“To live by the Qur’an requires a major decision on your part: you have to completely alter the course of your life [and] this decision requires major sacrifices.”
We are all aware of what Qur’an is. Whether our knowledge of it is in theory, principle or reality, the Qur’an, along with our master and Final Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, is the biggest blessing bestowed upon us by our Creator. Actualising such a blessing and having conviction that the Qur’an (and prior scriptures pre-tinkering) is indeed the Word of God requires active intellectual effort and continuous determination.
“Verily We have revealed the book to you in truth for instructing mankind. He that receives guidance benefits his own soul, but he that strays injures his own soul”. (39:41)
We engage with the Speech of Allah as a matter of formality during Ramadan and claim to revere it, only to return the mushaf back to its permanent site of residence at the top of our bookshelves. How do we expect to implement the Divine framework by which we should live our lives if we continue to neglect the manual that details all this and more?
Khurram Murad’s impassioned and persuasive treatise on reviving the Qur’anic worldview for the layman is nothing short of a Godsend (no pun intended). Murad’s cognisance of the ummah’s perilous state does not render this work by any means pessimistic or demoralising; rather, the uplifting and encouraging tone from the outset is what makes this such a stimulating and revitalising read. Functioning chiefly as a practical guide, the Qur’an is our chaperone through life, and Way to the Qur’an is the means by which we can support our endeavour to befriend the our chaperone, for the chaperone is the means by which we know the Divine.
“Its unique purpose is to guide man, every man, to his Creator, to radically change him by bringing him into a totally new relationship with his God.”
As Murad states, the most basic prerequisite we must possess prior to undertaking any form of Qur’anic reading or study is firm conviction that this is indeed the word of God.
Allah states in ayah 2 of Surah Al-A’rāf:
“This is a Book revealed to you. Let there be no qualm in your heart about it.”
The Qur’an is the uncreated word of God that has been preserved in a divine format in the heavens and in scribed format on earth. Our internal spiritual state stems from this fundamental assurance, so it is all but redundant to approach the Qur’an with the intention of understanding without accepting its divine status.
Bar the Prophets, humans are aberrant, fallible beings who succumb to nought save their own bodily desires. Though our fitra begets tawheed, taqwa and ihsan, our alignment with the Divine is contingent upon our submission, which is contingent upon reading the scripture that reminds us of our purpose.
As Murad states, “Do not read it merely for intellectual pursuit and pleasure; even though you must apply your intellect to the full to the task of understanding the Qur’an. So many people spend a lifetime in studying the language, style, history, geography, law and ethics of the Qur’an, and yet their lives remain untouched by its message”. Reading the Qur’an can undoubtedly be a pleasant experience, but if this transient stimulation does not inspire action, our reading is largely redundant. This is the same for those who undertake academic study of the Qur’an with the fixed intention of supporting their own biased views, for this will cause them to hear an echo of their own voices as opposed to that of God.
To become receptive to the Qur’an, to allow it to inform and transform our lives, we must do as the Angel Jibril (AS) instructed our Beloved ﷺ on their primary encounter – Read. Thankfully, this book is accessible to all, is well-structured and imparts invaluable advice.
“The outcome of your entire life depends on how you heed the call given by God”.
Having read this review and (hopefully) now having a sense of how critical this work can be in changing both your perspective and approach to understanding the Speech of Allah, especially if you feel as though your relationship with the Qur’an is deficient, I implore you to get your hands on a copy to facilitate and expedite your journey to understanding the Qur’an.
“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (13:28)