Quran -- The Truth That Matters

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says in the Quran,

وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِعِبَادِهِۦ لَخَبِيرٌۢ بَصِيرٌ ﴿٣١﴾ ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۖ فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌۢ بِٱلْخَيْرَ‌ٰتِ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ ﴿٣٢

And that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], of the Book is the truth, confirming what was before it. Indeed, Allah, of His servants, is Acquainted and Seeing. (31) Then we caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants; and among them is he who wrongs himself, and among them is he who is moderate, and among them is he who is foremost in good deeds by permission of Allah. That [inheritance] is what is the great bounty. (32)

There are truths in life e.g. the cup of tea you are holding is true but it is of not great consequence. The Quran contains the Truths that matters. What it contains is true because it corresponds to reality as it is, as conveyed by the Creator. It confirms the Scriptures that came before. All people were sent prophets, news of whom have largely been lost in the midst of time.

Allah tells us in the Quran the response of people to the Truth. They are those who wronged themselves, and there are those who stayed in between, and amongst them are those who outstripped each other, who are foremost in doing the good, by leave of the Lord. That is the greatest favor possible.

When we approach the Quran, we have to realize that what we are opening is the Truth that matters. It is what shows us reality as it is. It tells us what really matters in this life and what is irrelevant. And ultimately, Allah matters and nothing else is worthy of your greatest concern, and the next life is better than this life. To the extent you realize these two basic truths--that Allah is greater and more worthy of your concern than anything else, and the next life is better than this life, you prioritize what is pleasing to Allah over what is pleasing to you or anyone else. And you prioritize what is of advantage to you in the next life over any perceived advantage in this life.

This is also a reminder in responding to the gift of guidance. It is a great blessing for those who have faith (iman). Some people fall short. The manners (adab) of being a slacker is to repent. This guidance is for your ultimately good eternally. If you are falling short, Allah has said, He is the All Forgiving and Most Appreciative. If you repent you have returned to a clean slate with Allah. And there are those who strive for uprightness but sometimes they fall short and sometimes they are good. And there are those who are foremost. The adab of being someone who is directed to the good is to see that good is a gift from Allah and have gratitude for it. The adab is to renew your commitment to put Allah first and to maximize the good in your life and diminish the wrong in your life. If you are of the foremost, rushing to the good, then be grateful to Allah. Don't ascribe the work to yourself, always work on your sincerity (ikhlas).

جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ ﴿٣٣﴾ وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا ٱلْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ ﴿٣٤﴾ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ ٱلْمُقَامَةِ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ لَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌ ﴿٣٥

[For them are] gardens of perpetual residence which they will enter. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments therein will be silk. (33) And they will say, "Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative - (34)

Allah promised that in this life. Those who recite the Book and do the good, Allah is indeed All Forgiving, Most Appreciative. The people of Paradise realize this when they enter Paradise and they find complete contentment. So these verses remind of the vastness of the next life that is open for the one of faith. This is a key reminder of the Quran. One of the benefits of Quran and reciting it with reflection, it fixes your priority. So you prioritize Allah over all else, and you prioritize the next life over this life because you see the vastness of next life and the fleetingness of this life.

The state of the people of Paradise can be summarized as being contentment, gratitude and praise. But the Quran calls us to embrace these three qualities in this life. If you are content with Allah in this life you are in a paradisical state. If you are grateful in this life regardless of what happens, you are in a paradisical state. If you are ever praising Allah in this life, you are in a paradisical state. So embrace this. And what helps you have that paradisical state, it is the Quran. The Quranic consciousness is blissful consciousness. There is no sorrow in Paradise but the one who is the person of Quran has no sorrow in this life. Because what is in the next life is that you are with Allah.

The call heard by the people of Paradise,

يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ﴿٢٧﴾ ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً ﴿٢٨﴾ فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى ﴿٢٩﴾ وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى ﴿٣٠

[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul, (27) Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], (28) And enter among My [righteous] servants (29) And enter My Paradise." (30) [Quran, Al-Fajr 89:27-30]

But the person of Quran is hearing that call in this life because the recitation of the people of Quran who are the People of Allah is to behold Allah in His address. When you open the Quran, you are opening a door to Paradise, a door to be with Allah. So recite the Quran, aware that you are hearing Allah's address. The inward and outward manners with the Quran are to have the respect and reverence (ta'dhim) befitting someone who realizes that Allah is addressing you. And you act outwardly accordingly. Be keen for this presence. The sign of loving Allah is love for the Book of Allah. The sign of love for the Book of Allah is the state of your heart when you part from the Book of Allah. Nothing that is more painful for the one in love than parting. You try to have a lover's relationship with the Quran.

May Allah make us of His elect people of the Quran. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam