THE QUR’AN MAJEED AS DA’EE
The old wrinkled village grandmother fumbled an old yellowed and wrinkled copy of Surah Ya Sin. Layers of soot and the residue of years of cooking by a wood fire decorated her and her meager surroundings. Gnarled fingers once more rhythmically moved from right to left, line by line across letters so worn they were barely distinguishable. This ritual was followed at dawn and sunset. When she had finished it was kissed and placed on the worn piece of fabric covering her head, as her toothless grin smiled, “Insha’Allah, the words and meaning will seep into my brain.” She then solemnly and meticulously wrapped it and wedging it into a space between the bamboo frame of her hut and the dried grass roof, a meter away were the family chickens roosting in dried woven bamboo baskets! Some days later I was a Muslimah! SubahAllah!
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“How superb! The pages are strewn with diamonds!” Exclaimed a non-Muslim friend many years ago when she first saw an open page of my Mushaf. She was referring to all the dots signifying the letters. Sometime later she embraced Islam, SubhanAllah!
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Her shiny black leathery hands stood the wooden stand in front of her on the plush red Masjid Nabawi carpet. She collected a Mushaf from the polished brass shelf. Adjusting her frayed black abaya she sat composed, exhaling a sigh; a faintly audible audhu biLlahi… was murmured as she rested the closed Mushaf on the stand. Then began a series of turning it one way, opening it, examining it, turning it again, dropping her head, scrutinizing the pages, then turning it up the other way…over and over, until she began reading it upside down. Eventually I smiled as I leaned over turning it the correct way. Indicating she wanted Surah Ikhlas, I placed her finger on it and she immediately began swaying gently with a soft, deliberate repetition. She remained focused with this for at least half an hour. I felt as though I was being fed the sweetest taste directly from heaven, the sincerity of her Iman seemed to ooze from within her being. When she finished we faced each other with the deepest of smiles, and spontaneous tears, as hands interlocked for what seemed a timeless eternity of bliss. SubhanAllah!
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‘Amr ibn Dinar, who died in 126 A.H. said: I have met the Companions of the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and those that came after him for seventy years, all of them said: “Allah is the Creator, and everything besides Him is created, and the Qur’an is the kalam of Allah, from Him it came, and to Him it will return.”
Millions of people have authored books about the meaning and exegesis of our Honoured Book. But none are able to encompass the breadth and depth of its meanings. The more we try to get from the Holy Quran, the more it gives. It gives, and yet all that remains is far beyond our scope of understanding. Whoever seeks from it, his heart will be filled with the Nur of Iman, Insha’Allah. According to Hadith it will be raised on the Day of Judgement as “bikr” (Arabic for unprecedented, unparalleled, virginal). The Ulema say that its full meaning and comprehension is unknown until then.
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Allah Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala says,
Allah invites [everyone] to the House of Peace. (meaning Jannah). (10:25)
He Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala says,
While Allah calls you to Jannah, and forgiveness by His leave, He makes His message clear to people. (2:221).
He Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala says,
The Creator of the heavens and earth, He calls you to Him in order to forgive you yours sins and let you enjoy your life until the appointed hour. (14:10)
Allah Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala commanded the best of the creation SallAllahu alaihi wasallam,
Say: This is my path; I call to Allah with wisdom, myself and whoever follows me. (12:108).
So the Revealer of the Book, the Creator of the heavens and earth, and the Lord of the Magnificent Throne Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala is a Caller (Da’ee).
And His Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala’s Speech, the revealed, is an invitation (Da’wah). It is informing people:
This is a message to all people. (14:52).
The one who received, the Prophet, is a caller, a Da’ee.
O Messenger, propagate everything that has been sent down to you from Your Lord. (5:67)
Those who receive the revelation are callers, Du’ah.
Say: This is my way; Based on sure knowledge, I, and all who follow me, call [people] to Allah. (12:108)
So the Quran is the invitation of Allah Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala to His creation.
We made it light, guiding with it whoever We will of Our servants. (42:52), through the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.
Exalted is he who has sent the Furqan, that shows the difference, down to His servant so that he may warn all people. (25:1)
It is distressing to see that Muslims have turned away from this great treasure that have been revealed to them; the very Speech of Allah. It has been made a sacred family heirloom, decorated in fancy and expensive covers, yet to ne uninhabited by the best covers of all, their hearts. It is recited and listened to in the best and most melodious voices, yet its meaning has been neglected. It is place higher than all other objects in the room, yet occupies the lowest position in daily life. It is read when death greets family or friends, yet ignored by the living. It has been written in the most elaborate and detailed of scripts on the most exquisite of papers, yet its commands and prohibitions are not heeded.
What is the matter with them that they have turned away from the Remembrance? (74:49)
Ibn Mas’ud RadhiAllahu anhu reported that the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: “The Qur’an is an intercessor, and an intercession that is accepted, and a maahil, (one who is persistent in his intercession, and goes to great extremes to save a person) and a credible (book). Whoever puts it ahead of him, it will lead him to Paradise, and whoever throws it behind him, it will drag him into Hell.” (at-Tabarani)
Insha’Allah we heed the call of this Precious Revelation, while in turn, follow the example of our Beloved Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, by being callers to its message, in whatever capacity we can. Ameen.
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.
assalamualaykum ww. subhanallah…may ALLAH make us from amongst those who will gain intercession from the quran ameen!!plz make dua4me2b successful in my exam2mr inshaAllah..n4everything else as well!ws
Comment by tasnim — April 29, 2007 @ 9:56 pm
The core objective of Muslims in this world is that they guide people to Allah Ta’ala. If the guides are busy away from fulfilling their objective of life, they will be deprived of the bonuses that go with the job.
A doctor who, instead of curing patients, spends his time fixing the plumbing of his clinic, will be definitely sacked.
We have occupied our time with so many functions other than our main function; guiding people to LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH, MUHUMMAD RASULULLAH.
Comment by NQ — April 29, 2007 @ 10:16 pm
Alhamdulillah! There is no glory, no might, no power, no atom, no speck, no stone, no blade of grass, no flower, no tree, no fish nor bird nor animal, no man nor woman, no earth nor planets nor stars nor galaxies nor universe, no love, nor hope, nor joy, no mercy nor kindness, nor compassion, except in Allah. This truth is explained clearly in the Holy Qur’an.
It is said that Moses and Solomon (may Alalh bless them and give them peace) had the 49 gates of wisdom open to them. This is from the belief that each letter of the Torah has 49 levels of meaning.
Inshallah, we may all find the infinite meaning of the Qu’ran before our alloted time is over. La illaha illa Allah!
Ya Haqq!
Comment by Irving — April 30, 2007 @ 2:25 am
Assalamualaikum my dear sister, once again a beautiful post on the most beautiful of things! Jazakiallah Khair. The Kalam of Allah azawajal is indeed a powerful and amazing thing. Recently I read of a conversion story, where the individuals journey to Islam came about through a free copy of the Quran he received on campus. The young man read from Surah Al-Baqarah “Alif Lam Mim, This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil)” (PICKTHAL). This single passage moved him immensely, he thought to himself, who is the individual who can write a statement filled with such conviction and certainity so as to say there is NO doubt. The young man scanned through the whole book to see who this ‘arrogant’ author was but eventually realized that this book was not penned by any man but by the Ultimate Creator of all mankind, azawajal and from there entered the Hidayah Allah azawajal had destined for him! May He subhanawatala be pleased with that young man and may He make us all of those people who take heed of that very first ayah of Al-Baqarah. Ameen.
Comment by ikramuddin — April 30, 2007 @ 2:40 am
asalaam alaikum warahmat Allah wabarakatu:
JazakAllah kheir for a heart shaking post..may Allah reward you for enjoing people in good..ameen. what a beautiful thing to read while the kids are napping!
Comment by suhaa — April 30, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
Assalamu alaikum,
Appreciative “JazakumuLlahu khairans” for all comments! And Ameen thumma Ameen for all the Du’a. May we all continue to extend our thoughtful supplications for each other and the entire Ummah, Ameen. Sister Tasnim…may you be successful in your Dunya exam…and may we all be successful in the one final exam we all face, and may part of our success be in calling others to Allah Ta’ala and His way, as you mention nq, Ameen.
Such a moving way you have expressed the Truth brother Irving. The 49 gates and levels of meaning sounds fascinating, maybe you could devote one of your posts to this, Insha’Allah.
Stories of how Allah Ta’ala has bestowed His Hidayah are always inspirational, and this one you share with us brother Ikramuddin illuminates the power and beauty of the Kalam of Allah Ta’ala. May it be written that more and more are drawn to the perfection of this Truth, as well deepening the love and reliance of the Qur’an in us all. It truly is like a magnet, a Da’ee inviting by its purity and, as you mention, “NO DOUBT”. Ameen.
Dear sister Suhaa, Alhumdulillah for the gift of loving each other for the sake of Allah Ta’ala, and thus desiring the best for them, and Alhumdulillah for mothers to be cherished with children to teach them all that is good.
I share the following:
Anas RadhiAllahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: Indeed for Allah, from amongst people are some (like people) of His Household. Sahabah asked: O Rasulullah! Who are those people? He said: The people of the Qur’an, they are the Household of Allah and His favoured ones. (Mustadrak Hakim)
Buraidah RadhiAllahu anhu narrates: I was sitting with Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and I heard him saying: When the man devoted to the Qur’an will come out of his grave upon its splitting, on the Day of Resurrection, indeed the Qur’an will meet him like a person whose colour has changed due to weakness. The Qur’an will ask him: Do you recognize me? He will say: No I do not recognize you. The Qur’an will say: I am your friend, The Qur’an, which kept you thirsty at the mid day’s heat and kept you awake at night. Every trader wishes to earn a profit from his trade, today you are exceptionally rewarded in your trade. So he will be given a kingdom in his right hand; and in the left a certificate to live in Paradise for eternity, and a crown of dignity will be placed on his head. His parents will be given to wear two such pairs of dresses whose value cannot be paid by the people of this world. His parents will say: Why have we been given these dresses to wear? It would be said: For your son’s memorizing of the Qur’an. And then the man devoted to the Qur’an will be asked: Recite, and rise in ranks to the upper storeys and adorned rooms of Paradise. He will ascend as long as he recites, whether it be fast and fluently or slowly with pauses and distinctly. (Musnad Ahmad, Fatah-urRahani)
Note: The personification of the Qur’an as a weak and pale man is in fact a portrait of the man devoted to the Qur’an. He had become weak because of reciting the Qur’an at night and acting upon its commandments during the day. (Anjahul Hajah)
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — April 30, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
no comment
Comment by idilfitr — May 12, 2007 @ 6:23 pm