The Quran: Too High To Reach

Dear sisters,

Salamoalaikum

Why have we lost our connection with the Quran? It wasn't always like this, we were encouraged  to read the Quran everyday as kids. Back then, missing the Quran sabaq with maulwi sahab could mean BIG trouble. I still remember how strict my maulwi sahab was... This one time he took a chair and put it on top of my little brother! O_O and I don't even remember becharay bachay ka qasoor kya tha! Annnyyyyways, I could write up an entire post on the suspicious characters of maulwi sahabs but we've got more important matters to discuss here. Below are some reasons why I think we've stopped reading the Quran regularly and the solutions to establish our relationship with it again.

Reason 1: It's too high up
Have you ever noticed where people keep the Quran? It's usually kept at the highest level of our shelves. I remember in Pakistan, there was a pillar like structure built at two cornering walls of my living room, for the purpose of keeping the Quran. We do this because the Quran is the most respected of all books and so it must be elevated... but we tend to forget that what is out of sight is usually out of mind (fact: we rarely look up as much of what we need/ want is grounded). What ends up happening in most homes is that the Quran is left on the shelf to collect dust, because many of us don't even see it, let alone reading and establishing a connection with it every day.

Solution: Keep the Quran where you can see it. This will not decrease the status of the Quran by any means, rather it will increase the chances of it being read inshallah.

It (the Quran) is a book We have sent down to you, full of blessing, so let people of intelligence ponder its signs and take heed. (Quran, Surah Sad: 20)

Reason 2: Do we really know the importance of the Quran?
Okay, so we all know that Quran is the Speech of Allah and it was sent down upon our Prophet Muhammad (saw) so he could deliver the message of Islam to humanity. But how many of us were told that the Quran is actually a GUIDE FOR LIFE? As kids we did many things that we were told to do... but no one bothered telling us the reasoning behind important matters. I don't remember anyone telling me that the Quran tells you how to live your life, it gives you a solution for every problem, and that it is a means by which Allah (swt) talks to you directly!

Solution: We need to educate ourselves and our children about the importance and purpose of the Quran. To better understand, suppose someone gives you a machine that you've never used before. What is the first thing you'd look for to make sure you work the machine properly? Of course, the manual! Oh no... the manual is missing! Who would you go to now, to ask how the machine works? Of course, the manufacturer or the inventor of the machine. Allah (swt) tells us that we are accountable for whatever we do... and so He gave us a manual to live by in order to succeed here in this dunya and also in the hereafter. That manual is the Quran. Allah (swt) created us, so it only makes sense to turn to Him in order to figure out the proper way to live.

“And indeed We have made the Qur’an easy for direction and guidance, but is there anyone who will take advice?” (Surah Al-Qamar 54:17)

Reason 3: Me no understand!
If I taught you the verbal skills needed to read Japanese (but not understand it) and then gave you a big book in Japanese to read, you would read it easily without any difficulty whatsoever, even if you don't understand what is written. But then if I told you that you'll be having an exam in English on what you learned and understood from the book... There's a 100% chance of you failing that exam (even memorizing the entire book in Japanese, cover to cover, wouldn't help you). How can you pass an exam on something you don't understand at all? Many of us face the same dilemma when it comes to reading the Quran. We were taught to read Arabic only, not how to understand it. How then do we expect to pass the exam on the Day of Judgement, without understanding anything from the Quran despite reading it many times?

Solution: Strive to learn Arabic or read a translation/ tafseer of the Quran along with the Arabic text. Having read the Quran many times in Arabic may bring you lots of hasanaat (reward/sawaab) but it doesn't allow you to understand what Allah (swt) is telling you. Understanding the meaning of the Quran is not the norm among desies, only reading and memorizing it is. No wonder many of us feel disconnected with it... It's only natural for us to pay more attention to something that is in a language we understand. There is Divine Wisdom in why Allah (swt) revealed the Quran in Arabic and it is important to mention here that any translation you read, is not the Quran itself (because the Speech of Allah is ONLY in Arabic) and it is only an attempt to translate it. Although the translation cannot offer the EXACT alternative of the Quran, by studying it we can still acquire the main message and teachings given by Allah (swt). If you don't already have a translation and tafseer (explanation) of the Quran, please get one as soon as possible and study it. Let us also remember to make it a norm for our next generation to learn and study Arabic, so when they read the Quran, they won't have to resort to other means to understand it inshallah.

“ The Best amongst you is (he) who learns and teaches the Holy Quran.”
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith # 4739)

I hope you benefited from the solutions offered here. Please do make an effort to engage with the Quran daily (even if you read just one ayah a day, read it with understanding) and act upon what you learn from it.

Sincerely,
D.M.