Happiness found in the relationship with the Holy Quran

Dear brothers and sisters, the Angel Jibreel brought down the Quran to us through the Prophet Muhammed, peace and blessings of Allah SWT be upon him. It was revealed to the Prophet SAWS in the month of Ramadhan and for this we regard this month as the best of months. We know it was first revealed in the night of Power as we call it and this has become to be known as the best of nights.

This book is our living miracle in a world of gadgets, scientific breakthroughs and technology. There is nothing like it in this world and this reminder will never be able to fully do justice to that fact. However, the focus on today’s reminder is on the effect it has on our lives, our homes and our paths in this life.

The imam reminded us of the following ayat from Sura An-Nisa, ayat 174 which is translated to say:

O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light.

Dear brothers and sisters, in a world that is misleading and full of darkness for the believer, this is the clear advice being offered on what will provide that light in order to keep us on the path and not lose our way.

The imam mentioned the following hadith in which the Prophet SAWS has said:

If anyone recites the Qur’an and acts according to its content, on the Day of Judgement his parents will be given to wear a crown whose light is better than the light of the sun in the dwellings of this world if it were among you. So what do you think of him who acts according to this ?

Dear brothers and sisters, we need to understand that the Holy Quran being the light has many explanations. One of the key ones for the youth growing up in the world today is that this book is the living miracle that each and every Muslim ought to be aware of.

First of all, this book is the most read, understood, memorized, discussed and contemplated book in the whole world and has always been this way from the moment it was revealed up until the last day of this life.

This book is such that it is being read all the time somewhere in the world due to the time zones that span the whole world. It is a book that, if the world was to burn every single copy of every single book in the world tomorrow, we would have the Quran back on paper within 24 hours due to the amount of people that have memorized it across the world.

This book is a book that is unaltered and cannot be altered due to the vast number of people who have memorized this book over the world. It is a book that is repeated in part in every single masjid in every town in every country in the world. And there is no variation, there is no discrepancy and there is no change. Nothing else written past, present or future has and will come close to this.

And secondly, and most importantly, this book is a source of happiness, healing and mercy. In a world where the hedonistic pursuit of one’s desires results in the chaos we see, the Quran is the true source of contentment until the return to our Lord.

The imam reminded us of the 82^nd ayat of Sura Al-Isra which is translated to say:

And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.

And so, this reminder concludes with 5 practical tips we can take to achieve happiness from the book of Allah.

1. Read it. It’s not given to gather dust in our homes. It ought to be a member of our family and all should witness it’s reading, especially children in the home.
2. Try to memorize some of it. Allah SWT said in Surat-Qamar, ayat 17:

And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance

Since, this book is a guidance for all, regardless of nationality or language, not a single Muslim should ever think that this task is beyond them to achieve. However, it requires effort and focus which lies within the induvial to commit to.

3. Try to ponder over the ayats of the Quran. Dear brothers and sisters, for those of us who are not native Arab speakers, this may appear like a difficult task. However, this is a question of attitude. Imagine this, you’ve just received a message from out of this world. This message is from your most beloved person. It is a message that is however encrypted. However this message is one you have waited your whole life for. It is the key to understanding everything about your beloved and about yourself. However, it’s encrypted. But good news, you can learn to decrypt the message as there are people who can help you do this. The question then is: Would you not then make the effort to decrypt that message? would you not then spend every waking minute wondering what this super message is to you? Would you not seek the best people to unlock this supernatural message that’s been sent just for you?

Dear brothers and sisters, this is the Quran. It’s encryption is the language of Arabic. And this is a message delivered from the Heavens by an Angel to a Prophet specifically for you. Why wouldn’t you make a small commitment to work towards understanding the book of your beloved Creator?

4. Work on practically adhering to the lessons within the Quran. This book is a living book, unlike any other which talks back to the reader and guides them to the path of Allah SWT. And alongside that we have the example of the living embodiment of the Quran, the sunnah of the Prophet SAWS to help us live out the lessons of the Quran.

5. Lastly, the Prophet SAWS said: The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it. So let’s spread wisdoms and lessons we learn from Quran. Let’s teach our youth how connected we are to the book. Let’s make the book of Allah SWT the central point in each of our homes.

Dear brothers and sisters, we are the nation to which belongs the single greatest miracle in existence today. However, the Quran serves not only to prove the authenticity of Islam but also provides each and every believer with a source of happiness that cannot be found anywhere else in life. The biggest tragedy that can befall us is that we do not realise this fact and that we don’t make the effort to acquaint ourselves with this living miracle and source of real happiness in this life.