Islamic Studies MCQs – Page 16 (Q151-160)

The first revelation Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received came at the opening verses of Surah Al-Alaq, delivered by the Angel Jibreel (AS) in the Cave of Hira near Makkah when the Prophet ﷺ was forty years old. The initial command, 'Iqra' ('Read' or 'Recite'), marked the beginning of twenty-three years of continuous revelation that would become the Quran. This event is regarded as the single most significant moment in Islamic history, transforming Muhammad ﷺ from a respected Makkan merchant into the final Messenger of Allah. His wife Khadijah (RA) was the first to believe in and support him after this experience.

Surah Al-Alaq's opening five verses constitute the very first Quranic revelation, received by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through the Angel Jibreel (AS) while he was in seclusion at the Cave of Hira, a practice he had adopted before prophethood. The Surah's name, meaning 'The Clot,' refers to a stage of human embryonic development mentioned within these early verses, reflecting the Quran's frequent use of natural phenomena as signs of Allah's creative power. Overwhelmed by the experience, the Prophet ﷺ returned home trembling and was comforted by Khadijah (RA), who took him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a Christian scholar who recognized the signs of prophethood.

Surah At-Tawbah is the only chapter of the Holy Quran that does not open with the Bismillah formula, a distinctive exception among the 114 Surahs. Scholars offer various explanations for this omission, with one common view holding that At-Tawbah continues thematically from the preceding Surah Al-Anfal, and some early companions considered them closely linked, almost as a single unit. At-Tawbah, meaning 'The Repentance,' addresses matters of treaties, warfare, and the conduct of the early Muslim community in Madinah. Its absence of Bismillah is one of the most commonly tested facts about the Quran's structure in Islamic studies examinations.

At-Tawbah stands apart as the sole Surah among the Quran's 114 chapters that begins without the customary Bismillah ('In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'). Also known as Surah Bara'ah, it was revealed in the later Madinan period and deals largely with the Muslim community's relations with treaty-breaking tribes. Traditional scholars noted that its close thematic connection to the preceding Surah Al-Anfal may explain why the two were sometimes treated as one continuous unit rather than fully separate chapters. This structural anomaly makes At-Tawbah one of the most distinctive Surahs in the Quran's compiled arrangement.

Among all 114 Surahs of the Holy Quran, only Surah At-Tawbah omits the opening Bismillah, making it a well-known exception students of Islamic studies are expected to recognize. The Surah's content largely concerns the aftermath of treaties with various Arab tribes during the final years of the Prophet's ﷺ life in Madinah, including guidance on dealing with those who broke their agreements. Its alternate name, Al-Bara'ah ('Disassociation'), reflects this theme of formally renouncing broken pacts. The missing Bismillah is traditionally linked by scholars to the Surah's serious, admonishing tone.

Surah At-Tawbah is uniquely without the Bismillah at its start, setting it apart from all other 113 Surahs of the Quran. It is among the longer Madani Surahs, revealed toward the end of the Prophet's ﷺ mission, and addresses the Muslim community's dealings with hypocrites and treaty violations. Early scholars transmitted explanations for why the two Surahs, Al-Anfal and At-Tawbah, were placed consecutively without a separating Bismillah, given their shared subject matter. This detail remains one of the most frequently asked structural facts about the Quran in competitive examinations.

Surah An-Naml ('The Ant') is unique in the Holy Quran for containing the Bismillah formula twice — once at its opening, as is standard for nearly all Surahs, and a second time within verse 30, quoted as part of a letter sent by Prophet Sulaiman (AS) to the Queen of Sheba (Bilqis). This second occurrence is embedded directly in the narrative, illustrating how Sulaiman (AS) began his message with the same phrase Muslims use before major undertakings. The Surah also recounts other episodes from Sulaiman's (AS) life, including his ability to understand the speech of animals. This dual appearance of Bismillah makes An-Naml a frequently tested detail in Quranic studies.

The only Surah in which Bismillah occurs twice is Surah An-Naml, once as the customary opening and again in verse 30, where it forms part of the letter Prophet Sulaiman (AS) dispatched to the Queen of Sheba. An-Naml, meaning 'The Ant,' takes its name from a passage describing an ant warning its colony as Sulaiman's (AS) army approached, illustrating the Quran's frequent use of natural imagery to convey moral lessons. Sulaiman (AS) is described in Islamic tradition as a prophet-king granted extraordinary abilities, including command over jinn, wind, and animals. This second Bismillah remains a distinctive and commonly examined feature of the Surah.

Bismillah appears a second time within Surah An-Naml, embedded in the text of a letter Prophet Sulaiman (AS) sent to the Queen of Sheba, inviting her to submit to the worship of Allah alone. This is in addition to the Surah's own opening Bismillah, making An-Naml exceptional among the 114 Surahs of the Quran. The narrative that follows describes Bilqis's cautious response, her eventual visit to Sulaiman's (AS) court, and her acceptance of monotheism, illustrating themes of wisdom, diplomacy, and submission to Allah. An-Naml is classified as a Makki Surah, revealed before the migration to Madinah.

Within Surah An-Naml, the Bismillah formula appears twice: at the Surah's start and again inside verse 30 as part of Sulaiman's (AS) letter to the Queen of Sheba. This repetition is unmatched anywhere else in the Quran's 114 chapters, making it one of the more distinctive structural facts tested in Islamic studies exams. The broader Surah narrates several miraculous episodes attributed to Sulaiman (AS), including his conversation with an ant and his court's swift retrieval of the Queen's throne. The story culminates in Bilqis recognizing Allah's oneness and submitting to true worship.