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If you ask any Muslim,
regardless of his or her age, education, or
background, about the first and foremost
feature that distinguishes Ramadan, you will
most likely get one answer: "It's the
month of the Qur'an." This is no wonder.
The only one time Ramadan was mentioned
throughout the Qur'an, it was associated
particularly with the revelation of the
Qur'an:
(The
month of Ramadan in which was revealed the
Qur'an, a guidance for humankind, and clear
proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of
right and wrong))
(Al-Baqarah 2:185)
Besides, the Qur'an also
emphasizes in more than one verse that it was
revealed in the Night of the Decree (Laylat
Al-Qadr), the crown jewel of the month of
Ramadan.
Many Muslims realize this
fact. Therefore, once Ramadan approaches, it
is common practice among Muslims to dust off
their copies of the Qur'an and to compete with
one another in reciting the Qur'an and in
completing it as many times as possible.
Furthermore, worshippers in many mosques
around the world are keen on completing the
Qur'an at least once in the Tarawih Prayers.
In brief, Ramadan is the month of celebrating
the Qur'an par excellence.
But are Muslims truly aware of
the treasures abundant in the Qur'an? Those
who are keen to do as many khatmahs
(full recitations of the Qur'an) as possible,
are they equally keen on grasping the sublime
message of the Qur'an and on putting it into
effect in their lives, the private and public
alike?
The month of Ramadan comes and
goes, and Muslims do read the Qur'an in the
blessed month. Yet, has the Ummah changed for
the better? Has this competition in reciting
the Qur'an on the Muslims' part yielded an
improvement of Muslims' behavior, progress,
and position among the world's nations?
Furthermore, Muslims now have
millions of copies of the Qur'an, a number
that certainly was not available to Prophet
Muhammad's Companions and early generations of
Muslims. However, unlike us, they led the
world.
Clearly, there is a problem in
our approach toward the Qur'an. Many Muslims
opt for the easiest choice, being content with
just reading the Qur'an without any reflection
or attempt to apply the Qur'an's teachings.
True, reciting the Qur'an is a good, rewarding
act of worship, yet it is not everything. It
is merely a means of receiving and,
afterwards, activating the provisions of the
Qur'an. Without understanding this fact, the
Muslim Ummah will not move a step forward.
This Ramadan is a chance for
each of us to review and improve the way he or
she interacts with the Qur'an. Let's make this
blessed month the starting point for a totally
different experience with the Qur'an. We have
to stop thinking of the Qur'an as a text we
read merely to get the reward of reading.
Rather, we should approach the Qur'an having
the full conviction that it is the guide, the
manual set by Allah for us to lead a happy
life in both this world and the Hereafter. In
addition to recitation, extra effort is
required in reflection and application.
Reading in itself is not the ultimate goal of
sending down the Qur'an; it would not avail a
student to just repeat his textbooks without
any understanding and practice.
Of course this would take more
time from us, and many of us would find it
difficult to resist the temptation of reading
more passages without concentration. Yet it is
the only way to let the Qur'an have its touch
on our hearts and make a real change in our
life.
The fact that we are in the
month of Ramadan can be very helpful in this
regard. It would be a good idea to keep a
notebook for recording short reflections on
the parts we read every day. Another notebook
can be reserved for recording the commands of
the Qur'an that we need to activate in our
life. From time to time, we would check the
list of these commands and assess our progress
in following them. With the passage of time,
this will turn into a habit and get much
easier, helping us to be always connected to
the Qur'an.
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