Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Qur'an is not Entertainment

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

At the beginning of Surah Kahf, Allah Almighty says,

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا ۜ ﴿١

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. (1)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:1]

Allah sent the Qur'an to His servant and beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as guidance for the believers.

ذَ‌ٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَ‌يْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَو‌ٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَ‌زَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣

This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah - (2)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:2]

Qur'an is not poetry. Poetry is a means of entertainment.

وَمَا عَلَّمْنَـٰهُ ٱلشِّعْرَ‌ وَمَا يَنۢبَغِى لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ‌ۭ وَقُرْ‌ءَانٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٦٩﴾ لِّيُنذِرَ‌ مَن كَانَ حَيًّا وَيَحِقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِ‌ينَ ﴿٧٠

And We did not give Prophet Muhammad, knowledge of poetry, nor is it befitting for him. It is not but a message and a clear Qur'an (69) To warn whoever is alive and justify the word against the disbelievers. (70)

[Qur'an, Ya-Sin 36:69-70]

The religion is not entertainment. Khutbah is not entertainment. The recitation of the Qur'an is not just entertainment. If all your relationship with the Qur'an amounts to you enjoy the recitation, which is great in of itself, that is not what it is. There is more to it. The relationship with the Qur'an has to be balanced. There is nothing more entertaining in life than the joy of learning the Qur'an, the joy of memorization the Qur'an, the joy of reciting of Qur'an, the joy of listening to the Qur'an recitation. It's a beautiful thing in life but that is not just what it is. This is a bonus that Qur'an is beautiful. Allah could have guided us in a way that is not this beautiful. Allah didn't have to make us enjoy the recitation. But when you do that at the serious expense of the Message, then that's a problem.

Qur'an is supposed to transform you.

May Allah strengthen our relationship with His Book and guide us on the Straight Path. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.

Wassalaam