Understanding Qur'aan

Alhamdulillah, many amongst us have ramped up our recitation of the Qur’an this Ramadhan. But more importantly is for us to also invest our time and effort to understand, ponder and act upon the Qur’an.

Let’s ask ourselves a very serious honest question : do we really think that the Qur’an – the Divine Message that Inspired the corrupt pagan society of Quraysh, to become the Great Nation of monotheism in the pages of history that would defeat the armies of Persia and Rome – would change a nation merely by reciting and reading without understanding a single word?
Do we really think that the Qur’an – the Message that would reform an idol-worshipping, alcohol addicted, stingy adulterer to eventually become amongst the ranks of the Companions of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam): a believer with the highest of moral standards and an exemplary individual for the rest of history – would change a person by just reciting words one doesn’t understand?

Consider this: We can read Spanish and Dutch – because they’re the virtually the same letters and characters as the English language. But really, is it logically possible to read a Spanish motivational book and be motivated, when we don’t understand anything from it?

While yes, it is true, out of the Mercy and Bounty of Allah, we are granted rewards for the mere recitation of the Qur’aan (even if we don’t understand it), as the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said:

"‏ مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لاَ أَقُولُ الم حَرْفٌ وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ ‏"‏
“Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward.
I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter."
(Narrated by At-Tirmidzi, graded hasan)

But really, what we need is to focus on how we can bring about a long term benefit ourselves and others from the Divine Guidance of the message of the Qur’an. The Prophet said:
 
خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلمه
“the best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it” (Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Allah says:
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا
“And We send down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, but it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrongdoers and oppressors) in nothing but loss” (Surah al-Isra’ 17:82)

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on this verse:
Here Allaah tells us about His Book, which He revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and which is the Qur’aan which “Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise” [Fussilat 42:41- interpretation of the meaning], that it is “a healing and a mercy to those who believe” – i.e., it takes away the diseases in the heart such as doubt, hypocrisy, shirk, deviation and misguidance; the Qur’aan heals all of that.

And it is also a mercy which brings about faith, wisdom and the pursuit of and desire for goodness. This is only for those who believe in it and follow it; for such it will be a healing and a mercy.

But as for the disbeliever and those who wrong themselves thereby, their hearing the Qur’aan only makes them further away (from truth) and increases them in disbelief. The problem comes from the disbeliever, not from the Qur’aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur’aan) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)” [Fussilat 41:44]

May Allah make us amongst those who understand, ponder, act upon, and spread the message of Qur’aan – ameen.