Understanding and Contemplating the Quran
Dear brothers, the topic of this weeks’ khutba is contemplation of the Final Testament of our Creator – the Quran.
As Muslims, we are instructed to ponder on the words of the Quran. Allah SWT mentions this in Sura Al-Furqan, ayat 30 in which it is translated as saying:
And the Messenger has said, “O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Quran as a thing abandoned.
Dear brothers, the scholars are in agreement that in this context, the understanding we need to take from this ayat is that the abandonment that is being spoken of is the lack of understanding and contemplation of the meaning behind the words of the Quran.
But let’s break this point down further. There are 114 suras in the Quran. Chapters as we translate it to being. This is not strictly the best English word to describe Sura. But more importantly for this khutba, we have 6236 ayats in the Quran. This is translated as verses. Again this is not strictly true and this point is explained further.
The word Ayat is not verse dear brothers. If we look at the literal translation of this word then we see that it actually means ‘evidence’ or ‘sign’. That means that within this Quran, we have 6236 signs for us to contemplate on or evidences for us to think about! This is a remarkable statement of fact.
Allah SWT tells us of the above in the Quran and the following ayat demonstrates this as it is from Sura Saad, ayat 29 and it is translated as saying:
This is a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, that they might reflect upon it’s verses (or ayats) and that those of understanding would be reminded.
So dear brothers, if we know that there is a sign within each small ayat of the Quran then we need to ask ourselves, what is preventing us from gaining access to the most important thing in all our existence.
This Glorious Quran is divine, it is out of this world and it is our connection to Allah SWT, the universe and beyond. What is it that is therefore preventing us from pulling out all the stops and dedicating our lives to understanding this book?
Again we can refer to a Sura of the Quran. Ayat 24 of sura Muhammed is translated as saying:
Then do they not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon their hearts?
Dear brothers, nobody in this room wants to be referenced on the Day of Judgment as being of this group mentioned.
The Quran has a direct connection to your heart. It has the ability to move you, to inspire you and to change you unlike anything or anyone in this world. We can start this journey today and inspire to becoming at one with this miracle in our lives.
According to Hadith, the Prophet SAWS said to Abdullah ibn Masood: “Recite for me the Quran”. He said: “O Messenger of Allah! Should I recite to you and it was revealed to you?” He said: “Yes, for I like to hear it from others.” “I recited Sura an-Nisaa until I reached the ayah, “How will it be then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you O Muhammed as a witness against these people?” He then said: “Stop now.” I found that his eyes were tearful.
Dear brothers, the hadith mentioned here demonstrates the power of the Quran even on the best of creation. We need to aspire to having this reaction when we listen to the Quran also.
So with that being said, what follows are 3 tips for understanding the Quran:
- Always purify your intentions. This was the khutba last week and it is about sincerity in intention.
- Use a reliable translation and commentary if you don’t understand Arabic. We have some in our masjid and online on our site. And on the topic of internet references, YouTube is now a rich source of knowledge on the Quran. Channels such as Quran Weekly are great as well as video series called the Quranic Gems.
- And lastly, don’t give up. The Quran consists of around 80,000 words which may sound daunting. However, by learning only 125 words you will know the meaning of half that number. In other words, 125 unique words are repeated 40,000 times. Learn another 125 words and you will know the meaning of 7 of every 10 words in the Quran. Dear brothers, a 250-word list is what stands between us and knowing most of the words of the Quran. Google 250 Quran Words to get a free list online and begin today.
And in conclusion to this khutba, Sura Al- Baqara, ayat 281 is translated as saying:
And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly.
May Allah SWT unlock our hearts for the Glorious Quran. May Allah SWT drive us to understand the Quran and may Allah SWT reward us for our understanding of the Quran.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
