What will I loose if I don’t Understand the Qur’an?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful What will I loose if I don’t Understand the Qur’an? Dr. Abdulazeez Abdulraheem www.understandQuran.com

Here are just some of the things that I loose if I don’t understand the Qur’an DIRECTLY IN ARABIC. (May Allah help us avoid them all).

1. Can’t fill the purpose of revelation • Tadabbur and Tazakkur – the very purpose of revelation can not be performed. Allah says: “ (Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto you (O Muhammad!), full of blessings, that they may mediate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition [38:29].” One can not and does not carry translation always, esp. while listening it in Salawaat!!!

2. Missing the ‘Reading’ Don’t even know the “reading” in the most common sense. • Example 1: Can I claim that I have read French paper if I only read it without understanding??? • Example 2: Will I ever write in my Resume that I can read so many European languages (because they use the same letters as those of English). No! Because that reading is of no use. (Reward of reading is there but understanding of Qur’an is also a must.)

3. Garden of mind … • The mind is like a garden. If you don’t sow flowers, weeds will grow. • Even if you sow flowers, weeds will still grow. You will need to remove the weeds continuously. • Flowers: Guidance; Weeds: Satanic thoughts • Allah sows flower seeds into our brain (every time we listen to Qur’an, esp. in Salahs. If we don’t water them (ponder), they will be wasted and weeds may grow.

4. Not fulfilling objectives of Recitation There are 5 objectives: • Reward • Knowledge • Action • Shifaa (cure) of hearts and minds. • Munajaat (secret personal talk with Allah) More on 4 and 5 in next slides.

5. Missing of the cleaning of heart (Shifaa) • The main problem is Heart. Qur’an and Hadith testify to it. Clean heart is essential for all the higher levels. • People know that Fajr is compulsory but few come to Masjid. Why? Because their heart is rusted. • We have a big confusion that Qur’an is a book of commandments only. Commandments constitute less than 10%. The rest 90% is for the heart and mind (Shifaa or cure).

Missing of the cleaning of heart (Shifaa) • The heart keeps rusting and deviating because of sins. We need de-rusting and re-alignment. • Imagine. Adam (A) was asked not to go near the tree. Allah says: “but he forgot; and We did not find in him any determination.” We humans have these weaknesses. • We have several fitnahs (trials) surrounding us. We need continuous reminders and warnings which come to us thru Qur’an daily.

Missing of the cleaning of heart (Shifaa) • Umar (R) was changed just by listening to a few starting verses of Taha. Where are we with respect to Qur’an? • Qur’an will clean the hearts too. Allah says about the Qur’an: “a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts” [10:57]. • No one can give a better formula than Allah.

6. Daily ‘talk’ missing (Munajaat) Prophet pbuh used to interact with the recitation. “And when he recited the Verses which referred to the Glory of Allah, he glorified Him (by saying Subhan Allah - My Rubb, the Supreme is far removed from every imperfection), the Great, and when he recited the Verses that mention supplication, he supplicated, and when he recited the Verses that mention seeking Refuge of the Rubb, he sought (His) Refuge.” [Muslim]

Daily ‘talk’ missing (Munajaat) • This is more on Munajaat. Can we live without talking at least 5 min. everyday to our near and dear ones. • Allah is Most beloved to us. He loves us more than 70 times that of our mothers. Still we live without bothering as to what He said today during Salah or don’t even bother to open the Qur’an!!!

7. Missing Live Guidance • Whatever we read or listen the Qur’an, it is a live guidance (Direct; Planned; Personal; Relevant or DPPR). • It is a HUGE loss only if one appreciates the value of live guidance from Allah, our own Creator. • A wise man can never neglect this.

8. Missing to strengthen RWA • There are different dimensions to the relationship with Allah: His love, Sincerity, trust in Him, remembering Him directly and whenever we see His signs in creation, pondering His creation and in His names, not complaining of Qadaa, etc. • This relationship is strengthened over time. It requires slow and steady cooking with regular heat coming from Qur’an.

9. Strengthening of heart • Qur’an was revealed to the prophet pbuh in pieces. “And those who disbelieve say: Why has not the Quran been revealed to him all at once? Thus, that We may strengthen your heart by it and We have arranged it well in arranging. [25:32]. • Heart should be firm in belief to His promises and warnings. • Example: A pious person was asked how he woke up today? He said: With heaven and hell in front of my eyes…

10. Qu’ranic Character • The Prophet’s (pbuh) life according to Aisha (R) : “His morals were Qur’an”. • It takes time to bring in Qur’an into our life. • We need our life to be according to its commandments (his orders and prohibitions). • If you read any book on success literature, you will find the advice: Read it again and again and slowly. • Cooking / Tajweed comes by …

11. Qur’anic Vision • Example. As a patient starts describing his problems, the doctor’s mind starts diagnosis along with the medicines. • During everyday, we come across many situations. We should be able to see solutions in Qur’an. • This level does take time and everyday understanding and pondering of small parts helps us in reaching this.

12. Missing 6 Reminders everyday Qur’an is a reminder. We should receive it as: • Addressed to me directly (Direct) • A reminder can not be random (Planned) • It can not be irrelevant (Relevant for today) • It is for me / my life (Personal)

Missing 6 Reminders everyday • 6 reminders. 2 in Fajr, 2 in Maghrib and 2 in Isha. (Because Imam can and should recite in each of the rak’ah from any part of the Qur’an) • + (and for ladies especially) every time we read the Qur’an. • 6 /day, 2000 per year, + 600 in Ramadan

About Reminder… Allah says about His (beloved) slaves: “And they who, when reminded of the communications of their Lord, do not fall down thereat deaf and blind.” [25:73] • Do we listen to Qur’an like a deaf person (who does not care to take it to heart) or read like a blind person? Understanding Qur’an is minimum to avoid ‘deafness’ and ‘blindness’.

Missing 6 Reminders everyday • Who is doing that reminder. The one who loves each one of us more than 70 times our mothers do. • And if still I continue (year after year)… Is it not like a person (a foreigner secretary who is paid twice; does not know English but just reads the company manual. You instruct him everyday for his own dvlpmnt / promotion, and he just stands there. Years pass by, but he makes no effort to learn English. What will you call him??? Hard-hearted, not thanking for favors, shameless? At least he should have some haya / shame to appreciate the favors? ).

13. Missing overall efficiency • Some people keep reading the translations, tafaseer, and other Islamic books. • They feel that they don’t need to understand the Qur’an in Arabic. Their actions say it louder than their words. • They simply don’t realize the POWER of Qur’an in every thing: in convincing, motivating, and leading to all the solutions.

Missing overall efficiency • Their efficiency, effectiveness, and vision will be multiplied hundreds of times if they interact with Qur’an directly on a daily basis. • If they are ‘satisfied’ with their translations and Islamic literature, it is like a person who could earn billions but was content with just hundreds.

14. Missing Excellent Opportunities There are times when you want to listen about signs, or commandments or joys of the hereafter or punishments in hell or so on. If you want Allah to talk to you on the subject you want, just open the relevant chapter!!! Signs (Surah An’aam), history (A’raaf), story (Yusuf), hereafter (30th Juz) and so on.

Missing Excellent Opportunity Just recite it your self and feel (with firm belief) that Allah is talking to you on that topic. What an excellent feeling!! Especially when you are traveling or waiting or just alone. And if you have memorized the Qur’an (or a part of it), you can just start listening to Allah! Something like asking your grandma to tell you a story about (your topic), when u were a kid!

15. Missing the fine aspects • Some people just get vague ideas (by catching a few words) that the Imam recited about Aakhirah or signs etc. They don’t feel the need to go further. They say: After all, I know about Aakhirah so why do I need… • It is like someone equating the poetry of biggest poet with an ordinary one; and say that after all both are talking the same thing!!! He has absolutely no sense of appreciation…

15. Missing the fine aspects • Each verse of the Qur’an has its own planned ‘programming’ for us. If it is Aakhirah, it may be the paradise aspect which Allah wants us to focus today on or the horrors of hell that we have to keep in mind. • Don’t people listen to songs (for whatever wrong reasons) or poetry? Don’t they find that each song has its own effect… even tho’ all songs talk about love!!!

Standard Excuse - Busy • Most of us have just one excuse for not learning Qur’anic Arabic. That we are busy. • When a person says, “I am Busy,” he is not dead. Just doing something more important to him. • As if in 24 hrs everyday, 7 days in a week, he has NO, absolutely NO slot for studying Qur’an. Every thing else that he does is more important than studying the Qur’an.

And If I Start Understanding the Qur’an!!! I will get all the benefits, inshaAllah, i.e.,

If I Understand… • Can do tadabbur and tazakkur – the purpose of revelation • Read it in the real sense • Avoid weed growth in my mind • Fulfill the objectives of recitation • Clean my heart regularly • Do Munajaat (secret personal talk) with Allah

If I Understand… • Get live guidance • Strengthen my relationship with Allah • Strengthen my heart (on the commandments of Allah) • Develop “Qur’anic Character” • Develop “Qur’anic Vision” • Benefit from all the reminders everyday And improve myself a lot, inshaAllah.

May Allah give us Tawfeeq to fulfill all the rights of the Qur’an. i.e., Believe, Recite, ponder, follow, and spread it. Would you like to start understanding the Qur’an??? It is extremely easy. Start with the Daily Salah itself. Just click www.understandQur’an.com/SCEng.html And it is absolutely free!

What will I loose if I don’t Understand the Qur’an?