QURAN – THE BOOK OF LIFE

According to the reliable interpretations and derivations from the traditions and Hadiths regarding the verse: “شھرُ رمضان”, the revelation of Quran is proved to have taken place in this holy month. And the possibility that the implication of the expression: “اُنزلَ فیه” might be upon “اُنزلَ فی صومه, أو فی فرض صومه”, i.e. Quran has revealed regarding the fasting of Ramadan or its obligation, contradicts the apparent meaning of the verse, thus making it weak, whereas the first interpretation is according to the apparent meaning. Therefore, the possibility which contradicts the apparent should be disregarded and removed. Moreover, Quran has not been revealed regarding the obligation of fasting only; this privilege and honour is also for other obligations like Salah, Hajj, Zakat, Khums, Jihad, Amr bil Ma’roof, Nahy an al-Munkar etc. because Quran has been revealed to make them mandatory as well. In addition to this, according to this possibility, the privilege of Quran’s revelation regarding the obligation of fasting, is connected with fasting or its compulsion, and it has a direct and personal association with fasting and its compulsion; and transversally associated with the month of Ramadan. This hypothesis is also against the apparent meaning.

As per this holy verse, the depiction of Ramadan’s honour and glory is by means of holy Quran’s revelation; and rather, from this verse, the selection of this month among all the other months for this very virtue and dignity – that Quran has revealed in it – can be understood. Perhaps, one of the philosophies of fasting in this month might be the obligation of gratification for its bounties and the commemoration of Quran’s revelation, and renovation of one’s relation with the book of Allah, its teachings and programs; so that Muslims shall honour the anniversary of the revelation of this divine Book for one complete month every year by means of performing a great act of worship called fasting, and be grateful to Allah; recite and contemplate in the meanings of the divine verses; and benefit from the sciences and teachings of Quran – which holds the success of both this world and the hereafter.

Perhaps, the philosophy behind the additional reward and virtues of reciting Quran in this month is also based on the fact that as this month is the one in which Quran has revealed, hence no other time is more appropriate for reciting Quran and receiving inspirations from its teachings and messages than this month.  

Just like the prophet hood of Mohammad (peace be upon him) is an eternal one and his apostleship is towards everyone, the holy Quran is also an everlasting and eternal Book of a prophet hood which served as light for the entire universe and an invitation towards monotheism (Tawheed), truth and justice, peace and purity, freedom and equality, mercy and guidance, as a cure for social, moral and intellectual ailments throughout all the times and eras.

Hence, the best of all the glories in this month is the revelation of Quran and the most superior act of worship is recitation as well as contemplation in the meanings and realities of Quran.

This issue that: [“What is the meaning of Quran’s revelation?” and does it mean, the revelation of entire Quran or the beginning of Quran’s revelation?] will not be raised here currently because discussing it requires extensive argument, and if Allah wills, we will discuss it at some other instance.

According to the first verse of the Chapter Al-Qadr and the third verse of the Chapter Ad-Dukhan, the holy Quran has revealed in the “Night of Ordinance” (Laylatul Qadr) or “the Holy Night”.

As regards the case that this night is which among the nights of the month of Ramadan, according to the reports and traditions, it is not outside one of the three nights: nineteenth, twenty first and twenty third – which is the “Night of Ordinance”.

The points to which we will indicate here are the virtues of Quran and its miraculous nature:

1. The Greatness of Quran

It is reported from Imam Ali (a.s.) that he said: ‘I heard Allah’s Messenger (p.b.u.h.) as he was saying, “Seditions will occur soon! I asked: O Allah’s Messenger! By what means or in what way can a person save himself from these seditions?

He said: By means of Allah’s Book which possesses the report of that which existed before you, and the report of that which shall come after you, and that which lies among you; it is the separator of truth and evil, and it is not humorous, playful and wicked; people’s lustful desires will not deviate it and the knowers will not feel content with it; it will not become old by repetitive and excessive recitation; its wonders will not end; whoever avoids it out of arrogance and pride, Allah will shatter him; whoever seeks guidance from other than Quran, Allah (s.w.t.) will leave him misguided; it is the firm rope of Allah and the straight path. Whoever acts upon it will be rewarded and whoever commands according to it will command justly, and whoever invites towards it has invited towards the straight path.”[1]

In the book “Nahjul Balagha”, it is reported from Imam Ali (a.s.) that he said:

“And know that this Qur’an is an adviser who never deceives, a leader who never misleads and a narrator who never speaks a lie. No one will sit beside this Qur’an but that when he rises he will achieve one addition or one diminution – addition in his guidance or elimination in his (spiritual) blindness. You should also know that no one will need anything after the Qur’an (after the revelation of Quran, one does not need any constitution and program for the reformation of his affairs of sustenance, this world and the hereafter) and no one will be free from want before (guidance from) the Qur’an. Therefore, seek cure from it for your ailments and seek its assistance in your distresses. It contains a cure for the biggest diseases, namely unbelief, hypocrisy, revolt and misguidance”.[2] [3]

2. Virtue of Qur’anic recitation

According to the tradition mentioned in the noble book “Al Kafi”, Quran’s recitation is a compensation for the sins, a veil upon the hellfire and protection from punishment. On reciting each verse, one will obtain the reward of hundred martyrs and on reciting each chapter, the reward of one Apostle Messenger will be registered for him.

This virtue and all the other virtues mentioned in other traditions increase excessively in the month of Ramadan. As per the noble sermon known as “Ramadaniya”, the recitation of one verse in this month has the reward of reciting the entire Quran in other months.

Quran is the cure of spiritual ailments, the guide in darkness and misguidance, source of mercy for all the believers and an adviser and covenant of Allah. Therefore, the believers must compulsorily brighten their hearts, tongues, houses, markets, schools and societies with its words and meaning, and not depict ignorance towards its recitation.

3. An Eternal Miracle:

As the life of this world moves ahead, the miracle of Quran becomes more apparent and its greatness and glory becomes additionally evident.

Quran is a composition of one hundred and fourteen remaining miracles and Allah has announced its miraculous nature, and invited one and all by means of the following verse:

“And if you are in doubt concerning what We have sent down to Our servant, then bring a surah like it, and invoke your helpers besides Allah, if you are truthful”.[4]

It has been fourteen centuries since thousands of prominent men, the greatest geniuses of the art of literature, the champions of the field of oration and speech, poetry and prose, from Arabs and non-Arabs, Christians and Muslims and other nations, whose names have been registered in history, have appeared on the pages of the history of renowned Arabic literary personalities, and they have read and heard this official announcement of Allah made in Quran; but not a single one among them saw the potential and capability in himself or others for it; and each of them found Qur’an beyond the words of the eloquent men.

Among humans, there exists an instinct named as the love of popularity and fame. Whoever wants his name and fame to spread across the world and people to enchant his name on their tongues, and to have more fame than others, and move ahead of the people of his field by gaining additional popularity, strives to exhibit his superiority some way or the other. Mankind’s success and progress in the fields of industry, literature and arts should be considered indebted to this instinct.

This natural instinct was possessed by the Arabs of the era of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and others since that period till our time; literary competitions were held extensively among the Arabs of the age of Ignorance and the era of Prophet (p.b.u.h.); pride and popularity was mostly reserved for someone who wrote the most elegant sonnets or gave the best sermons, thus adding to his personal fame and that of his nation and tribe.

Then how did it happen that from that time until today, no one stood against the holy Quran?[5] Why didn’t thousands of men from the geniuses of the world of literature and eloquence, stand either individually or in the form of a group in order to obtain such fame and popularity?

Why is it that till date, even after fourteen centuries have passed since the revelation of the divine Book, the cry of Quran and its heavenly invitation: “Say, ‘Should all humans and jinn rally to bring the like of this Quran, they will not bring its like, even if they assisted one another”[6] can be heard in the world?

Why is it such that even though a group of men have stood against Islam as hindrance and prevented its progress in every possible and dangerous way, fighting against it, shedding blood, planning political deceits, seditions and conspiracies etc., but they haven’t utilized the army of literature and speech, letters and words – which is the easiest action for human beings after the process of thinking – and why haven’t they nullified the proofs, arguments and remaining miracle of Quran?!

The answer is evident: because from the beginning itself, they witnessed the word of Allah at heavenly heights and the words of the renowned orators and eloquent men as low as the surface of earth, or even beneath that; and they knew that an incapable servant and dependant creation cannot compete with the All-Powerful Lord and the great creator of this world.

Truth is astonishing! The noble Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) in order to avoid all sorts of interactions between himself and the unbelievers, to leave no excuse remaining for them, and to prevent the shedding of a single drop of blood as well as the ignition of the fire of war, invited the people of Mecca, all their eloquent men, and the entire group of Jinn and mankind, the present and absent ones, irrespective of the contemporaries or the future men, that if all of them gather at one point and assist each other, they will still find themselves incapable of bringing the like of Quran.

Why didn’t the chiefs of oration and the champions of the field of speech, even after witnessing such a challenge, accept it, and chose the medium of their swords to respond?

Indeed, they knew that taking part in this competition will result in nothing but their humiliation and defeat.

The disability and helplessness of mankind from bringing a word like Quran has become so established and firm today that the enemies of Islam, with immense opposition and absolute preparation for their enmity and hostility towards the success of the motives of Islam, become disappointed and hopeless from competing the Quran. If the powerful colonialist governments of Christians, Jews etc. would have considered this act to be possible, they would have taken this step. Those who suppressed Muslims with their political and physical power and hindered the implementation of Islamic commands, who do not fear anything like the rise of Muslims and the hoisting of the flag of Islamic unity; if it was possible for them, they would’ve competed against Islam by this means and by choosing this path which is more effective and easier in the world at present; but all the scholars, linguistic experts, masters and renowned Arabic literary personalities from the East and the West have mutually agreed that this competition will not have a positive result for them and it will not give any fruit except for the further confirmation of Quran’s miraculousness and approval of its prophecies.

It is not our intention to discuss the miraculousness of Quran in this place. Masters and renowned scholars of the science of literature have penned several books regarding the miraculousness of Quran, and this is a discussion whose boundaries keep extending on a daily basis, and each one of its subjects and numerous aspects is in need of a particular book to be written on it. The aspects of Quran’s miracle is not confined to its eloquence, instead, Quran is a miracle for various aspects and dimensions such as: eloquence, methodology, prophecies, spiritual attractions, the comprehensiveness of its teachings and the wholesomeness of its rules and laws, the description of its teachings, theologies and metaphysical sciences etc.

Quran is a book of wisdom, Sharia and law, moral values, monotheism and cognition of God, history and admonition; and the principles of sciences such as biology, hygiene, economy, cultivation, astrology, civil rights, sociology, psychology etc. are registered inside it.