The Best Among You

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The most important book of knowledge is the Qur’an. If we don’t know it, we will be the losers.

If there is any knowledge that this Ummah is deficient in, it is the knowledge of the Qur’an, whose first word of the first revelation is, "Read!" [Qur'an Al-Alaq 96:1] But the Ummah is swamped with electronics and becoming internet junkies, and instead of reading, people are spending their free time online, not necessarily for good cause. They spend hours playing games, texting, messaging, chatting on phones, social networking, twitting, facebook status updates/application, media watching, constantly checking emails/messages, uploading pictures, downloading music/movies, listening to music, watching online movies/youtube, online window shopping, aimless internet browsing/searches, etc. These uncontrolled activities have taken many down the path of wastefulness and heedlessness, and caused people to neglect doing the most important thing -- learning and teaching the Qur'an.

Shaytan undoubtedly is very happy to see the current state of the Ummah, doing the opposite of what Allah loves--wasting instead of worshipping. We need to change this, individually and collectively. Allah does not like those who waste.

Make reading your special habit and recite the Qur'an daily. Read from the mushaf even though it might seem convenient to read it off the computer or phones. Don't fool yourself by thinking that you won't be doing other things online once you turn on the device. Most of us (including our children) are addicted to electronics/the internet -- you can't live a day without it. Carry a mushaf with you when you leave home and read the Qur'an at any chance you have--in the car if you are not driving, while waiting in line or for someone, etc. Limit your time (and your children's time) on electronics. If you have sat for more than an hour in front of the computer, it's time to get up. Power off all your electronics for at least half the time (outside of work and sleep) and increase it gradually until it is completely off (except for work for livelihood and good beneficial cause). Use that time to read a book, learn Qur'an and teach it.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The best among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it (to others)." [Bukhari]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned the student first and then the teacher. This is a great honor for every student of the Qur’an. This also means that the best person is the one who does both the learning and the teaching. It also means that there is no end to learning the Book of Allah. Therefore, we should keep learning more and more about it till we die.

Allah is watching us. Let us intend right now to start acting upon this Hadith. Intend to never stop learning. Intend to practice it and to teach it to your family and friends. Make a plan to learn and teach at individual as well as collective level.

Shaytan is burning in rage now because you make these good intentions. But shaytan will try again to stop you. We seek refuge with Allah from the accursed shaytan and we ask Allah to help us act upon our intentions and in the best manner.

"Allah Almighty says, 'I am as my servant expects Me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he thinks of Me, I think of him. If he mentions Me in company, I mention him in an even better company. When he comes closer to Me by a handspan, I come closer to him an arm's length. If he draws closer to Me by an arm's length, I draw closer by a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him. If my servant comes to Me walking, I go to him running." [Bukhari]

May Allah grant us tawfiq and bring us closer to Him. Ameen.

Please keep us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam