Advice from the Quran
The final testament or the Glorious Quran as we know it, is a book unlike any other.
We revere it as we know it to be a direct communication from Allah SWT to us via the Prophet Muhammad SAWS.
And within this book, to set it apart from any other are characteristics that make it unique. There are miracles of which we are still learning its magnitude. There are also miracles in the application of the Quran in that it is still only a single version without deviation after fourteen centuries or that somewhere at any given time there is someone reciting its words.
But the khutba today is focused on the advice that is found in the Quran or the inherent wisdom that can be attained from the Quran. This is the focus of this weeks khutba.
And to just demonstrate this point by an example, we know that there is the Ten Commandments that are followed by Christians. But scholars in Islam also speak of the so-called Ten Commandments of the Quran. But do most of us know where these are in the Quran or what they are?
Before we analyse them, let’s recap where they are found. In Sura Al-Anam, ayat 151 to 153, we recite the words of Allah SWT which are translated as saying:
Say, ‘Come! I will tell you what your Lord has really forbidden you. Do not ascribe anything as a partner to Him; be good to your parents; do not kill your children in fear of poverty’— We will provide for you and for them— stay well away from committing obscenities, whether openly or in secret; do not take the life God has made sacred, except by right. This is what He commands you to do: perhaps you will use your reason.
Stay well away from the property of orphans, except with the best [intentions], until they come of age; give full measure and weight, according to justice— We do not burden any soul with more than it can bear— when you speak, be just, even if it concerns a relative; keep any promises you make in God’s name. This is what He commands you to do, so that you may take heed
This is My path, leading straight, so follow it, and do not follow other ways: they will lead you away from it— This is what He commands you to do, so that you may refrain from wrongdoing.’
Dear brothers and sisters, for those of you who were counting, those three verses just constituted ten commandments passed over to us by Allah SWT.
And how did the scholars reach the conclusion on them being commandments? Each verse ends with the word command in the context of Allah SWT commanding us to follow what preceded it in the verse.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to the advice that is offered in the Quran to each and every one of us. However, for many, Arabic is not a native language and therefore it can prove to be difficult to gain the benefit from the book of Allah SWT.
Therefore what follows are 5 things that we can each do in order to reap the benefits of being of the book of Allah SWT.
- Learn Quranic Arabic – We have lessons in this masjid for all ages and capabilities. Just ask for more information.
- Follow the commentary of the Quran. Just google Tafsir of the Quran and you can get access to a wealth of knowledge on the Quran and the lessons within.
- Use the advice in the Quran in it’s context. By this we mean that it is not enough that you take the literal translation of the Quran and stop there. We need to understand that the content of this book is from Allah SWT who made the mind-boggling vastness of the universe or the complexity of the human brain.
Therefore to read a translation (or even just the Arabic) and think that you have understood the wisdom of the quran is not doing it or yourself justice.
The word Ayat of the Quran is actually better translated as Sign (s-i-g-n) and not verse and therefore each ayat is a sign for those who reflect and ponder and fully digest what Allah SWT is saying.
This action requires help for most but now, thanks to the internet, can be delivered in the form of lectures from scholars in video, audio or text format.
This is the best course of action for those of us who wish for a greater understanding of the book of Allah SWT.
Dear brothers and sisters, we need to understand that the only tangible connection to Allah SWT and the Prophet SAWS is the book of Allah SWT. It is from Him to us for us. In other words, there are words within this book that apply to the lives of each and every one of us in this day and age.
Therefore doesn’t it make sense to begin the journey today to unlocking the guidance within this book?
May Allah SWT enable us to understand the Quran. May Allah SWT enable us to gain wisdom from the Quran and may Allah SWT reward us for our efforts in understanding the Quran.
Ameen Walhamdullilahi Rabilalameen.
