UNDERSTANDING OF THE GLORIOUS QUR'AN

The Glorious Qur’an is the last Divine Message from the Creator to the mankind, not to the Muslims only!

When Adam and Eve were ordered to go on earth, Allah said in Surah Ta’ha’ Ayah 123: “Get you down, both of you, all together (Adam, Eve and Shaitan), from it (the Garden), with enmity to one another. So, if there comes to you a Guidance from Me, then (be sure) whoever follows My guidance, will not lose his way nor fall into misery.” Hence, from the time of the creation of human race, the Creator promised to send Guidance and directed the mankind to follow it. To follow the “Guidance” one must read, understand, ponder over it and practice to attain salvation. At numerous places in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah has encouraged human beings to think and ponder over the contents of His Divine Message.

Detailed below are some of the Ayahs encouraging man to think/ponder:

Surah al-Baqarah Ayah 219: “This is how Allah explains for you His Guidance so that perhaps you will think.”

Surah al-Baqarah Ayah 266: “Thus Allah makes the signs clear to you, so that you may ponder.”

Surah al-Imran Ayah 191: “Those who remember  Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and think on the creation of the heavens and the earth (seriously saying), “Our Lord, you have not created all this in vain…”

Surah al-An’am Ayah 50: “Say: (O’ Our Prophet!), I do not say to you that the treasures of Allah are with me, nor do I know the Unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I do not follow but what is revealed to me. Say: Are the blind and the seeing one equal? Do you not then ponder?”  

Surah al-A’raf Ayah 176: “… Therefore relate (unto them) the stories that they may think.”

Surah al-A’raf Ayah 184: “Thus, do We explain the evidence (of the truth) for the people who reflect.”

Surah al-Ra’d Ayah 3: “It is Allah who spread out the earth and fixed mountains and placed rivers therein. He made a pair of every fruit and made the night cover the day. This is evidence (of existence of Allah) for the people who think.”

Surah al-Nahl Ayah 44: “We have revealed the Qur’an to you so that you can tell the people what has been revealed to them and so that perhaps they will think.”

Surah al-Nahl Ayah 69: “From out of their (bees) bellies comes a drink of different color in which there is a cure for human being. In this there is evidence (of the truth) for the people of understanding.”

Surah al-Rum Ayah 21: “His creating spouses for you out of yourselves so that you might take comfort in them; and His creating love and mercy among you. In this there is evidence (of the truth) for the people who (carefully) think.”

Surah al-Zumar Ayah 42: “Allah preserves the souls when they die as well as those which did not die during people’s sleep. He withholds those souls which He has decreed to die and releases the others for an appointed time. In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the thoughtful people.”

Surah al-Jathiya Ayah 13: “He has also made subservient to you all that is in the heavens and the earth. In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for those who use their minds.”

Surah al-Hashr Ayah 21: “Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and rent asunder for fear of Allah. These are parables which We tell people so that perhaps they will think.”

Surah al-Muhammad Ayah 24: “Is it that they do not think about the Qur’an or are their hearts sealed?”

Revelation of the Glorious Qur’an:

Surah al-Buruj Ayah 21-22: “What is revealed to you is certainly a Glorious Qur’an that exists in a Well-       guarded Tablet.” It was revealed from the “Mother Book” to the “Scribed angels” in the heavens.

Surah al-Qadr Ayah 1: “We revealed the Qur’an on the Night of Destiny.” The complete Qur’an was revealed on the heart of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)

                Surah al-Insan Ayah 23: “(Muhammad), We revealed the Qur’an to you in gradual steps.

Ideally, for a comprehensive understanding of the Glorious Qur’an, one should have command of the Arabic language, but for practical purposes, one may read the translation in his mother tongue. Further, one should have knowledge of the Traditions of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.). The cardinal principle recommended by the Infallible Imams, is that any tradition purported to be reported by the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) should be compared with the Glorious Qur’an; if it agrees then accept it, otherwise reject it.  Qur’anic Ayahs interpret one another; hence we should look for such Ayahs which elaborate other Ayahs.

Sources used:

 The Glorious Qur’an-Tafsir-e-Namoona                                    by Ayatullah Naser Makarem Shirazi

 Spiritual Journey of the Mystics                                                    by Haj Mirza Jawad Maliki Tabrizi

Understanding the Uniqueness of the Qur’an                                 by Ayatullah Murtaza Motahari (r.a.)

Towards Better Understanding Qur’an                                           by Shaikh Muslim Bhanji

Introduction to the Glorious Qur’an                                           by Bahram Samii