‘Ulum al-Qur’an

Will they then not meditate on the Qur'an, or are there locks on the hearts?
(Muhammad:24)

It was only less than 10 years ago when people went around telling everyone not to ponder on the Qur’an, lest they interpret things wrongly, thus paving their way to the Hellfire. The Qur’an, we were told, was there only for us to recite, and you can hope to gain everything from the recitation. It was its melody that we held sacred, not its message. At least that is true for the general laymen.

Many, but not all, doors to the Qur’anic message were closed and perhaps locked by the social stigma. Those who really aspired to know it, was told to learn from a teacher’s tongue. Not from books, but directly from these people. Plus, their credibility cannot be questioned.

Back then, all we knew about the Qur’an was its tajwid, recitation, and not to touch it without ablution or place it anywhere below your navel. Back then you could be labeled a deviant if caught pondering on the translations. We tried to get as excited as we can when reading the Qur’an, but stumbled. It wasn’t at all rare to find people rejoicing at the recital of Allah’s warning of retribution, when, to the same verse, the Prophet would have been distressed.

Praises be to Allah, for His plan is above all others’. Today more and more people have begun to appreciate the Qur’an as it should be valued. They now know the difference between tafsir and translation, between what is clear and what is equivocal. Those who seek to know Allah, they read, ponder, and reflect on the Qur’an, not without putting its message into action. Perhaps the abrasive anti-Islam attitude has also contributed to this change. Debates, discussions, and propagation (formal or not) on the Holy Text are taking place all over the world.

If you’re reading this, and do not think that you’re in the same world, then hop on the boat. Get your copy of the Qur’an and start sailing, for you don’t want to be left behind when everyone is rapidly moving forward.