The Imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Yasser bin Rashid Al-Dosari, affirmed during the Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque that the Holy Qur’an includes the most sublime goals and objectives, pointing out that Surah Qaf is a unique model in establishing proof and evidence on major issues of faith, foremost among them the issue of resurrection and the Day of Judgment, which the polytheists denied.
His Eminence began his address by emphasizing that God Almighty opened this magnificent chapter with a disjointed letter and an oath by the Glorious Quran, a powerful rhetorical device that challenges the Arabs in their own language and resonates with the polytheists who were astonished by the Prophet's mission and his warning of resurrection after death. Al-Dossari explained that the chapter came to refute this denial and establish that returning to God is an undeniable truth.
In his review of cosmic signs, the preacher of the Grand Mosque explained that God Almighty has placed visible signs throughout the universe, signs which, if contemplated by the obstinate, would cause them to abandon their error. In this chapter, God provides a tangible, sensory example of the resurrection of the dead, represented by the revival of the barren earth through the sending down of water, causing it to stir, swell, and bring forth every kind of beautiful plant. He pointed out that this recurring scene before our very eyes is a rational and logical proof; for He who is able to revive the earth after its death is undoubtedly able to revive humankind after its annihilation, as the Quran expresses it by saying, "Thus is the resurrection.".
From a legal and historical perspective, Surah Qaf holds a special place in Islamic heritage and the Prophetic Sunnah. Authentic sources indicate that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to frequently recite it in large gatherings such as Friday prayers and Eid prayers, because it contains reminders of the beginning and the end, and Paradise and Hell, making it a distinguished admonitory surah that shakes hearts and awakens the heedless. This is the approach that the preachers of the Two Holy Mosques have followed in reminding the nation of the foundations of the faith.
God's knowledge encompasses the human soul
In his sermon, Dr. Al-Dossari moved on to discuss divine oversight, emphasizing that the Creator, may He be glorified and exalted, possesses absolute knowledge from which nothing is hidden. He cited the verse: "And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein," explaining that this closeness necessitates that man be mindful of God's greatness and His constant observation in private and in public, and that he should know that his innermost thoughts are exposed to the Lord of the Worlds.
His Eminence concluded by reminding everyone that God has assigned two noble angels (Raqib and Anid) to every person, who record every small and large thing he does, and who record every word he utters. This places the believer before a great responsibility to hold himself accountable before he is held accountable, and to prepare for the inevitable moment of truth, which is the agony of death, when neither regret nor repentance will be of any use to one who has neglected God’s rights. He called on the congregation to seize the opportunity of life in obedience to God and to prepare for the promised day.
