Love of the Qur’an : The Missing Ingredient

Does any of you experience this?

Remember those ‘songs’ we used to listen to while growing up, our early school years. Sometimes 10, 15, 20 years pass by and we have not heard them at all.. perhaps we have even stopped listening to music altogether for years. Yet somehow, when we ‘accidentally’ overhear them at the supermarket, we can recall the lyrics without effort.

Now, compare that to our memorization of the Qur’an – how come sometimes, when it comes to a short surah of the Qur’an which we just memorized only a few months ago, yet we seem to be struggling to recall the surah? How come we can’t remember very well at all? Sometimes it almost feels as if we are reciting it for the first time.

So why could we retain those childhood songs so well – even if they serve as no benefit to us?

Because we used to repeat them a lot. We would keep humming it, promote it to others, sing to ourselves, and we can’t seem “to get that song out of my head”.

And how come we are not motivated to memorize or learn the Qur’an more, in the same way we used to be eager to memorize our favorite songs?

Why? Because we love those songs.

So why can’t we have that same retention power with our memorization with the Qur’an?

When I reflect my own personal weakness and shortcomings the conclusion is quite clear: To put it bluntly, we simply don’t LOVE the Qur’an. Or at least, we don’t Love the Qur’an as much as we used to love those “songs”.

Perhaps we take the Qur’an as a chore, an obligation, a difficult thing…?

Because if we truly loved the Qur’an, we would keep recalling those words in our hearts, minds and tongues. No one needs to remind us, because it’s something we love.

But my dear brothers and sisters, how often do we have so much love for the words and reminders of the Qur’an, that we keep repeating it and “we can’t get that surah out of my head?”

It was narrated in Sahih Muslim, that when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed away, Abu Bakar and Umar went and visited Umm Aiman, the foster mother of the Prophet. When they met her, she was crying.

They then said to her, “What makes you cry? (Rejoice! For) what is in store for the Messenger of Allah is better (than what is in this world)!”

Now take a pause to reflect this moment – as a mother, if your foster son dies, of course you will feel saddenned and crying. It is a natural motherly feeling of love and mercy. 

But surprisingly, this was her response to them:

“مَا أَبْكِي أَنْ لاَ أَكُونَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِرَسُولِهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ”

“I do not cry because I am ignorant of the goodnesss that awaits the Messenger of Allah.

وَلَكِنْ أَبْكِي أَنَّ الْوَحْىَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ

“Rather, I am crying because the Revelation from the Heavens (the Qur’an) has stopped”

This statement moved both Abu Bakar and Umar to tears and they began crying along with her. (Sahih Muslim)

SubhanAllah.. this was the love the sahabah had for the Qur’an. The Love that we are lacking.

O Mankind! The words of Allah are sent down to us as a Mercy and Love from Him, to guide us from darkness to light.

How many of those “songs” were written to benefit you in any way? Perhaps they were mere vehicles for artists and studios to make money.

Yet which one of them are our hearts more inclined to?

My dear brothers and sisters, we need to ACTIVELY develop in our hearts the genuine LOVE for the Qur’an.

Some general steps to build love for the Qur’an

1. Learn the proper tajwid of Reciting Qur’an – one cannot appreciate something alien or difficult. Tajwid rulings are the way that Allah Intends for us to recite His Book… So we have no excuse not to learn. There are ABUNDANT classes around these days, even online.  
2. Learn the meanings, tafsir and lessons of the Qur’an – one cannot love what one does not understand or benefit from.
3. Actively memorize the Qur’an – the more we memorize, the more we familiarize with the Book, the more we enjoy learning it. Keep repeating! For “The Qur’an runs away (from our memories) faster than the camels run when they are released from their tying ropes” (Hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) 
4. Apply the lessons of the Qur’an – The Qur’an was the Book that transformed the nation of Jahiliyah  to the best nation amongst mankind – the sahabah. So how much of those have we applied in our daily lives – the way we act, talk to others, treat others, treat Allah? The more we realize the beautiful lessons, and how much our lives can transform through the Qur’an, the more we begin to appreciate them. Abundant videos on Youtube today share Lessons from Surah.
5. Strengthening our iman and taqwa – Allah describes the Qur’an as a guidance for those who have taqwa (surah al-Baqarah, verse 2). So it will only be a beneficial source of lessons if we have the God-consciousness and amal to back it up, and as we continue sinning and foregoing our obligations, the less we care or benefit from the Qur’an.

May Allah make us amongst those who Love the Qur’an, continuously learn, recite, memorize and share its teachings to others… Amin

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“O Mankind! There has come to you , good advice from your Lord,

And a healing for that (diseases) in your breasts;

A Guidance and a Mercy for those who believe” (Surah Yunus, verse 57)