Friday, October 26, 2007

Love for Quran

اعوذ باللہ من الشیطٰن الرجیم بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم الحمد لله رب العالمين ، أرسل رسوله بالهدى و دين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله و كفي بالله شهيدا ، و أشهد ألا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ؛ له الملك و له الحمد ، يحيى و يميت و هو على كل شئ قدير

In the name of Allah, the most beneficient, the most merciful, Master of the day of Judgement. Peace and blessings be upon the noble Prophet Mohammad SAW, his family and his companions who conveyed the message of Islam through their words, deeds and actions.

My dear respected Brothers, Sisters and Elders in Islam, Assalam o allaikum Wr Wb…..

Allah SWT says in the Holy Quran:

الَر كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ

14:1 - (This is) a Book which We have revealed unto you (O Muhammad SAW) in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness (of disbelief and polytheism) into light (of belief in the Oneness of Allâh and Islâmic Monotheism) by their Lord's Leave to the Path of the All-Mighty, the Owner of all Praise.
Allah SWT has revealed this book so we can be guided from the darkness towards the light of truth. A human being has been struggling since the beginning of its creation to find a path that is peace and solace and that can bring one to the internal peace and tranquility. Allah SWT like many other needs of a human beings, sent anbiya kiram aleyhimus salam to fulfil this need. Each messenger was sent to guide his nation out of the darkness and towards the light of Allah SWT. With the final message of Rasulallah SAW, this guidance has been preserved in the Kalaam of Allah SWT – the Quran.

Quran is the source that brings peace and tranquility in the hearts of the those who are truly seeking for truth. Allah SWT says:

وَإِذَا قُرِىءَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُواْ لَهُ وَأَنصِتُواْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ (7:204
204. So, when the Qur'ân is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy.

There is no book in existance whose followers have committed themselves to memorizing it as much as the huffaz of the Holy Quran. Also, there is no other book on the face of the earth that is read as beautifully as the Quran. It is not the miracle of the recitors but it’s a miracle of the book whose reading has been made to vary in such a manner. If this was the miracle of the recitors, then they could memorize any other book and recite it like Quran. The tonal reading with varying intonations is indeed the speciality of Quran only.

If we see the lives of the sahaba we will find that they had extreme love towards Holy Quran.

Ibn Ka'ab RA was a Sahabi who held a high rank among the Sahabah as a teacher. One day he was reading the Holy Quran and the Messenger of Allah passed. Ibn Ka'ab RA fell silent upon seeing him, but the Messenger of Allah told him to keep reading. Ibn Ka'ab RA said, "How can I read in front of the one upon whom this Quran was revealed?" The Prophet replied, "This is so, but this is how I have been commanded."

Ibn Ka'ab RA realized that Allah Himself had issued a command. He asked, "O Messenger of Allah, did Allah specify me by name?" The Prophet replied, "Yes, Allah inspired me to tell you to read so that He may listen." These were the people who would read the Holy Quran with such love and sincerity that Allah Himself would request them to read the Holy Quran.


Fatima RA would become so absorbed in her reading of the Holy Quran and read with such desire that the whole night would pass unawares. Upon noticing the dawn, she would raise her hands and complain to Allah, "O Allah, I made intention for just two rakats, and Your whole night passed away." These were people who would complain that nights were too short for worship.

Returning from an engagement with the enemy, the Messenger of Allah set up camp along the way and ordered two Sahabah to keep watch during the night while the rest of the army slept. The two Sahabah divided the night into shifts, and one would keep watch while the other slept; this way they would both could get equal sleep. The Sahabi who opted to stay awake for the first part of the night decided to stand up and offer prayer, and in the prayer he started reciting Surah al-Kahf.
Enemy scouts approached and saw that the Muslim camp was asleep. Scanning the surrounding hills, they noticed a lone figure standing atop a cliff edge. They shot an arrow that struck the Sahabi in the chest, and he started bleeding. However, the Sahabi did not move from his position. Two more arrows hit him in the chest, but he kept reciting. When a fourth arrow struck him, he awoke his companion because of fear that he might lose consciousness.

According to some different sources of this hadith, the Sahabi's streaming blood fell upon his companion's face and thus he awoke. This Sahabi said to his now awakened companion, "Had I not had to wake you for the safety of the others, I would have taken arrow after arrow but would not have interrupted Surah al-Kahf for the pleasure it was bringing me."
The love of this Holy Book was immense in the hearts of these people whose lives revolved around this one Book. They took every benefit out of it and that guarantee their success. They considered their lives to be elevated because of Islam.
Umar RA was leading an army back to Madinah after an expedition when he stopped at a valley in the height of noonday. He dismounted and appeared lost in thought for a very long time. The soldiers starting sweating, but dared not move for their leader appeared to be contemplating something in the valley.

Someone worked up the courage to ask Umar RA what he was doing, since the army behind him was waiting. Umar RA sighed and said, "There was a time before accepting Islam that I used to herd camels in this very valley. I did not know how to herd them properly. My father used to beat me and say that I wouldn't amount to anything because I don't even know how to herd camels. Now Allah has made Umar the Amir-ul-Mumineen through the glory of Islam and the Holy Quran." Umar RA used to say, "The Holy Quran has come to give us honor."

Dear Brothers and Sisters! We need to establish a connection with this Glorious Quran, and read it constantly so that we become lovers of this Holy Book. We need to enlighten our hearts with the light of this Glorious Book and then we will be successful both in this life and the next.

A guest came to Husain RA’shouse, so he sent his slave girl out for some food, because there was limited supply in the house. Upon reentering the house, she tripped and hot gravy burned through Husain RA’s clothing. Husain RA grew intensely angry and glared at the girl. However scared the slave girl became at seeing this in her master, she knew his character and the strong principles by which he lived.

The frightened girl immediately quoted a verse from the Noble Quran:

الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاء وَالضَّرَّاء وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ
(The believers are) those who spend in the path of Allah when they are blessed with more and when they are in hardship and those who restrain anger (3:134)

Husain RA’s expression changed and he said to her, "I have absorbed my anger." The girl continued:

وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ
And pardon all men (3:134)

Husain RA said, "I forgive you for your mistake." The slave girl then said:

وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
Allah loves those who do good (3:134)

Hadrat Husain then replied, "Go, I have freed you for the sake of Allah."

These were people who used to change their lives while listening to the Holy Quran. One moment Hadrat Husain was glaring at his slave girl in anger, and the next moment he freed her for the sake of Allah.

Today our copies of the Glorious Quran are sitting on shelves in silk coverings but we do not find the time to read them. We waste our time in useless television and drama shows. We watch television and read the newspaper for hours without realizing the time, and months go by like this, but nobody has the time to pick up the Glorious Revelation of Allah.

وَاذْكُرُواْ إِذْ أَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ النَّاسُ فَآوَاكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
26. And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land, and were afraid that men might kidnap you, but He provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His Help, and provided you with good things so that you might be grateful.

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

When we see the lives of our predecessors, we see that they were few in number but they became successful, because they held fast to Quran. They understood its message in completeness and they implemented that message in their daily lives. We have to wake ourselves up and return to the teachings of Quran, the only true message on Allah SWT.

May Allah make us lovers of the Holy Quran, writers of the Holy Quran, huffaz of the Holy Quran, and give us taufeeq to act upon the Holy Quran. May Allah spread the light of the Glorious Quran throughout the world and enlighten our hearts with it.

Wa akhiru dawaana anil hamdulillahi rabbilaalimeen

Special thanks to Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad
Delivered at Fredericton Islamic Association, Masjid on November 9, 2007