ozone layers for life on Earth. Materials: 1. Hot water. 2. Plastic bottles. 3. Chewing gum. 4. Funnel. Refer: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO8rW42PiPc) Procedure: 1. Fill two bottles with water. 2. Label the two bottles with two different heights by using a marker pen. One at the mouth of the bottle, and another in its mid-section. 3. Fill both bottles with hot water according to the marks made. Careful not to burn your hand. Use a piece of towel to hold the bottle while pouring. 4. Next, chew some chewing gums. Then, stick the chewing gums at the mouth of the bottles. 5. Observe what happens. Lessons: 1. Allah has created the ozone layer as a roof for life on Earth, protecting it from the extra-terrestrial dangers. 2. The ozone layers are created by the different types of gas trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. 3. These layers protect us from the heat of the sun and ensure the continuous supply of important gases. 4. We must preserve this world so as not to lose the balance that Allah has imbued it with.  Refer: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=putoeGrNVg8) Lesson Assessment: 1. What are ozone layers? 2. How are the ozone layers created? 3. What are the importance of the ozone layers? 4. How can we preserve the ozone layers?

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams LESSON 4: THE SHAPING OF THE EARTH (VERSE 6) Introduction: Lesson 4 conducts an experiment to understand how the surface of the Earth is shaped. Set Induction: In verse 6, Allah informs us that He has spread wide the surface of the Earth beautifully. Let us conduct an experiment to understand how the shape of the Earth is formed. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the science behind the shape of the Earth’s surface. Materials: 1. Roller tray. 2. Dry soil. 3. Paper cups. 4. Water. 5. Ruler. Procedure: 1. Pour some soil in a roller tray and push it down until it becomes firm.  2. Make sure you pour the soil at the slanted part of the tray. 3. Fill a paper cup with water. And punch a hole at the bottom of another cup. 4. Place a ruler at the top part of the tray. And place the holed cup on the ruler. 5. Then, pour water into the holed cup and let the water flow down to the soil. 6. Continue to pour some more water to see some erosions taking place. Refer: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI8Mf83ECaM) Lessons: 1. Bodies of water are one of the things that are responsible in shaping the surface of the Earth. 2. The Earth is also created perfect to provide a place where humans can lead a comfortable life. 3. Consequently, humans can spend the remaining time to fulfil the purpose of their existence – which, is to worship Allah. Lesson Assessment: 1. How is the surface of the Earth shaped? 2. Why are the surfaces of the Earth shaped differently? Ans: to enable different uses and the growth of different types of plants. This diversity contributes to the comfort of the human lives.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams TAFSIR CORNER 7. The Perfect Creation of Man. “By the soul and He Who perfected it.” All of the metaphors presented above converge to the same point, that the amazing God that has created this universe is the same God who has created mankind in the best of forms. If even in the universe, His signs can be unmistakably observed, then these signs are all the more obvious in the creation of man. Not only he is created alive but is also equipped with self-awareness. He is equipped with an ability to know himself and, thus, his Creator. Allah has equipped him with the five senses so that he can study the world around him. He is also equipped with ʿaql with which he can build up knowledge from his observation of the world. It also enables him to know himself. With the knowledge of himself, he is able to know Allah and, consequently, his duty to worship Him. 8. Allah Inspires Man. “And inspired it to know its evil and piety!” Furthermore, he is also bestowed with the knowledge of right and wrong. And this knowledge resides in his innermost core as a part of his fiṭrah. What is the evidence? When he does good, he feels calmness. And when he does bad, he feels unrest. His calmness is felt as if he is rewarded. And his restlessness if felt as if he is punished – even though no one is supervising him. This is the inspiration that Allah has put in his soul, so that he facilitates his actions and behaviour in relation to other people as well as to God “Fujūr” means disobedience. Meanwhile, “taqwā” means preserving one’s self in obedience. Allah did not mention right and wrong explicitly, but obedience and disobedience. Indirectly, Allah wants us to know that even we can evaluate the right and wrong of our own actions – that when he does right actions, he is obeying Allah, and when he does wrong actions, he is disobeying Him. And this he knows through the state of his soul – calmness or restlessness. In the end, everything that he does, he does for or upon himself. If he does good, the rewards are for him. And if he does wrong, the punishments are upon no one else but him. 9. The Successful People. “The one who purifies his soul succeeds.” Hence, with this perfection, he is given the choice either to purify himself or to let himself polluted with sins. If he chooses to conform to his fiṭrah, then he will be successful. The word “aflaḥa” means to be successful, but it can also mean “gardening”. If understood together,

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams gardening is an activity that does not produce immediate results. Only after some sweat and toil then the results entail. So too is the effort of purifying one’s self. As long as the soul does not depart from the body, the effort must go on because the life in this world can pollute our soul. And this suits the word “zakkāhā” which means “to continuously purify” and carries the notion of being continuous. Only after the soul returns to God that the fruit of the labour can be obtained. The success that is meant here is the success in the hereafter. 10. The People of Loss. “And the one who corrupts it fails.” Meanwhile, those who neglect his fiṭrah and choose to continuously suppress it (dassāhā) will be in an utter loss. “Khāba” means a disappointment that comes after realizing that the results that are being pursued after all this while are not the ones that are actually desired. Just like a person who wants to become rich so badly and finds out, after he becomes rich, that being rich is not what he wants in the first place. This is what is meant by such disappointment. If a person strives to deny his spiritual needs and thinks that this is what he wants, then he will find out in the hereafter that what is awaiting him is just an irreversible regret for making the wrong choice. 

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams LESSON 5: THE PERFECTION OF THE SOUL (VERSE 7) Introduction: Lesson 5 & 6 focuses on verse 7 and 14. Both of the verses touch on the themes that are related to the human soul. Verse 7 touches on its perfection. And this is the foundation for Lesson 5 activity. Set Induction: In verse 7, Allah informs us that he has made the human soul perfect. Let us do an activity to understand one of the meanings of the perfection of the soul. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the perfection of the soul as per reflected in its faculties. Materials: A long mirror. Procedure: 1. Instruct the students to stand in front of the mirror.  2. Guide them to think of the faculties that are gifted to them by Allah.  3. Ask them the following questions: 1. Are we alive? What are the proofs?  2. Do we have senses? What are the proofs? And what are its importance? 3. Etc. 2. Begin with the living force, to the faculties of the senses, the intellect, and lastly the heart. 3. Start a discussion with the students. Lessons: 1. Allah gives man different types of faculties to enable him to identify and acknowledge the Lordship of Allah. 2. Firstly, He gives man life. Without life, man cannot even do anything. 3. Secondly, He gives them the senses, through which we can identify the world and interact with it. Without it, interaction with the world is impossible, and we cannot read the signs of God. 4. Thirdly, Allah has given us the intellect. Without it, we cannot even understand the signs of God. This is because even animals have senses, but they don’t have the intellect. 5. Fourthly, man is also bestowed with a heart. Without it, the intellect is unguided and only functions like a computer, but without a purpose. 6. It is the heart that enables the intellect to think about God. Lesson Assessment: 1. How can we identify the perfection of God? Ans: By identifying the faculties that it possesses. 2. What are the faculties that the soul has that reflect its perfection? Ans: The senses, the intellect, and the heart. 3. What is the purpose of the faculties? Ans: To reflect and to understand the signs of God.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams TAFSIR CORNER 11. The Delinquent People of Thamud. “Thamud denied the truth out of arrogance.” To give an example of a people who has chosen wrongly, Allah mentions the people of Thamud. Prophet Salih was sent to them. Not only did they refuse to obey Allah, in fact they even purposely chose to fight Him. Even after being given countless opportunities to repent, they remained persistent in their error. Why did Allah mention the people of Thamud as an example? This is because the story of these people was well-known among the Arabs. And this event was still fresh in their collective memory. In fact, the story of Thamud was once a recurrent theme in the poems composed by the Jāhiliyyah Arabs. 12. The People of Thamud Killed the Camel of Prophet Salih. “When the most wicked man was sent forth (to kill the she-camel).” The story of their disobedience took place when the most crooked (ashqāhā) among the people of Thamud killed the miraculous she-camel that Allah has showed to them. One day, they insisted that Prophet Salih should prove his prophethood. So, Allah created a red she-camel that came out of the cracks of a large rock. Prophet Salih has reminded them that the she-camel should be left undisturbed. And it should be allowed to eat and drink whatever it wanted. In the beginning, everyone was satisfied with the proof. However, there was still a group of people who wanted to oppose the Prophet. People who initially believed became disbelievers again, all thanks to the worst of them. 13. Nabi Salih Gave a Warning. “The messenger of Allah warned them, “Leave Allah’s camel to drink!”” So, Prophet Salih reminded them again. The camel should be left alone. He, in fact, stressed on the fact that this camel belongs to Allah. If it is disturbed, surely Allah will retaliate. 14. The People Defied Prophet Salih. “But they called him a liar and killed her. So, their Lord crushed them for their crime and levelled them.” Nevertheless, they still insisted on polluting their own souls. So, they harmed it and left it bleeding to death (ʿaqarūhā). Not only that, but they also even provoked Prophet Salih to bring upon them the promised destruction. Then, Prophet Salih informed them that Allah gave them only three days to repent. Still, they was stubborn, and they urged that the destruction be brought even before three days.

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams After three days have lapsed, Allah destroyed them (damdama ʿalayhim). And the destruction was allocated specifically for them, making them levelled with the ground as if they have never resided there, and as if they have never existed. 15. Allah Suffered Nothing. “And He does not fear its consequences.” And Allah did not show the slightest concern to what happened to them – either they died horribly, or being thrown into Hell, or what kind of punishments that await them. He simply does not care.  Also, He does not care about what is said about Him or any reproach that is directed towards Him. None can complain about what He has done. Because He owns everything. And He can do whatever He wants with anything He wants. For him, there are no consequences. 

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams LESSON 6: SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS (VERSE 14) Introduction: Meanwhile, verse 14 touches on the corruption of the soul through the example of the people of Thamud. Set Induction: In verse 14, Allah scolded the people of Thamud because they have slaughtered the miraculous camel of Nabi Salih. And they killed it cruelly. Did you know? Islam teaches us to sacrifice animals as a way to get close to Allah. The form of worship is known as “Qurbān”. Let us do an art to understand what kind of animals that are allowed to be sacrificed. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: 1. Give examples of the people that have corrupted their souls. 2. Understand the role of muʿjizah and the relationship with the perfection of the soul. Materials: 1. White papers. 2. Cotton balls. 3. PVA glue. 4. Googly eyes. 5. Black papers. 6. Scissors. 7. Pencils. 8. Colourful crayons. Procedure: 1. Firstly, discuss with them the types of animal that are allowed to be sacrificed. 2. Then, begin the artwork by cutting a black paper to shape a lamb. 3. Then, cut a white paper to be pasted on the black paper. 4. Stick some googly eyes and draw a mouth using a crayon. 5. And for the final decoration, stick some cotton balls as many as possible on the lamb’s boy to look very fluffy. 6. Let the glue dry. Then, the students can now play with the lamb. Lessons: 1. We must accept and respect the miracles of the prophets. 2. For the community of Prophet Muhammad, his miracle is the Quran. 3. The manner in which we accept and respect this miracle is by reading and studying the secrets and the wisdoms contained in the Quran. 4. Therefore, Allah has provided us with the intellect to understand the secrets of the Quran. 5. Whoever succeeds in doing so has proven the perfection of his soul. Lesson Assessment: 1. Give an example of a community that has corrupted their soul. Ans: The people of Thamud. 2. What is the role of muʿjizah?

ILQ | Teachers’ Book al-Shams Ans: As proofs that contain the truth of the Prophets. 3. What are the roles of the faculties given by Allah? Ans: Understand the proofs and the signs of the miracles. LESSON 7: KEYWORDS Introduction: This lesson focuses on the general themes and lessons of the surah. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to familiarize themselves with the new terms in surah al-Shams. Materials: New keywords: 1. Shams. 2. Qamar. 3. Samaa’. 4. Ardh. 5. Nafs. 6. Ilham. 7. Taqwa. 8. Fujur. 9. Taghwa. 10. Damdama. 11. Uqba. Procedure: You may use your own ideas to do this exercise. For example, like: Wordwall / Anagram/ Word Puzzle etc. LESSON 8: JOURNAL OF SURAH AL-SHAMS Set Induction: Let us write a journal to record all the lessons learned, so that the lessons will remain in our hearts. Lesson Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to recap the lesson in Surah al-Shams. Materials: Journal. Procedure: 1. Update the activities of surah al-Shams in the journal. 2. Write down the lessons that you have learned in the verses. 3. Write down all the lessons that you have learned.