by Dr. Israr Ahmad

The pathetic and disastrous condition of the Muslim Ummah throughout the world is due to the abandoning of the Holy Qur'an by the Muslims. The attitude of indifference that we constantly show towards the last of the Allah's Revelations, along with our hypocritical lip-service, is tantamount to ridiculing it. Instead, we must clearly understand our responsibilities towards the Holy Qur'an and try our very best in fulfilling them. We can neither expect any improvement in our worldly state of affairs nor hope for salvation in the Hereafter, unless we carry out all the obligations that we owe to the Qur'an.

The Qur'an makes five demands from every Muslim, which are as follows:

1. A Muslim is required to believe in the Qur'an;
2. He is required to read it;
3. He is required to understand it;
4. He is required to act upon its teachings;
5. He is required to convey its teachings to others.

OUR FIRST OBLIGATION is to have faith (Iman) in the Divine origin of the Qur'an. Iman has two phases: verbal profession (iqrar bil-lisan) and heart-felt conviction (tasdeeq bil-qalb). To have faith in the Qur'an means that we should verbally profess that the Qur'an is the Word of Almighty Allah (SWT) that was revealed by Him through His angel Gabriel to the last of His messengers, Prophet Muhammad (SAW). This is a legal requirement for the acceptance of a person as a member of the Muslim society. Having done that, however, we also need to develop a deeply felt certitude in the Qur'an. It is only when we have real conviction in that verbal declaration that our hearts and minds would come under the spell of the Holy Qur'an, leading us towards genuine devotion and veneration of the Holy Book. Unfortunately, there is a woeful lack of staunch faith in the Divine origin of the Qur'an among the Muslims of today. This lack of faith is the reason why we neither find any reverence for the Qur'an in our hearts, nor feel inclined to study it, nor evince any interest in pondering over its meanings, nor ever think of seeking its guidance in conducting our lives.

It might be asked as to how can we acquire true faith? The answer is that the source of Iman is the Holy Qur'an itself. If the Book is studied and its meanings are pondered upon in an authentic quest for truth, all the veils of darkness shall be lifted from one's heart, and the inner self — the soul — will get illuminated by the light of true faith. Note that faith is not something that can be planted in us from the outside. It is an embodiment of fundamental truths that already exist inside us; the practice of pondering over the ayaat of the Qur'an serves to bring them to the surface of our consciousness.

OUR SECOND OBLIGATION is slow and thoughtful reading of the Holy Qur'an with correct pronunciation, generally described as Tilawat, Tarteel, and Tajweed. Note that Tilawat is not only an important form of worship, but it is also an effective method of continually refreshing our faith. The Qur'an is not a book to be read once; it is a book that needs to be read again and again. We must read it carefully, reflecting on its messages, constantly seeking guidance for our lives. Just as our material body is in constant need of food for its sustenance, our spiritual soul or Rooh is also in perpetual need for its nourishment. And just as the food for our bodies is derived from the earth, the diet for our souls is obtained from the Word of God, the Holy Qur'an itself.

Moreover, a regular and constant program of reciting the Holy Qur'an is also needed because it is a means of refreshing and reviving our faith, and a weapon for surmounting the obstacles in the path of Almighty Allah. The ideal way in which the Holy Book should be recited is that one should stand in the post-midnight prayer before his Lord and recite its ayaat in a slow and patient manner, pausing at proper places so as to enable one's heart to imbibe its influence.

OUR THIRD OBLIGATION is to understand and comprehend the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an has been revealed so that it may be understood and pondered upon. Of course, there are numerous levels and grades of comprehension, accessible to different persons according to their respective planes of intellect and consciousness. The first stage in the comprehension of the Holy Qur'an is called Tazakkur, a term which alludes to the fact that the teachings of the Qur'an are not at all foreign or alien to the human fitrah. Instead, they represent the eternal truths dormant in the human soul itself, and the reading or listening of the Holy Qur'an only facilitates the recalling of these forgotten verities. The Holy Qur'an has been rendered very easy, by Almighty Allah (SWT), for the purpose of gaining this level of guidance. It does not matter if a person's intelligence is limited, or his knowledge of logic and philosophy is poor, or if he has no fine sense of language and literature. In spite of these drawbacks, he can still understand the basic message and practical guidance of the Holy Qur'an, provided he has an untainted nature not perverted by any crookedness. The knowledge of Arabic language is, however, indispensable for this purpose. Muslims who are not only educated but who have obtained advanced degrees in arts and sciences would have no excuse before Almighty Allah (SWT) on the Day of Judgment, if they failed to learn so much Arabic as would have enabled them to understand His Book. Learning basic Arabic is a duty that every educated Muslim owes to the Holy Qur'an.

The second stage in the comprehension of the Holy Qur'an is far from easy. Tadabbur is described as a penetrating study, an intense reflection, as thorough deliberation of the Holy Qur'an as possible, and diving deep into the bottomless ocean of its wisdom. This kind of understanding is impossible unless one is to devote his entire life, all his talents, and all his energies for the sole purpose of comprehending the Qur'an. Obviously, not everyone is capable of such a high level of devotion and effort to acquire such insight and comprehension. But there must be a number of persons, at all times, who are engaged in this enterprise.

Such scholars cannot be produced unless we have a network of universities throughout the Muslim world, which concentrate on the Qur'anic research and make this Book the focus of all their intellectual activity. Such scholars would need to have a thorough knowledge of the Arabic language and its grammar and a refined literary taste to appreciate the beauty and force of its expression. They must acquire a good grounding in the language in which the Qur'an was revealed by a critical study of the works of the pre-Islamic poets and orators. They must be able to appreciate the terms and modes of expression evolved by the Qur'an itself, along with an understanding of the coherence in the Qur'an. A good knowledge of Tradition and old scriptures is also necessary for the comprehension of the Qur'an. Along with this classical knowledge, the scholars must also have an understanding of the fundamentals of modern physical and social sciences. This would widen their intellectual horizon and enable them to present the eternal Qur'anic truths in the contemporary idiom.

OUR FOURTH OBLIGATION is to act upon the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an is the “Guidance for mankind.” The purpose for which this Book has been revealed will be fully realized only when people act upon its teachings and make it the guide for them in every sphere of their lives. If we disregard the injunctions of the Qur'an, then the reading and understanding of the Holy Book, instead of doing us any good, will only make us more guilty before Almighty Allah (SWT).

At an individual level, it is imperative for every Muslim to mold his or her life according to the teachings of the Qur'an. Our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has said: “None of you can become a true believer until his desires become subordinate to what I have brought.” The best way to benefit from the study of the Holy Qur'an is to go on changing our life-styles and mending our ways in accordance with its teachings.

At the collective level of the community, it is equally imperative for us to try and establish the system of Social Justice as given by the Holy Qur'an. The Muslims are, as a whole, responsible for establishing the Sovereignty of Almighty Allah (SWT) in the public as well as the private sphere, and each of us is obligated to try his utmost in this path. The struggle for the establishment of such a just and equitable order in accordance with the teachings of the Qur'an is the bounding duty of its followers.

OUR FIFTH OBLIGATION is to propagate the message of the Holy Qur'an to every nook and corner of the world. This was originally the responsibility of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who fulfilled his own obligation by conveying the Divine message to the Ummah; since Prophethood has been concluded with the advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who is the last of the Divine Messengers, it is now the duty of the Muslims to deliver that message to all humanity. Unfortunately, the proclamation of the Divine message to the whole world appears like a far-fetched and fantastic idea, because, at the moment, the Muslims themselves are ignorant of the teachings of the Holy Qur'an.

Therefore, a powerful intellectual and academic movement — back to the Qur'an — is needed in order to propagate and disseminate the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Qur'an, both on a general scale for the benefit of our masses and on the highest level of scholarship in order to convert the educated and intelligent elite of the Muslim society.