The Qur’an and the Month of Ramadan
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
Alhamdulillah! Today is the 10th day of the blessed month of Ramadan. Let us not forget that this is a special time to strive to do good deeds to our fullest potential. Let us try to get close to Allah (SWT) by engaging ourselves in acts of worship, by making supplications (du’as), by spending for the sake of Allah and by reciting the Qur’an. The topic of today’s reminder is: “The Qur’an and the Month of Ramadan.” Allah (SWT) says:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآَنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ
“It was in the month of Ramadan that the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind, with clear proofs of guidance and the criterion.”
Ramadan is the month to rediscover the Qur’an, which is the ultimate guidance to humanity.
قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“Say, “Allah’s guidance is the only guidance, and we are commanded to surrender ourselves to the Lord of the Worlds.” (al-An’am, 6:71).
This divine guidance distinguishes between right and wrong, between good and evil, and between truth and falsehood. There is nothing that is left out in the Qur’an in terms of guidance, for Allah says,
مَّا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِن شَيْءٍ
“We have left out nothing in the Book” (al-An’am 6:38).
This guidance can only be received by reading the Qur’an, by understanding it, and by acting upon it. There could be no better time to read the Qur’an and reflect upon it than the blessed month of Ramadan. The Qur’an is the last and final revelation for humanity and its protection has been undertaken by Allah Himself for He says,
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
“It is We Who have sent down the Reminder and it is We Who will preserve it” (al-Hijr, 15:9). Describing the Qur’an, Allah says,
إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ () وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ
“This is truly a decisive statement; it is not something to be taken lightly” (al-Tariq, 86:13-14).
We learn from the Qur’an that the Prophet (SAW) complained to Allah (SAW) about the unbelieving Quraish, that they had neglected the Qur’an. They had abandoned and discarded it.
وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَذَا الْقُرْآَنَ مَهْجُورًا
“The Messenger said, ‘My Lord, my people have deserted this Qur’an.’” (al-Furqan, 25:30)
Some commentators (mufassirun) say that this statement will also be made by the Prophet (SAW) on the Day of Judgment.
As Muslims, what is our relationship with the Qur’an? It is sad but true that by and large, we too seem to have abandoned the Qur’an. Had it not been so, the Muslim Ummah would not be in the crisis, in which it finds itself. The Qur’an which is meant to be constantly read and acted upon has unfortunately been shelved by many if not most Muslims. In order to rectify our condition, we must understand our responsibilities toward the Qur’an and try our best in fulfilling them. The Qur’an demands of every Muslim certain obligations. A Muslim is required: (1) to believe in the Qur’an, (2) to read it (3) to understand it, (4) to act upon its teachings, and (5) to convey its message to others.
Since our iman is weak, we do not turn to the Qur’an for guidance. We need to check ourselves to see if our belief in the Qur’an is a mere code of belief that has nothing to do with practical life or we truly believe in the Qur’an as the ultimate source of guidance for all of humanity.
To be able to fulfill the obligation of reciting the Qur’an, we need to establish a daily recitation schedule and recite as much as we can on a daily basis. Just as the food for our bodies is derived from the earth, the nourishment for our spirits is obtained from the Word of Allah—the Qur’an.
If we read the Qur’an without understanding, how can we put it into practice? For those of us who have not yet learned Arabic, we should start by reading translations and commentaries (tafsirs) in the languages we know best.
We are also obliged to follow the teachings of the Qur’an; not partially but fully. We need to be determined to follow everything in the Qur’an and modify our character accordingly. Otherwise, if we read from the Qur’an but do not follow its guidance, then we will be inflicting harm upon ourselves. The Muslim Ummah today is witnessing the consequences of not holding on to the Qur’an. We need to strive to follow the teachings of the Qur’an. That will cause our character to be transformed. Our best example is that of our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) about whom the mother of the believers, A’isha (RA) said,
كَانَ خُلُقُهُ الْقُرْآنَ
“His character was the Qur’an.”
The best way to benefit from studying the Qur’an is to change our lifestyles and mend our ways in accordance with its teachings.
The final obligation that we owe to the Qur’an is to convey its message to others. This task was first assigned to our Prophet Muhammad (SAW). After his demise, this responsibility of conveying the message falls upon the shoulders of his Ummah. In his farewell sermon, the Prophet (SAW) said, “Let those of you who are present convey it to those of you who are absent.” In a hadith, he is also reported to have said, “Convey from me even though it be a single verse (ayah).”
May Allah have mercy upon us by means of the Qur’an; and may He make it a source of light, guidance, and mercy for us. May He remind us from the Qur’an that which we have been made to forget, and teach us from it regarding which we are ignorant. May He bless us with its recitation, and may He make it a proof for us and not against us on the Day of Judgment. Allahumma Ameen.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
وَصَلَّ اللهُ عَلَى خيرِ خَلقِهِ مُحمَّدٍ وعَلَى آلِه وأصْحَابِه أجْمَعِين- بِرَحْمَتِكَ يا أرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِين
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Some passages have been excerpted and paraphrased from the book “Thirty Lessons for Those Who Fast” by Aa’id Abdullah al-Qarni.
