Pondering
Pondering
over
the three categories of signs (i.e., the
Qur’anic signs, the signs in the physical universe, and the signs in
the spiritual world of the
human heart)
a
man will be able to
perceive a perfect concord between
them; and,
with the realization of this
concord, he will grasp
certain fundamental
truths which are borne out by the internal testimony
of his own
nature. The truths cherished by his inner self will emerge from
its
depths and shine with all their brilliance on the screen
of his
consciousness.
In other words, full and intense
awareness of the
Absolute Reality, which is the core of Iman, will then spring up to his conscious mind like the memory of a forgotten thing shooting up from the dark depths of the mind to its surface with
the
aid of a pertinent suggestion. For this very phenomenon, the
Qur’an uses the term tazakkur.9
Note.9: Literally the word means “to remember; to recall.” In the Qur’anic sense of the term it means “to recall forgotten Truths.”
Every person, whether mediocre or an intellectual, is in constant need of
tazakkur which is
necessary for recalling to the mind the truths that have
been forgotten or for keeping in mind the truths that are likely
to be forgotten. It is for this reason that Allah (SWT) has made the Qur’an so easy for the purposes of tazakkur
— a fact which has been stated four times in
the
same Surah:
We have made the Qur’an easy as a means of reminding (men of the truths forgotten by them). Is there any who will benefit from this reminding? (Al-Qamar 54:17, 22, 32, 40)
The Qur’an has thus declared in
unequivocal terms
that
every person can get the benefit of tazakkur from it. It does not matter if a person’s intelligence is limited, and his knowledge of logic
and philosophy is poor; and if he has no fine sense of language
and literature. In
spite
of these drawbacks, he can have tazakkur from the Qur’an if he has a noble heart, a sound mind, and an
untainted nature not perverted by any kind of crookedness. He
should
read the
Qur’an
and
should
go on understanding its simple meanings. This will be enough
for the
purposes of tazakkur.
The Qur’an has been rendered easy
in different ways for those who try to understand it and derive tazakkur from it. In the first place, its central theme and basic subjects are nothing new
or unfamiliar to the human nature. While reading the Qur’an a
man
often feels as if he were listening to the echoes of his inner self.
Secondly, the mode
of inference adopted is simple and natural,
and difficult and abstruse
subjects have been brought home
to the
reader by easy and simple
parables. Thirdly, although the Qur’an is a masterpiece of literature and a paragon of eloquence,
yet its language is generally simple and a man
with a smattering
of Arabic can easily understand the text except
a few difficult portions. In spite of all this, for the attainment of tazakkur from the Qur’an, a basic knowledge of Arabic is a must. Looking into a translation along with reading
the
text will not be sufficient from this purpose. I
most honestly
feel
that it is
imperative for every Muslim to acquire as much knowledge of
the
Arabic language as may enable him to understand the simple
meaning
of the Qur’anic text as he reads it along, without having
to raise his eyes again
and again for consulting a translation.
I fail to understand what excuse will be put forward in
the
court of the Almighty
(SWT) in their defense by those Muslims who are not only educated but have obtained graduate
and post-graduate degrees and have mastered such difficult arts and sciences like Medicine and Engineering, for not learning so
much
Arabic that they
could follow His Holy Book. Out of a
sincere regard and genuine concern for these Muslims, let me
assert that their negligence in the matter of learning Arabic is
tantamount to not only ridiculing the Book
of Allah (SWT) but also treating it with contempt. They should realize that by
their
irresponsible behavior in this regard they
are
rendering themselves
liable
to an
awful chastisement and
a dreadful penalty on
the
Day of Judgment.
In my
humble opinion, to learn so
much Arabic as may enable a person to follow the meaning
of the Qur’an easily is a duty that every educated Muslim owes to the Holy Book, and not
to fulfill this duty is a grave injustice to the Qur’an as well as to ourselves.
Source:The Obligations Muslims owe to The Quran (Book by Dr. Israr Ahmad)
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