Today’s ayah is a short and direct one but with a profound meaning attached to it. It is related to the Glorious words of Allah swt, our Creator and Sustainer, about the Book that has already been written and recorded in the heavens above and was revealed to the Best of Creation, Muhammad (pbuh).
Do they not then think deeply in the Quran, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?
(Muhammad 47:24)
Allah swt in this ayah is talking about the guidance that He swt has sent down for us. A Book that defines right from wrong, a Book that talks about the creation – the heavens and the earth, the nations of the past, the knowns and unknowns of life here and beyond. A Book that shows us a clear way of living our life here in this world. That defines for us, the meaning of true success and happiness, the actual failures in life and lessons from the past, that are as applicable to the present times as broad daylight! In this Book, rests the power to change you, to transform your life. In this Book, are present the answers that we so often find ourselves seeking of life. In this Book, is everything that you ever need to know. This Book is the word of your Rabb, the Glorious Quran.
Allah swt has sent it for us as guidance through the best teacher, our Prophet (pbuh). He swt has done His part. For our part, we are supposed to read it, understand it, think over it and then implement it in our life. But then, how many of us our doing our part? Let’s give ourselves a reality check.
There are four kinds of people when it comes to our attitudes and behaviours towards Quran.
One, who recite it everyday for the blessings pertained to it. They recite it, daily, one page, two pages or more but without understanding or reading the translations.
The second kind are, who recite daily, a portion of it, read the translation as well, but do not think over them or contemplate them and when they close it, they have already forgotten what they read, the most part of it, if not all.
Then there are a third kind, who recite the Quran daily, read the translations, understand the meaning and think over the words of Allah. There are further two sets of people in this kind. One who do so and implement what they learn in their daily life, that is, they live by the Book. While the other, recite, read, understand but they do not practice it in their lives.
The fourth kind of people are the ones who never open the Quran at all, neither to read it nor to understand it. These are too busy with ‘life.’
Which sounds familiar to you? Where do you put yourself in these? Let’s be honest with ourselves. For me, I see myself mostly in the second kind. And yes, I am ashamed about it, but No, it’s not that I am not doing anything about it. I am trying. May Allah swt help me and you as well. We all have imperfections when it comes to our imaan and faith, our Islam, our being a true Muslim. Some are struggling with their Salah, some with Quran, while others with both and like so. What matters is what are we doing about it? Or are we doing anything at all?
The Quran is not an ordinary book, it is the word of Allah swt. We cannot read it like we read stories and novels. We cannot read it with our eyes only, our minds and our hearts have to read it too. We need to be open to it and keep all our faculties at its disposal, if we really need to understand it and derive from it the guidance that it has been sent for. It might be hard to start, but try. See lectures of tafseer, see videos, there are more than enough on the net, make an effort, a smaller one, but do. Recite an ayah, read its translation, ask yourself, how you can benefit from it and implement it in your life. How you can turn the ayah into a duaa for yourself. (Brother Noman Ali Khan suggests this). Don’t just recite and read, but try to understand also, connect to it and relate it to your own life. You might not see the results immediately, but be consistent and you will realize them sooner or later, in sha Allah.
There is another problem prevalent today. We recite and read, but to no affect, no change whatsoever in us, our lives. Do you feel so too? If yes, then you should know that there is a problem. When we are distracted too much by the world and follow our own desires and lusts, we deprive our heart and our soul of their real nourishment. Consequently, they become heedless, resulting into a sick, hard or a dead heart. May Allah swt protect us and turn our hearts towards His guidance. Ameen.
Each one of us, has one of these three states of heart (sick, hard & dead), apart from the sound heart, at one time or another. We keep on fluctuating between the sound heart and any of these three states. The only remedy to this substantially common problem is the Quran itself. The more you recite, the more you read, the more you think, the more you understand and the more you implement it in your life, the better it is for you, for your heart, for your life, here and the next.
Don’t be disheartened, neither fall into despair if you are failing again and again with it. Don’t give up on yourself, maybe the whole world will give up on you, but you shouldn’t, because Allah swt will never give up on you. Keep trying, keep coming back to Allah swt. He is always there for you and me. It is just you and me, who turn away or distance ourselves from Him swt. We just need to keep moving, one step a time, a small step, but move! Don’t just fall and sit there. That way you are not helping yourself. Make lots of duaa to Allah. Ask Him to help you, to open your heart to the Quran, and He will. Seek of Him a cure to your sickness, and He will cure you. Ameen.
I am currently reading a book to help me with my problem with Quran. It is beautiful book and helpful so far. I am still reading it. It is named, ‘Way to the Quran’ by Khurram Murad. I want to share a few good points that the author has so appropriately described over an entire chapter in it.
It is only when you come to the Quran,
with a strong faith, that it is Allah swt speaking to you; read it with no other purpose than seeking guidance from Him and nearness to Him swt; accepting it in every aspect; trusting it without the least of doubt or hesitation, by shunning your own beliefs, notions and judgment which does not mean blind faith, closed minds or an unenquiring intellect, but coming to it with an open mind, reflecting, enquiring and understanding it; having a will and readiness to obey whatever the Quran says and change your life, attitude and behaviour – inwardly and outwardly;
will it reveal its true meaning to you.
Only when you come with these prerequisites will it truly transform your life, soften your heart, guide you and open to you its blessings. May Allah swt make it easy for all of us. Ameen.
Also, remember that at every step that you take with Quran, satan will try to pull you down. He will trick you, whisper excuses to you and all other sort of stuff. You are good enough, you are reading it daily, what more can you do. It is not in your language, it is hard to understand. Thoughts like these or worse, like the following. You are not good enough for it; you are too misguided; there is no way back to Allah; He will never forgive you; or you are fake; you are not as good a Muslim as others think you are; you are pretending; and so on. We specially need to take care of the last thoughts. These are a dangerous tactic of satan, which might lead to your shunning the entire deed of reciting or any other good deed all together, which will of course have then accomplished his purpose! He is an open enemy to us. Beware of him and his whispers. Any time these thoughts come to you, seek refuge with Allah swt from him and renew your intentions. In sha Allah, Allah swt will keep you among His guided and protected slaves.
May Allah swt open our hearts to Him, to His glorious words and to Sunnah of our Prophet (pbuh). May He swt open our hearts to Quran and grant us an understanding of His deen. Make He swt rectify our intentions, soften our hardened hearts, heal our sick souls and let the light of His guidance replace the darkness in our life.
Ameen.
Zahrat Ash Shams 