Principles to approach the Qur'an- Part III

To read previous part, click here


4. Qur'an has been revealed for the individual "YOU"


Allah SWT says:

يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُمْ مَّوْعِظَةٌ مَّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَآءٌ لِّمَا فِى الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Oh mankind! There has come to you good advice from your Lord, and a cure for that which is in your breasts, -- a guidance and a mercy for the believers. (Surah Yunus: 57)

It doesn't matter if the other person is following the Qur'an or not; what matters and will affect you is depending how much you chose to live by the Qur'an. On the Day of Judgement, we will stand in front of Allah SWT alone, no one to help us or harm us except our deeds and how we approached the Book of Guidance. So, we cannot afford to "not follow" the Qur'an just because others are not, this should never be our excuse.

If we got an email from our most beloved, a friend or sister we love a lot, what would we do? How will you read this letter that has been addressed to none but yourself? How much haste and excitement would be there as you read it? Likewise, the Qur'an is addressed to "you", and it is from The One we claim to love the most! SubhanAllah. We say the Qur'an is the most important possession, most valuable property. But do we treat it that way? We seek Blessings for our gatherings and functions by starting with the ayahs of The Holy Qur'an; but do we follow and obey what it expects us to?! When the Qur'an was revealed, Allah SWT was either commanding to do something that is good for mankind (on an individual's level and/or for the mankind as a whole) or it was prohibiting something that is not good for us. And how much of this do we take seriously?

Allah says in Surah Aal Imran,

إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاخْتِلَـفِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لاّيَـتٍ لاٌّوْلِى الاٌّلْبَـبِ - الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَـماً وَقُعُوداً وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلْقِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ رَبَّنَآ مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا بَـطِلاً سُبْحَـنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created this without purpose, glory to You! Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire. [Surah Aal Imran: 190-191]

The people of real understanding are those who remember Allah at all times, reflect upon the creations of Allah. and constantly remember the purpose of this life. May Allah Azza Wajal make us all among the people of real understanding. We have to so much to ponder and reflect upon every creation of Allah SWT; shouldn't we reflect more upon the "Word" of Allah. Isn't the word of The Lord of all those to whom it has been addressed for, more superior than all the creations?! We believe the creations have flaws and do not last forever, everything created will stop to exist and will die, but the "Kalam" of Allah is not a creation. And by the way, only the one who reflect upon the ayah of the Quran will be able to reflect upon the ayahs (signs) of the world and only he will be able to reflect/ remember the ayah of the Quran when he sees the ayahs(signs) around him. When it rains, only a person who reflects over the ayahs of the revelation will remember that just like the descending of the rain-laden clouds, the Quran descended; just as rain is a Mercy from Ar-Rahmaan, so is the Qur'an. SubhanAllah. Similarly, when plants sprout from the ground, we must remember that on the Day of Resurrection, we will also wake up in a similar fashion.

5. Living under the shade of Qur'an as long as you live:

Our efforts to become more and more closer to Allah SWT should be continuous and consistent at all times. Our Emaan is subjected to increase and decrease. Emaan is not something static; so if it isn't increasing, it decreases. Allah Azza Wajal keeps talking to us about the struggles between truth and falsehood, and the treacherous temptations of the Duniya and Shaytan. We do not know where/what we are falling into unless we strive and experience the content and the real happiness that comes with submission and obedience to the Lord Almighty.

The more we turn to the Quran with Sincerity and a strong will to live under the shade of the Guidance, the more Allah Blesses us with goodness. The more number of times we reflect upon an ayah, the more wisdom and understanding and comprehension Allah gives us.

Allah SWT says:

الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَـتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمْ أُوْلُو الاٌّلْبَـبِ

Those who listen to the Word and follow the best thereof, those are (the ones) whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding. (Surah Az-Zumar: 18)

And:

وَالَّذِينَ جَـهَدُواْ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

As for those who strive hard for Us, We will surely guide them to Our paths. And verily, Allah is with the doers of good. (Surah Al-Ankaboot: 69)

And Allah SWT promises:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِإِيمَانِهِمْ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الاٌّنْهَـرُ فِي جَنَّـتِ النَّعِيمِ

Verily, those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, their Lord will guide them through their faith; under them will flow rivers in the Gardens of delight. (Surah Yunus: 9)

How foolish would it be if we did not hold firmly to the rope of Allah, and instead chose to fall into the dark traps set up by Shaytan! How foolish would it be if we chose mere temporary excitements over the eternal bliss?! May Allah SWT make among those who are wise, and know Him, and listen and turn our hearts to His Guidance, Mercy and Blessing- The Qur'an....aameen...

Principles when approaching the Qur'an- Part II

To read previous part, click here

2. Approach the Qur'an with an open mind:

Is what we want from the Qur'an consistent with what the Qur'an wants from us? Do we try to approach the Qur'an with our own personal rules and views of life, and try to bring the words of Allah SWT, in terms with our thoughts and notions. And then we claim that this is what the Qur'an teaches us?!

We should allow the Qur'an to speak for itself, to guide us, to show us the truth from falsehood, the right from wrong. If the purpose of the Qur'an is this, then why not bind ourselves, and commit to following it sincerely, instead of beating about the bush, and trying to justify our actions which do not adhere to the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah? We should work hard in transforming ourselves by learning the Qur'an, and grabbing the fruits of wisdom, rather than trying to reform the Qur'an.

This is the difference between the Muslims of today, and the Sahabah Radhiyallahu anhum of the Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam. They would sincerely look to walk upon the right path, without the slightest of deviations, focused in their mission to attain Jannah. If they had to eliminate some cultural acts that they had been following before Islam, out of ignorance; they would do so completely removing it off from the roots, sincerely with their hearts and actions. And today, our society has adopted customs and rituals which are not from the teachings of Qur'an or Sunnah, and we do not like to be told so. There are some cultural practices that have become so religious, and this is one of the ways by which innovation in religion (bid'ah) arises, A'oodhubillah. And when the Qur'an shows that it is wrong, some still do not want to give it up. This shows the exact similiar kind of pride in the way of the fore-fathers that the Mushrikeen(polytheists) in Makkah during the time of Muhammed Sallallahu alaihiwassalam and Ibraheem Alaihissalam showed!

Today, we pride ourselves for our so-thought-to-be-so high level of intelligence and advancements that we feel we can always make the right decisions and do the right thing. And this, gradually has started to corrupt our beliefs too. In Islam, we believe that we need Divine Guidance, that is, The Qur'an. Unlike what today's rationalists and philosophers claim that God has given us all the intelligence that is needed to guide ourselves. So why not turn to the Qur'an sincerely, and accept with full heart, all that it says, teaches, commands and prohibits?! We should not approach this Divine Book of Guidance like the way of the Orientalists who tried to establish their views and opinions, or people with feminist views, or like the deviant sects like the Mu'tazilah (who claim that Allah does not have the Attribute of Speech) etc. Basically, what happens is, they try to bend the real and true interpretations of the Qur'an to match their way of thinking. A'oodhubillah, doesn't this show arrogance?

So, let's keep a check on ourselves inshAllah, where we stand!

3. Release the Qur'an from any constraints of time and space:

The Qur'an was revealed and preserved, and will be preserved till the end of mankind for the purpose of showing the truth. We have to believe that every ayah in the Qur'an is a message for us to reflect upon and learn from it. We know the stories from the Qur'an, but do we know the messages and numerous lessons it brings to us? We just enjoy the story, and then move on with complacence, that so-and-so things happened in the past. Why did Allah SWT, The All-Knower, and The Most-Wise, preserve it in the Qur'an?

The Message is for us, so that we can check whether we share those characteristics and change for the better. The Qur'an is talking about the reality of things happening to us and around us whether or not, we realise and accept it. For example, in the story of Bani Isra'eel, there are many lessons for us to take from. And SubhanAllah, for this purpose, Allah mentions it in the Qur'an around 180 times. We learn about their insincerity to Allah and His Prophets, their laziness, how they turn back to their old ways, their ingratitude towards their Lord, their qualities of hypocrisy, their weak emaan, their inconsistency in the worship of Allah etc. And then we even curse them, view them as the worst among the disbelieving people. Period. What do we do? Part of all these qualities, or all? May Allah SWT protect us from these characteristics, aameen...We have to realise that the messages within the stories are independent of the actual stories, as the similar kind of stories still continues. And so, we have to release the messages of the Qur'an from any constraints of space and time.

Another example of ayah that we should always reflect upon:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انْقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةَ ذلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَنُ الْمُبِينُ

And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were upon the edge: if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a Fitnah strikes him, he turns back on his face. He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss. (Surah Al-Hajj: 11)

We learn from the tafseer that this ayah is talking about the Bedouins who used to come to Medina, and accept Islam. If their wives gave birth to sons and their mares gave birth to foals, they would say, `This is a good religion,' but if their wives and their mares did not give birth, they would say, `This is a bad religion.' They would feel content, and say that they have not experienced anything bad ever since they accepted Islam. But if they had become afflicted with something bad, then they would blame it on the religion.

What is the lesson for us in this ayah? There are among us who have this attitude towards Our religion of Islam. Sometimes, we fear following Islam thinking that it will bring us bad. For example: we deal with interest fearing that otherwise, we will not be able to purchase a car, a house, or sometimes even petty things like clothes etc. We sometimes fear to wear our Hijab fearing that people will stereotype us as being backward people, we fear that having a beard will be a hindrance to get a good job etc. We join in unnecessary conversations (their weekend party experiences etc) with our colleagues or classmates fearing that we will be considered boring. This is due to lack of strong belief. We turn our backs on Islam, instead of placing complete thawakkul upon Allah Azza Wajal.

May Allah SWT always us on the straight path, and may He bless us with the true understanding of the Quran, aameen...

To read next part, click here

Tips to memorize the Qur'an (Let's become the carriers of the Qur'an)

Memorizing the Qur'an should be one of the goals of a Muslim. Each and every one of us should have this deep desire to become a haafidh and work towards it inshAllah. This is irrespective of our age. It is a wrong notion to think that one can memorize the Qur'an only at a very young age. It is true that it could be easier when one is young, and for that, inshAllah, we should encourage young children, whether your siblings or kids, to memorize the Qur'an. As for us, come up with a plan, and start immediately, without procrastination, without further delay, and with isthiqama (steadfastness).

Let's not come with reasons such as we do not have enough time, or we do not have a good memory power. We have to fit this noble project into our schedule, as the virtues and bounties that comes with are numerous, and inshAllah, if done with Ikhlaas, then Allah will reward us in both the worlds. And, about lack of memory, yeah it could be true if one had to memorize any other text of science or poetry, but not for the Qur'an. We should have a firm belief and understanding that it is the Power of The Kalam (speech) of Allah that enables anybody on the face of earth, who desires to memorize it, shall be able to. We should concentrate on doing our part, and Allah will make it more and more easy as we go along further. Allah says in the Qur'an to Our Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam:

سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلاَ تَنسَى

We shall make you recite, so you shall not forget. (Surah Al-A'laa: 6)

Which other book in the world has been memorized by people, word to word, verse to verse, exactly with the same intonations that our Prophet recited, to whom Allah SWT had revealed it so! Which other book is read so repeatedly and the reciter never gets bored of it, unless Shaytan overpowers him- and the more it is recited, the more beautiful it is, and the reciter is in more awe than ever! SubhanAllah, this is one of the many miracles of the Qur'an. No matter what some enemies of Allah and His Dheen do (like burning of the copies of Qur'an etc), there are many thousands of people (even non-muslims) on the other hand, who learn and understand the Qur'an. Even disbelievers like Abu Jahl, Al-Waleed Al-Mughirah were addicted to its beauty, and would go and listen to the recitation of The Prophet hidden in the darkness of the night. SubhanAllah.

Imagine that more of us become carriers of the Qur'an, the guidance to our life. Surely, the status of our Ummah would rise, due to the establishment of stronger connection to The Words of Allah Azza Wajal. So, this is our duty as a muslim, it is a collective duty of the Muslims that more of us learn, understand and memorize this book. This will help us in boosting the level of eman more than we can imagine.

SubhanAllah, isn't it the priveledge of our Ummah that no other nation before us enjoyed, that we actually have the words of Our Lord preserved, that Allah has made the understanding and learning it easy upon the person who strives towards it?! So, shouldn't we show gratitude to Allah for this blessing!

Alhamdulillah...

Here are some very beneficial tips that Sheikh Yasir Qadhi shared with us, on how to memorize the Qur'an (some of them are my opinions depending upon what works for me, as Sheikh is a man, and sometimes, for women, things work slightly differently, especially if you are a wife and mother):

1. The First and Foremost, Sincereity and Ikhlaas: The Niyyah that we are making sincere effort only for the sake of Allah SWT, only to seek His Pleasure so that inshAllah, with His Mercy, we will be rewarded in the Aakhirah. And that it is not to show off in front of others that we have memorized a lot.

2. Consistency: The more frequently we memorize, the easier it becomes to memorize. To this, I testify. SubhanAllah, this is a miracle, no doubt.

It is very essential to be consistent, and not to skip even one day. Our brain, soul and mind needs consistent feeding to work more efficiently and with ease. It is just like how machines need constant lubrication and care, and the machines that is not used more often, starts to rust. And the car that is not used more often, starts to give problems. Taking a break can slow down the process, as our brain is programmed in such a way that it needs new raw materials in order to make strong the older ones. And if we do skip a day, then Shaytan squeezes himself through and tries to discourage you the next day, and then ultimately, it comes to a complet halt. The bare minimum that one should memorize is atleast 3 lines, five is more ideal. If we continue in this way, inshAllah, we will be able to be huffadh in 5-6 years. SubhanAllah- isn't that so inspiring?! It really feels easy when we think of it this way.

3. Timing: Early morning after Fajr Salah is the ideal time, as Allah has blessed the morning hours the most. This, I am sure, all of us agree upon, that it is the morning hours that we are able to get most work done. And even to study, it is the ideal time, as your mind is free from other thoughts since your day is just beginning. Whereas, in a later time of the day, there is more chance that your subconscious mind is preoccupied with other thoughts like who you would have met, the dialogue that took place, the food you had was yummy, and other things that you would have done.

Personally, I feel that even if this time of the day doesn't work out for us, we can dedicate some other time- just that we will have to work harder and longer- Wa Allahu A'lam. And if it usually does, and for some reason, we miss it one day, we should make some time in the later part of the day, and still keep up with the consistent flow. It is more important that we do not skip a day.

4. Atmosphere: We should try our best to avoid all kinds of distractions like phone calls, children, munching on some nuts or crackers during this time. This again takes us back to the previous point where the morning hours are the best, since there is less distraction at that time.

5. Familiarity: This is more of a psychological advantage. So use the same Mushaf, listen to the same recitation, sit to learn in the same place and same time. This way, the brain will relate better. Like for example: the advantage of using the same Mushaf is, the part of the brain that is responsible for vision records it, and we will be able to remember this stored vision where a particular word comes, where a new ayah begins etc.

6. There are no tricks or short-cuts. It is just repititive recitation and/or listening that will help to memorize.

7. Understand what you memorize: Read the translation before one starts, correlate some words. We do not have to necessarily try to learn the entire tafseer, but we need to have some idea. Tafseer should be learnt at a different time so that we can achieve this goal of becoming Huffadh in a shorter time. And then when inshAllah, that happenes, we can learn more deeply into the Tafseer of the Qur'an.

8. Surround oneself with recitation: Keep listening to what one is currently memorizing.

9. Find a memorizing buddy: This will be a huge encouragement for each other, and this will add a psychological pressure that we have to recite to each other what we learnt.

10. Recite daily in Salah, and at all times that you can, what you have memorized most recently.

11. The triple daily dose of the Qur'an:

a) New memorization at your assigned time of the day

b) Revision of the previous 7 days, just before you start the new memorization: This is because the fastest thing you forget is the new memorization. And doing so, will also build the connector between the old ones and the new portion you are going to memorize. Plus, it will be a good warm up for the brain when you recall from your memory and recite, before you go into the real exercise of doing the new memorization.

c) At a later/another time of the day, revise those before the recent 7 days. The bare minimum should be 4-5 pages.

12. Do not jump around: When we feel a particular surah is tough, do not go to another. Stick to the order. That way, you will have the satisfaction of having completed a juz rather than leaving unmemorized portions here and there.

13. The three chunks:
a) Juz 28, 29, 30 or just Juz 29, 30
b) Surah Al-Kahf till Juz 28
c) Surah Al-Baqara to Surah Al-Kahf

I feel that after the last 2-3 Juz, we should start from Al-Baqara as the ayahs are much easier to learn, since there are Madani verses (verses and surahs revealed after the Hijrah of The Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam and the Sahaba Radhiyallahu anhum- Makki verses are more poetic and SubhanAllah, very beautiful, and a little more complex, I feel. The Verses are shorter and so, more powerful), and hence, more eloquent, and it flows automatically and with more ease. And it is from Surah Al-Baqara where we start to read our Khatm-al-Qur'an from, and so we are more familiar with it.

InshAllah, I hope that we all benefit from these tips, and Allah SWT makes this a sadaqathul jaariah for Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, and all Shuyookh who would have inspired many to make a memorization plan, and myself for writing this here. And I hope that we all stick to this most important project till we finish inshAllah, with determination, consistency and increased Taqwa. Let's dream of the day when we will recite from Surah Al-Fathiha to Surah An-Naas, without looking into the Mus'haf, InshAllahu Ta'ala.....Aameen, aameen, Thumma aameen...

Important principles to make our relationship with the Qur'an blossom

To read previous part, click here

1. Renew and redefine our intentions:

When we read a book for a course study or for work or for an exam, what is our intention? We want to understand and take maximum benefit from it so that it help us better when we need to apply it where it has to be applied. Even when we read a novel at our leisure, we want to understand the plot, the important characters etc, and we even try to take lessons from them and even movies we watch. When we read the ingredients on the grocery before buying it, we look for the key words, like Gelatin etc. We rarely read anything mindlessly, and even if we do, we realise that we haven't gained anything out of it, and turn back the pages and re-read it.

Qur'an is the book of Guidance for those who fear Allah, and this is what we should take from it. The Key word is "Guidance". Allah SWT says:

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

That is The Book in which there is no doubt, guidance for the Muttaqin. (Surah Al-Baqara: 2)

And Allah SWT says:

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ

A Book which We have revealed unto you (Oh Muhammad) in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness into the light by their Lord's leave. (Surah Ibraheem: 2)

Our intention should be to take this guidance, and hence draw closer to Allah Azza Wajal, to obey and follow what the Qur'an is guiding us to, and to not fall into the category of people Allah is displeased with. With this intention, inshAllah Allah will make easy upon us to learn and understand His Book. Sometimes, our mind while reciting it, will wander off, since we don't know and understand Arabic. For this reason, we should all make sincere efforts to learn Qur'anic Arabic, and translations with the explanation inshAllah. This will help us in reflecting better on ayahs that talk about the punishments in the Hellfire, the Graciousness and Most Supreme Power or Our Lord, His Wisdom etc.

How much should we reflect on ayahs such as:

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَهْلَكَنِىَ اللَّهُ وَمَن مَّعِىَ أَوْ رَحِمَنَا فَمَن يُجِيرُ الْكَـفِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ - قُلْ هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ فِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ

Say: "Tell me! If Allah destroys me, and those with me, or He bestows His mercy on us - who can save the disbelievers from a painful torment''. Say: "He is the Most Gracious, in Him we believe, and upon Him we rely. So, you will come to know who it is that is in manifest error.'' (Surah Al-Mulk:28-29)

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ لَّمَّا كَذَّبُواْ الرُّسُلَ أَغْرَقْنَـهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَـهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ ءَايَةً وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّـلِمِينَ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً

And Nuh's people, when they denied the Messengers, We drowned them, and We made them as a sign for mankind. And We have prepared a painful torment for the wrongdoers. (Surah Al-Furqan: 37)

إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ - وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ لَنُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ فِى الصَّـلِحِينَ

Unto Me is your return and I shall tell you what you used to do. And for those who believe and do righteous deeds, surely, We shall admit them among the righteous. (Surah Al-Ankabut: 8-9)

To read the next part, click here

Let's return to The Qur'an

Alhamdulillahi Rabbi Al-'Aalameen. I testify that there is no Deity worthy of worship except Allah SubhanAllahu Wa Tha'aala, and that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah. The Qur'an is the final book of Allah revealed to mankind, to Prophet Sallallahu alihiwassalam through Angel Jibreel Alaihissalam, it is our manual on how to live in this Duniya, and it is a Promise from Allah SWT that it will be preserved till the Last Day for the mankind to turn to, whether or not man turns to this Guidance, Mercy and Blessing from Allah.

The following is lessons taken from just an hour lecture of Sheikh Jamaal Zarabozo(Hafidhahullah), but SubhanAllah, it was very rich in content and gems to reflect on, and it caused wholesome amounts of emanrush in those present there, and I hope the booster will continue to change our lives towards the better inshAllah.

We, the Muslim Ummah have lost in establishing the proper kind of relationship with the Qur'an. We spent most part of our life in studying other Sciences that will help us to excel in this world, some of the Sciences that are valued only because the so-called intelligent, on-top-of-the-world people have accredited it. We live according to the man-made principles that we feel, will help us to achieve our goals (and for sure, our goals are also messed up- Ihdina-As-Sirathal Musthaqueem), when in reality, isn't our goal supposed to be to please Allah SWT in this world, and hence, attain Success in the Hereafter?! We say we are proud to be Muslims, and yet, we allow ourselves to be looked down upon, and we look up and admire the disbelievers in whatever they do, the worldly achievements they have accomplished, and their ideologies like Socialism, Capitalism etc. And stillworse, we try to be like them! Aren't we the ones who should raise our standard in our code of life, and show them something to be looked up to?

Allah SWT has given us, This Qur'an, which is perfect in every sense and flawless, as not "source of guidance" alone, but "Guidance" itself. And it is preserved by Him The Most Exalted, among us, in our hands. All of us have a copy or more of The Holy and Noble Qur'an, and we say that we respect it. But are we really respecting it in the way that it deserves to be so, in the way that we ourselves deserve?! We show respect to it in the secondary and tertiary aspects like not allowing dust to settle on it, not writing in it, keeping it elevated, touching it only when we are in the state of wudu, and at the most, memorizing a little from it. Let's just really reflect upon this! Aren't our questions always centered on things like, "can we touch the Mus'haf" if we are not in the state of Wudu for studying purposes?" Another way of our limited interaction with the Qur'an is that unfortunately, we turn to it when we are struck with distress, illness etc. For sure, The Qur'an is Ash-Shifa'(The Cure), but it is mainly a cure for the diseases of the heart and soul, it helps to purify our souls and hearts from all kinds of diseases. Allah SWT says:

يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُمْ مَّوْعِظَةٌ مَّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَآءٌ لِّمَا فِى الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

O mankind! There has come to you good advice from your Lord, and a cure for that which is in your breasts, -- a guidance and a mercy for the believers. (Surah Yunus: 57)

So, what is the Primary aspect of respecting the Qur'an?!

Obvious to all of us, The Qur'an is by no doubt, the most important book in our life. We all keep saying that. If it is so, we are to really take the benefit from it, by really appreciating it, appreciating the fact that Allah SWT, with His Mercy, has allowed the imperfect, sinning man to recite, read, hold onto the Perfect, Flawless speech (kalam), to make use of it. One of the main ways of not respecting the Qur'an is when we recite it, we do so only to get the Blessings, Ajar (reward), Hasanat that comes with it. Of course, this is true. And we should continue to recite it regularly and repeatedly. But our intention should be to really understand it, learn it and implement it by obeying what it guides us to, the commands of Allah, and avoiding what has been prohibited. We are supposed to be "Shuhadah" (witnesses) for the true message, against the rest of mankind who do not have this Guidance.

Let me put it in the most common way that the people of knowledge remind us with (for all of us to benefit from). For us to have a blooming career, or pass our exams in school with flying colours, we read, and read, and read. Break our heads to understand, do the practicals etc. Toil away day and night. And on the other hand, we have just this one Qur'an which continues to give and give. and continues to make it easier on the person learning it. And its rewards will be reaped in this world, for one, and last but definitely not the least, for an eternal heavenly bliss. SubhanAllah...how Merciful is our Lord Almighty?! So, let's not just wish for the Hasanat in reciting This Noble Book, let's fulfill our obligations to it, Our Lord and ourselves (ourselves as we are the ones who are really in need of The Qur'an, not the other way around. We need Allah's Mercy, Blessings, Guidance, Help ....)

Allah says:

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلاَوَتِهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ

Those to whom we gave the Book recite it as it should be recited (Yatlunahu Haqqa Tilawatihi) they are the ones who believe therein. And whoso disbelieve in it, those are they who are the losers. (Surah Al-Baqara:121)

What is حَقَّ تِلاَوَتِهِ (The correct recitation)? Abu Al-`Aliyah said that Ibn Mas`ud Radhiyallahu anh said, "By He in Whose Hand is my soul! The right Tilawah is allowing what it makes lawful, prohibiting what it makes unlawful, reciting it as it was revealed by Allah, not changing the words from their places, and not interpreting it with other than its actual interpretation.'' As-Suddi reported from Abu Malik from Ibn `Abbas who said about this Ayah (2:121): "They make lawful what it allows and they prohibit what it makes unlawful, and they do not alter its wordings.'' `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "They are those who when they recite an Ayah that mentions mercy, they ask Allah for it, and when they recite an Ayah that mentions torment, they seek refuge with Allah from it.''

Allah SWT says regarding that Allah has made Quran easy for us to understand:

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember; then is there anyone who will remember. (Surah Al-Qamar: 17)

This ayah should be an encouragement for us, we do not have to think that it is impossible to study it, memorize it. There have been people who become determined to study The Qur'an at the age of 70 years, and completed the memorization at the age of 80.

InshAllah, Let us all take the maximum benefit from The Perfect Speech of Allah that He has blessed us with, and continue to strive to learn more and more so that we can become better Muslims. Let the Noble Qur'an not be like the books a donkey carries on its back. A donkey has no use for books, as it cannot understand it. We all possess this most important Qur'an, let's not be like the donkey. This is the parable that Allah Azza Wajal mentions in the Qur'an:

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُواْ التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَاراً بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ

The likeness of those who were entrusted with the Tawrah, but did not carry it, is as the likeness of a donkey which carries huge burdens of books. How bad is the example of people who deny the Ayat of Allah. And Allah does not guide the people who are wrongdoers. (Surah Al-Jumu'ah: 5)

And Allah knows best.

To read next part, click here

Characteristics of A true believer when he recites the Qur'an

To read the previous part, click here

Allah mentions about how the believer is when he recites the Qur'an:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Ayat are recited unto them, they increase their faith; and they put their trust in their Lord. (Surah Al-Anfaal: 2)

Allah SWT says:

قُلْ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ إِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا - وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً - وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا
Say: "Believe in it or do not believe (in it). Verily, those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their chins (faces) in humble prostration.'' And they say: "Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.'' And they fall down on their chins (faces) weeping and it increases their humility. (Surah Isra': 107-109)

Allah uses the parable of mountains that are so prominent, strong and fixed to the ground firmly crumbling down due to humbleness when Qur'an is sent upon them. So just imagine how we as humans, who have been placed with hearts in our chests, should be when we hear verses from the Qur'an. Allah says:

لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَـشِعاً مُّتَصَدِّعاً مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَتِلْكَ الاٌّمْثَـلُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. (Surah Al-Hashr: 21)

Allah SWT cautions us not to be like those before us, the disbelievers, who did not show humility and accept the guidance from The Holy Book. He says:

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلاَ يَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الاٌّمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَـسِقُونَ
Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah And that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened And many of them were rebellious. (Surah Al-Hadeed: 16)

When we face difficulties and trials in our life, we turn to Allah, and recite the Qur'an for comfort to our hearts. And in doing so, we feel at peace, gratitude, love, patience, contentment etc. Just imagine if we were to turn to This Greatest Book at all times, and contemplate on it, and reflect it in our actions and thoughts. It would keep us away from the corruption and ruins of the heart, and it would continue to nourish and strengthen our soul, and give us a sense of complacence.

The words of the Qur'an are so powerful that when it was revealed to the Arabs who were living in ignorance (jahiliyyah), their hearts would soften. To the extent that, even the enemies of Prophet Muhammed Sallallahu alihiwassalam, like Abu Jahal (who was too proud to accept Islam) would be in awe, and hence would prevent themselves and others from listening to it. We should remember that the Arabs were very poetic people, and yet, they felt they had never heard such eloquent words before. And we also know the story of Umar Al-Khattab Radhiyallahu anh who accepted Islam even though he had been a strong enemy of Rasoolullah and Islam in the beginning. And therefore, we should work more hard to be able to appreciate the qur'an more, inshallah. May SWT give us the thawfeeque to learn more and more and attain the fruit of it, which will lead us to jannah.

_____________________________________________________

The Qur'an we recite will guard us in our grave, in the form of a handsome man. However, it can also act as a proof against us. (Oh Allah, save us from such a situation, and ease our trials in our grave for us, aameen.) Prophet Sallallahu alihiwassalm said: Verily Allah raises up a people with His Book, and He abases others. It has also been affirmed that he said: And the Qur'an is either a proof for you or against you. (Both these ahadeeth have been related by Muslim)

Reciting the Qur'an without understanding is also a virtuous and has merits, but the merits increase when we try to understand it. Similarly, reciting the Noble Words with the best and correct intonation and pronunciation (tajweed) is also recommended highly, but over-burdening yourself to do that alone, without paying attention to the meaning itself is not encouraged. Similarly, it is a good act to start a function or program with the verses of the Qur'an. But when we use it to start a program, where matters that are against the teachings of the qur'an happen (like starting a function where singing, dancing, intermingling etc takes place), then we are doing injustice to the Qur'an. The words of The Lord are too great to be dishonoured like that.

And Allah knows best.

Reciting the Qur'an and comtemplating on it

To read previous part, click here

This is one of the greatest branches of knowledge that can lead to increase, stability and strengthening of emaan. Allah SWT has revealed the Qur'an for the mankind as the source of guidance, light, mercy and glad tidings and as a remembrance for those who remember.

Allah Subhanahu Watha'ala says:

وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُواْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

And this is a blessed Book (the Qur'an) which We have sent down, so follow it and have Taqwa(fear Allah), so that you may receive mercy. (Surah Al-An'am: 155)

Allah says:

وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَى هَـؤُلآءِ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَـبَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ

And on the Day when We resurrect a witness from each nation from among themselves, and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these. And We have revealed the Book (the Qur'an) to you as an explanation of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and good news for the Muslims. (Surah An-Nahl: 89)

Allah SWT says:

كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَـرَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُواْ ءَايَـتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُو الاٌّلْبَـبِ

(This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember. (Surah Saad: 29)

Qur'an is a guidance for those who seek it with open hearts, for those who try to read and learn the qur'an with the intention of accepting the words of the Lord, Almighty with utter submission and humility. The guidance is from Allah, The Just, and so it is so Just and Right.
Qur'an is a mercy and blessing to mankind, because without its light, we would be lost in darkness and go astray.
Qur'an is a constant reminder of the Hereafter, so that we may not become blind in the following of our desires for this life.
It is a constant reminder of things that we as humans very often forget, like the importance of salah and sabr(patience).
Qur'an is a glad tiding for those who believe, it tells us about Paradise and its beautiful descriptions so that we be encouraged to strive towards the goal of our life.

The Most noble words of Our Lord softens the heart of those who has an opened heart, or gives a heedful ear, that shows acceptance. It increases, develops and strengthens the one who reads it, because he will come across within the discourse of the Qur'an, The King who possess all dominion, for whom alone is all praise. And Allah is all-aware of what is in the hearts and souls of men. He sees and hears, gives and withholds, rewards and punishes, and honours and abases. This is as Allah azza Wajal said:

إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ
Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful. (Surah Qaaf: 37)

Allah Azza Wajal says:

إِنَّ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانَ يِهْدِى لِلَّتِى هِىَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّـلِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا - وأَنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

Verily, this Qur'an guides to that which is most just and right and gives good news to those who believe, those who do righteous deeds, that they will have a great reward (Paradise). And that those who do not believe in the Hereafter, for them We have prepared a painful torment (Hell). (Surah Isra': 9-10)

Allah placed within its words a cure for illnesses, especially the illnesses and diseases of misconceptions and desires of the heart.

The Qur'an teaches us through the most beautiful and perfect parables, and stories of nations who were destroyed due to their arrogance. It makes us realise the dire need that we are in, of Allah SWT, and how helpless we are, without His Mercy and Blessings. It is us that will profit if we worship Him and be righteous, and it is us who are at loss if we do not. Allah is The Unique, The Independent, The One everything and everyone else is dependent upon (As-Sammad).

______________________________________________________

How can then we be not attached to His (Subhanahu watha'ala)'s remembrance? How can our love for Him, our desire to meet Him (InshAllah, with His Mercy) and feeling close to Him not be our nourishment and strength without which we will not benefit from this life?

Allah says:

أَفَلاَ يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْءَانَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَآ

Will they not then reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon their hearts. (Surah Muhammed: 24)

Allah says that he revealed the Qur'an only so that we ponder upon it. And He SWT explains the lack of guidance for the one who deviates from the straight path is his disregard for reflecting upon the Qur'an. He says:

قَدْ كَانَتْ ءَايَـتِى تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَـبِكُمْ تَنكِصُونَ

Indeed My Ayat used to be recited to you, but you used to turn back on your heels. (Surah Al-Mu'minoon: 66)

May Allah SWT bless us with the true understanding of the Qur'an, that will benefit us in both the worlds. May He give us the thawfeeqe to live by the Qur'an and strengthen our emaan till our last breath, aameen...

To read the next part, click here