The Quran: Guidance And Healing For Life's Challenges

The Quran: Our Guide Through Life's Trials

Throughout life — difficulty upon difficulty upon difficulty — and these difficulties are there as tests for us. These difficulties are there as tests and trials for us, and there are also at the same time opportunities for us to learn, opportunities for us to improve. And Allah has mentioned this too. He said:

Do the people think that they are going to be left alone to say "we have believed" whereas they are not going to be tested? Do they actually think that's possible? Then Allah mentions:

Most definitely We tested those before them, and We most definitely created this distinction such that it was known — those who were true to Allah and those who are lying in their statement.

And along with these tests and difficulties, Allah has provided us the solutions to our problems. Allah has mentioned: We are going to test you — but what kind of a teacher sets a test without some sort of study guide? Allah has sent the study guide. Allah has given us the answers to all of our problems.

The Quran: A Cure and a Mercy

Whatever difficulty we may be facing — some may be facing difficulty financially, some may be facing a difficulty mentally, some may be facing a difficulty physically, some may feel that they have no purpose in life and they are lost — Allah addresses all of these, and He addresses all of mankind, and He says:

Allah mentions: O mankind, certainly good counsel and advice has come to you — not just from anyone, but from your Creator, from the One who nurtures you, the One who looks after you, the One who takes care of all of your needs, the One who has the answers to all of your problems.

وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ — and a cure to all the ailments of the hearts. وَهُدًى — a means of guidance, and also a means of mercy and comfort for the believers.

Mufti Shafi sahab, when mentioning this, says مَّوْعِظَةٌ is such a thing that when you read it, when you recite it, when you ponder over it — it softens the heart. The Quran is such a thing that it can soften the hardest of hearts.

Then you'll find another benefit: Allah mentions شِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ — a cure for all the ailments in the heart. Whatever difficulties a person is going through, whether a person feels that he has envy or jealousy, or maybe he was hurt by someone else — شِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ — or whatever other ailment he may have in the heart, spiritual problem — the answer and the solution has come in the form of the Quran.

Why Ailments of the Heart Are the Most Severe

But what about — is that the only type of cure? The Mufassirun, when they mention that Allah specifically mentioned شِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ — a cure for ailments of the heart — it is because those are the most severe of ailments. Those are the worst types of diseases.

A person can live his entire life — but if he is sick with a physical illness, if he is perhaps handicapped in some sort or some way or some manner, then he can live his whole life, but insha'Allah, if he lives his life living a pure life, believing in Allah, doing the best that he can, and he passes away with a pure heart — then such a person will be insha'Allah safe on the Day of Qiyamah, and he will have a very easy entrance into paradise, into Jannah.

But on the other hand, a person can be perfectly fit, he can have everything in the world, and he can be very healthy — but if he has ailments of the heart such as jealousy or pride, or he has animosity against one of his brothers, and so on and so forth — then he can live a perfectly wonderful, peaceful life, but when he passes away, that will be the greatest of hindrances, that will be the greatest of obstacles preventing him from entry into paradise. That's why Allah focused on these types of illnesses, because these are the worst.

But otherwise, it is also a cure for all other types of illnesses and all other ailments as well. The ulama also mentioned this. As a child, when I used to get sick — having asthma — I used to go to the Quran class, and when I was sick I would stay home and I wouldn't have to read anything, I wouldn't have to recite anything. And generally, if you're an asthmatic and you get a normal cold and it develops into a cough, it can be very severe. So my mother, what she used to do is she used to tell me: you know, you still have to read Quran even though you're home, you have to read Quran. So she would force me to read Quran. But alhamdulillah, as I would read Quran, it would cause me to cough, as I would cough it would loosen up the phlegm, and then the phlegm would come out. And that was also, subhanAllah, how I myself noticed that the Quran is also a cure for physical ailments as well.

Purpose, Peace, and the Quran

Anyways, many of us — there is a time that comes in our lives where we are wondering: What am I doing? What is the purpose of my life? Where am I going? Allah mentions that if you want guidance and you want purpose in your life, then again, attach yourself to the Quran.

And then some of us we feel, at times, that I need some comfort, someone to look after me — alhamdulillah I'm fine, I'm okay, but I'm just restless at times, or there's something missing, I don't feel at ease, I don't feel at peace. So Allah mentions: if you're looking also for a means of peace and comfort in your life, then again, attach yourself to the Quran.

But then Allah mentions لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ — He says: O mankind, here are all of the answers to your problems, but who is going to benefit? Not all of mankind — only those who truly believe in it. You have to believe to see the effects.

And it's surprising — Allah mentions وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ. If you think about it, there were many people during the time of Rasulullah, peace be upon him, who were not necessarily believers but they spoke Arabic, they understood Arabic. SubhanAllah, Allah is not talking about whether you understand the Quran or not — Allah is talking about whether you're going to believe in it. Whether you believe — if you believe the Quran is going to produce these results for you, insha'Allah you will definitely see it. But if you're not going to believe in it, then how are you going to benefit?

The Dead Earth and the Dead Heart

And some of us we think: you don't know what I've been through, you don't know my condition, my heart is just so crusted, I'm so dead inside — even if I read the Quran, I don't know if it's going to have an effect. Allah addresses that also in our manual for life, in the Quran, and He mentions:

And Allah is the One who sent down rain from the sky, and through it He revived this dead, solid earth. Surely in that there is a sign for people who listen. You don't think that if Allah is capable of reviving such a dead, barren piece of land through something as simple as water and rain — one of His creations — you don't think He is going to be able to revive your heart when you attach yourself to the Quran?

Pure Milk from Filth and Blood

Then some of us we may feel: again, you don't know what I have to go through, you don't know the environment that I'm coming from, you don't know the environment that I'm living in, that I'm working in day in and day out. Or some students they mention: you don't know the environment in public school nowadays, you don't know how difficult it is for us, the filth that we are exposed to, or the difficulties that I am faced with. So then Allah addresses that as well. Allah in the very next ayah mentions:

He says: surely in livestock — more specifically cows — there is a great lesson. That We grant you a very pleasant, very palatable, lovely drink, which you and I know as milk. But it is created between filth and blood — excreta and blood. Everything enters the stomach of the animal, everything — it is just eating grass the whole day, and it digests the food; some of it is turned into blood, some of it turns into excreta, and some of it, subhanAllah, gets filtered into milk. And the milk is then produced and it comes out — it is separated from both filths, and it comes out so pristine, so clean, and so pure, and it is so pleasant.

In other words, there is a sign in this: that regardless of what difficulty you are facing, regardless of your conditions and your surroundings — you attach yourself to the Quran and you ponder about the Quran — then you will also be able to live such a life. Allah will also grant you such wonderful results.

Reward for Every Letter of the Quran

There is a beautiful example that is given about one boy — and subhanAllah, all of this is just about attaching yourself to the Quran, whether you understand what is going on or not. There is a famous hadith which we all hear many a time:

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2910)

Rasulullah, peace be upon him, has mentioned: any person who recites a single letter of the Quran, then he will receive reward, and one reward will be multiplied by ten. Then Rasulullah, peace be upon him, says: الم is not one word — but rather, أَلِفٌ is one letter, you will receive ten rewards for that; لَامٌ is one letter, you will receive ten rewards for that; مِيمٌ is one letter, you will receive ten rewards for that.

Have you ever pondered about why Rasulullah, peace be upon him, used this particular example? No one — no one knows what الم means. No one knew and no one will ever know. This is the secret of Allah. But even if you don't understand it, this is such a miraculous book, this is such a great gift from Allah, that you are still going to be rewarded and that you are still going to receive benefit. It's a miracle. And miracles don't make sense — that's the thing that we have to realize. We have to believe in it, and we have to believe that we are going to attain these results, whether we understand how it works or not.

The Snake Bite — A Parable of Trust

There's this one boy who got bit by a snake in the backyard. So what happened was the parents found and saw his face was changing color, his whole body is changing color — they got so scared, they rushed him to the hospital. They told them it seems like he got bit by a snake — the child also obviously told them that he got bit by a snake — and we don't know what's happening. And they rushed him to the ER. The doctors looked at him and said: no problem, just let this medication run its course. You'll plug it in through this IV and insha'Allah he'll be alright. So neither the parents nor the child — no one knows what's happening. All they know, all that they are told is: you just allow this medication to run its course, and he's going to be fine, he's going to be alright.

Why can't we adopt a similar manner? That we don't understand what's happening, we don't know how the changes are taking place — but this is the promise of Allah. This is what my Creator, the One who has created everything, has promised me. Surely I am definitely going to see such results as well. And this is what we have to create within ourselves — love for the Quran and true value for the Quran.

Rejoice in the Gift of the Quran

That's why Allah, right after that message, mentions:

That with the bounty of Allah, with the grace of Allah and the mercy of Allah — it is through the grace of Allah and the mercy of Allah that He has blessed us with this Quran. فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا — this is what they should be so happy about, this is what they should be boasting about. هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ — it is better than anything and everything.

The Love of the Sahabah for the Quran

The love that the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, had for the Quran — then it took them to such great, such great status, such great levels, that we could, subhanAllah, never even imagine attaining so easily.

Rasulullah, peace be upon him, on one occasion — there was one Sahabi who told him:

"O Messenger of Allah, I love this surah — قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ." So then Rasulullah, peace be upon him, mentioned:

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2901)

That just the mere fact that you love this surah so much and so sincerely — it was a means for you of entering al-Jannah. This is because he loved one surah. Imagine what type of love do we have for the Quran, and imagine what types of ranks we can achieve by merely beginning to love the Quran. Of course we all love the Quran, but we require reminders from time to time.

Allah mentioned throughout the Quran: a sign of true love is how much you act in accordance to it. If we love Rasulullah, peace be upon him, then how much do we actually follow Rasulullah, peace be upon him? How much do our actions prove our statements?

The People of the Quran Are the People of Allah

Once the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, were sitting with Rasulullah, peace be upon him, and he said:

Surely Allah has certain servants of His who are so close — the word ahl is like family members. It's as if Rasulullah, peace be upon him, was saying: Allah has such close servants that they are even like family members — of course Allah has no family members. But they wondered:

Who are these individuals that they are so close to Allah that you even use the word ahl to refer to them? Why did they ask? Because they wanted to be amongst them. So Rasulullah, peace be upon him, replied:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 215)

The people of Allah are the people of the Quran — His special servants. Those who love the Quran, those who attach themselves to the Quran — these are the people of the Quran, they are the people of Allah, and they are His closest and most choicest servants. And this is such a thing that we can all achieve — every single one of us.

Recite and Rise: The Quran Companion in Jannah

In a hadith, Rasulullah, peace be upon him, has mentioned:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1464; Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2914)

It will be said to one who has attached himself to the Quran — and the scholars of hadith mention this is not necessarily for a hafiz, one who has memorized the Quran, nor someone who necessarily knows everything about the Quran and all of its injunctions. But this is someone who has attached himself to the recitation of the Quran, and this is a person who does his best to implement whatever he recites whenever he can. This is such a thing that you and I can achieve.

What will be said to him? It will be said: Recite and continue reciting, and recite beautifully as you used to in the worldly life — for indeed, the stage that you are going to be in in Jannah will be in accordance to the last ayah that you have recited. If a person continues reciting and reciting and reciting until he reaches the end of Surah an-Nas, then insha'Allah such a person will be in Jannah in the highest levels. This again all starts from the love of the Quran.

Du'a and Closing Supplication

May Allah grant us all the ability to truly love and to truly appreciate the Quran. May Allah grant us the ability to read the Quran daily — whether it may be one verse, whether it may be one page, one juz, three juz — however much we can manage. A single day should not go past except that we are going back to the Quran. A single day should not go past except that we are going back to the Quran — even if it means merely picking it up and reciting a few ayat, a few lines. May Allah grant us all the ability.

Announcements

With regards to rekindling our connection with the Quran — insha'Allah, Dar Es Salaam will be hosting their annual Quran Night and Benefit Dinner. It will be held tomorrow night after Asr Salah at 5:30 PM. We will be welcoming world renowned Qurra such as Sheikh Hamza Wardak and Qari Abdul Basit Qazi. Please do RSVP at masjidds.org/quran so that all the necessary arrangements can be made.

I would like to just clarify that in the lecture we spoke more about connecting oneself to the Quran, and in no way or form did I mean that a person should not worry about the understanding of it — no, definitely, of course that is most important. But we find nowadays that the greatest hindrance in a person picking up the Quran and reading and benefiting is the fact that he feels: what's the point if I don't even understand the meaning? That is not the case, as we discussed throughout the whole lecture.

You'll find that the cure and the benefit that will come from the Quran will be based on the way a person recites it. It's kind of like nowadays you have two types of medications — you have generic brands and then you have name brands. So if you have a famous type of medication, for example Zyrtec, and you have another pharmacist who looks at the exact same recipe, follows the exact same recipe, has all of the ingredients and applies himself and makes this new form of medication — provided that he followed the recipe correctly, then he will find and create such medication that will yield the same exact results.

So similarly, for best results — the Quran is meant, if a person truly wants to see these benefits — then a person has to of course be able to recite the Quran very beautifully, meticulously, properly according to the rules of tajweed. Along with that, coupled with that, he has to understand the meaning. And along with that, he should also be able to make tadabbur and tafakkur and ponder about the Quran. But nonetheless, if a person misses out a few ingredients — does the possibility still exist that he is going to bring some sort of ease and comfort through this medication that he makes? Yes, definitely. It will still yield results.

And that's what we find with the Quran — that whether you understand the meaning or not, if a person recites with tajweed properly and he recites it himself, knowing the meaning, then sometimes we find ourselves listening to it and we even at times find ourselves shedding a few tears — we may not even understand it. It's the beauty of the Quran. It's a miracle. And again, miracles — they don't make sense.

This in fact not only happens with believers but even non-believers — whether you have iman or not, a person is still affected. But who is truly going to be the beneficiary? Those who are truly going to benefit the most from the Quran are those who have iman and faith. But we find even the example of Qari Abdul Basit — one of the greatest Qurra of the recent past. He was once invited with the president of Egypt, Jamal Abd al-Nasser, and they went to the Soviet Union. He accompanied him for a meeting and he recited Quran in front of a few of their leaders during some break. And he recited such powerful Quran that you found these people — who were not even Muslims, in fact, at that time any person who had a Quran in their house or any person who was caught reading Quran would have been severely reprimanded and persecuted — but still, when he was reciting, such people, with perhaps some of the hardest of hearts, ended up even crying and shedding a few tears.

So again, this is the purpose of the program — that when we come and we hear such beautiful recitation of the Quran, it rekindles our spirits, it brings us closer to the Quran, and it gives us the encouragement again to reattach ourselves. May Allah grant us all the tawfiq.

Weekly Programs

Our weekly programs are continuing. We have Bukhari Dars every single day with Mufti Minhaj after Isha Salah. Our Tuesday Tafsir programs are also every Tuesday after Isha Salah — we are starting now a new series on Surah al-Anbiya. And our Saturday Team Fajrs will also continue — Fajr Salah is at 6 AM, it will be followed by a talk on Tazkiyah and then a nice community breakfast afterwards.

Du'a Requests

There is a request for du'a especially for the Uyghur community — they are constantly going through so many difficulties and so many tests and trials. May Allah grant them ease and 'afiyah. May Allah grant ease and 'afiyah to all of the people that are suffering throughout the world — especially those people in Pakistan, those people throughout all the various different countries who are going through some sort of difficulty and problem. May Allah grant us all the tawfiq to also keep them in our du'as individually.

Along with that, there is a specific request for du'a for Sister Zubaydah Begum — she is currently in the ICU. May Allah grant her shifa.

Ameen, Ya Rabbal 'Alamin.