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Ramadan and the holy book of Quran
August 30, 2008
As the month of Ramadan approaches, millions of Muslims like me worldwide will try to renew their relationship with God during a period of fasting, prayer and reflections.
It was in the month of Ramadan when Prophet Muhammad sought refuge in the mountains of Mecca from oppression.
On the eve of the 23rd or 27th of Ramadan, in the cave of Hira, Muhammad received the first Quranic revelations that consisted of five verses, ''Read in the name of Lord who created [everything], who has created man from a clot. Recite!
''And it is thy Lord, the most bounteous, who has taught through the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.'' (96:1-5).
The first revelation the Prophet received was the commandment to read, and that the pen is glorified as the tool of civilization.
Such revelations continued for 23 years until the death of the Prophet. The collection of these revelations is known as the Quran.
The most common names for Allah's Book are al-Qur'an (the Recital) and al-Kitab (the Book). There are 114 chapters (suras) in the Quran of varying lengths.
Muslims also call the Quran the ''Final Testament,'' ''Book of God'' and ''The Revelation.'' The Quran contains 6,616 verses; 77,934 words and 323,671 letters that have remained unchanged since the end of revelation.
The text is similar to the Jewish style of admonishing people to reform and warning them of coming Day of Judgment.
All chapters represent material dictated to Muhammad from God through the angel Gabriel. The Quran is thus believed to be the direct Word of God. A number of things are emphasized in the
Quran, including strict monotheism, the duty of all believers to take care of those less fortunate, daily prayer, purification through fasting, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
The content of the Quran is reminiscent of parts of the Torah (Tawrat) and the Old Testament (Ingel).
The Quran calls the great human exemplars of the past prophets, such as Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Moses and Jesus are mentioned by name more than any other person.
The Quran deals with a variety of subjects including the basic beliefs of Islam, morality, worship, knowledge, wisdom, God-and-man relationships, and relations among humans.
Comprehensive teachings on sound systems of social justice, politics, economics, legislation, jurisprudence, law and international relations are an important part of the Holy Quran.
The style and poetry of the Quran have no equal, but the Quran is not just beautiful Arabic literature it is also a great source of wisdom.
The Quran is also a moral guide that sets forth universal ideals of thinking and behavior for all humans, in all times and places.
It says in Quran, ''We have brought them a Book that is fully detailed, with knowledge, guidance and mercy for the people who believe.'' (7:52).
What do Muslims gain by reading the Quran this Ramadan? Are we learning anything by this exercise, however sacred it may be? Has it taught us knowledge and wisdom to guide us in doing what is right and avoiding all that is wrong?
Unfortunately, for many Muslims, the Quran has become no more than a sacred relic to be read without understanding. Yet on almost every page of the Quran, the reader is invited to use reason, reflection and understanding.
It asks: Why do you not hear? Why do you not see? Why do you not think? Why do you not reason? Why do you not ponder? Why do you not understand? Why do you not take what you read to heart?
To whom are these challenging invitations addressed, if not to every hearing, seeing and thinking human being?
Today we have the same Quran as the one first revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
The Quran tells us, ''Verily, we ourselves have sent down this exhortation, and most surely we will be its Guardian.'' (15:10).
Millions of copies are in circulation and are recited daily by millions and millions of Muslims.
Throughout the history, voluminous works have been written expounding on its meaning in depth.
Words are still poured out, in a seemingly endless stream, to explain the details of its teachings and to exhort us to live by them, yet so many hearts remain unmoved, so many minds remain untouched, and so many lives remain unchanged.
All over the world we find Muslims who claim that they believe in the
Quran and yet we see they are humiliated, occupied, controlled, starved, slaughtered, tortured, their religion defamed and they are treated with disrespect.
We are living in a time when the need to center our lives on the Quran and its teaching. Without the
Quran in our lives, we Muslims will never be successful, nor find meaning in our existence.
Muslims will not find dignity in this world if we do not follow the Quran and teachings of the family of the prophet (Ahlul-Bayt).
Each time I pick up Quran to read it, I feel as if God Almighty is talking to me, and each time I pray my daily prayers I feel I am talking to God.
The Quran is a book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and in this book, God commands man to adopt good morals -- love, compassion, tolerance and mercy.
The values of the Quran hold a Muslim responsible for treating all people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, kindly and justly, protecting the needy and the innocent and preventing the ''dissemination of mischief.''
Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and terror that remove security, comfort and peace. As God says in a verse, ''God does not love mischief makers." (Suratal-Qasas: 77)
Murdering a person for no reason is one of the most obvious examples of mischief. God repeats in the Quran a command He formerly revealed to Jews in the Old Testament: In the Quran, God presents Jews and Christians as People of the Book, as well as explaining to Muslims in detail what their responsibilities toward them are.
People of the Book are aware of the sacred and the profane, and base their moral practices on divine inspiration from God.
According to the morality preached by the Quran, and the practices of our Prophet, it is required that Muslims treat Jewish people and Christians with love, care, tolerance and respect. The call of Muslims to Jews and Christians is revealed: ''We believe in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one and we submit to Him.'' (Quran, 29:46)
The lesson of this Ramadan is to recite Quran and pray daily with contemplation. There is no good in an act of worship without comprehension, nor in a recitation without pondering.
The Quran must be read with the heart as well as the head.
Mohammed Khaku is past president of Al Ahad Islamic Center in Allentown.
Ramadan and the holy book of Quran
August 30, 2008
As the month of Ramadan approaches, millions of Muslims like me worldwide will try to renew their relationship with God during a period of fasting, prayer and reflections.
It was in the month of Ramadan when Prophet Muhammad sought refuge in the mountains of Mecca from oppression.
On the eve of the 23rd or 27th of Ramadan, in the cave of Hira, Muhammad received the first Quranic revelations that consisted of five verses, ''Read in the name of Lord who created [everything], who has created man from a clot. Recite!
''And it is thy Lord, the most bounteous, who has taught through the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.'' (96:1-5).
The first revelation the Prophet received was the commandment to read, and that the pen is glorified as the tool of civilization.
Such revelations continued for 23 years until the death of the Prophet. The collection of these revelations is known as the Quran.
The most common names for Allah's Book are al-Qur'an (the Recital) and al-Kitab (the Book). There are 114 chapters (suras) in the Quran of varying lengths.
Muslims also call the Quran the ''Final Testament,'' ''Book of God'' and ''The Revelation.'' The Quran contains 6,616 verses; 77,934 words and 323,671 letters that have remained unchanged since the end of revelation.
The text is similar to the Jewish style of admonishing people to reform and warning them of coming Day of Judgment.
All chapters represent material dictated to Muhammad from God through the angel Gabriel. The Quran is thus believed to be the direct Word of God. A number of things are emphasized in the
Quran, including strict monotheism, the duty of all believers to take care of those less fortunate, daily prayer, purification through fasting, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
The content of the Quran is reminiscent of parts of the Torah (Tawrat) and the Old Testament (Ingel).
The Quran calls the great human exemplars of the past prophets, such as Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Moses and Jesus are mentioned by name more than any other person.
The Quran deals with a variety of subjects including the basic beliefs of Islam, morality, worship, knowledge, wisdom, God-and-man relationships, and relations among humans.
Comprehensive teachings on sound systems of social justice, politics, economics, legislation, jurisprudence, law and international relations are an important part of the Holy Quran.
The style and poetry of the Quran have no equal, but the Quran is not just beautiful Arabic literature it is also a great source of wisdom.
The Quran is also a moral guide that sets forth universal ideals of thinking and behavior for all humans, in all times and places.
It says in Quran, ''We have brought them a Book that is fully detailed, with knowledge, guidance and mercy for the people who believe.'' (7:52).
What do Muslims gain by reading the Quran this Ramadan? Are we learning anything by this exercise, however sacred it may be? Has it taught us knowledge and wisdom to guide us in doing what is right and avoiding all that is wrong?
Unfortunately, for many Muslims, the Quran has become no more than a sacred relic to be read without understanding. Yet on almost every page of the Quran, the reader is invited to use reason, reflection and understanding.
It asks: Why do you not hear? Why do you not see? Why do you not think? Why do you not reason? Why do you not ponder? Why do you not understand? Why do you not take what you read to heart?
To whom are these challenging invitations addressed, if not to every hearing, seeing and thinking human being?
Today we have the same Quran as the one first revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
The Quran tells us, ''Verily, we ourselves have sent down this exhortation, and most surely we will be its Guardian.'' (15:10).
Millions of copies are in circulation and are recited daily by millions and millions of Muslims.
Throughout the history, voluminous works have been written expounding on its meaning in depth.
Words are still poured out, in a seemingly endless stream, to explain the details of its teachings and to exhort us to live by them, yet so many hearts remain unmoved, so many minds remain untouched, and so many lives remain unchanged.
All over the world we find Muslims who claim that they believe in the
Quran and yet we see they are humiliated, occupied, controlled, starved, slaughtered, tortured, their religion defamed and they are treated with disrespect.
We are living in a time when the need to center our lives on the Quran and its teaching. Without the
Quran in our lives, we Muslims will never be successful, nor find meaning in our existence.
Muslims will not find dignity in this world if we do not follow the Quran and teachings of the family of the prophet (Ahlul-Bayt).
Each time I pick up Quran to read it, I feel as if God Almighty is talking to me, and each time I pray my daily prayers I feel I am talking to God.
The Quran is a book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and in this book, God commands man to adopt good morals -- love, compassion, tolerance and mercy.
The values of the Quran hold a Muslim responsible for treating all people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, kindly and justly, protecting the needy and the innocent and preventing the ''dissemination of mischief.''
Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and terror that remove security, comfort and peace. As God says in a verse, ''God does not love mischief makers." (Suratal-Qasas: 77)
Murdering a person for no reason is one of the most obvious examples of mischief. God repeats in the Quran a command He formerly revealed to Jews in the Old Testament: In the Quran, God presents Jews and Christians as People of the Book, as well as explaining to Muslims in detail what their responsibilities toward them are.
People of the Book are aware of the sacred and the profane, and base their moral practices on divine inspiration from God.
According to the morality preached by the Quran, and the practices of our Prophet, it is required that Muslims treat Jewish people and Christians with love, care, tolerance and respect. The call of Muslims to Jews and Christians is revealed: ''We believe in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one and we submit to Him.'' (Quran, 29:46)
The lesson of this Ramadan is to recite Quran and pray daily with contemplation. There is no good in an act of worship without comprehension, nor in a recitation without pondering.
The Quran must be read with the heart as well as the head.
Mohammed Khaku is past president of Al Ahad Islamic Center in Allentown.