Religion has always been there; even long before we could ever expect. This is not a religious fanatic making such claims, but this is what comes to surface by historians and explorers. They are just amazed to see no matter how old a civilization they might come across while digging and excavating; it has got its religious symbols and manifests of one type or the other.
This is simply because Allah Almighty, the one and only creator of the whole universe did not set to rest after creating the universe and human beings; but He also bestowed His favorite creatures (human beings) the guidance and assistance they needed. That is why Allah (SWT) endowed humanity with more than one hundred and twenty four thousand of His Messengers.
In fact, this very fact is mentioned quite clearly in Qur’an, the final Scripture that Allah Almighty chose to reveal upon the final Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) more than 1400 years ago in the following words:
For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, (with the Command) “Serve Allah, and eschew Evil”: of the people were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom Error became inevitably (established). So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth). (16:36)
Now, this is something for which Muslims (in particular and all people in general) are advised to learn Qur’an, since it contains so diverse, profound, and true knowledge. As knowledge is not deemed significant without sharing it further; Muslims are also advised not only to learn Qur’an themselves, but also to help others learn it. Look what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said about Quran teaching and learning:
“The best of you is he who has learnt the Qur’an and then taught it.” (Bukhari)
The fact that Qur’an proves as the ultimate source of truth and guidance is also authenticated by conversion of countless non Muslims to Muslims in past couple of decades; in fact, much so after 9/11 debacle back in 2001. The truth is that anti-Muslim forces conspired globally to blame Islam for such an insane act, which is nothing but pure fabrication and totally contradictory to Islamic teachings and beliefs. Look at the following verse from Holy Quran:
On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. (5:32)
Killing someone for unjust reason is a serious issue; let us see what Qur’an tells us on smallest concern of calling each other bad names and backbiting:
“You who believe, do not let one (set of) people make fun of another set.” “Do not defame one another.” “Do not insult by using nicknames.” “Do not backbite or speak ill of one another.” (49:11-12)
Do you think a religion instructing its followers to act so politely and nicely in smallest domains of life would advise them or want them to act as insane as killing thousands of people for any unjustifiable reasons? Definitely not, and it is these clear, open, precise, and eloquent instructions from Allah Almighty stated in Qur’an that turn people towards it. If by any circumstances, you have not been able to go through the content of glorious Qur’an till now, one of the best ways to do so these days is to read Quran online, where expert Qur’an teachers assist students all across the world in learning and understanding Qur’an.
Nobody can deny the fact that every living being has to perish one day or the other. Much better is the case to learn and acknowledge the biggest reality and submit ourselves truly to the might of great lord Allah (SWT) for our own betterment before it is too late. Make sure you are among the ones who do so before it is too late!
Allah Almighty has furnished this world with a great variety of people having different casts, colors, and creeds. This adds great color and diversity to the wholesomeness of this world and people with pure and exalted souls are to acknowledge this fact and establish the will of Lord of the whole universe, i.e. Allah (SWT), by acknowledging His might and strength.
Allah Almighty’s purpose of variation in human beings
The following verse should explain this to us:
“Oh humankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored among you in the sight of Allah is the who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)” (49:13).
Human shortcoming in appropriate realization
However, to their own dismay, human race has always seem to fallen short in taking advantage of this diversified blessing of Allah by making this difference a cause of hatred, bloodshed, and decimation of their own race in different means. In simple words, majority of human beings had failed in realizing the true purpose of this difference in color and creed by Allah, which He Himself mentions in Quran as:
{Allah calls to the Abode of Peace and He guides whom He wills to a straight path.} (Yunus 10: 25)
And
{O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace. Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you.} (Al-Baqarah 2: 208)
We need to realize that Allah Almighty is the most peaceful and just of all creators and wants to see His creatures (humans) living in peace, harmony, and tranquility with each other, as mentioned in the verses above.
Islam’s concept of “The People of the Book”
This is the term mentioned in Qur’an for followers of all divine religions prior to Islam, prompting Muslims to offer due respect and honor to them as well. This term is not made specific for followers of any one Prophet of Allah Almighty, but it is a generalized reference of Quran to people having faith in Allah and following instructions of Prophets (those who were bestowed with a Holy Scripture to follow) of their times.
In fact, Islam is nothing new but continuation and refinement of the same message of realization and acknowledgement of oneness of Allah Almighty, following His instructions to live life with peace, harmony, and tranquility while thanking Him for all His blessings. The verse mentioned below is just one description of what Islam teaches its followers about People of the Book:
Ash-Shura [42:13] The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah–that which We have sent by inspiration to thee–and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).
Conclusion
The fact is that Qur’an is the finest manuscript to follow for living a life that pleases our Creator Allah Almighty, so that we not only get the best of life in this world for our faithfulness and obedience to Allah (SWT), but also get rewarded with best in the life hereafter. That entails all human beings (particularly the Muslims) to learn Quran and understand its true message. In fact, this has been made much convenient in modern times by online Quran learning; an innovative concept that enables anyone from any part of the world to learn more about Islam and Quran through internet as a medium.
Remember, this life is awarded to humans for seeking accord of Allah Almighty to be awarded by unbelievably good rewards in the life hereafter and learning Quran could be the best guide to us for that. May Allah help us all to work for that!
Of all things that Allah Almighty has created, human beings are very special, much exalted in their status as compared to everything else that we see furnishing and beautifying the whole universe. This is because human beings embrace Allah Almighty’s biggest blessing that also leads to toughest accountability, i.e., the intellect.
Human Intellect
People might end up defining human intellect in myriads of ways, but its simple interpretation pertains to human being’s decision and opinion in favor or against anything (or any matter). However, Allah (SWT) awarded human beings the custodianship of this intellect not without the bar of accountability, and that is what makes being human so special. It is simply analogous to “higher the risk higher the reward”.
Forgiveness in relation to human intellect
Forgiveness is an aspect that makes the concept of intellect and accountability even more challenging. How, one may ask? Well, according to Islamic perspective, intellect is not only confined to making choice between right and wrong, but it also entails a person to forgive or overlook other’s wrongs despite the realization that they are wrong.
Islamic perspective to forgiveness
In fact, when we Learn Quran, we come to know of two aspects of forgiveness, i.e. Allah Almighty’s forgiveness and human forgiveness.
Allah’s Forgiveness – Quran reveals to us that forgiveness is one of the most important one of Allah Almighty’s countless characteristics. This is clearly evident from the narrations of Quran that refer to The Mightiest Lord’s forgiveness in many names and many dimensions, such as:
Al-Ghafur – This graceful name of Allah graces Quran more than 70 times through its entirety. In Arabic, it is interpreted as “to pardon”, “to excuse”, “to cover”, etc. In fact, Quran reveals the fact that there is only thing Allah (SWT) exempts from his generous forgives; other than that, everything might be forgiven by His mercy. Consider the following verse
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.[Surah Al-Nisa 4:116]
Al-Afuw – This name appears 5 times in Qur’an, meaning “to heal”, “to remit”, “and “to release”. Now, this refers to the fact that Allah Almighty is most generous in releasing human beings from the burden of their intentional or unintentional sins
Al-Haleem – We see this beautiful name of Allah 15 times in Quran. It relieves human beings by telling them Allah is not quick in judgment. He bestows human beings plenty of time and acts very patient in seeing His servants return to Him and seek His forgiveness
These are not the only aspects of Allah Almighty’s forgiveness; there are plenty more that are clearly mentioned to us and even more that we might never be able to know of properly, such as Al-Tawwab, Al-Rahman, Al-Rahim, etc.
Human Forgiveness
Just seeing how forgiving and merciful our Lord Allah is, human beings are entailed to express this beloved characteristic of Allah Almighty into their characters as well, to a degree possible to achieve humanly. One should not think of being honored with Allah’s forgiveness unless they inculcate some of it into their own being for betterment of fellow human beings. The best source to get inspiration of doing so is none other than Quran, so every one of us should look for a learned Quran Tutorwho can help us better understand its teachings to enjoy a rewarding life in this world and the world hereafter.
Conclusion
In fact, forgiveness and patience is best of the virtues of a wonderful social life, where everyone is helping others. One should pay heed to the likes of following verse:
The reward of the evil is the evil thereof, but whosoever forgives and makes amends, his reward is upon God [Surah Al-Shura 42: 40]
No matter what people say and believe, an unbiased study of history (let alone religion) reveals that Islam brought a revolution of its own kind that not only affected the people of a particular region, religion, or ethnicity, but it became a worldwide phenomenon soon just a few decades after its completion.
What Muslims believe is that Islam is the last religion offered by God Almighty to all humanity to come till The Day of Resurrection, believing in what God Almighty states in Holy Scripture of Muslims, i.e. in the following Quran words:
This day, I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…” (Holy Qur’an, 5:3)
Also stated is the fact that:
Al-Baqara [2:231] …..He sent down to you the book and Wisdom, for your instruction. And fear Allah and know that Allah is well acquainted with all things.
Islam has always been center of great debate for many reasons, mostly because people believe in all the gossips about it rather than actually studying it, knowing it and understanding it on individual level. As a matter of common sense and logic, the best way to pass a judgment and make an opinion about anything is to know it first, analyze it and then take the decision. In case of Quran, however, majority of people all through the course of history, have been biased. Instead of taking time out to learning Quran, they prefer believing and disseminating wrong information about it.
For instance, people consider Islam to be a code of conduct that restricts and confines the rights of female gender greatly as compared to male gender, which is totally untrue in accordance to Quranic teachings in this regard, some of which are discussed here. Just these few examples shall be more than enough to develop an initial idea what Quran teaches human beings about different issues.
“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty…” Surah 24:31
Before going any further, just imagine the number of instances where women report sexual harassment of various kinds in western nations. Ironically, the number of such instances is on constant rise in most of the western societies. One of the reasons why so many women have to bear these kinds of inconvenient experiences is their public appearance. The more a woman is dressed provocatively, higher are the chances that she be subjected to such an unfavorable situation.
At another occasion in Quran, Almighty Allah states:
“O prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad)…” Surah 33:59
Many converts themselves state that their level of confidence and sense of security has increased greatly ever since they started covering themselves with “hijab” (a piece of cloth mostly covering women’s hair as well as bosom, just leaving the face uncovered).
The fact of the matter is that to make your opinion about anything (let alone Quran), knowing and learning about it is required. That is why, in order to decide whether Islam and Quran are a cause of peace and tranquility or a cause of terror and unrest, make sure you read and learn Quranfirst. Today, translations of Quran are available in almost all major languages of the world, which makes doing so even more convenient.
Quran learning is compulsory for every Muslim. Allah has made it compulsion so that you may succeed in your life by leading a life according to the teachings of Allah (SWT). Allah has taught you how he wants you to live and act. There is code of ethics in Quran for every field of life. Through learning Quran, you make a clear understanding of your religion and thus, it becomes easier for you to apply all the teachings in your life. Once you apply all teachings in your life, you ultimately become one out of the liked ones or chosen ones. This is why Allah has made Quran learning compulsory for you.
The Holy Prophet said: “The best of you is he who learnt the Holy Quran and taught it to others.” (Bukhari). This is why it is said that learning Quran is not enough for Muslims, but at the same time it is equally important to teach Quran to others. Our Prophet has always appreciated people who teach Quran to others. When you teach Quran to others, you get reward for every time they read Quran or act upon any of its teachings.
The Holy Prophet said:” Undoubtedly, the heart gets rusted like metal gets rusted when water goes over it”. The People asked, “How can they [hearts] be cleaned.” The Prophet replied, “To remember death in abundance and to recite the Holy Quran.” (Mishkat). The holy Quran acts as a cleaner for the hearts of the people. The more you read it the cleaner would be your heart.
Allah (SWT) says, “Will they not then ponder over the Quran, or is it that they have locks on their hearts!?” [Quran, 47:24]. Also “(This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto thee, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect.” [Quran, 38:29]
Quran helps you understand the wisdom of the world and the reality of life with an open heart and open mind. The path of Quran has been identified the right path by our creator Allah. He has made this path for us to benefit from and help ourselves to keep on the right path.
Quran learning is being offered through online Quran courses as well. There are numerous benefits attached to Quran learning online:
One to one classes
Trained and skilled tutors
No travelling issues
Online Quran tutors are equally competent as are the real life tutors. Most of the tutors who are offering their services online are Hafiz-e Quran, who have in-depth knowledge of Tajweed and Tarteel. They have excellent command over several international languages to deal different students such as Arabic, English and Urdu.
Always remember there is nothing important than Quran itself to be successful. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran. Al-Isra [17:9] “Surely this Quran guides to that which is most upright and gives good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a great reward.”
Quran is the ultimate source of light for Muslims. To seek this light one needs to learn Quran. The importance of the text of Quran cannot be doubted or questions. At the same time, the significance of learning Quran with translation holds a great strength.
There are number of issue in the daily life of Muslims, in which Muslims need to improve according to the Quran. Muslims have been practicing the same conventions from long time, without consulting Quran themselves. Unfortunately, many times Muslims ignore the negative side and only see the positive side of what has been written in theQuran.
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said, “People used to ask the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam) about good things, but I used to ask him about bad things because I was afraid that they might overtake me.” This is a great example to follow. Few common mistakes have been jot down below to let people know so that they can protect themselves and their dear ones from making these mistakes over the time. These mistakes are based upon few myths in the religion.
Myth 1: dua will be accepted if made the first glance of Ka’aba:
Many people have the wrong perception in their minds that their dua is more likely to be answered, if it is made at the first glance of the Kab’ah. Well there is no such evidence from the Sareeah, nor does any hadith indicate any such thing. Shaykh Sa’d al-Humayd said:
“This is not true; there has to be evidence for this to be true, because acts of worship should only be based on evidence. And that evidence must be saheeh in and of itself and it should be clear and unambiguous. And Allaah knows best.”
Myth 2: Kissing the black stone from far away and in the mid of tawaaf, holds a great importance!
Kissing the black stone is sunnah, indeed a beautiful one, yet kissing it from far off does not hold nay importance. People do it because they do not get a chance to go near the stone due to huge crowd. Those who have the chance of going near the stone, are lucky but those who couldn’t make it to the stone, should not mess up the crowd by standing in the mid of Tawaaf, while disrobing the flow of the crowd and throwing fling kisses at the stone. “It should be noted that the tawaaf remains perfectly valid without kissing the Black Stone. If one does not or cannot kiss the Black Stone. It is sufficient simply to point to it, saying “Allahu Akbar” when one comes parallel to it, although one may be at a distance from it.” [Fataawa ibn Baaz]
Myth 3: Shouting prayers is a good way
It is noticed that some people shout duas and prayers at the top of their voices during Tafaas and Sa’ee. Usually in this case the imam or the leader of the group says out a prayer, which the followers repeat in loud voice, this cause a lot of confusion amongst others. Its better that you recite your prayers, dues and Quran, while keeping your voices low. Take small dua books with you if you cannot memorize these duas, so that you do not have to follow any one. Always remember that when you are praying, it is between you and your lord. “Each one of you is conversing with his Lord, so do not disturb one another or raise your voices over one another when reading [or he said] when praying”. [Abu Dawood, saheeh by al-Albaani]
Quran teaches us the way how should we respond according to situations and how should we spend our lives. no matter it’s the matter of Imaan (belief), Ibadat (worship), relationships, socio economic system, societal values, politics etc
Quran is the way which guides us.
We all know this world is not long lasting, one day all of us have to die. Quran is the word of God which will save us in judgment day. It is revealed on the heart of Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) with the purpose of forgiving mankind.
Quranand learning is considered to be very respectful in Islam. It is the only way we can learn the essence of the Holy Quran if we start learning and teaching it. The learning and teaching is also a great way of getting mercy from Allah Ta’ala.
Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) recitedone beautiful ayat of Quran the whole night, the ayat is “If Thou should chastise them, they are Thy servants, and if Thou should forgive them, Thou art the Mighty, the Wise (V: 118).”
It shows that Allah Ta’ala wants us to be successful and the way of success is Quran. Allah Ta’ala gives special attention to the DUA (prayer) which is performed after recitation of Quran. A Hadith explains it very beautifully.
Hadhrat Abu Sa’eed (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahotalaihe wasallam) said: “Almighty Allah says; “If anybody finds no time for My remembrance and for begging favours of Me, because of his remaining busy with the Holy Qur’an, I shall give him more than what I give to all those who beg favours of Me. The superiority of the Word of Allah over all other words is like the superiority of Allah over the entire creation.
We all must submit to the orders of Allah Ta’ala and should follow the Quran.
The teachings of Holy Quran serve to be the keystone in a true Muslim’s life. The relation between the Holy Quran and a true Muslim’s life is that of an electron’s to the nucleus of an atom; taking strength by revolving around it and keep doing so till there is some end to it. This is because Quran contains the road map of all walks of life for its followers, as it contains nothing else but pure words of God Almighty, as it is stated in the Holy Quran itself:
Aal-e-Imran [3:7] He it is Who has sent down to thee the book: in it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the book: others are not of well-established meaning. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is not of well-established meaning. Seeking discord, and searching for its interpretation, but no one knows it’s true meanings except Allah, and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it; the whole of it is from our Lord”; and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.
And God Almighty wants us to heed to His words of wisdom:
Al-Araf [7:2] A book revealed unto thee― so let thy heart be oppressed no more by any difficulty on that account that with it thou mightest warn (the erring) and teach the Believers.
Not only God Almighty, but his beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:
“The best among you is the one who learnt Quran and taught it to others”.
Thus, it is one our prime obligation to equip ourselves with the praise worthy knowledge of God, bestowed upon us in the form of Holy Quran. That is why, to Teach Quran is considered to be a matter of great honor and a Quran tutor is deemed as a person of great stature and exaltation in an Islamic society. Because, the responsibility of a Quran tutor is a matter of great concern and impact in an Islamic society, and to teach Quran is considered to be the holiest and noblest of jobs one can go for.
The following hadhith, related by At-Tirmithi is quite evident of the high status of those who teach Quran:
Once The Messenger (PBUH) of Allah said, “He is not of us who does not respect our elderly, is merciful to our youth, and knows the rights of those who teach us.”
This is a clear proof of the exalted status of a Quran Tutor in the eyes of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Ever increasing Muslim population scattered all across the globe in today’s world is eager to find convenient ways to teach Quran to their new generations. Luckily, modern technology has new ways through which one can teach Quran to an increased number of masses more effectively through the expertise of a well versed Quran tutor.
Now anyone having the ease of internet connection at hand can easily find a Quran tutor online who can conveniently and efficiently teach Quran to everybody willing to equip him/herself with the most glorious knowledge of Holy Quran.
Thus modern age has been even more helpful in exalting the status of a Quran tutor, an already honorable figure of Islamic society, for the praise worthy services he is extending in spreading the word of Go to all Muslims.
The divine guidance from Allah Almighty is contained in the holy book of the Quran. It is the Hidaya (guidance) for the entire humanity until eternity.
The following are some fact about the Glorious Quran that every Muslim must know.
The Quranic verses are the words of Allah Almighty. Therefore, it is not a surprise when it is regarded as the finest lingual example of the Arabic language.
There were three divine books revealed before the Quran. However, they were changed with time. The Quran is the book of divine guidance for the Muslims. It is valid until the Day of Judgment.
The Quran is saved as it is from the time it was revealed. The safety of the Quran is a miracle and a promise of Allah Almighty.
The entire Quran was not revealed at one time. It was reveal in parts over a period of nearly 23 years.
The Quran was revealed by Allah Almighty through his special angle, Jibril to the last Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).
The prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) took special care to preserve the Quran. When the verses were revealed he used to recite those to his companions. Some of the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) were appointed to write the Quran on the pieces of wood and barks of the trees. Some companions of the holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) used to memorize the verses of the Quran as soon as they were revealed.
The holy prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) made sure that the entire Quran was compiled in the form of a book. It was in the Arabic dialect spoken by the tribe of the Qureish. Later, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)’s companions, Abu Bakr (R.A.) and Umar Farooq (R.A.) produced more copies of Quran in the same dialect. The copies in other dialects were burned and thus a standardized from of Quran was preserved.
“The best among you is the one who learned Quran and taught it to others”.
It is an unfortunate fact that most of the Muslims today do not know what exactly is written in their Holy book, Quran. This is because of several reasons. Sometimes the parents do not understand the significance of teaching the Quran to their children. As a result he children grow up only with a certain set of principles taught by their parents and do not care about realizing the essence of the religion.
Some grownups say that they are too busy in their life to devote too much time to understand the Quran. Actually, the Quran understanding is promoted as something too cumbersome and time consuming by the so-called Islamic scholars. Of course, these scholars have vested interests in doing so. They know that if the masses do not try to understand the Quran by themselves, they can lead them in their desired directions.
There can be several workable strategies for someone who wants to understand the Quran. The first pre-requisite for understanding the Quran is the will of the person to do so. Another thing one must realize is that learning the Quran recitation in Arabic and understanding it are two different things. It is of no doubt that the Quran recitation is a way of earning many virtues. However, if one understands the Quran and transform one’s life that too might earn even more virtues. Of course, the reason of a Muslim’s life is to understand his holy book and to spend the life according to the Islamic principles.
For the Muslims, whose native language (or the mother tongue) is not Arabic; the Quran understanding is possible by reading the translations. The Quran has been translated in almost all the languages of the world. In fact, not many religious scriptures have this distinction. The English translations of the Quran are widely available. The most popular and easy to understand English translation of the Quran is by Pickthal.
So buy a copy of the Quran translation today to lead a life according to the Islamic principles.
