Tarāwīh Top 🔟, Ramadan 2026
Juz 2 (Surah Al-Baqarah: Verses 142-252)
Here are 10 fruits 🍐 from the language of Quran:
1.) The root (و - س - ع) revolves around the idea of fairness, equity, moderation, and justice ⚖️. From this root, we obtain the word وَسَطًا, which can refer to something in moderation, but refers to justice ⚖️ itself. In the language, they say أَعْدَلُ الشَّـيْءِ أَوْسَطُهُ (“the most just thing is the most moderate”). We see this word in verse 2:143 of Surah Al Baqarah, in which the ayah states وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ *وَسَطًا* لِّتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًۭا ۗ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا ٱلْقِبْلَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنتَ عَلَيْهَآ إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ ۚ وَإِن كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَـٰنَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (“And so We have made you ˹believers˺ an *_upright_* community so that you may be witnesses over humanity and that the Messenger may be a witness over you. We assigned your former direction of prayer only to distinguish those who would remain faithful to the Messenger from those who would lose faith. It was certainly a difficult test except for those ˹rightly˺ guided by Allah. And Allah would never discount your ˹previous acts of˺ faith. Surely Allah is Ever Gracious and Most Merciful to humanity”). In this ayah, the “community” (أُمَّة) is being referred to as وَسَطًا, which in this, means the best and most just of communities.
2.) The root (ش - ط - ر) has two root meanings: the first refers to the “half-ness” of something, and the second refers to distancing oneself. The first root meaning is where we get the word شَطْر (“half”), which can be used to indicate the half of anything. This word also can mean “towards”, which is how it is used in in verse 2:144 of Surah Al Baqarah: قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةًۭ تَرْضَىٰهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ *شَطْرَ* ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ *شَطْرَهُۥ* ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ (“Indeed, We see you ˹O Prophet ﷺ˺ turning your face towards heaven. Now We will make you turn towards a direction ˹of prayer˺ that will please you. So turn your face *_towards_* the Sacred Mosque ˹in Mecca˺—wherever you are, turn your faces *_towards_* it. Those who were given the Scripture certainly know this to be the truth from their Lord. And Allah is never unaware of what they do”).
3.) The root (م - ر- ي) has a variety of meanings, one of which centers around the concept of doubt. From this root meaning, we obtain the Form VIII verb اِمْتَرَى (“to be doubtful”). This verb is seen various verses, and is seen in its doer pattern (اِسْمُ الفَاعل) form in verse 2:147 of Surah Al Baqarah: ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ *ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ* (“˹This is˺ the truth from your Lord, so do not ever be one of *_those who doubt_*”), referring to those who are doubtful of revelation. This ayah states clearly that this Quran is Truth from God, and that there is to be no doubt in it.
4.) The root (ش - ع - ر) has two root meanings: the first one centers around the idea of stability (ثَبَات) ⚓, and the second one refers to knowledge (عِلْم) 📚 and perception. From the first root, we obtain the word شَعْرٌ (“hair”) 🪮, which might be because hair is firmly rooted and “stabilized” on a person. From this root, the Arabs also use the word شَعَار, which refers to a tree 🌲, so called because a tree is firmly rooted in the ground. Regarding the second root meaning of knowledge (عِلْم) and perception, this is where we obtain the common verb شَعَرَ, which means “to feel/perceive”, such as occurs in ayah 2:154 of Surah Al Baqarah: وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ لِمَن يُقْتَلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمْوَٰتٌۢ ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَآءٌۭ وَلَـٰكِن *لَّا تَشْعُرُونَ* (“Never say that those martyred in the cause of Allah are dead—in fact, they are alive! But you *_do not perceive it_*”). Here in this ayah, it is made clear that those who are martyred are indeed alive, but in a manner that is not perceivable by those living around them.
5.) The root (خ - و - ف) revolves around the meaning of fear and terror. From this root meaning, we obtain the commonly-found verb خَافَ and its verbal noun of خَوْف. We see this word used in ayah 2:155 in Surah Al Baqarah: وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ *ٱلْخَوْفِ* وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ (“We will certainly test you with a touch of *_fear_* and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure”). Also from this root, we obtain the Form II verb خَوَّف and its verbal noun تَـخْـوِيف, which means “to scare someone,” i.e., “to intimidate/frighten.”
6.) The root (ج - و - ع) refers to hunger and the pain associated with hunger pangs. This root is the opposite of satiety. We see this word used in ayah 2:155 in Surah Al Baqarah in its verbal noun form (جُوع) (“hunger”) as such: وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَ*ٱلْجُوعِ* وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ (“We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and *_hunger_* and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure”). The adjectival version of this root is either جَائِع (“hungry”) or جَوعَان (“famished”). The latter (جَوعَان) is what we call اِسْمُ المُبَالَغَة (“the noun of hyperbole/intensity), so called because it gives a more intense/hyperbolic meaning of the root. Therefore, جَوعَان more aptly describes someone as famished or starving. Also from this root, we obtain the word مَجَاعَة, which refers to a famine.
7.) The root (ن - ق - ص) refers to a sense of deficiency and paucity of something. We see this word used in ayah 2:155 in Surah Al Baqarah in its verbal noun form (نَقْص) (“deficiency/loss”) as such: وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَ*نَقْصٍۢ* مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ (“We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and hunger and *_loss_* of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure”). In this ayah, the loss is referring to the loss of wealth, souls (referring to people, such as family members), and loss of one’s life-sustaining crops.
8.) The root (ج - ن - ح) has one primary root meaning, which is to incline toward something (المَـيْـلُ إلى شَـيْءٍ). The resulting verb is جَنَحَ, which means “to incline towards” (مَالَ إِلَى). From this root, we derive the word جَنَاح (“wing”) 🪽, so called because the wings of a bird, for example, incline towards each other. Also from this root, we derive the word جُنَاح (“sin”), so called because a sin leads one to incline away from the Path of Truth. We see this word used in ayah 2:158 of Surah Al Baqarah: إِنَّ ٱلصَّفَا وَٱلْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنْ حَجَّ ٱلْبَيْتَ أَوِ ٱعْتَمَرَ فَلَا *جُنَاحَ* عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ۚ وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًۭا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ (“Indeed, ˹the hills of˺ Ṣafa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes the major or minor pilgrimage to the ˹Sacred˺ House, then there is no *_sin/blame_* upon them for walking between ˹the two hills˺. And whoever does good willingly, Allah is truly Appreciative, All-Knowing”).
9.) The root (ف - ل - ك) gives the meaning of circularity of something. From this root, we obtain the word فَلَك (“celestial orbit”) 🪐. How does this word relate to its root? Planets and stars “circle” each other in orbit. Also from this root, many words are obtained, including فُـلْـك (“ships”) 🚢. How does the word فُـلْـك relate to its root meaning of circularity? Ships “circle around” in the sea as part of their motion. We see this word in ayah 2:164 in Surah Al Baqarah: إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَ*ٱلْفُلْكِ* ٱلَّتِى تَجْرِى فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍۢ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍۢ وَتَصْرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَـٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَ (“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth; the alternation of the day and the night; the *_ships_* that sail the sea for the benefit of humanity; the rain sent down by Allah from the skies, reviving the earth after its death; the scattering of all kinds of creatures throughout; the shifting of the winds; and the clouds drifting between the heavens and the earth—˹in all of this˺ are surely signs for people of understanding”).
10.) The root (ن - ه - ر) has one primary root meaning: opening something up 🌱. From this root meaning, we obtain the word نَـهْـر (“river”) 🌊. How does this word relate to its root meaning? A river opens up the earth by splitting it open and then gushing forth. Also from this root, we derive the word نَـهَـارٌ (“daytime”) ☀️, referring to the time between the sunrise and sunset. How does this word relate to its root meaning? The day “opens up” the day by piercing through the darkness of the night and commencing the day. We see this word in ayah 2:164 in Surah Al Baqarah: إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَ*ٱلنَّهَارِ* وَٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلَّتِى تَجْرِى فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍۢ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍۢ وَتَصْرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَـٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَ (“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth; the alternation of *_the day_* and the night; the ships that sail the sea for the benefit of humanity; the rain sent down by Allah from the skies, reviving the earth after its death; the scattering of all kinds of creatures throughout; the shifting of the winds; and the clouds drifting between the heavens and the earth—˹in all of this˺ are surely signs for people of understanding”). This ayah makes it clear that we should reflect on God’s Signs that are apparent in every aspect of our lives and everything that we see.