Al-Quran is easy to be understood ( part 3 )

When Allah said that he had already simplified Quran in order to make people can understand its lessons, why Quran seems to be difficult. Apart from four factors that I have mentioned before, there are another few things that should be concerned by readers as follows:-

Reflect the heart

A prominent scholar, Dr Abdul Solah Al-Khalidi has written an interesting parable about Quran as he said this revealed book likes rain. As we know, the main character of rain is to nourish lands so as plants could grow up and produce their fruits or outcomes. However, not all parts of the lands could be affected since the only soft land could be fertile by rain. In contrast, if rain fall on the stones or harsh lands, both might not be changed. Likewise, the positive impacts of Quran are only effective for those who their heart is soft, pure and free from the bad attitude.

Allah says in the Quran:-

“Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?” (Muhammad: 24)

Based on this versus, Allah has related the process of understanding the Quran by heart, which is referred to sincere to find the truth, not their intellectual ability. In other words, every human can understand or learn the lessons from Quran except those who are arrogant and prejudiced. Thus, reflect your heart and ask repentance from God first, before starting to understand the Quran.

Feel Quran is talking with you.

The main problem for Muslims when they deal with Quran, they just consider it as a ritual activity as most of them just want to complete recitation only. As a result, their vision is only to pursue as many as they can finish reading this sacred book. Thus, it is not rare even they can completely read the whole Quran for many times but fail to understand its message.

In fact, with deep observation on every versus of Quran, we realize that the language that used in this book is very interesting. It seems that Quran is talking with its reader. Allah says:

And this Qur'an was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches. (Al-An’am: 19)

There is an interesting quotation from Muhammad Bin Kaad Al-Qarzi which was narrated by Al-Ghazli as he said

“ Those who reached for him Quran, means that he is talking with Allah” 

Another excellent example is how Dr. Jeffrey Lang,  an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Kansas reverted to Islam. He was born in a Roman Catholic family and spent his young in Catholic schools. However, he became an atheist as his religion fails to answer many questions about God.

Finally, he was introduced with the Quran by his student. In the first he read its translation, he was shocked. He said:

 You cannot simply read the Quran, not if you take it seriously. You either have surrendered to it already or you fight it. It attacks tenaciously, directly, personally; it debates, criticizes, shames, and challenges. From the outset, it draws the line of battle, and I was on the other side. I was at a severe disadvantage, for it became clear that the Author knew me better than I knew myself. The Quran was always way ahead of my thinking; it was erasing barriers I had built years ago and was addressing my queries.

The story of Dr. Jeffrey Lang is long, but it is enough to focus that how he felt when reading the Quran as the book gave the amazing response to his attitude.

Al-Quran is easy to be understood ( part 2 )

Apart from two factors that mentioned in the previous article, there are a few other reasons why Muslims feel that the Quran is difficult to be understood.


1. They do not know for what the Quran is revealed

It is obvious that many Muslims assume Quran has been awarded to them just for reciting, even they could not understand its contents. In Muslim communities, their generation just be thought how to read this sacred book accurately in term of tajwid. Moreover, at the higher stage, the competition of Quran recitation is organized and encouraged to find whose voice is tunable. 

In fact, Allah has already stressed in the Quran, why he reveals this book to Muslims:-  

[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded. ( Sod: 29)

Based on this versus, it is clear that what are required for Muslim when they open the Quran which are they have to ponder upon its versus and then take the lessons from it. This process is called as the tadabbur  which is an obligation for every Muslim.

2. They do not know the message of Quran.

Apart from that, failing to understand the main messages of Quran make this book looks difficult for its readers. In fact, the process of tadabbur is much more easier if they know what is the meaning of the Quran. There a few versus tell us about the main messages of the Quran. One of them is from Yunus. Allah says:-

O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers. ( Yunus: 57)

This versus clearly stress that there are four messages that brought by Quran through its versus, which are : exhortation, healing for the (diseases) in human hearts, guidance, mercy.

Therefore, to make the process of understanding Quran easier, readers should decide what is the message of every versus that read by them. It could consist one or more of these four messages. Either it is instruction in order to make the readers afraid of doing the disallowed things in their life or it is healing so as to cure human heart, or guidance to give true directions in human life, and mercy for the believer in order to make them trusted and happy with their choice.

Al-Quran is easy to be understood (part 1)

Every Muslim has a dream to understand Quran which is considered to be the last revelation from God. By understanding Quran, he or she is able to follow its guidance in order to seek the real happiness either in this real world of in the hereafter. However, many Muslims feel that the Quran only could be understood by certain people who master the Arabic language and know about Tafsir method (exegetic).

While it is undeniable that those who learn Shariah science can understand Quran in a better or easier way, all of the Muslims, even non-Muslims also have the opportunity to discover this amazing sacred book. There are a few ways and techniques can help them to extract the message of Quran, but before that they have to change a few misunderstanding about this book.

1. Al-Quran is difficult

Many Muslims argue that the Quran is difficult because it is revealed in Arabic, which is considered to be the most complicated language in the world. Moreover, as the Quran is the words of Allah who declared himself as the Al-Hakim (Wisdom of the All Wise), surely to understand his messages needs the high level of intellect.

In fact, Allah has already mentioned in the Quran that this book has been simplified:-

And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? ( Al-Qamar: 17)

Interestingly, this versus is repeated in four time indicating that it is a serious declaration from Allah. Even Arabic is claimed to be the difficult language, it is possible for Allah to make Quran easy to be understood by people. In fact, genius is an ability to reduce the complicated and make it simple and it is not rare when Allah chose the complicated language for his book and makes it easy to be understood.

2. Trying to understand Quran might lead to astray.

Another misunderstanding is some Muslims afraid to understand Quran alone as they think interpreting Quran might go astray, especially without mastering Arabic and not knowing about Tafsir methods. Actually, it is a rare notion as the main characteristic of the Quran is the book of guidance. Allah said:-

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion (Al-Baqarah: 185)

If Allah declares his book to be the best and clear guidance, how can Muslims believe trying to understand its might get lost. More surprisingly, since its first revelation until now, this book has witnessed the overwhelming people choose Islam by reading it. Thus, how can some Muslims look on the negative side? In addition, not all ayat in Quran need the special interpretation. Most of them just can be understood by reading the translation.

The process to understand Quran is known as tadabbur. It consists in two steps: Firstly, understanding the versus by looking at the translation, referring the Tafsir books or asking the expert in Quran field. Secondly,  reflecting the versus into our life. The main purpose of tadabbur is not just to understand but to take the lesson. While tafsir needs special methods and it can just be exercised by ahlul tafsir ( the specialist in tafsir field) , tadaddur must be done by all of Muslims.

The Lesson from surah Al-Asr

 “By time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy” ( surah Al-Asr )

The chapter of Al-Asr is considered to be the second shortest chapters in the Holy Quran after the chapter of Al-Kauthar. While this surah only contains three versus ( ayaat ), its message is very vital not only for Muslim but also for all of humankind.

Thus, not surprisingly, when Imam Syafie said:-

“If one followed its counsel, it was enough for humankind to achieve success in life”

According to surah Al-Asr, Allah has sworn that all of humans are in loss, but there is an exemptions for those who have four characters as follows:-

1. Having the Faith in the oneness God.

2. Doing the righteous deeds

3. Mutual exhorting in of Truth

4. Mutual exhorting in of Patience

As for the first two, it is normal since many versus stress the importance of faith and the righteous acts, but as for the two last commands, it is quite rare as why Allah use the word of tawasul mean to join together in exhorting? In other words, both striving the truth and patience are the mutual action among Mukmin. 

Probably, a good lesson that might be learned from that word is no matter how great a person in term of his ability, knowledge, influence, he would not able to fight for the truth solely as he needs partners or group to help him. In other words, this effort ( fighting for the truth ) should not be exercised by individual or its result might be less effective. Meanwhile, every Mukmin is not always in the true path as sometimes he might do the wrong things. Thus, while he is consistent in telling the others about the right advice, he also need it as humans sometimes could not aware about their mistakes.

Like patience, as far as the person is human being, no matter how motivated or how strong he is, his life could not escape from distress, suffering and sadness that can be cured by strong encouragement, motivation, counseling from others. Thus, he also needs others who can advise him to be patient.
  

Face the fact, humans are a weak creation and could not sustain to fight for the truth and to be patient consistently and individually. Allah said:-

“And man is created weak” ( An-Nisa : 28 )

'Thanks' to the boat people

The year of 1989 was a momentous moment in our country’s history as we were declared to be fully free from the communist threat. After twenty first years of experiencing the emergency period, both Malayan communist party (PKM) and Malaysian government finally agreed to sign a peace accord at Hatyai. As a result, the country could focus entirely on the social economic development and the next of that year, the 2020 vision has been mooted by the fourth prime minister, Dr Mahathir (Tun) in order to attain the status of a developed nation. 

Since then, Malaysia has enjoyed the peaceful environment and harmonic relationship between all of its citizens regardless their different race or religion. Even a few political tensions could not be avoided, but they were still under control since Internal Security Act (ISA), coupled with sedition act have played the prominent role to keep our internal safety and harmony. Moreover, the natural and peaceful foreign policy that practiced by our government has prevented us from involving in any regional crisis.

However, in this current decade, we have witnessed a few incidents that give the significant impact to our sovereignty. An excellent example was the Lahad Datu intrusion that still fresh in our mind. That incident has not only triggered, but perplexed all of us as how an armed battalion could already land in our territory.

How could they penetrate our boarder dramatically and how their main leaders could escape from this country easily? No matter how serious the government transforms the various agencies to be a unit, known as ESSCOM, but the series of kidnapping incidents by armed perpetrators has reflected our security condition. Even the minister of tourist has admitted sincerely that he has no longer feels safe to visit east Sabah. 

The second case was the disappear of flight MH370. That mysterious incident has not only prompted our society, but all over the world are interested to follow it. While the government did the best to find the aircraft, the military ability, especially the current radar condition made us to be worried.

Yesterday, we were shocked again by the exclusive report from special branch as they exposed that 80pc of the nation’s security personnel and law enforcement officers at Malaysian borders are corrupt. The border in the modern era is considered to be the main frontier of the country and those who are guarding it are the nation’s defender. Otherwise, the weapon, drug, even humans can be smuggled into our country. Moreover, the citizen’s interest like subsidiary goods also can be enjoyed by foreign citizens.

Thus, we have to thank to the boat people since their emergence has made us to open our eyes to see our border condition. While we demand the origin countries to be responsible for these immigrants, our weakness must be concerned too. In fact, pursuing the status of developed country that expected to be achieved in the next five years means nothing if our national security still vulnerable.