Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the miraculous Word of the One God, Allah Almighty, the Creator and Maintainer of the universe. Nevertheless, despite our realization that the Qur’an is our reference point on life, death, and the afterlife, we oftentimes struggle to maintain in our daily lives a strong and healthy relationship with the Book of Allah. Many of us might not realize that some of our difficulties and suffering in life could be byproducts of a weak relationship with the Qur’an, while we search so earnestly for relief, blessings, and success elsewhere. Thus, we ask: how does one go about establishing a strong relationship with the Qur’an?
First, one must know the value of the Qur’an and why a consistent relationship with it is so crucial. For many people, this is the real underlying issue that is unresolved. The Qur’an is the final miracle given to the final messenger of God, and there is nothing like it in this world. We were not alive to see the splitting of the Red Sea, or the miracles given to Prophet Eesa (Jesus), or the splitting of the moon or the cool and safe fire for Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). But we are alive now and have access to the greatest miracle of all: the Qur’an. Unlike other miracles and signs of God, this particular miracle is not confined to a particular time in history or region of the world. It is accessible worldwide today and recited amongst two billion Muslims around the world, just as it was recited by the great companions of Prophet Muhammad.
Furthermore, we must remember three facets of recognition pertaining to the Qur’an:
Recognize the Qur’an as Correspondence from Allah SWT
If you were to receive a message from someone famous or powerful, or from a person you value, love, and respect, how would you treat that particular correspondence? If it were a text message from a just and beloved prime minister, a phone call from a pious scholar, a gift from a dear friend or family member, would you disregard it or value it?
In all likelihood, that message or gift would be thought about and cherished time and again. This clumsy analogy, while important, is nothing compared to the reality of the Qur’an. The Qur’an is not a letter or a short message, but rather it is correspondence from Allah, the Exalted, to His creation. As one famous scholar said, “The people before you considered the Qur’an to be correspondence from their Lord, so they would ponder it by night and act upon it by day” (al-Ḥasan al-Baṣri).
How often do we think of the Qur’an as correspondence from Allah, as it truly is, and as a result ponder its meanings and contents throughout the day and night? How often do we revisit this Message, one that we are in need of for all affairs of this life and the next? How often do we review it in prayer, study its deeper meanings, implement its commands, and teach it to others?
Truly, when we recognize the Word of Allah for what it is, the value of the Qur’an will increase in our hearts and minds, and we’ll find ourselves connecting to it more deeply, respecting it more, and regularly embracing it for its transformative Light.
Actions you can take:
• Before you begin your daily recitation of the Qur’an, take a moment to reflect on the fact that you’re engaging with the Word of Allah to you and to mankind.
• When the Qur’an is being recited, listen attentively as you acknowledge Allah’s correspondence to you.
• Regularly nourish your passion and motivation to connect with the Qur’an throughout the day and night as you value Allah’s Word and its central place in your life.
Recognize the Qur’an as the Ultimate Source of Healing
How much would you be willing to pay for a medication you needed? Oftentimes, people are willing to search far and wide for healing of a physical, emotional, or psychological ailment. One of the most powerful ways to reconnect with the Qur’an and increase its value in our hearts and minds is to recognize our need for it. The Qur’an is the ultimate source of shifā’ (healing). Allah SWT tells us, “O humanity! Indeed, there has come to you a warning from your Lord, a cure for what is in the hearts, a guide, and a mercy for the believers” (10:57). And in another verse, we are reminded of the same: “We send down the Qur’an as a healing and mercy for the believers…” (17:82).
Regularly reconnecting with the Qur’an leads to a powerful shield for the heart and mind, a psychological resilience and barrier against weakness, and a healing for difficulties and ailments.
Actions you can take:
• When you encounter difficulties, sadness, pain, or suffering, turn to the Qur’an first for healing, and also make du’a, in order to find strength and resolve through Allah’s Word.
• When you face ailments or illnesses of any kind, turn to the Qur’an for shifaa’ (healing) by reciting upon your body, or in your hands held in supplication and then wiping over your body, while fully believing in the shifaa’ through Allah’s Word. This step is to be followed even while benefiting from medical treatments or any medications.
• When reflecting on the world’s ailments and society’s emotional and psychological turmoil, turn to the Word of Allah first to find healing and peace and then share that with others.
Recognize the Qur’an as the Ultimate Source of Guidance
In the second verse of the very first surah (chapter) of the Qur’an, we find a description of the Qur’an itself: “This is the Book, without doubt, a guidance for those who are mindful of Allah” (2:2). When we look at the state of the world today, we see how lost people are without knowing about or adhering to the message of God. We see how people no longer fulfill their spiritual potential and end up wasting their lives and efforts. The human being is made noble by God, with an intended and magnificent purpose, to be tested in this life and to see “who is best in their deeds” (Qur’an 67: 2) before the life of eternal compensation, of reward or punishment.
Jundub b. ‘Abdillāh Al-Bajalī (r) was once asked for advice. He said, “I advise you to fear Allah and obey Him [have taqwa] and I advise you to adhere to the Qur’an, for it is a light in the dark night and a guidance during the day, so implement it no matter how much struggle and poverty you have to face. If a calamity befalls you, put your wealth forward to protect your religion, and if the calamity continues, put forward your wealth and your life to save your religion; for the ruined is he whose religion is ruined, and the looted is he whose religion is taken. And know that there is no poverty after Paradise, and no riches after the Fire” (Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā).
What is it that assists people to do what’s right, to fulfill the potential within themselves or to recognize the blessings around them? It is the Word of Allah SWT, a guide for those who are mindful of God, a guidance for every moment, situation, or challenge. It is a source of objective morality, and a guidance for those who seek clarity and purpose in life. And yet, many people do not recognize that the solutions to problems, liberation from distractions and addictions, advocacy against societal oppressions, the livelihoods they passionately pursue, and the relationships they cherish – are all supported, perfected, and blessed when they are guided by the source of true guidance.
It was reported that ‘Ubayy b. Ka’b (r) advised: “Take the Book of Allah as your leader (imam) and be pleased with it as a judge and ruler. It is what your Messenger left amongst you. It will be an intercessor for you. It is to be obeyed. It is a witness never doubted. In it is a mention of you and those before you, and judgment for whatever happens amongst you. And in it is news about you and whatever will come after you” (Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā’).
Actions you can take:
• Regularly connect with the Qur’an in order to preserve and reinforce your attachment to the guidance you were blessed with by Allah SWT.
• Whenever you feel lost or purposeless in life, increase your connection with Allah’s Word in order to be reminded of your true purpose, your profound value as a believer, your ultimate objective, and the true definition of eternal success.
• Utilize the strategies and reminders of Allah SWT in the Qur’an in order to serve as a source of guidance for others in the world. Many believers are grateful for the guidance they find in the Qur’an. Yet, many people they interact with are not aware of the true message of Islam. Magnify the blessings of guidance in your life by sharing Islam, its Book, and its guidance regularly with others.
Ultimately, a lifestyle of connecting with the Qur’an begins with sincerity and recognition of the Qur’an’s value as it truly is. Therefore, we should do the following: (1) recite the Qur’an on a daily basis; (2) understand it; (3) memorize it; (4) internalize it; (5) implement it; (6) teach it to others for the sake of Allah.
Abū Hurayrah (r) used to say about the house in which the Qur’ān is recited — “It becomes spacious for its inhabitants, the good of it becomes plentiful, the angels come to it and the devils leave it. And the house in which the Qur’ān is not recited becomes cramped for its inhabitants, has little good in it, and the devils come to it” (al-Muṣannaf).
May Allah SWT guide us and our loved ones to deeply and regularly recognize the Qur’an as correspondence from Allah, the ultimate source of healing, and the ultimate source of guidance. May the Qur’an fill and heal and guide our hearts and minds, our attitudes and intentions, our homes and our lives.
