The unit of reciting and reflecting on the Quran is the AYAH, something more profound than how we normally translate it as “verse” – it is a divine sign in its own right, pointing the way to know our Creator and navigate the creation.

“How should I approach an ayah?”

Yet it is also important to read each ayah within its context, and consider how it is connected to other parts of the Quran and revelation more broadly. That is what we will describe in brief under this Lens of Connections.

“What are some questions I can ask while using this Lens?”

1. Immediate context: what do the surrounding ayat make me realize about this one?
2. The surah: is there a unifying theme that leads me to understand this ayah on another level?
3. The whole Quran: what other passages have relevance to, or resonance with, the ayah I am reflecting upon?
4. Beyond the Quran: what other texts, particularly from the Hadith and Sirah of the Prophet (pbuh), help me to understand this ayah in context and ponder it more deeply?

The basic principle here is very clear and obvious, and it underpins an aspect of scholarly exegesis called “Tafsir al-Qur’an bi-l-Qur’an” (explaining the Quran through the Quran).

But the principle applies to all of us engaging in reflection, as truly getting the point of a statement often depends on hearing what was said right before, and sometimes on what is said right after. That’s where “page context” comes in.

“Getting the point of a statement often depends on hearing what was said right before, and sometimes on what is said right after.” Dr. Sohaib Saeed

An example

Again, I’ve looked through my previous posts and here’s an example where the flow of the discourse led me to reflect on something implied between the lines of the page: quranreflect.com/posts/8953

“How should I approach a surah?”

Then there is the level of the SURAH. I do recommend reading any surah in full, and trying to get a sense of its overall themes and features. You can draw upon summaries and thematic commentaries which highlight such things. When you have in mind the overall purpose of the discourse, you can get a better sense of the message you are supposed to take from the individual ayat.

“When you have in mind the overall purpose of the discourse, you can get a better sense of the message you are supposed to take from the individual ayat.” Dr. Sohaib Saeed

Next, we’ll expand on the types of connections within the Quran.