By Qasim Choudhary, USA
Imagine wrapping a priceless gift and presenting it to a loved one, only to have them misplace it or disregard your kind gesture. Sadly, in the present age, Muslims have neglected and failed to open the divine gift bestowed upon them by God, the Holy Qur’an. However, God Almighty had already foretold that the Ummah would treat the Holy Qur’an as a discarded thing. [1]
Similarly, there is a saying of the Holy Prophet (sa) to the effect, ‘A time will come upon my people when there will remain nothing of Islam but its name and of the Qur’an its words.’ [2]
As the world races towards modernity and as some Muslims continue to display heedlessness towards the grandeur of the Holy Qur’an, some may wonder why we should recite a 7th-century archaic text revealed in the deserts of Arabia. Here are five reasons why you should read the Holy Qur’an.
1. ‘The Holy Qur’an makes you like the Prophets’
The prophets are the epitome of purity, righteousness, and success. Their relationship with God is what sets them apart from the rest of mankind. Thus, they enjoyed a state which eludes many of us; contentment. Undoubtedly, these are all traits every one of us would hasten to imbue within ourselves. But how? The Promised Messiah (as) reveals that ‘The Qur’an can purify a person within a week as long as it is followed in letter and spirit. The Qur’an can make you like the Prophets, so long as you do not flee from it yourself.’ [3]
2. You will be rewarded for every letter you read
Imagine receiving a monetary sum or reward for every breath or step you took in a day. Such an incentive would surely prompt us to maximize our steps and breaths for that day. Similarly, God Almighty gives us a great incentive for reciting even a single letter of the Holy Qur’an.
The Holy Prophet (sa) is narrated to have said, ‘Whoever recites a letter from Allah’s book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.’ [4]
Thus reciting only three letters of the Holy Qur’an warrants thirty fold reward. What greater incentive is required after this?
3. The Holy Qur’an is easy to understand
Our lives are dynamic and needless to say, balancing school, work, and family life can be complicated. Amongst all the uncertainties in life that burden us, the Holy Qur’an is sound in its logic and reasoning and is free of complexities. It breathes new life into its reader and offers stability and hope. A hallmark of the Holy Qur’an is its ability to satisfy people of all intellectual levels, whether an ignorant person, a scholar or a philosopher. [5]
Accordingly, God Almighty states in the Holy Qur’an, ‘And indeed We have made the Qur’an easy to understand and to remember.’ [6]
4. It is a source of healing for mankind
Is there any author who claims that by reading their book one can be healed of spiritual and physical ailments? God Almighty puts forth this miraculous proof before its readers and states, ‘And We are gradually revealing of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers.’ [7]
It is narrated that a chieftain was suffering from a snake-bite. A companion of the Holy Prophet (sa) started reciting Surah Al-Fatihah (the opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an) and applied his saliva to the wound. Miraculously, the saliva served as a remedy and cured the ailing chief. [8]
Similarly, the First Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nooruddin (ra), and a reputed physician said regarding his own experience, ‘I have recited Al-Hamd (Surah al-Fatihah) on countless patients and consequently, they were cured.’ [9]
The Holy Qur’an was revealed at a time when spiritual disease was at its peak. As the Promised Messiah (as) profoundly puts it, ‘the Arabic peninsula was home to ailing people of all sorts, who suffered from every spiritual illness that was to afflict the people of that age and future generations.’ [10]
All miracles aside, the reformation brought about by the Holy Qur’an will forever be unmatched. It transformed the ungodly to godly. Those who were once spiritually destitute had unlocked the divine treasure chest that granted them eternal life.
5. ‘The Holy Qur’an possesses every truth’ [11]
فِیۡھَا کُتُبٌ قَیِّمَۃٌ
‘Therein are lasting commandments’ [12]
We live in a world where new research and information are constantly replacing and improving outdated facts. Simultaneously, we are being bombarded with such an unprecedented amount of information that it has become increasingly difficult to discern between truth and falsehood. For instance, take the example of a healthy diet; amongst the health and fitness community, there exists an on-going debate in regards to which nutrition plan proves to be the most beneficial. From the rise of the plant-based diet to the low-carb keto diet, everyone has an opinion. Health experts put forth varying opinions and studies but they are unable to present a final and unequivocal statement accepted by all.
(Image taken from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/)
Fortunately, the Holy Qur’an is free from doubts and is truly an infallible blueprint for life till the end of times. Moreover, its author is Al-Haqq (the Truth) and has presented eternal truths for mankind in all facets of life. Take the conundrum of a healthy diet for instance. The Holy Qur’an presents the following approach, ‘Eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and transgress not therein’. [13]
Here, we can observe the balanced teachings of the Holy Qur’an on full display. The ‘Quranic diet’ does not support leaning to any extreme or specific food group, rather it beautifully puts forth the idea of adopting a moderate plate.
The reality is that experts in all fields of research and development will continue to explore and propose new theories for leading the optimal lifestyle. However, every ultimate truth concerning man is already present in the book of nature i.e. the Holy Qur’an. Accordingly, the Promised Messiah (as) expounds, ‘It is our belief that if the current advancements made in the fields of philosophy and science were to progress a thousand times they would never gain dominance over the Holy Qur’an.’ [14]
Thus, it is incumbent upon every Muslim to open this gift of God and secure the innumerable pearls of divine wisdom contained in it. In a world ravaged with pain and anguish, it is our obligation to share this source of healing with mankind. May Allah protect us from becoming those who spurn this divine gift.
About the Author: Qasim Choudhary is a recent graduate from the Ahmadiyya Institute of Languages and Theology in Canada, and serves as an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United States of America.
ENDNOTES
[1] The Holy Qur’an, 25:31
[2] Baihaqi, Shu’abul-Iman
[3] Noah’s Ark, by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), (Eng.Translation) p.44 Islam International Publications Ltd, (2018)
[4] Tirmidhi, Kitab Fadhail Quran
[5] Malfuzat Vol.1, by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), (Eng.Translation) p.38 (2018)
[6] The Holy Qur’an, 54:18
[7] The Holy Qur’an, 17:83
[8] Bukhari, Kitab-at-Tib
[9] Haqaiq-ul-Furqan, pg.8
[10] Malfuzat, Vol.1, by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), (Eng.Translation) p.37-38 (2018)
[11] Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol.37, p.75-76
[12] The Holy Qur’an, 98:4
[13] The Holy Qur’an, 20:82
[14] Malfuzat Vol.10, by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), p.394 (1984)
Add Comment