1) What would have happened if I opened my eyes to
non-Muslim parents!
2) If I were born to a nonbeliever family would have I
converted to Islam?
3) If I were born to a Christian or a Jew family would I
ever consider reverting to Islam?
The quest for satisfactory
answers to above queries would probably lead me to put myself into the shoes of
a “convert” or a “revert” to Islam and feel the hardships of life they were
subjected to in respect of social boycott, financial squeeze, and the irreversible
impact of torn blood relations, forever.
Qur'an is the final Book of
divine guidance, revealed by Allah (SWT) through His Last Prophet, Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Each and every word of this Book is
from Allah (SWT), the Creator of the Universe.
Being Muslim is a matter of great
pride but I must confess that we hardly make a concerted effort to comprehend
fully the religion of Islam and the responsibilities conferred on us through
the revealed Book Qur’an and Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) called “Ahadees
e Mubaraka”.
We read / recite (Tilawa)
verses from Qur’an almost every day in early mornings, before going to bed in
the night or anytime convenient to us. Similarly while offering Namaz (Salah) five
times a day and during other informal prayers we recite by heart the verses
from the holy Book.
Everyone reads Arabic Qur’an
with a variety of level of understanding and comprehension. Most of the time we
aim at reading a particular passage of Qur’an e.g. a Surah (Chapter) or a part
of it without concentration and try to finish it in haste because our minds
rest on settling and solving scores of everyday problems.
During the month of Ramadan,
the recitation of Qur’an increases many fold on daily basis. And we have made
it a ritual to recite complete Qur’an at least once in Ramadan. With years of
reading the same Surahs repeatedly in Namaz etc., we also know by heart the
meanings of these Surahs but we largely remain ignorant of knowing real
philosophy of each and every word, phrase and sentence of Qur’an.
Allah (SWT) keeps reminding
the readers of Qur’an that they hardly mull over the contents of the last
divine Book and raises questions repeatedly that why don’t they think over them.
For example the word / prefix “Afala” appears 60 times in as many Aayahs
(verses) of Qur’an wherein Allah (SWT) reiterates to; then, will you not understand, be grateful, muse upon, reason, hear,
see, and reflect on the signs of Allah’s creations in the world/universe?
Some of such Aayahs are
reproduced hereunder:
Surah
|
Translation (Sahih International)
|
Aayah
|
2:44
|
Then will you not
reason?
|
أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
|
32:26
|
Then
do they not hear?
|
أَفَلَا يَسْمَعُونَ
|
32:27
|
Then
do they not see?
|
أَفَلَا يُبْصِرُونَ
|
36:35
|
That
they may eat of His fruit. And their hands have not produced it, so will they not be grateful?
|
لِيَأْكُلُوا مِن ثَمَرِهِ وَمَا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۖ أَفَلَا يَشْكُرُونَ
|
36:68
|
And
he to whom We grant long life We reverse in creation; so will they not
understand?
|
وَمَن نُّعَمِّرْهُ نُنَكِّسْهُ فِي الْخَلْقِ ۖ أَفَلَا يَعْقِلُونَ
|
37:155
|
Then
will you not be reminded?
|
أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
|
47:24
|
Then
do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?
|
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا
|
88:17
|
Then
do they not look at the camels - how they are created?
|
أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ
|
And I feel drenched in shame when Allah (SWT) points out
at my obstinacy and effrontery in Surah An-Naml:
27:62
|
Little do you remember.
|
قَلِيلًا
مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
|
Let’s pray to Allah (SWT) to shower His mercy upon us for
we will remain blind, deaf, ignorant, stubborn, ungrateful and sinful, as ever.
