Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullah.
If I were to ask someone, “why don’t you read the Qur’an?”, what would they say? “I don’t have time or I don’t understand it”, perhaps. Anyone can make time if they prioritise and schedule correctly, but not everyone can understand it. “OK. Why don’t you read the translation?”. “I’m not qualified or I need someone more knowledgeable than myself to tell me about the Qur’an, therefore it’s a bit of a waste of time if I read it myself.”
We hear about all those people reading it and then justifying their strange actions by it, which are completely not in line with the teachings of Islam. As a counteraction to this, unfortunately, a lot of us have been led to believe (even myself!) that we don’t need to read the Book of Allah, as those who are more learned than us are only allowed to derive rules of Fiqh and Tafseers from it. A lot of us have now relied either on YouTube videos or reading Tafseers and hearing what other’s think about the meanings of the Qur’an.
I decided one day to sit down with a simple translation of the Qur’an (I personally used the Saheeh International translation, with the Arabic on the side). I went in with a clear lens. I went in with the mentality of “I don’t know”, as you should approach any lesson, with any teacher. How about when Allah is teaching you directly? One of the derived wisdoms of the Muqatta’at (broken letters at the beginning of some surahs) is that we should approach the Qur’an with this mentality. When I read a verse that ordered me to do something, I submitted and said to myself and my Creator, “Yes, I will try my best to.” I kept thinking about exactly what was being said. I pondered over it myself and came to conclusions myself. That’s when I realised that some of the Qur’an is actually quite subjective. I read some verses and then applied it to MY life. Only then did I truly, yet somewhat, understand how this book is a guidance for me.
Example
So I was reading the translation of Surah Al-A’raf one day and I read the story of Adam (as). After that, I read this verse. Take a moment to read the verse and its translation.
يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَٰتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness – that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember.
Surah Al-A’raf [7:26]
Now take another moment and ponder over it’s meaning.
What did you think? Make sure I dress like the righteous? Make sure I remember Allah? I will now take you on my own personal thought process:
- Clothing is a gift from Allah. Why? To conceal my shame, give me modesty and to make me look beautiful.
a) It reminded me of the fact Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.
b) These clothes (as long as they are in line with the Shari’ah) means Allah will love me. - The clothing of righteousness is best. Wait, Allah didn’t say the clothing of the righteous people. What is the clothing of righteousness then? Maybe it’s the good that I do. It’s the metaphorical clothing of righteousness.
a) So what happens when I’m righteous then? It will cover my shame. What is my shame? All the bad things I’ve done; all the embarrassing things I’ve done.
b) Allah has gifted me clothes to protect my private parts. The least I can do is be righteous to help hide my personal shames.
c) Righteousness will also make me look beautiful. Allah will put Nur/light in my face (which means he’ll make me look beautiful, young, fit and healthy; not a metaphorical light).
d) Allah mentions that the clothing of righteousness is best, clearly emphasising that it will give more than just covering shame and giving beauty. Since it is best, we should also strive hard to do this. - These are signs so that they will remember.
a) Signs to remember. I should be looking at my clothes, remembering it is a gift from Allah, as is so many other things and that I should remember because of it. Wait, remember what? Remember Allah. Remember to have Taqwa. Remember to be grateful for all the clothes and gifts I’ve been given. Wait, Allah didn’t just limit it to clothes being a sign. Righteousness also is. So whenever I do anything good, it is also a sign from Allah to remember. I could not have done anything righteous had Allah not given me the guidance and ability to do so.
b) They will remember. Wait, why isn’t it YOU will remember? Why is it they? Allah uses “they” to denote distance perhaps. The ones that don’t remember are ones further away from Him. Therefore, they need signs to show the way and to remind them to just remember. They can then be of those who get closer to Him.
Takeaway points for me:
- Remember the gifts of Allah and to be grateful
- Wear modest and beautiful clothes (without arrogance or extravagance)
- Do righteous deeds and remember the rewards for doing so and that it is only through Allah’s will
- Remember Allah and gain a closeness to Him through righteousness
Now, it might have taken you a 5-10 minutes to read all this so far, but these thoughts were going through my head in probably a minute tops. I also didn’t mention anything here about how it connects back to what our father Adam (as) & our mother did and also their clothing that I had read about nearer the beginning of the Surah.
Just to remind you, I did not read any Tafseer/commentary or anything else other than the translation. What other points did you come up with or would add to these?
What should you do?
Pick up a translation of the Qur’an and start reading! Spend a few minutes reading a little bit and then a few minutes pondering over them. What do I mean pondering? First, how does this apply in my life or to those around me? Second, why did Allah say this, and this way? Are there any connections to something else I’ve read earlier or heard of in the past? Keep thinking and making connections. Too often in our Islamic education we are spoon fed exactly what we should be learning and we do not spend enough time thinking about it ourselves and how to incorporate it into our own lives. That critical thinking part of our brain is present for so many problems we face in our jobs and day to day lives, but is unfortunately switched off when it comes to Islam. Maybe you struggle at first, but keep practicing and you will build more connections, bi idhnillah.
Feel free to get in contact with me to let me know what Surahs and Ayat you’ve read and what you’ve taken away from it. I’m always free for you when it comes to the Qur’an. A discussion over the Qur’an has so many rewards, so try and involve others if you can.
Jazakumullah Khairan for reading
Qari Armaan