The Obligations Muslims Owe to the QurŽan: Dr. Israr Ahmad

[EEmaan]

by Dr. Israr Ahmad

Foreword

This article, which appeared in Urdu under the title Meesaq
Huquq
This translation has already been published in the form of an article by the All Pakistan Islamic Education Congress in a recent issue of their journal Islamic Education

Muhammad Ibrahim

[EEmaan]

During the last decade (i.e., the sixties), international competitions have become a regular feature in the Muslim World. These competitions, in which well-known tajweed





A Muslim is required:

• to read it;
• to understand it;
• to act upon its teachings; and
• to convey its message and teachings to others.

[EEmaan]

Iman (faith) which has two phases: Iqrar bil-lisan (verbal profession) and tasdeeq bil-qalb

kalam Allah

And do not move your tongue quickly (in trying to memorize the Revelation) to make haste therewith. (Al-Qiyamah 75:16)

In reality, Iman (or faith) is not something that can be planted in us from outside. It is an embodiment of fundamental truths that continually flash through our inner being and are caught and reflected by our heart. We can say that the human heart is a wonderful mirror that automatically catches and reflects the light of those universal truths that constitute Iman. What happens is that sometimes the surface of this mirror gets blurred under the effect of wrong environment and education and fails to catch and reflect the inner light of Iman

An insight and reminder (of the truths ingrained in human nature) for every servant who turns to Allah in repentance. (Qaf 50:8)

[EEmaan]

2-Tilawat wa Tarteel

The Arabic equivalents for "reading" are and tilawattilawat is used for reading the Holy Book with all the reverence due to it as a sacred scripture, with an open mind fully disposed to imbibing its influence, and with a keen desire to model our lives upon its teaching. It is a term specifically used for the reading of heavenly books. , however, is a general term used for reading any kind of book. This difference in the connotation of these two words as equivalents of "reading" is borne out by their literal meanings; for tilawat means "to follow or walk behind some one," while means just "to draw or combine things together."
In the beginning, the word qaaritajweed, whereas the word tilawat came to be used as a general term for reading the sacred book with fervor and devotion, for the purpose of seeking guidance and blessings.
TilawatIman

And recite what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord: None can change His Words, and none will you find as a refuge other than Him. (Al-Kahf 18:27)

And again, in Surah Al-Ankaboot a similar instruction was repeated:

ayah

1. Tajweed:

2. Daily Recitation:
parasparaahzaab (sections) in the time of the Companions (RAA). The first six of the ahzaab consist of three (excluding Surah Al-Fatiha), five, seven, nine, eleven, and thirteen Surahs respectively, and the seventh called hizb-ul-mufassal consists of the rest of the Holy Book. Every hizb comprises of approximately four paras, which can be recited quite satisfactorily in two hours.

3. Melodious voice:

He has also warned us against our negligence in this matter in the words:

and has given us the following tidings as a further inducement for melodious recitation:

4. Objective and Subjective Conditions:
qiblah, and that he should start the recitation with tilawat is "to follow or walk closely behind someone." Therefore, in the real sense of the term, it demands an attitude of self-abandonment and receptivity. Such an attitude is, indeed, the essence of tilawat.
5. Tarteel (Reading in slow, measured rhythmic tones):
tarteel

This signifies that tarteeltarteel, Allama Ibn Arabi (RA), the author of , has quoted the following tradition narrated on the authority of Hasan Ibn Ali (RAA):

The following words of the Holy Prophet (SAW) contain a similar instruction for tarteel

6. Committing to Memory:
hafizafiz among its members.
tarteel and provide for our souls greater and greater amount of sustenance in the best possible form.

[EEmaan]

3-Tazakkur wa Tadabbur

kalam Allah

fahm, , fiqh, and fikrtazakkurzikr, zikra and tazkirah. In reality, tazakkurulul albab (men of understanding) and qaumun yaqilun

and in Surah Nahl:

Zikr that you may explain clearly to men what is sent for them, and that they may give thought. (Al-Nahl 16:44)

Again, in the same vein, we have in the second Surah, Al-Baqarah:

Thus Allah makes clear His signs to you, in order that you may understand. (Al-Baqarah 2:242)

and similarly in the beginning of Surah Yusuf we have the following ayah:

Imantazakkur. Every person, whether mediocre or an intellectual, is in constant need of tazakkurtazakkur

tazakkurtazakkurtazakkur.
tazakkur from its ayaattazakkur
I fail to understand what excuse will be put forward in the Court of the Almighty (SWT) in their defense by those Muslims who are not only educated but have obtained graduate and post-graduate degrees and have mastered such difficult arts and sciences like Medicine and Engineering, for not learning so much Arabic that they could follow His Holy Book. Out of a sincere regard and genuine concern for these Muslims, let me assert that their negligence in the matter of learning Arabic is tantamount to not only ridiculing the Book of Allah (SWT) but also treating it with contempt. They should realize that by their irresponsible behavior in this regard they are rendering themselves liable to an awful chastisement and a dreadful penalty on the Day of Judgment.

The second stage in the comprehension of the Holy Book is huda lil-naas i.e., guidance for humankind. Not only does it guide the common people by presenting before them the correct view of God and the universe as well as sound moral principles, but it also contains perfect guidance for men of learning and understanding and has always served them as a beacon of light in every intellectual or spiritual crisis in their life.

Here is a book which we have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may meditate on its signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition. (Sad 38:29)

By way of stressing this point further, it says, in a mildly admonishing vein:

tazakkur but is, in the same degree, difficult for tadabburayaat
Imam Ghazali (RA) in his Ihya-ul-Uloomtazakkur and its thoughtful study for tadabbur
ayaat
Besides the branches of learning referred to above, a good knowledge of ahadith
tadabbur


Ummah in the present age.

Jahiliyyah are the best of you in Islam" with "provided they understand the religion."

[EEmaan]

4-Hukm wa Iqamah

ayaat are not to be recited only for the sake of getting a reward from Allah (SWT) or for reducing the agony of death. Nor is it a subject of investigation and research in the sense that it should provide a good exercise to our intellectual and imaginative faculties so that we could indulge in all sorts of abstruse thinking and useless hair-splitting in the interpretation of its meanings.
huda lil-naas

We have further clarification of, and emphasis over this point in the following traditions of the Holy Prophet (SAW):

None of you can become a believer until all his desires are subordinated to what I have brought (i.e., the Revealed Guidance). (Narrated in Sharah Al-Sunnah)

tilawat

While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows on them their piety. (Muhammad 47:17)

Ummah

Here it is necessary to explain that

Just as tazakkurhukm bima anzalallah (to judge in the light of what Allah has revealed).
For grasping the real significance of the word hukm, which is the core of this term, we should consider its use in the following ayaat:

Here this word has been used in the sense of "command" or "authority."

Hukm, which has been translated here as "a criterion of judgment."

Here a derivative of the word hukm has been used to indicate the mission of the Holy Prophet (SAW).
Ayaat
If we try to express the sense of the word hukmhukm bima anzalallah
Iqamah (standing fast by, or establish). It has been used in a ayah

Again it is used in ayah 71 of the same Surah, which makes the announcement:

The term hakm bima anzalallahIqamah ma unzila minallah pertains to the collective conduct of the community. It signifies the establishment of a system of life based on social justice that ensures perfect balance and harmony between the individual members of the society and its different classes. When people come to owe allegiance to such a perfect social order, the possibility of tyranny and transgression, cruelty and injustice is absolutely ruled out and all the doors of political oppression and economic exploitation are closed. This is why the ayah
This establishment of a perfectly just and equitable social order is the very purpose for which Allah (SWT) sent His messengers and revealed His Books:

In the second Deen, belief in the Revealed Book, and the establishment of the just social order.
ayah 10 we have, accordingly, been directed to recognize and uphold it under all eventualities:

AyahDeen and .

Then in ayah 15, the Holy Prophet (SAW) has been instructed to declare his belief in the Book and to strive for the creation of a just society by practically dispensing justice to the people:

This whole discussion is summed up in ayah 17:

Here again, as in the ayah from Surah Al-Hadeed quoted above, we have the word meezan

Allah (SWT) has guided man to devise the material balance by which material objects are weighed. He has also granted man the intellectual balance, which is another name for sense of justice and fair play. But most important, the balance granted to us is the Religion of Truth which settles the basic issue of the respective right of the Creator and His creatures and by which all issues can be justly decided.

ayah

Deen
It may well be asked as to what practical measures should be adopted for the fulfillment of this duty. Although a complete answer to this question is beyond the scope of this booklet, still a few remarks on this topic will not be out of place here. In the first place, let it be understood that the enforcement of the fundamental principles of DeenDeen will come to operate and prevail in the form of a perfect system of collective justice.
There is no other way of bringing about this revolution, and the plea that this goal could be achieved by launching a political movement by exploiting the emotional attachment of a Muslim people to their hereditary religion is absolutely vain, and making such an attempt would be like building sand castles.
hukm bima anzalallah and Iqamah ma unzila minallahUmmah according to its strength and resources should earnestly endeavor to discharge this great responsibility.

[EEmaan]

5-Tableegh wa Tabyeen

tableeghtableeghtableegh at a higher plane.

Again, it declares the basic objective of its being revealed to the Holy Prophet (SAW) in ayah

ayaat

Convey from me to the people even if it be a single ayah. (Narrated by Bukhari)

Ummah

Ummah for all time to come, and the Ummah as a whole shall be answerable to the Almighty (SWT) with regard to this arduous duty. As the Ummah consists of the individuals, every individual is responsible for the discharge of this duty: men of learning according to their knowledge and ability and common people according to their means and capability.
The words of the Holy Prophet (SAW) "Convey from me to the people though it be a single ayahayahUmmah
Ummah, seems to be a far cry or an unattainable ideal, because things have come to such a pass that the UmmahUmmah
As it has been pointed out in the beginning of this discussion, a higher form of tableegh (communication) is tabyeentabyeen. Hence tableegh and tabyeenayaat and Surahs.
Bayan (a plain statement).

This is a plain statement to mankind, a guidance and instruction to those who are God-conscious. (Aal Imran 3:138)

mubeen (clear), and its ayaat as bayyinat and mubayyinat (clear signs or manifestations). It also points out that to explain and interpret the Divine Scriptures is the responsibility of the prophets and their followers to whom these are vouchsafed. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is addressed on this point in the following words:

It has been stated about the Jews and Christians that they were bound by a covenant to explain the Book of Allah (SWT) to mankind:

When they did not fulfill this covenant and, on the contrary, tried to conceal the truth, they were accursed:

It may be noted that tabyeen

Tabyeenayaattabyeen in its simplest form we should publish translations and commentaries of the Holy Book in all the important languages of the world and circulate them widely. So far as our obligation for tabyeen

[EEmaan]

A Direct Word with the Reader

Ummah

In the subsequent part of the ayah, it has been plainly stated that their failure to discharge their obligations towards their Holy Book is tantamount to their denying its truth:

The ayah

Although in this ayah
Let me quote for your what Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (RA) has to say on this point.

Although the ayah