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.
The second stage in the comprehension
of the Qur’an is tadabbur fil-Qur’an, i.e., thinking over it deeply, making it
a subject of intense study and diving into the depths of its knowledge and
wisdom. The Qur’an requires such a deep study because it is huda lil-naas i.e.,
guidance for humankind. Not only does it
guide the common
people by presenting
them correct view of God and the universe as well as sound moral
principles, but it also contains perfect guidance for men of learning and
understanding and has always served them as a beacon of light in every
intellectual or spiritual crisis in their life.
That the Qur’an is something to be reflected and pondered
over is a point which has been emphasized by the Qur’an itself:
Here
is a book which we
have sent down to you,
full of blessings, that they may
meditate on its signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition.
(Sad 38:29)
By way of
stressing this point
further, it says,
in a mildly admonishing vein:
So, do they not reflect on the
Qur’an?…
(Al-Nisa 4:82)
Do they not then deeply think over
the Qur’an, or are their hearts locked up?
(Muhammad 47:24)
The Qur’an is quite easy for tazakkur
but is, in the same degree, difficult for tadabbur.10 Those who dive into this boundless ocean know
that it is not possible to fathom its depth.
Note-10: The word literally means “reflection” or “deliberation,” but it is used as a Qur’anic term with a special significance which has been explained in the discussion that follows.
Note-10: The word literally means “reflection” or “deliberation,” but it is used as a Qur’anic term with a special significance which has been explained in the discussion that follows.
In spite of all these advantages,
they pondered over each Surah for years together. This shows that diving into
this sea of knowledge and wisdom is not a child’s play. On the other hand, it
calls for strenuous labor and constant application. In the later ages, great
scholars like Tabari (RA), Zamakhshari (RA) and Raazi (RA) and many others of
the same caliber dedicated their whole lives to the study of the Qur’an, but
each of them at best could interpret a single aspect of this great Book and,
honestly speaking, failed to do justice even to that aspect. Throughout the
fourteen centuries, there
has been no
scholar who, having written the most voluminous commentary
on the Qur’an, might have claimed that he had said the last word on it and had
left no room for further deliberation.
Imam Ghazali (RA) in his
Ihya-ul-Uloom has quoted the words of a divine which bring out the difference
between the ordinary recitation of the Qur’an for tazakkur and its thoughtful
study for tadabbur. He says: “There is a recitation which takes me a
week to finish
the Qur’an. There
is another kind
of recitation which takes me a month, and another which takes me a year
to finish it. There is still another kind of recitation which I commenced
thirty years ago but which has not yet enabled me to complete its reading.”
The qualifications for a deliberative
study of the Qur’an are extremely hard to acquire. It is not possible for a man
to attain these qualifications unless he devotes himself to it wholly and
solely and makes the learning and teaching of the Qur’an the be-all and end-all
of his life. For such a study, he requires a thorough knowledge of the Arabic
language and its grammar and a refined literary taste to appreciate the beauty,
force, and eloquence of expression. He must also acquire a good grounding in
the language in which the Qur’an was revealed by a critical study of the works
of the pre-Islamic poets and orators. Then there are the terms and modes of
expression evolved by the Qur’an
itself. A clear understanding of
these (which will be possible only after a careful study of the Qur’an for a
pretty long time) is also
a necessary part of
the mental equipment
of a student of the Qur’an.
Moreover, he should be able to
appreciate the coordination and coherence in the Qur’an. He must grasp the
deep significance of the present
order of the
Surahs in the Qur’an, which is different from the
chronological order in which they were revealed. He must also comprehend the
sequence of thought between one Surah and the other, as well as between the
ayaat of
the same Surah.
This is an
extremely arduous task which has defied the patience of even the most
determined scholars. But this task, however arduous, has to be accomplished and
unless it is accomplished, the question of comprehending the Qur’an will not
arise. In fact, it is only when one is diving into the Qur’an for grasping the
subtle sequence between its parts that one forms an idea of the unfathomable
depths of this boundless sea, and brings out from it the finest pearls of
knowledge and wisdom.
To Be Continued....
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