Have you read the Qur’an today?

What is the Quran? It is the last testament from the Creator of the heavens and earth; it is the last message sent by the Almighty to the Jinns and humankind. It is an extremely engaging book which contains one hundred and fourteen (114) chapters and nothing less than six thousand groups of signs and symbols (aayaat), not verses. To refer to the Aayat of the Quran as verses is to sustain the Western hegemonic reading of the glorious book; it is to privilege the Biblical heritage and referential framework; it is to neglect what they are called by He who sent the glorious book to the most honorable of His Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). Each time I take hold of the book, I am immediately drawn into a beginning without and ending; I am fascinated by a scripture which has al-Fatihah but no alKhatimah. The Quran is a book which talks about itself the same way it talks about the world. It is a book which talks about the word and the world; it is a book which talks about how the world was made of out the word. What is the Quran? The Quran is the book of Islam, the encyclopedia of all divinely revealed books. Keneth Cragg, the Oxford Professor of Islamic Studies, refers to this book as the Islamically revealed book; he refers to Islam as the Quranically guided religion. Reading it links you up with Prophet Adam; pondering it connects you with Prophet Musa. The Quran incarnates the odyssey of Prophet Musa and the Jews in the Wilderness. It relives the saga of Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ, upon him be peace and blessings of Allah) and his people in Palestine. Open the Quran if you desire to reread the history of histories. Read the Quran if you desire to answer the un-answered questions in such fields as theology, philosophy, geography, biology, chemistry and oceanography.

One of the fundamental obligations of the Muslim, no matter the gender, is to constantly be in the company of the Glorious book, to read and reread the Quran. Reading the Quran constantly affords uncountable benefits to the believer. It is an easy way to earn rewards from the Almighty. Since it is a command from Him that we read the glorious book, doing so therefore becomes the fulfilment of an obligation. On the day of resurrection, the reader of the Qur’an shall enjoy the intercession of the book. So when last did you read the Quran? Are you in the habit of reading the glorious book during the month of Ramadan only? Are you a Ramadan Muslim?

But bear this in mind - your constant reading of the Quran would actually be of little benefits to you if you do not live it. In other words, reading the Quran regularly means living with the Quran. Are you that type of Muslim who reads the Quran but act contrary to the injunctions therein? Are you heedless of its orders and prohibitions? Do you think deeply over it each time you read it? Keep this in mind; the way you relate to the Quran here on earth would be the way it will relate to you on the day of resurrection. I pray with you and for you thus- “O Almighty! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech and the rest of your beautiful Names and Attributes, to make the Qur’an a proof for us! O Almighty! Don’t make the Qur’an a proof against us on that Day, and save us from the hellfire! For if Allah makes the Qur’an a proof in our favour on that Day, then it would also be an intercessor for us, when NO intercession will take place except by His Permission.

In Sahih Muslim, there is an interesting story. During the reign of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, some people came to question him about his appointment of a man they considered to be of lowly social status as the head of Makkah. They asked Umar: “Who do you appoint to govern Makkah?” Umar said, “Ibn Abzaa.” They asked, “And who is Ibn Abzaa?” Umar replied, “A freed slave from those we freed.” They remarked, “You left a freed slave in charge of the people of the Valley (the noble tribes of the Quraysh)?” So he answered them, “Verily he is a reader of the Book of the Almighty and is knowledgeable about the obligations of the Muslims. Haven’t you heard the statement of the Messenger (s.a.w): “Verily the Almighty raises some people by this Book and lowers others by it.” In another tradition, the Prophet is reported to have said: “The best of you are the ones who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others” [Al-Bukhari]

There is another tradition reported by Imam Tirmidhi thus: “Whoever reads a letter from the Book of the Almighty will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. By that I do not mean that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.” So increase your recitation of the Qur’an to gain these merits, and to gain the following merit as well.