HOW DO WE ANSWER THE CALL OF ALLAH? (PART III)

(FOLLOW ALLAH’S WORDS)

• Why did Allah reveal (sent) the Holy Qur’an?
• Is it enough to possess a copy of the Holy Qur’an and to ask for blessing with it?
• Would one benefit from reading and listening to the Holy Qur’an?

Why did Allah reveal (sent) the Holy Qur’an?

As mentioned previously, Allah is the lord and master of mankind. He is the one who takes care of their material needs such as food and clothing as well as their spiritual needs in order to make them approach him and benefit from such closeness. He, thus, is the nourisher of bodies, souls, minds and spirits. He called mankind to know him and get acquainted with him. However, since physical sight is unavailable, Allah has chosen to talk to mankind to eliminate mankind’s fear and anxiousness. Through such speech, Allah shall, on one hand, relief the anxiousness and shall introduce Himself to man, on the other.

In the same context, Qur’an is the means that Allah preferred to use to talk to his servants so that they would know him through His words. Moreover, Qur’an is a card of identification about Allah’s knowledge and wisdom. It is a message whose theme manifests and reveals Allah Almighty to his creatures.

Qur’an is the banquet of soul and mind. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his household) says, “This Qur’an is a banquet of Allah. So, learn form His banquet as much as you can.”¹ Qur’an also described the passage form the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowing Allah, ﴾… A Book which We have revealed unto thee, in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light﴿² . Qur’an is also a prescription for healing the disease of the soul, ﴾We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe﴿³

Qur’an is an image that suits and fits our minds and understanding about the Creator since knowing the wisdoms of Allah is amongst the wisdoms of Qur’an, knowing the greatness of Allah is amongst the greatnesses of Qur’an; from knowing the Qur’an’s greatness we could know the elevation and highness of Allah, and from the sweetness of the Qur’an, we would know the mercy and kindness of Allah.


Is it enough to possess a copy of the Holy Qur’an and to ask for blessing with it?

Some people possess copies of the Qur’an as decorations. They might plate them with gold and make holders for them. They might put them in certain places just to dust them later. They might also possess them just because they believe that Qur’an shall protect them from evils and dilemmas. They, however, rarely read them.

Supplication and asking for blessings and preservation by using Qur’an is something good of course, but the Holy Qur’an was never revealed for such a purpose. If it were so, it would be a great abuse. Any one who deals with the Qur’an in such a way is like a person who had gotten an invitation from a glorious and generous king to a party that honors him with the condition that such a person abides by the codes and courtesy of conduct in the presence of this great kind. In such an invitation, there is a description for reaching such a banquet and how to benefit from such a presence. But when the guest saw the beauty of the invitation card and that it is stamped with the great seal of the King of Kings, he kissed and made a frame for the same where he reserved it and kept it in the middle of his house so that his guest would look proudly at it. He never read it, never answered its calls and never abided by its courtesies. He only admired its sender and was taken by its decorations. Should he read it, he only pronounced the words it contained and listened to the sounds contained therein without comprehending their meanings. Well, the pronunciation of Allah’s words is the words of Allah. It is also the light of Allah. Hence, reading, writing, listening and looking to the same are all beneficial and useful. Despite the same, what is wanted is more just than looking, listening or reading. The aims and blessings of the Qur’an are greater. So, come and let us know and search for these benefits and blessings.


How would one benefit from reading the Holy Qur’an?

It is aspired from the Holy Qur’an to guide us to the truth, introduce us to Allah, increase our link to Him and guide us to the right path that leads to the same. ﴾Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable)…﴿⁴

In the Qur’an we shall find clarifications for the rulings of religion, preaching, descriptions of life and the hereafter, history of the previous nations to give example, and sciences and meanings that have never executed, for reading and enjoying what you read is not a mere purpose. On the contrary, one may use a lamp to find his way in the dark. What is needed is to think and contemplate the verses of the Qur’an and understand them so that they move longing for Allah and heaven and helps the heart not to get attached to life. The verses of the Qur’an are also a treatment for the soul, whoever never does it will be like someone who had gone to a physician who prescribed treatment for him, but the patient took it, kept it and never applied it. Would he be cured then? The same applies to those who are putting Qur’an aside, for Qur’an is the divine healing prescription.


Conclusion

O Dear Brother! Try to learn more about the Qur’an because when you do, you will like it, and if you do like it, it will comfort you. Just then you will be building a connection with its high intentions and you will never walk alone. Imam Al Sajjad (peace be upon him) says, “If all people on earth died, I would never feel lonely because the Qur’an would be with me.”⁵


We and the Qur’an

1- Qur’an must not be desecrated or humiliated.
2- Touching the writing of the Qur’an must not occur unless the person touching it is pure (i.e. performing minor ablution or major ablution).
3- It is hated that a person who has had intercourse and still has not performed ghusul to read more than seven verses.
4- It is highly recommended that the reader of the Qur’an be pure (i.e. performing minor ablution or major ablution).

Imam Al Bin Abi Taleb (peace be upon him) said, “Any Qur’an reader who is reading while he is pure shall have twenty five favors and ten without purification.”⁶

5- Bushing teeth with Siwak. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his household) says, “Clean the way of Qur’an. How do we do that? Your mouths, he replied. With what? With Siwak.”⁷

6- Facing the Kibla in Mecca.

7- Begin with ‘I seek refuge with Allah from the rejected Satan’. “When thou dost read the Qur'an, seek Allah's protection from Satan the rejected one.”⁸

8- Read slowly and improve your voice. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his household) says, “Allah has never permitted anything like He permitted reading Qur’an with a nice voice.”⁹

9- Reading at least fifty verses daily in a loud voice because houses where Qur’an is read are houses which are lit for angels. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his household) says, “Illuminate your houses with reading Qur’an.”¹⁰


* "Beginning of the Path", "Lesson six". By: Islamic Cultural Knowledge Organization. Knowledge Center for Islamic Studies and Researches.

^{1- Wasael Al Shiia, Volume 4, Page 826.
2- (Ibrahim [Abraham] 014.001).
3- (Al Isra [Isra, The Night Journey, Children of Israel] 017.082).
4- (Al-Isra [Isra, The Night Journey, Children of Israel]) 017.009.
5- Al Kafi, V. 2, P.602.
6- Wasailu Shia, V. 4, P, 848.
7- Al Mahasen, V. 2, P 558.
8- (An-Nahl [The Bee] 016.098).
9- Al Majazat Al Nabawia, p.2.
10- Al Kafi, v2, p610.}