Contemplation Upon the Quran and
Sunnah
Regarding contemplation upon the
Qur’aan and the Sunnah, Allah says:
Which means:
“And We sent not
before you except men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So ask the people of
the message [i.e., former scriptures] if you do not know. [We sent them] with
clear proofs and written ordinances. And We revealed to you the message [i.e.,
the Quran] that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them
and that they might give thought.”
[An-Nahl:
43-44]
These are really testing times and
countless trials, tribulations,
afflictions are befalling upon this Ummah as the Prophet SAW had already
informed us about this, over 1400 years before.
Nevertheless, the main cause of all
of this is that the majority of Muslims have distanced themselves from Quran
and it’s correct following in the light of sunnah. The whole ummah is suffering
and is crumbling.
It’s really a very saddening fact
that vast majority of Muslims do not know Arabic - the language of Quran, yet they know and
understand many other language besides their own mother tongue. Even chilling
is that majority of Muslims learn how to
read and pronounce the word in Arabic but do not learn anything apart from it.
Even chilling is that many Muslims read Quran without understanding a word of
what they are reading, even though they have translation of Quran in their own
language yet they sit and read it only in Arabic without understanding.
ALLAH THE MOST HIGH SAYS: “And the Messenger
SAW will say: "O my Lord! Verily, my
people deserted this Qurân (neither listened to it nor acted on its laws and
teachings).”
[Surah Furqan (25:30)]
Someone rightly said:
“Obviously, the Qur’an has been
revealed that it may be understood. There would be no sense in believing in it
if we do not follow its meanings. Also, how can it serve as a source of
guidance for us if we fail to comprehend its message.
Mere recitation (i.e., recitation
without understanding the meaning of the text) may be excusable in the case of
persons who have not been fortunate enough to receive any education and who are
now past the age at which one can do so. But the people who have devoted a
considerable part of their lives to their secular education and have acquired
knowledge of different arts and sciences and may have learnt foreign languages
besides their own. If these educated persons were to read the Quran
thoughtlessly and without understanding its meaning, then it is very much
possible that, in the sight of Almighty Allah (SWT), they may be considered
guilty of dishonouring and ridiculing the Holy Book. For these persons, it is
possible that the punishment for ignoring the meaning and message of the Quran
may exceed the reward for reciting its text. “
Abu Khaithama narrated that
‘RA said:
“Shall I not inform you of the true
faqeeh (one with understanding of the Religion)? (He is) the one who doesn’t
cause the people to despair from the mercy of Allah nor does he allow an
individual to commit disobedience to Allah nor does he leave off the Quran,
turning toward something other than it. Indeed, there is no good in any act of
worship that has no knowledge in it. Nor is there any good in knowledge that
does not have understanding to it. Nor is there any good in reciting the
Qur’an if there is no tadabbur (reflecting on its meaning) to go along with
it.”
( Refer Kitab al-Ilm of Imam Nasai 143)
Some ignorant say that this
sentence of Sayyidina Ali RA "… Nor is there any good in reciting the
Qur’aan if there is no tadabbur (reflecting on its meaning) to go along with
it…" contradicts with the hadeeth of the Prophet SAW which states: "Whoever recites a letter from the Book
of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold
reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam
is a letter and Mim is a letter.''
[Tirmidhi 2919 Sahih]
Hence, they claim that when by
merely reciting Alif-Lam-Mim one is credited with 30 good deeds and since no
one knows its meaning, this proves that
mere recitation without understanding yields good deeds.
The hadeeth is 100% authentic and
the conclusion drawn from this hadeeth too is correct. But, what they are doing
in the shade of this hadeeth is 100% baatil (wrong). This hadeeth exhorts and a targheeb is drawn
to recite Quraan and since Quraan is nothing but words of ALLAH – The Most
High, there is barakah (blessings) in it and one is rewarded for pronouncing
the words of ALLAH from his/her mouth.
However, the recitation of words of ALLAH in general, should not be
empty of understanding, contemplation, and action.
We just cannot afford to sit and
read Quraan without caring to know what we are reading and if we don’t even
know what we are reading then how come can we contemplate on it or act on it.
So, what’s the proof for this?
Tafsir of ibn katheer reads:
"Allah commands them to
contemplate about the Qur'an and forbids them from ignoring it, or ignoring its
wise meanings and eloquent words. Allah states that there are no
inconsistencies, contradictions, conflicting statements or discrepancies in the
Quran, because it is a revelation from the Most-Wise, Worthy of all praise.
Therefore, the Quran is the truth coming from the Truth, Allah. This is why
Allah said in another Ayah,
“Do they not then think deeply
(tadabbur) in the Quran, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding
it)”
(Surah Muhammed verse 24)
Likewise there are many verses in
Quran which exhorts for contemplation and implementation and severely condemns
those who don’t do so. This one aayah is enough to prove that there is no good
in reciting Quraan without contemplation (tadabbur) instead it’s a blameworthy
act. If we don’t understand what we are reading how come can we contemplate and
act on it.
Prophet SWT said: “Woe to he who recites it but does not contemplate it.''
Here is the complete hadith which
is in Tafsir ibn katheer: Ibn Marduwyah recorded that `Ata’ said, “I, Ibn `Umar
and `Ubayd bin `Umayr went to `A’ishah and entered her room, and there was a
screen between us and her. Ibn `Umar said, `...Tell us about the most unusual
thing you witnessed from the Messenger of Allah.’ She cried and said, `All his
matters were amazing. On night, he came close to me until his skin touched my
skin and said, `Let me worship my Lord.’ I said, `By Allah I love your being
close to me. I also love that you worship your Lord.’ He used the water-skin and
performed ablution, but did not use too much water. He then stood up in prayer
and cried until his beard became wet. He prostrated and cried until he made the
ground wet. He then laid down on his side and cried. When Bilal came to alert
the Prophet for the Dawn prayer, he said, `O Messenger of Allah! What makes you
cry, while Allah has forgiven you your previous and latter sins’ He said,
‘O Bilal! What prevents me from
crying, when this night, this Ayah was revealed to me’,
"Verily, in the creation of
the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are
indeed signs for men of understanding."
[Surah al Imran (3:190)]
Then said: “Woe to he who recites
it but does not contemplate it.”
(tafsir ibn katheer)
Moreover, there are many authentic
ahadeeth of our beloved Prophet SWT which has this phrase, “some people will recite the Quran but it will not exceed
their throats and who will go out of (i.e. renounce) the religion (Islam) as an
arrow passes through the game.” And in some narrations the word used in place
of Quran is iman (faith). Both mean the same here, because if Quran does not
exceed beyond their throat then how can faith (iman) exceed and vice versa.
One such hadeeth in which imaan is
used is narrated by Ali (ra) saying : I heard Allah's Apostle SAW saying,
"In the last days of this world there will appear some young foolish
people who will use (in their claim) the best speech of all people (i.e. the
Qur'an) and they will abandon Islam as an arrow going through the game. Their
belief will not go beyond their throats..”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari, 4808]
All of these ahadeeth speaks about
those sets of People who would go out of the fold of Islam (kharijiees) and
their main trait will be that the Quran will only limited up to their throats
(i.e. for loud recitational purpose) and it won’t go beyond. This can only
happens when the reader do not try to understand what he is reading, or/and not
understanding it correctly in the light of sunnah, or/and not contemplating
over the aayah of ALLAH, or/and not correctly implementing Deen of ALLAH upon
himself.
Who of us would like to share this
trait which is exclusively reserved for Kharijiees (i.e. those who go out of
Islam)?
Hence, we must not read Quran
without giving due care for understanding it properly and implementing what we
read. We should read Quran daily and read it with understanding, and should not
desert it. We should understand and act on Quran in the light of Sunnah; in it
lies our success.
So now let’s see how our righteous
Predecessors read Quran: 'Ataa' may Allaah have mercy upon him reported that
Abu 'Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sulami, may Allaah have mercy upon him said: "We
learnt the Quran from people (i.e. the Companions may Allaah be pleased with
them) who told us that they would never go beyond memorizing ten verses until
they comprehended their meanings and applied them. We learnt the meanings of
these verses of the Quran and their practical implications. However, a time
will come when some people will recite the Quran, but it will not go beyond
their throats (i.e. they would not comprehend/ understand/ implement what they
read).”
[Recorded by at tabari;
authenticated by Ahmad Shakir]
