Al-Qur’an

There are essential questions that occupy the mind of every human being who opens their eyes to this world, as soon as they pause to reflect: who am I? What is my purpose in this world? Why am I here? Where will I go after this? All these people, the living and non-living things sharing this world with me—where do they come from and where do they go? Why don’t those who arrive stay, and those who leave ever come back?

Wherever we look in the universe, we see that nothing has been created in vain. If wings are given, they are for flying. If feet are given, they are for walking. If eyes are given, they are for seeing. If ears are given, they are for hearing. Everything has been created in the right order, and everything has been ordained with infinite wisdom. Those questions running through the human mind cannot be pointless or meaningless either. Surely, the answers to these should be found and humans should be informed of them appropriately.

The Lord of the worlds has given the answers to all these questions that occupy the minds of man, whom He has welcomed as a beloved guest on this lovely planet, through the prophets He has sent, starting with the first human being. He sent some of these prophets only to their people, and some of them were given book and scriptures, allowing them to convey the message beyond their time and place. Finally, when the development of humanity reached a certain level and the whole world could be addressed to the message of a single prophet and a single book, the Prophet of the End Times, Muhammad-i Arâbî (peace be upon him), was sent to this world with the Qur’ân al-karim.

The Qur’an is one of the three great sources that introduce us to our Creator. The other two are the last messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the book of the universe in which we live. We learn how to read the book of the universe from the Qur’an, and how to live the Qur’an from our Prophet. By embracing all three, we can find the right path, come to know our God, and earn His blessing. The fifteen centuries since the revelation of the Qur’an, especially the Age of Bliss when it was revealed, bear witness to this truth. Looking at the world before and after the revelation of the Qur’an clearly shows its significance for humanity and even the universe.

Fifteen centuries ago when the Qur’an was revealed, the world was plunged into the darkness of denial and ignorance; humanity was immersed in savagery and terror. The stars adorned the sky every night like a festival, the sun lit up the world each morning, and the earth revived every spring—yet all of this was passing by without a single pair of eyes to read the meaning written in them. Birds, lambs, mountains, rivers, butterflies, flowers, seas, clouds… they were all floating around with gazes unaware of them, disappearing under the veil of non-existence, without anyone understanding what they were telling, what they were serving, or which artist’s embroidery they were adorned with.

Then, the Qur’an was revealed. It started to read the book of the universe. With its verses, it pierced through the darkness that covered the centuries. It tore apart the veil of habitual blindness, uncovering the meanings behind the creatures and phenomena unfolding right before our eyes.

It showed the sun to humanity, saying this is the verse of your Lord. The sun shines upon you, giving life by His command. By His command, it lights up and it revolves. It praises and glorifies Him.

It showed the moon, saying this is your light and calendar. The moon lights up your night and helps you keep track of time, by the command of your Lord. By His command, it is illuminated and by His command, it illuminates and takes different shapes. It praises and glorifies Him.

It showed the stars, saying both in the darkness of night and in the darkness of denial and ignorance, you find your path through them. They light up by the command of your Lord. By His command, they move, adorn your sky and smile at you. They praise and glorify Him. They speak to you of Him in countless languages. Look, read and understand.

It showed the sky, saying look at the clouds. Look at the wind rushing to you, heralding Our mercy. Look at the lightning and thunder that We reveal inspiring you with fear and hope. Thus, We make the sky speak and glorify Us – just as the birds praise and glorify their Lord with their chirping, and the seas with their waves, and the leaves with their rustling.

It revealed everything in the heavens and earth, one by one. It said, ‘You will never see any imperfection in the creation of the Most Compassionate.’ It made the eye a witness and guided the mind. It confirmed its message to the minds and addressed the consciences:

Look in the heavens and earth. See, how everything has been perfectly put in its place. Verily, the One who has created all this acts with justice. So, be just as well. Otherwise, your injustice will not go unpunished.

Take a look: how the sunlight nurtures you and how the winds carrying the clouds come to your aid. See how the soil nurtures the trees, how the trees nurture the animals, and how the animals nurture you. The One who bestowed all these can only be a Creator with authority over all worlds. Therefore, your helplessness and weakness are a cause for His mercy. That’s why, extend a hand to those who are weak as well, or else you will deprive yourselves of the mercy.

Look at the way you were created. Then, pay attention to how the earth revives every spring. And ponder the way the heavens and earth were created. The One who made all this, without a doubt, has the power to resurrect you. Moreover, the One who welcomes you with countless blessings in this world, like a beloved guest, has power to make you happy with endless blessings in His eternal paradise. The One who sees the smallest need of the tiniest insect and meets its needs also hears your hidden and revealed wishes and fulfills them. So, turn to Him, ask what you want from Him and try to attain his blessings. Live beautifully in this world and find beauty in hereafter.

Look at the universe. Glance at everything, from the smallest particle to the stars. Can you find anything created in vain? Just like that, you were created with wisdom and all your emotions as well as your abilities were arranged with wisdom. For sure, the desire for immortality given to you is not in vain either – it is for you not to settle for this world, but to desire eternity and strive to attain it. Now, strive and desire. Compete with one another in good deeds. My mercy and paradise are waiting for you; be worthy of them.

Here, the Qur’an descended, shining with countless truths like these, to a world cloaked in savagery and horror. The heavens and the earth, minds and hearts were suddenly enlightened with it. Those who once buried their daughters alive reached the highest levels of morality and became role models for the world, humanity, and civilization, with that light. In a society where women were not considered human and were inherited as property, women became heirs. At a time when even free people were mistreated, slaves rose to the status of free people. Those who once trampled over others’ rights for their own gain began competing to give away their most cherished possessions to those in need. The rich began to help the poor, and the powerful started to help the weak. Enemy tribes embraced each other with feelings warmer than those of blood brothers. And the age of ignorance transformed into the age of bliss within just a few years.

The Qur’an was revealed to the earth as an eternal book, sent by the Lord of the worlds for all people and all times. The rulers learned to govern with justice through it. The philosophers illuminated their minds with it. Sociologists drew the solid principles that regulate society’s life from it. The scholars gained knowledge, the administrators learned governance, and the tradesmen embraced honesty through it. Mothers, fathers, children, relatives, employees, employers, peasants, urbanites, those who preceded us, those who came later, saints, scholars, and ordinary people—all knelt side by side and learned their lessons from it. Millions of saints and scholars shone like stars in the sky of the human world, pleasing Allah through it. The time passed, yet it became timeless. Thousands of exegeses have been written on it. New treasures have been found in every verse and word of it. Each era has had the fortunate opportunity to understand its meaning according to their own perception.

The revelation of the Qur’an, as well as its preservation, is a miracle. Just as the Qur’an is the miracle of the Prophet of the End Time, the Prophet of the End Time is also the miracle of the Qur’an; because the morality of the Qur’an was fully embodied in him. The fact that the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was illiterate, is a miracle. It is a miracle that not even a single verse has ever been made that is similar to it. The fact that it encompasses all the principles of both worldly and eternal bliss is a miracle. The absence of even a single contradiction among its more than six thousand verses is a miracle. The relationships between its chapters, pages, verses, words, and letters, in terms of meaning, numbers and writing, are all a miracle. The news it provides regarding the past and the future is a miracle. The Age of Bliss is its miracle. Each one of the companions of Prophet Muhammad is its miracle. The saints, pious individuals, scholars, martyrs, veterans, and heroes of Islam, raised by the Islamic world over the course of fifteen centuries, are all miracles of it. That people from all levels of knowledge and understanding, from the lowest to the highest, receive their lessons from it is a miracle. It is a miracle that, fifteen centuries later, it still speaks to humanity today and two billion people continue to recite it. It is a miracle that not a single letter of it has been changed to this day. It is a miracle that its repetition never causes boredom. It is a miracle that it is memorized easily. The profound impact it has on those who listen to it, even without understanding its meaning, is a miracle. Those exasperated and overwhelmed by hopelessness find peace in the sound of the Qur’an. The ill who cannot tolerate the slightest noise, find tranquility in its sound. What other book can comfort the ill on their deathbed?

Since the Qur’an is the word of God, its style and structure are unique. It is unlike any book written by human hands. It reads to us the book of the universe, informs us of God’s commands, lays out the principles of our religion, organizes our lives, teaches us prayers and supplications, and offers counsel. It encourages reflection, remembrance, and provides lessons. It opens the paths to our happiness in both this world and the hereafter. Since it encompasses all these purposes in one, its expression is, of course, different from the human books written for a single purpose. Therefore, the important principles and lessons are repeated in places in different contexts. Moreover, some chapters have become the essence of the Qur’an, ensuring that those who may not have the opportunity to read it in its entirety are not deprived of these principles. However, there are significant differences in each of the repeated matters both in their meanings and levels. Those who are qualified can distinguish these differences one by one, draw the necessary lessons from each, and even derive insights from the smallest details of a story.

There are four main purposes that the Qur’an upholds throughout and these purposes are woven into all of its chapters and verses. The first of them is the principle of Tawheed, which means to believe in one Creator who has no partners, and no one is similar or equal to Him in His essence, attributes, actions, creations, and ownership. (Meanwhile, in many verses, Allah refers to Himself with the pronoun “We,” which expresses His greatness. However, this in no way implies that He has a partner in His essence, attributes, or actions.) The second one is Nubuwwah, which means prophethood and conveys the commands of God to humanity. The third one is Hashr, which means reaching eternal life through resurrection after death. The fourth principle is Justice, which declares that the justice of Allah, the Lord of all worlds, encompasses the entire universe and will reward everyone for their good and bad deeds manifesting fully on the Day of Resurrection.

Thus, all the statements of the Qur’an should be viewed in relation to these four purposes. The Qur’an places importance on everything it mentions in proportion to its relevance to these purposes. For instance, while narrating the miracles of the prophets, it hints at the wonders of civilization that would be discovered centuries later—though without stating them explicitly. This is because, in a book that is the eternal address of the Lord of the worlds and outlines the map of the eternal realms, such wonders of civilization can only have a place as brief references among the magnificent works of Allah’s artistry. Also, it is essential to remember that the Qur’an addresses all of humanity, the jinn, and every era simultaneously. Had the Qur’an explicitly invited us to observe the millions of small creatures in a drop of water, it might have astonished us, but it could have also overlooked the understanding of previous centuries, perhaps even leading them to denial. On the other hand, in many verses, the Qur’an hinted at truths that modern sciences have only partly discovered today; yet, by encompassing many other truths alongside them, it never offended the understanding of earlier eras. For instance, in the 35th verse of Chapter An-Nur, the way a lightbulb illuminates is described in   a manner that simultaneously conveys many different truths.

One important point to consider before beginning to read the Qur’an is that translating a book that is the word of God and His eternal address is not possible. Translating the Qur’an from its rich and perfect language, Arabic, into any other language is nearly impossible.                                        However, reading the translation and Tafseer (interpretation) of the Qur’an is beneficial. It is the duty of every Muslim to learn what is mentioned in our book, and for those who don’t know Arabic and are not experts, the primary way to do so is by studying the translations. Nonetheless, this can never replace reading the Qur’an in its original form. Because the original form of the Qur’an is the word of Allah Himself. It appeals not only to the human mind but also to our hearts, souls, and other emotions. Every letter of it carries at least ten rewards. In certain chapters, this reward is even greater. For instance, in Chapter Yasin, each letter brings up to five hundred rewards, and in Chapter Ihlas, it carries one thousand five hundred rewards. On special days and nights, these rewards multiply even further. Reading and listening to it as it was revealed by the Lord of all worlds will remain a fundamental and beautiful tradition and act of worship for all Muslims, regardless of their nationality, continuing forever. Translations and interpretations are important for understanding the message of our Lord and learning the ways to attain His blessings. The Qur’an contains valuable principles, lessons and warnings that guide us through every phase of our lives. Furthermore, in one of the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who delivered to us the Qur’an, he says:

“The book contains accounts of what happened before you, news of what will come after you, and rulings for matters that arise among you. It serves as a decisive judge, distinguishing between truth and falsehood, right and wrong. There is no word in it without purpose. Whoever turns away from it and defies its rulings, Allah will bring them to ruin. Whoever seeks guidance elsewhere, Allah will lead them astray. It is the unbreakable rope of Allah, a source of wise counsel, and the straight path. No whims can sway it, and no tongues can distort it. Scholars can never exhaust its knowledge, and its repetition does not tire nor do its wonders ever cease. When the jinn listened to it, they declared, ‘We have heard a wondrous Qur’an that guides to the right path, and we have believed in it.’ Whoever speaks according to it is guided to the right path. Whoever acts by it receives their reward. Whoever judges by it does so with justice. Whoever is called to it is shown the path of righteousness.”