The Quran is the Only Means of Respect & Honour for the Ummah

6th April 2007

Allah(swt) says in the Qur’an:
Verily this Quran guides to that which is most just & right & gives glad tidings to the believers, who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward. (Al-Isra 17:9)
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• Hadrat Umar (ra) narrates that RasulAllah (saw) said: ‘Allah (swt) exalts many people by means of this book (Quran) and he also degrades and disgraces many others by means of the same.’ (Sahih Muslim)

People who believe in the Holy Book and act upon it are given by Allah (swt) a position of honour and respect, both in this life as well as in the hereafter. While those who do not act upon it are disgraced by Allah (swt). This principle is also borne out by the various ‘ayaat’ of the Holy Quran. At one place it reads:
‘He misleads many by this book and guides many thereby’.

At another place we come across:
‘And we send down in the Quran that which is a healing and mercy for the believers, though it increase for the evil-doers naught save ruin.’ (Al-Isra 17:82)

• Hadrat Abu Zar (ra) says that he requested RasulAllah (saw)to give him some lasting advice. RasulAllah (saw) said: ‘Cultivate the fear and reverence of Allah (swt) in you heart, because this is the root of all virtuous deeds’ I asked him to add something more and he said: ‘Stick to the reading of the Qura, because it is a nur in this life and provision for the hereafter.’ (Sahih Ibn Haban)

The fear of Allah is the root of all good actions. A man whose heart is filled with fear of Allah, does neither commit any sin nor experience and difficulty.

• Hadrat Aisha (ra) reports that RasulAllah (saw) said: ‘Certainly there is always a thing in which people take pride. And that which is glory and pride for my Ummah is the Holy Quran’ (Al Hulya)

People indicate their nobility and dignity by virtue of their lineage, their family and other similar things. The Quran is the source of nobility and pride for the Ummah in the sense that reading, memorizing and teaching it, as also acting upon it, in short, everything related to it, confers an honour upon them. Why should it not be so? After all, it is the Word of the Beloved and the commandments of the Master. Its dignity excels all worldly honours, however great. The achievements of this worldly life, however splendid vanish sooner or later, while the splendour and dignity of the Quran is eternal and unbounded.

Even the minor attributes of the Glorious Quran are such as we should be proud of, let alone its excellence in other respects: its beautiful composition, wonderful coherence, the right choice of words, the proper development of arguments, the narration of the past events and prophecies about the future. Its assailing remarks concerning other people are such as cannot be contradicted, e.g. the remark about the Jews, that they profess love for Allah, but they never long for death. The listener is impressed by its recitation and the reader never gets tired of reading it. It is usual that, however lovely a discourse may be, we will become tired of reading it. On the other hand, if we just memorize one section of the Quran, one may read it 200 times and go on doing so for the rest of their life, but never lose interest. And if something prevents us from enjoying it, that will be for a while only. In fact, the more we read the Quran the greater will be our enjoyment and satisfaction.

Now we should reflect on our own condition. How many of us feel really proud of having memorized the whole Quran? Does a hafiz command real respect in our eyes? Alas, our honour and pride lie in high university degrees and in big titles, in worldly pomp and show, and in wealth we will have to leave behind us on our death.

May Allah (swt) give us the opportunity to benefit and practise on the Quran from that which we learn and read, sincerely, Aameen.
Al Kauthar

Mufti Yusuf Danka (CMIC)