The best among you is the one who learns the Qur’an and teaches it. (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
BY KHURRAM MURAD
An essential and important part of living by the Qur’an is to convey its message to people around you.
Indeed the moment the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received the first revelation he realized the immense task of bringing it to his people. And the second revelation came with the summons: “Stand up and warn.” (Qur’an, 74:2) Then at various places it was made clear to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that to communicate the Qur’an, to make it heard, to explain it was to be his primary duty and his life mission (Al-Maidah 5:67; Al-Anam 6:19 and 105; Al-Araf 7:157; Maryam 19:97 and Al-Furqan 25:1).
Now we, as his followers, as people possessing the Book of Allah, are charged and entrusted with the same mission. To have the Qur’an obliges us to convey it; to hear the Qur’an is to make it heard. We must make it clear and known to mankind and not let it remain concealed: “And when Allah took pledge from those who had been given the Book: ‘You shall make it known to mankind, and not conceal it.’ But they cast it behind their backs, and bartered it away for a small price; how evil was their bargain.” (Qur’an, 3:187)
If there is a lamp in your heart and hand, it must spread its light. If there is fire inside you, it must radiate its warmth and glow.
Those who do not do so, for want of transient worldly gains, are in fact filling their bellies with fire: “Those who conceal of what the Book of Allah has sent down on them, and barter it away for a little price they shall eat naught but the Fire in their bellies, Allah shall not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, neither purify them.” (Qur’an, 2:174)
Why, despite the fact that the Qur’an is read by millions day and night, still it does not make any difference to our situation?
And they deserve the curse of Allah the Almighty: “Those who conceal the clear messages and the guidance that We have sent down, after We have made them clear for mankind in the Book they shall be cursed by Allah and the cursers.” (Qur’an, 2:159)
Unless they discharge their duties: “Save such as repent, and put themselves right, and make (the Book) known toward them I shall turn…” (Qur’an, 2:160)
Look at yourself! Look at Muslims today! Why, despite the fact that the Qur’an is read by millions day and night, still it does not make any difference to our situation?
Either we read it and do not understand it; or, if we understand it, we do not accept it nor act upon it; or, if we act upon it, we accept part of it and reject part of it; or, while we are engrossed in reading it and acting by only part of it, we are guilty of committing the worst crime and concealing it and not bringing its light to the world.
“And some among them are illiterate common people, who have no knowledge of the Book, [believing] only wishful fancies, and they depend on nothing but conjecture. Woe, also, unto those who write [the meanings of] the Book with their own hands, then say, ‘This is from Allah’, that they may acquire thereby a little price….” (Qur’an, 2:78-9)
“What! Do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part? What, then, shall be the reward of those of you who do that but ignominy in the life of this-world and, on the Day of Resurrection to be returned unto the most grievous suffering.” (Qur’an, 2:85)
Let there not be the slightest doubt in our minds that unless we commit ourselves to the most important responsibility of being witnesses unto the Qur’an, which devolves upon us by virtue of us having it and reading it, we shall never discharge what we owe to the Qur’an.
The ignominy, dishonor, humiliation, backwardness that has become our lot is only because of the way we treat the Qur’an and the mission it entrusts to us.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “By this Book Allah makes some peoples to rise and others to decline.” (Muslim)
And Allah says: “Had they established the Tawrah, and the Injil, and what has been sent down to them from their Lord, they would have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet.” (Qur’an, 5:66)
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Khurram Murad is an eminent scholar and writer
Source: ArabNews
