In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. INTRODUCTION
In
the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
INTRODUCTION
I
have two objects in view in writing this Introduction to the study of the Qur ‘ān.
First,
I want to acquaint the reader with those things which will help him to
understand the meaning of the Qur ‘ān. If he does not become conversant with
them in the very beginning, they keep coming back into his mind over and over
again, and often become a hindrance to his going deep into its meaning and
spirit.
Second,
I want to answer beforehand some of the questions which usually arise during
the study of the Qur ‘ān. I have confined myself to those questions which arose
in my own mind when I began my critical study of it or the ones which I came
across afterwards. If there be any other questions besides these, God willing,
I will answer them in the next edition.
Unique Book
Before
the reader begins the study of the Qur ‘ān, he must bear in mind the fact that
it is a unique Book, quite different from the books one usually reads. Unlike
conventional books, the Qur ‘ān does not contain information, ideas and
arguments about specific themes arranged in a literary order. That is why a
stranger to the Qur ‘ān, on his first approach to it, is baffled when he does
not find the enunciation of its theme or its division into chapters and
sections or separate treatment of different topics and separate instructions
for different aspects of life arranged in a serial order. On the contrary there
is something with which he has not been familiar before and which does not
conform to his conception of a book. He finds that it deals with creeds, gives
moral instructions, lays down laws, invites people to Islam, admonishes the
disbelievers, draws lessons from historical events, administers warnings, gives
good tidings, all blended together in a beautiful manner. The same subject is
repeated in different ways and one topic follows the other without any apparent
connection. Sometimes a new topic crops ups in the middle of another without any
apparent reason. The speaker and the addressees, and the direction of the
address change without any notice. There is no sign of chapters and divisions
anywhere. Historical events are presented but not as in history books. The
problems of Philosophy and Metaphysics are treated in a manner different from
that of the textbooks on the subjects. Man and the Universe are mentioned in a
language different from that of the natural science. Likewise it follows its
own method of solving cultural, political, social and economic problems and
deals with the principles and injunctions of law in a manner quite different
from that of the sociologists, lawyers and jurists. Morality is taught in a way
that has no parallel in the whole literature on the subject.
That
is why the unwary reader is baffled and puzzled when he finds all these things
contrary to his pre-conceived conception of a book. He begins to feel that the Qur
‘ān is a book without any order or interconnection between its verses or
continuity of its subject, or that it deals with miscellaneous topics in an
incoherent manner, or that it had been given the form of a continuous book
though it was not a book in the commonly accepted sense of the word. As a
result of this, its opponents raise strange objections against the Qur ‘ān and
its modern followers adopt strange devices to ward off doubts and objections.
They either resort to escapism or put forward strange interpretations to ease
their minds. Sometimes they try to create artificial connections between the
verses to explain away the apparent incoherencies and as a last resort, they
even accept the theory that the Qur ‘ān deals with miscellaneous topics without
any order or coherence. Consequently verses are isolated from their context and
confusion is produced in the meanings.
This happens when the reader does
not take into consideration the fact that the Qur ‘ān is a unique book. It does
not, like other books, enunciate at the very beginning the subject it deals
with and the object it intends to achieve. Its style and method of explaining
things are also quite different from those of other books one commonly reads
and it does not follow any bookish order. Above all it is not a book on
religion in the sense this word is generally understood. That is why when a
reader approaches the Qur ‘ān with the common notions of a book, he is rather
puzzled by its style and manner of presentation. He finds that at many places
the background has not been mentioned and the circumstances under which a
particular passage was revealed have not been stated. As a result of these
things, the ordinary reader is unable to benefit fully from the most precious treasures contained in the Qur ‘ān, though
occasionally he may succeed in discovering a few gems here and there. Only
those people become victims of such doubts who are not acquainted with these
distinctive features of the Qur ‘ān. They seem to find miscellaneous topics
scattered all over its pages and feel difficulties about its meanings. Nay,
even those verses, which are absolutely clear, appear to them to be quite
irrelevant in the contexts they occur.
The reader may be saved from all
these difficulties, if he is warned beforehand that the Book he is going to study is the only book of its kind in the whole
world: that its literary style is quite different from that of all other books:
that its theme is unique and that his preconceived notions of a book cannot
help him understand the Qur ‘ān. Nay these may even become a hindrance. He
should, therefore, first of all free his mind from preconceived notions and get
acquainted with the distinctive features of this Book. Then and then alone can
he understand it.
In order to understand the Qur ‘ān
thoroughly it is essential to know the nature of this Book, its central idea
and its aim and object. The reader should also be well acquainted with its
style, the terms it uses and the method it adopts to explain things. He should
also keep in view the background and circumstances under which a certain
passage was revealed.
Divine Guidance
First
of all the reader should understand the real nature of the Qur ‘ān. Whether one
believes it to be a revealed book or not, one will have to consider, as a
starting point, the claim that is put forward by itself and its bearer,
Muhammad (Allah’s peace be upon him), that this is the Divine Guidance.
The
Lord of the Universe, its Creator, Master and Sovereign created Man and
bestowed upon him the faculties of learning, speaking, understanding and
discerning right from wrong and good from evil. He granted him freedom of
choice, freedom of will, freedom of action and gave him authority to acquire
and make use of the things around him. In short, He granted him a kind of
autonomy and appointed him as His Vicegerent on the Earth and instructed him to
live in accordance with His Guidance.
At the time, when the Lord of the
Universe appointed Man His Vicegerent, He warned him very clearly and
precisely, leaving no doubt in his mind, as to the kind of relations he should
have with Him, as if to say I am your
Master and Sovereign and that of the whole universe; therefore you should
worship Me and none else. You are neither independent in My Kingdom nor the
subject of anyone else, to whom you might owe obedience or worship. You are
being sent to the Earth with certain powers for a fixed term of time for your
test. After that you will have to return to Me. Then I will judge the deeds you
did in the world and decide whether you have come out successful or failed in
the test. Therefore the right course for you is to accept Me voluntarily as
Sovereign and worship Me alone and act in the world according to the Guidance I
shall send you, and live on the Earth with the conviction and understanding
that it is merely the place of your Trial. Our real object in earthly life
should be to come out successful in the final judgment, therefore any other
course different from and opposed to the Divine Guidance, will be wrong. If you
adopt the first course, (and you have full liberty and freedom to adopt it),
you will achieve peace and tranquility in this world and win the home of
eternal bliss and joy (Paradise ) in the next
world, to which you shall have to return. And if you follow any other course
(and you are quite free to do so, if you so choose), you shall incur my
disfavour in this world and eternal sorrow and affliction in the Hereafter,
where you shall be thrown into the abyss of Hell.
After such a warning, the Owner of
the Universe sent Adam and Eve (Allah’s peace be upon them) the first human
beings, to the Earth and gave them the guidance according to which they and
their descendants were to live in this world. Thus the first two human beings
were not created in ignorance and darkness but were given very clear and bright
Light and the Law they were to follow. This was Islam (submission to Allah).
Before they left this world, they themselves practiced and taught the same way
to their children and children’s children and exhorted them to live as Muslims
(obedient servants of Allah). But in the succeeding centuries, by and by,
people swerved from this straight way of life (Islam) and adopted different
crooked ways. They not only lost the Guidance owing to their negligence but
also tampered with it because of their wickedness. They attributed to others.
The qualities and powers of Allah and associated others to rank with Him as
gods and ascribed His rights to others. They invented different kinds of
religions (ways of life) by mixing up all sorts of superstitions, wrong
theories and false philosophies with the Guidance that was given by Allah. They
discarded them and made such laws of life as suited their prejudices and lusts,
and filled Allah’s earth with chaos and iniquity.
Though this was a sad state of
affairs, Allah did not will to force these corrupt people to follow the Right
way because this would have been against the limited freedom of action which
had been granted to man by Him; nor did He will to destroy them forthwith as soon
as rebellion broke out against Him, because this would not have been in keeping
with the rules of life laid down for trial in this world. Instead of this,
Allah took upon Himself, from the very beginning of man’s life on the Earth, to
send His Guidance to him during his term of life, leaving him free to follow or
not to follow it. Accordingly he made arrangements for the Guidance of mankind
and appointed His Messengers from among the people themselves and bestowed upon
them the knowledge of the Truth and the Right Way Right
Way
During their respective terms, these
Messengers fulfilled their mission admirably well. But it is a pity that the
majority of the people were not inclined to accept their invitation and even
those who joined their community gradually became corrupt. So much so that some
of these communities totally lost that Guidance and others tampered with the
Commandments of Allah and mixed them up with false things.
Then the Lord of the Universe sent Muhammad (Allah’s peace be upon him) as
His last Messenger to fulfill the same mission for which Messengers had been
sent before him. He extended his invitation to all human beings, including the
corrupt followers of the previous Messengers and asked them to follow the Right Way
Central Theme
Now that we have come to know the
nature of the Qur ‘ān, it has become easier to determine the subject it deals
with, its central theme and its aim and object.
The Subject it deals with is Man:
it discusses those aspects of his life that lead either to his real success
or failure.
The Central Theme that runs throughout the Qur ‘ān is the exposition of
the Reality and the invitation to the Right
Way Right Way
The Aim and Object of the
revelations is to invite Man to that Right
Way
If the reader keeps these three
basic things in mind, he will find that in this Book there is no incongruity in
the style, no gap in the continuity of the subject and no lack of
interconnection between its various topics. As a matter of fact, this Book is
not irrelevant anywhere with regard to its Subject, its Central Theme and its Aim.
From its very beginning to its end, the different topics it deals with are so
intimately connected with its Central Theme that they may be likened to the
beautiful gems of the same necklace, despite their different colours and sizes.
The Qur ‘ān keeps the same object in view, whether it is relating the story of
the creation of the Earth or of the Heavens or of Man or is referring to the
manifestations in the Universe or stating events from human history. As the aim
of the Qur ‘ān is to guide Man and not to teach Nature Study or History or
Philosophy or any other science or art, it does not concern itself with these
latter subjects. The only thing with which it is concerned is to expound the
reality, to remove misunderstandings and misconceptions about it, to impress
the Truth upon the minds, to warn them of the consequences of wrong attitude
and to invite humanity to the Right
Way
The same is true of the criticism of
the creeds of the moral systems, of the deeds of men and communities and of its
discussions of the problems of Metaphysics etc. That is why it states or
discusses or cites a thing only to the extent relevant to its aims and object
and leaves out unnecessary and irrelevant details and turns over and over again to its
Central Theme and to its invitation round which every other topic revolves.
When the Qur ‘ān is studied in this light, no doubt is left that the whole of
it is a closely reasoned argument and there is continuity of subject throughout
the Book.
Background
One
cannot understand fully many of the topics discussed in the Qur ‘ān unless one is
acquainted with the background of their revelation. One should know the social,
historical or other antecedents or conditions which help explain any particular
topic. For, the Qur ‘ān was not revealed as a complete book at one and the same
time; nor did Allah hand over a written copy of it to Muhammad (Allah’s peace
be upon him) at the very beginning of his mission and command him to publish it
and invite people to adopt a particular way of life. Moreover, it is not a
literary work of the common conventional type that develops its central theme
in a logical order; nor does it conform to the style of such a work. The Qur
‘ān adopts its own style to suit the guidance of the Islamic Movement that was
started by Allah’s Messenger under His direct command. Accordingly, Allah
revealed the Qur ‘ān piecemeal to meet he requirements of the Movement in its
different stages.
Makki Surahs
When
the Holy Prophet was commanded to start his mission at Makkah. Allah sent down
such instructions as the Messenger needed for his own training for the great
work that was entrusted to him. The Qur ‘ān imparted also the basic knowledge
of the Reality and gave brief answer to the common misunderstandings that
misled people to adopt wrong ways of life and invited them to accept the basic
principles of morality and adopt the right attitude that alone leads to the
success and welfare of humanity.
These early messages consisted of
short and concise sentences and were couched in a very fluent and effective
language to suit the taste of the people to whom they were first addressed.
Their excellent literary style was so appealing that it touched the core of
their hearts. They were so charming that they attracted the attention of the
hearers who began to repeat them because of their beauty and elegance. Though
universal truths were enunciated in these messages, they were given a local
colour and were supported by arguments, examples and illustrations from the
environment with which its first addressees were quite familiar. In order to
impress the addressees effectively, these early addresses were confined to
their own history, their traditions, their monuments beliefs, their morality
and their evil ways.
This
early stage of the Movement lasted for four years or so with the result that a
few good people accepted its message and formed the nucleus of the future
Muslim community. But the large majority of the Quraish began to oppose it
because, in their ignorance, they thought that it hit hard at their vested
interests and lust and the old traditions of their forefathers. The message of
the Qur ‘ān, however, went on spreading beyond the boundaries of Makkah and
reached other clans.
Then the Movement entered its second
stage which continued for nine years or so and a fierce struggle began with the
old order. Not only the Quraish but also the majority of its upholders also
rose up to kill this Movement employing all sorts of weapons or at least to
suppress it. They made false propaganda and leveled accusations and raised
frivolous objections against it. They spread suspicions and doubts in order to
alienate the common people from it. They hindered strangers from listening to
the Holy Prophet and inflicted all sorts of cruelties on those who accepted
Islam. They boycotted the Muslims socially and economically in order to
intimidate and coerce them. Their persecution became so unbearable that some of
them had to leave their homes twice for Abyssinia ,
and at last all of them had to migrate to Al-Madinah. But inspite of
persecution and hindrances, the Movement went on spreading. There was hardly a
family or a household left in Makkah from which one person or the other had not
accepted Islam. Naturally this produced bitterness in the hearts of the
opponents of Islam. The persecution became all the more bitter when they saw
that their own brothers, nephews, sons, daughters, sisters etc, had accepted
Islam and become its faithful and strong supporters and were ready to defend it
even with their lives.
The Movement also got impetus from
the fact that it was drawing into its fold the best from among their people who
became the embodiments of virtue after accepting Islam. The world, therefore,
could not help feeling the moral superiority of the Movement that was so
thoroughly transforming the characters of its followers.
All through this long and bitter
struggle, Allah continued to reveal, according to the requirements of the
occasion, inspiring addresses which highly influenced the thoughts and conduct
of the hearers. On the one hand, these addresses instructed the Muslims in
their primary duties, infused into them the spirit of loyalty and devotion to
bind them tighter as members of the Muslim community and taught the ways of
piety, high morality and purity of character and trained them to be true
missionaries of Islam. One the other hand, these messages consoled, comforted
and encouraged the Muslims with promises of success in this world and of
eternal bliss in the hereafter. They urged them also to exert their utmost in
the way of Allah with fortitude, endurance and courage. The Muslims were so
imbued with the spirit of sacrifice for this noble cause that they were ready
to bear every kind of affliction and fight against the bitterest opposition. At
the same time, these addresses administered warnings to those people who were
opposing the Movement and those who were indifferent to it. Examples were cited
form the history of the neighboring peoples as proofs thereof. Their attention
was also drawn to the ruins of the habitations by which they used to pass
during their journeys: these were held out as object lessons. They were asked
to observe the phenomena of Nature they saw day and night on the earth and in
the heavens as a proof of the Unity of God and of the inevitable Hereafter.
The
early addresses exposed the blasphemy of the idolaters and their association of
partners with Allah and their worship of the old traditions so vividly as to
convince all fair- minded persons of their error. They refuted their
misconception that they were independent of God and not accountable to Him in
the Hereafter with such clear reasoning as to leave no doubt in their hearts
and minds. Every doubt was dispelled and every objection answered and every
intricacy and complication, in which they were entangled and in which they were
involving others, was unfolded and unraveled. In short, these addresses proved
clearly and conclusively that the old ways were based on ignorance and were
utterly void of sense. Side by side with this, the disbelievers were admonished
for their immorality, their wrong ways of life and customs of ignorance and
their opposition to the Truth and their persecution of the Believers. These
early addresses also put forward those basic principles of culture and morality
which have always been universally accepted and which have always formed the
basis of the enlightened Divine civilization.
Several changes took place during
the Makki stage of the Movement. It spread wider and wider, day by day, and the
opposition to it became stronger and stronger in the same proportion. By and
by, it came into contact with the people of different creeds and different ways
of life and this gave rise to new problems. The discourses, therefore, began to
deal with various new topics as well. This explains the difference of their
style from those of the earlier ones.
This is the background of the Surahs
which were revealed during the thirteen years of Makki life.
Madani Surahs
After
facing opposition for thirteen years in Makkah, the Islamic Movement found a
new centre in Al-Madinah where it became possible to collect all its followers
from the various parts of Arabia and to unify
and strengthen them. Accordingly, the Holy Prophet and the majority of the
Muslims migrated to Al-Madinah.
Then the Movement entered its third
stage under totally changed conditions. Now that the Muslim community had
succeeded in founding a regular state, an armed encounter ensued with the
exponents of the old order of ignorance. Besides this, the Jews and the
Christians came into conflict with it even though they also professed to be the
followers of Prophets. It had also to deal with different kinds of hypocrite
‘Muslims’ who had somehow or other entered its fold. But inspite of all those
obstacles, the Movement succeeded in subduing the whole of Arabia
after a hard struggle of ten years and was in a position to extend its
universal message of reform to the outer world.
As, by and by, several changes took
place in this stage also, and every changed condition had its own special
problems, so Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet the kinds of discourses required
for any particular occasion. That is why some of these were couched in the
fiery rhetoric of a warner and the others in the form of the royal edicts of
the law giver. Some adopted the methods of a teacher, trainer and reformer and
taught the principles and the methods of organizing a community, of building up
a state and of constructing a good civilization for the conduct of different
affairs of life. Others gave instructions for dealing with the hypocrites or
the unbelievers, who had come under the protection of this Islamic State. Then
in some of these discourses, the Muslims were taught the kind of relations they
should have with the people of the Book and with the belligerent powers and
with their own allies. In others they were taught, trained and organized to
carry out their obligations as vicegerents of the Lord of the Universe. Some
gave instruction for their guidance, and warned them of their weaknesses and
exhorted them to sacrifice their lives and properties in the way of Allah.
Others taught the moral lessons they needed in defeat and victory, adversity
and prosperity, war and peace. In short, these trained them to carry on the
missionary work for the propagation of Islam as the successors of the Holy
Prophet. Then some discourses invited to Islam the people of the Book, the
hypocrites, the unbelievers and the blasphemers or rebuked them for their
hard-heartedness or warned them of the doom in store for them or admonished
them for neglecting lessons from the stories and events of the past, so as to
leave no excuse for their sticking to the wrong ways of life.
This is the background of the Surahs
that were revealed during the ten years at Al-Madinah. It is obvious that their
style had to be different from that of the Makki Surahs.
Style
It must have become clear from the
above that the revelation of the Qur ‘ān began simultaneously with the
beginning of the Islamic Movement and continued for twenty-three years. The
different portions of the Qur ‘ān were revealed according to the requirements
of the various phases of the Movement. It is thus obvious that a book like this
cannot have the kind of uniformity of style which is followed in formal books
on religion and the like. It should also be kept in mind that the various
portions of the Qur ‘ān, both long and short, were not meant to be published in
the form of pamphlets at the time of their revelation but were to be delivered
as addresses and promulgated as such. Hence they could not be in the style of a
written work. Moreover, these addresses were necessarily of a different nature
from that of the lectures of a professor; therefore their style would naturally
be different from them also. The Holy Prophet was entrusted with a special
mission and had to appeal both to the emotions and to the intellect; he had to
deal with people of different mentalities and cope with different situations
and various kinds of experiences during the course of his mission. Such a
person has to do all that is required for extending a message and for leading a
movement. He has to impress upon the different aspects of his message on
people’s minds in order to change the established world of ideas, and to appeal
to the feelings and emotions in order to counteract the forces of his
opponents. He has also to train and reform his followers and to imbue them with
spirit and courage, and to refute the
arguments of opponents and to expose their moral weaknesses and so on.
That is why the style of the discourses that Allah sent down to His Messenger
had to be what suited the requirements of a Movement. It is, therefore, wrong
to seek the style of a formal book or that of college lectures in the
discourses of the Qur ‘ān.
That also explains why the same
things are repeated over and over again in the Qur ‘ān. A mission and a movement
naturally demand that only those things should be presented which are required
at a particular stage and that nothing should be said about the requirements of
the next stage. That is why the same things are repeated over and over again as
long as the movement remains in the same stage, no matter whether it remains
there for months or for years. Of course, these things have been differently
worded and styled to avoid monotony, and couched in a beautiful and dignified
language to make them effective and impressive. Moreover, it repeats at
suitable places its basic good and principles in order to keep the Movement
strong at every stage. That is why those Surahs which were revealed at a
particular stage of the Movement generally deal with the same topics, though,
of course, in different words and in various forms. Moreover, all the Surahs of
the Qur ‘ān contain references to the basic creed, i.e. the unity of Allah, His
attributes, the Hereafter and accountability, punishment and reward, Prophethood,
belief in the Book etc …… They all teach piety, fortitude, endurance, faith and
trust in Allah and the like, just because these virtues could not be neglected
at any stage of the Movement. If any of these bases had been weakened at any
stage even in the least, the Islamic Movement could not have made any progress
in its true spirit.
Order
A
little thinking in the light of the difference between the Makki and the Madani
Surahs will also answer the question why the Surahs of the Qur ‘ān were not
arranged in the sequence in which they were revealed. This question is also
important because it has been used by the enemies of Islam to create
misunderstandings about the Qur ‘ān and make ridiculous conjectures about the
present arrangement of the Surahs. They are of the opinion that “Muhammad’s
(Allah peace be upon him) followers published it, without any discernible order
as to chronology or otherwise; merely trying, as would seem, to put the longest
chapters first………”
Such conjectures as this are based
on ignorance of the wisdom underlying the order of the Qur ‘ān. Though it was
to be the Book for all times, it had to be revealed piecemeal in twenty-three
years according to needs and requirements of the different stages through which
the Islamic Movement was passing. It is obvious that the sequence of the revelations
that suited the gradual evolution of the Movement could not in any way be
suitable after the completion of the Qur ‘ān. Allen another order, suited to
the changed conditions, was needed. In the early stages of the Movement the Qur
‘ān addressed those people who were totally ignorant of Islam and, therefore,
naturally it had first of all to teach them the basic articles of Faith. But
after its completion the Qur ‘ān was primarily concerned with those who had
accepted Islam and formed a community for carrying on the work entrusted to it
by the Holy Prophet. Obviously, the
order of the complete Book had to be different from its chronological order to
suit the requirements of the Muslim Community for all times. Then the Qur ‘ān
had, first of all, to acquaint the Muslims thoroughly with their duties
concerning the regulation of their lives. It had also to prepare them for
carrying its message to the world which was ignorant of Islam. It had also to
wan them of the mischiefs and evils that appeared among the followers of the
former Prophets so that they should be on their guard against them. Hence
Al-Baqarah and similar Madani Surahs, and not Al-‘Alaq and similar Makki
Surahs, had to be placed in the beginnings of the Qur ‘ān.
In this connection, another thing
should also be kept in view. It does not suit the purpose of the Qur ‘ān that
all the Surahs dealing with similar topics should be grouped together. In order
to avoid one sidedness at any stage of its study, it is essential that the
Makki Surahs should intervene between the Madani Surahs and that the Madani Surahs
should follow the Makki Surahs, and that the Surahs revealed at the earliest
stages of the Movement should come between those revealed in the later stages
so that the entire picture of the complete Islam should always remain before
the reader. That is the wisdom of the present order.
It should also be noted that the
Surahs of the Qur ‘ān were not arranged in the present order by his successors
but by the Holy Prophet himself under the guidance of Allah. Whenever a Surah
was revealed, he would send for one of his amanuenses and dictate it word for
word and direct him to place it after such and such and before such and such a
Surah. Likewise in this case of a discourse or passage or verse that was not
meant to be an independent Surah by itself, he would direct him to the exact
place where it was to be put in the Surah of which it was to form a part, then
he used to recite the Qur ‘ān during the Salat (prescribed prayer) and on other
occasions in the same order and direct his Companions to memorise and recite it
in the same order. Thus it is an established fact that the Surahs of the Qur
‘ān were arranged in the present order on the same day the Qur ‘ān was
completed by the one to whom it was revealed under the guidance of the One who
revealed it.
Compilation
Allah Who revealed the Qur ‘ān
Himself made arrangements for its safety and security for ever.
No sooner was a passage of the Qur
‘ān revealed than it was recorded on leaves of date-palm, barks of trees, bones
etc, at the dictation of the Holy Prophet and all these pieces were put in a
bag. Besides this, some of his Companions themselves wrote these pieces for
their own use. At the same time, the Muslims committed these passages to memory
as they had to recite them during Salat which was obligatory from the very
beginning of Islam.
Though many Companions had committed
the whole of the Qur ‘ān to memory during the life-time of the Holy Prophet, it
had not been compiled in book form. But immediately after his death, an event
occurred that necessitated this work. A furious storm of apostasy broke out and
many of the Companions, who went to war to suppress it, were martyred. Among
these martyrs were some of those who had committed the whole of the Qur ‘ān to
memory. Then it occurred to Hadrat ‘Umar that necessary steps should be taken
to preserve the Qur ‘ān intact in its original form against any and every kind
of danger and that it was not wise to depend exclusively upon those who had
learnt it by heart. He, therefore, urged that it was essential to put the whole
of it in black and white in the form of an authenticated book. He tried to
impress the necessity of this step on Hadrat Abu Bakr, who at first showed
hesitation to do what the Holy Prophet had no done. But after some discussion,
he agreed to it. Accordingly he entrusted this work to Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit
who also showed hesitation at first like Hadrat Abu Bakr and for the same
reason. But at last he was convinced and he undertook this historic work.
And he was best qualified for this
work. He had frequently acted as an amanuenses to the Holy Prophet and was one
of those Companions who had learnt the Qur ‘ān directly from him. Moreover he
also was present on the occasion when the Holy Prophet recited the whole of the
completed Qur ‘ān to angel Gabriel. Arrangements were, therefore, made to
collect and gather all the written pieces of the Qur ‘ān left by the Holy Prophet,
and those in the possession of his Companions. * Then with the co-operation of
those Companions who had committed the whole or any part of the Qur ‘ān to
memory word for word, all the written pieces were compared with each other for
verification. Hadrat Zaid would not take down anything in his manuscript unless
all the three sources tallied with one another. Thus was compiled one correct,
authenticated and complete copy. This authenticated copy of the whole Qur ‘ān
was kept in the house of Hadrat Hafsah (Hadrat ‘Umar’s daughter), and one of
the wives of the Holy Prophet and it was proclaimed that anyone , who desired, might make a copy
of it or compare with it the copy he already possessed.
As regards the sequence of the
Surahs, Zaid followed the same order that was followed by the Holy Prophet
himself because he could not and would not have followed any other. He was so
particular about following the Holy Prophet in everything he did, that, at
first, he hesitated to undertake the work of the compilation, just because this
had not been done during the life-time of the Holy Prophet. It is, therefore,
wrong to suppose that the Surahs were arranged in the existing order after the
death of the Holy Prophet. The very fact, that the Holy Prophet recited the whole
of the Qur ‘ān twice before Gabriel during the last Ramadan ** of his life, is
a clear proof of the fact that he must have followed some order. And we have
already cited a Tradition to the effect that Hadrat Zaid attended the second of
these two last recitals. Likewise those Companions, who had committed the whole
of the Qur ‘ān to memory, must have done
it in some order and that, too, could not have been any other but the one
followed and taught by the Holy Prophet.
Imam Malik, says, The Qur ‘ān was
compiled in the way the Companions heard it from the Holy Prophet. Moreover, at
several places, the Qur ‘ān speaks of itself as a Book. For example, in Surah
Muzzammil, an early Maki revelation. Allah says to the Holy Prophet, “………….
Recite the Qur ‘ān in order ………” LXXIII: 4. This also shows that the Qur ‘ān
was meant to be a book from the beginning of the revelation and a book must follow
some order.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
* We learn from authentic traditions
that some Companions of the Holy Prophet had put the Qur ‘ān or some pieces of
the Qur ‘ān in black and white during his life-time and the names of ‘Uthman,
Ali, ‘Abdullah-bin-Masud, ‘Abdullah-bin Amr-bin-‘As, Salim, the freed slave of
Huzaifah, Mu’az-bin-Jabal, Zaid-bin- Thabit, Ubayy-bin-Ka ‘ ab, Abu Zaid,
Qais-bin-As-Sakn (Allah be pleased with them all ) have been specifically
mentioned.
** Traditions say that the Holy Prophet
used to recite the Qur ‘ān before angel Gabriel once during every Ramadan but
he recited the whole of the complete Qur ‘ān twice during the Ramadan occurring
in the year of his death. Zaid attended the second recitation.
Difference of Dialects
Though
Arabic was the common language of the whole of Arabia ,
there existed some variations in the dialects of different parts and tribes.
For obvious reasons the Qur ‘ān was
revealed in the dialect of the Quraish of Makkah. However, the Arabs living in
different parts of the country were, at first allowed, for the sake of facility,
to recite it according to the dialect of their own clan or district but this
did not produce any difference in its meanings. But when Islam spread beyond
the boundaries of Arabia and the Arabs came
into contact with the non-Arab Muslims, the Arabic language gradually began to
be influenced by its new environments. Then it was feared that the different
dialects of the Qur ‘ān might give rise to various kinds of mischief and might
cause disputes among persons having different dialects. They might even begin
to accuse one another of tampering with the Qur ‘ān. Moreover, there was the
danger that the pure and beautiful Arabic of the Qur ‘ān might be altered or
changed by those Arabs who came in contact with non-Arabs. Therefore, Caliph ‘
Uthman, in consultation with other Companions of the Holy Prophet, decided that
the authenticated copies of the Qur ‘ān compiled by the order of Hadrat Abu
Bakr, should alone be used in the whole of the Muslim world, and the use of all
other copies in any other dialect or idiom should be prohibited. As a
precautionary measure, he had all the other existing copies burnt to ward off
any possibility of future confusion and misunderstanding. For instance, some of
the companions had noted down explanatory words and comments on the margins of
their copies and it was feared, that these might get mixed up with the original
text of the Qur ‘ān. Though such a possibility did not exist at that time, it
was an act of most prudent foresight to make the Qur ‘ān safe and secure
against any possible alteration in the future by burning all other copies.
The Qur ‘ān, which is now in use all
over the world, is the exact copy of the Qur ‘ān which was compiled by the
order of Hadrat Abu Bakr and copies of which were officially sent by Hadrat
‘Uthman to different places. Even today many very old copies are found in big
libraries in different parts of the world and if anyone has any doubt as to
whether the Qur ‘ān has remained absolutely safe and secure against every kind
of change and alteration, he can compare any copy of the Qur ‘ān with any of
these copies and reassure himself. Moreover, if one gets a copy of the Qur ‘ān
from a bookseller, say, of Algeria in Africa in the West and compares it with a
copy obtained from a bookseller, say, of Java in the East, one will find both
the copies to be identical with each other and also with the copies of the Qur
‘ān made during the time of Hadrat ‘Uthman’. If even then anyone has any doubt
left in his mind, he is advised to take any copy of the Qur ‘ān from anywhere
in the world and ask anyone, out of the millions who know the Qur ‘ān by heart,
to recite it word for word from the beginning to the end. He will find that the
recitation conforms word for word to the written text. This is a clear and irrefutable proof of the fact that the Qur ‘ān
which is in use today is the same Qur ‘ān which was presented to the world by
Muhammad (Allah’s peace be upon him). A sceptic might entertain a doubt
about its revelation from Allah, but none can have any doubt whatsoever
regarding its authenticity and immunity and purity from any and every kind of
addition or omission or alteration, for there is nothing so authentic in the
whole human history as this fact about the Qur ‘ān that it is the same Qur ‘ān
that was presented by the Holy Prophet to the world.
Now let us consider the case of the
variant readings of the Qur ‘ān, for their existence has created the
misunderstanding that it has not remained intact. The following facts will help
us to understand their nature and extent:
1. The
Arabic script adopted by the amanuenses of the Holy Prophet during his
life-time had neither dots nor vowel points. The same was the case with the
copy of the Qur ‘ān compiled by Hadrat Zaid during the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr
and also with its copies circulated by Hadrat ‘Uthman.
2. Though
the correctness of the Qur ‘ān text was ensured in the written form, the work
of its propagation was done orally because of the general illiteracy and
scarcity of paper. Little difficulty was, however, felt by the literate Arabs
in deciphering this script. There were thousands of such persons who had learnt
the whole of the Qur ‘ān by heart from the Holy Prophet himself and his
Companions. They followed and taught the same reading that they had learnt from
the Holy Prophet and his Companions.
3. Hadrat
‘Uthman not only sent an authenticated the Qur ‘ān to the different centres of
Islam, but also sent a Qari along with it in order to preserve that correct
reading which was taught by the Holy Prophet himself.
4. With
the passage of time it was felt that there should be vowel points to preserve
the correct reading of the Qur ‘ān. Accordingly, at the instance of Zaid, the
Governor of Basrah (45 to 53 A.H) dots were assigned for vowel points. Then
during the reign of Abdul-Malik (65-85 A.H.) Hajjaj-bin-Yusuf appointed
scholars to assign new symbols for vowel points and dots to distinguish between
the similar letters. The same practice continues to the present time.
From the above historical facts, it
must have become clear that the reading of the Qur ‘ān (with a few minor variations) is the
same as practiced and taught by the Holy Prophet. All the scholars and Qurra *
of the Qur ‘ān have been unanimous in asserting that only that reading will be
authentic which (a) conforms to the script of the copy circulated by Hadrat
Uthman and (b) complies with the lexicon of Arabic, its usages idioms and
grammar, and above all, (c) is traceable by genuine and continuous links to the
Holy Prophet himself. That is why there are only a few variations in its reading
and those are not contradictory in their meanings but enlarge their scope and
make them more comprehensive, Thus there is absolutely no doubt that the Holy
Prophet himself practiced those various readings in the instances which exist
today, and they make the meanings more comprehensive.
For example, let us take the two
authentic readings of (a) verse 3 of Al-Fatihah and (b) Verse 6 of Al-Ma’ idah.
One reading of 1: 3, that is
means the Master of the Day of Judgment and the other reading
means, The Sovereign of the Day of Judgment. It is obvious that these
two readings make the meaning of the Verse all the more clear. (c) One reading
of V: 6, that is,
means ……. Wash your faces ….. and (wash) your feet as is done at the
time of performing ablution with naked feet. The second reading, that is,
Wash your faces
and wipe your heads and (wipe) your feet with wet hands. The second reading
allows one to wipe one’s feet with wet hands, provided that one had washed
one’s feet and put on thick socks after the performance of the previous
ablution. This concession holds good for 24 hours at home and for 72 hours
during a journey. It is obvious from the two instances that in the variant
readings, there is absolutely no contradiction in essence. One the other hand,
they make the meanings all the more comprehensive. And the same is true of all
true other variant readings.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
* Qari is one who is well-versed in the
correct reading of the Qur ‘ān.
* Qurra is the plural of Qari.
Universality
Everyone
knows that the Qur ‘ān claims to provide guidance for the whole of mankind, but
when he reads it, he finds that it is mainly addressed to the Arabs, who lived at
the time of its revelation. Though at times it also addresses other people and
mankind in general, it mainly discusses those things which appealed to the
taste of the Arabs and were linked with their environment, history and customs.
This naturally gives rise to the question: Why does the Qur ‘ān contain so many local and national
elements of the period in which it was revealed, when it was meant for the
guidance of the whole of mankind? Those who do not understand the wisdom of
this, begin to argue like this: the Qur ‘ān was really meant for the reform of
the Arabs of that period but later on, somehow or other, the claim was made
that it was a guidance for the whole of mankind and for all ages.
If one does not raise this objection
merely for the sake of objection but really wants to understand the matter, I
would advise him to read the Qur ‘ān and make the parts which give rise to this
doubt. He should then point out any tenet, idea or principle therein that might
have been meant particularly for the Arabs of that period only. He should lay
his finger on any moral principal, practical rule or regulation that is not of
universal application and was meant only for the Arabs of that period, time and
place. The mere fact, that the Qur ‘ān refutes the blasphemous creeds and
condemns the evil customs of a particular people, living at a particular time
and place and bases arguments for the unity of God on the material gathered from
their environment, is not a sufficient proof to establish the allegation that
its invitation and appeal was local and temporary. We should examine the
question closely and decide whether what it says regarding the blasphemous
people of Arabia is or is not equally true of every period and every place, and
whether we can or cannot apply the same arguments with the equal force to
refute the blasphemy of every time and every place, and whether we can or
cannot use everywhere, with minor changes, the same arguments that the Qur ‘ān
puts forward for the Unity of God. If the answer to these questions is in the
affirmative, then there is no reason why such a universal revelation should be
dubbed as local or temporary, simply because it was addressed to a particular
community and during a particular period. There is no philosophy, no way of
life and no religion in the world which expounds, from the beginning to the
ends, everything in the abstract without making any reference to particular
cases or concrete examples, for it is simply impossible to build a pattern of
life merely in the abstract. Even if we suppose, for the sake of argument, that
it were possible to do so, most surely such a system will always remain merely
a theory on paper and will never take a piratical shape.
Moreover, it is neither necessary
nor useful to start from the very outset on international lines any ideological
movement that is meant to be ultimately international. The only right method of
beginning this will be start the movement in the country of its origin and
present with full force its theories and fundamental principles which are to
form the basis of the required system of life. Then its exponents should
impress these things on the minds of their own people who have a common
language, common habits and common customs. They should first of all put these
principles into practice in their own country and prove their worth by evolving
a happy and successful system of life. This will naturally attract other
nations, and their intelligent people will themselves come forward to
understand the movement and start it in their own countries. Thus a certain
ideological system does not become national simply because it was at first
presented to a particular nation and its arguments were addressed to a
particular people. As a matter of fact, what distinguishes a national from an
international and a temporary form a permanent system is this: a national
system aims either to establish its own superiority or its special claim over
other nations or presents principles and theories which, by their very nature,
cannot be applied to other nations. On the other hand, an international system
grants equal status universal application. Moreover, the principles of a
temporary system permanent system are applicable to all times. If he studies
the Qur ‘ān in the light of the above, one will come to the conclusion that its
teachings are of universal application.
Complete
Code
Another thing that causes mental
confusion is the oftre peated assertion that the Qur ‘ān
Is a complete
code of life. But when one reads it, one does not find detailed rules and
regulations regarding social, cultural, political and economic problems etc…. One
is therefore, baffled to see that it does not contain any detailed regulations
even about Salat and Zakat which are such important obligatory duties that the Qur
‘ān itself lays great emphasis on them over and over again. That is why a
casual reader cannot understand how this Book can be called a complete code.
This confusion is caused because the objector loses sight of the fact that
Allah did not only send down the Book but also appointed His Messenger to
demonstrate its teachings by putting them into actual practice. To illustrate this, we may take the case of
the construction of a building. If only a plan of the proposed buildings is
laid down and no engineer is appointed to supervise and direct its
construction, then every detail must be supplied. But if an engineer is also
appointed along with the plan to construct the building on the spot, obviously
there is no need for a detailed plan. In that case only a sketch with its
essential features will be quite enough. It would, therefore, be wrong to find
fault with such a plan as being incomplete. As Allah sent His Messenger along
with the Qur ‘ān , only general principles and absolutely essential
instructions were needed and not their details. Hence the main function of the Qur
‘ān is to present clearly the intellectual and moral bases of the Islamic Way
and reinforce them with arguments and appeals to the heart. As far as the
practical side of the building of the Islamic Way of life is concerned, it only
defines the limits and bounds of every aspect of life without giving detailed
rules and regulation. Moreover it fixes sign-posts for guidance at certain
important places to show how those parts are to be constructed in accordance
with Allah’s will. The actual work of building the Islamic Way of life in
accordance with the instructions contained in the Book was entrusted the Holy
Prophet, who was specially sent to set up the pattern of life for the
individual for the society and for the Islamic State to be constructed
practically according to the principles of the Qur ‘ān. Thus the Qur ‘ān is a
complete code in the sense that it is to be taken along with the Sunnah of the
Holy Prophet.
Another question which troubles the
minds is that of divergences in the interpretation of the Qur ‘ān. People say
that on the hand, Qur ‘ān condemns very severely those people who create
difference in the Book of Allah and cause division on their religion; on he
other hand, so many different interpretations of the injunctions of the Qur ‘ān
have been made that there is hardly to be found any command with an agreed
interpretation. And it is not the people of the later periods alone who differ
with one another but even the great scholars of the early period, including the
companions of the Holy Prophet and their followers, did not all agree in every
detail in regard to Commands and Prohibitions. Do all these people then deserve
the condemnation pronounced in the Qur ‘ān for making different
interpretations? If this is not so, then what kind of differences of opinion
have been condemned in the Qur ‘ān?
The problem is very vast and
extensive and this is not the place for its detailed discussion. Suffice it to
say here that the Qur ‘ān is not against
healthy difference of opinion in the interpretation of its injunctions provided
that (a) there is agreement on the basic principles of Islam among those who
differ and (b) they remain united within the fold of the Muslim Community. The
Quran deprecates that kind of divergence which starts with self-worship and
crookedness, and leads to disputes and sectarianism. As the two kinds of
divergence are neither alike in their nature nor in their results, they should
not be placed in one and the same category. The first kind of divergence is
essential for progress and is the very soul of life and every community of
intelligent and thinking people must encourage it. Its existence is a sign of
life and only that community can afford to repress it which desires to have
only blockheads in it. The second kind of divergence as everyone knows,
disintegrates the community which nourishes it: therefore its appearance in a
community is not a sign of health but a symptom of disease and it can never
produce good results.
These two kinds of divergences of
opinion may further be illustrated by the following:
Supposing there are two scholars or
two judges, who agree, on principle, that Allah and His Messenger alone are
entitled to obedience and that the Qur ‘ān and the Sunnah are the final
authority to determine all laws and regulations. They may then differ in the
details or in the decision of a case, provided that neither of them makes his
opinion as the criterion of Islam or un-Islam nor declares the other to be
outside its fold on account of such a difference of opinion. They may put
forward their own arguments in support of their opinions and leave the decision
to the public or to the highest court, if it is some judicial matter, or to the
legislative body of the community, if it concerns them. Then either one of the
two different opinions will prevail or both will be accepted. But it should be
noted particularly that no difference can be allowed in the basic principles of
Islam nor in such matters as may lead to the formation of a new community. For
instance, it would be wrong that scholar or a jurist or a saint or a leader
should form an opinion about some matter (which Allah and His Messenger do not
consider to be basic) and declare it to be a basic principle of Islam and then
denounce all those who differ from him to be outside its fold, and then on this
basis, proceed to form a community of his own followers saying, “ This is the real Muslim Community and alt
outside it are doomed to Hell. Therefore, if you are a Muslim, come and join
it, otherwise you are not one.” It is this kind of difference of opinion which
the Qur ‘ān condemns. As regards the first kind of difference, several
instances of it permitted it but also spoke well of it, for it was a healthy
sign, which showed that intelligent people of the Community were busy thinking
and making research. This also showed that the intelligent people of the
Community were taking interest in Islam and its teachings and were trying to
find solutions for the problems of life within Islam and not outside it. It
also provided a proof of the golden rule that while the Community should remain
united on principles, it should, at the same time, grant freedom of research to
its thinkers within due limits so that the doors of progress should remain
open.
Suggestions for Study
Finally,
here are a few suggestions for the study of the Qur ‘ān:
As different people turn to the Qur
‘ān with different aims and objects, it is not possible to offer any general
advice about the method of its study so as to fulfill the requirements of all.
I am, however, interested only in those people who want to understand it and
seek guidance from it for the solution of human problems. I will, therefore,
offer some suggestions which may help satisfy their needs and remove their
difficulties.
The one pre-requisite for
understanding the Qur ‘ān is to study it with an open and detached mind.
Whether one believes it to be a revealed book or not, one should, as far as
possible, free one’s mind of bias in favour of or against it and get rid of all
re-conceived opinions and then approach it with the sole desire of
understanding it. Those people who study it with preconceived notions of their
own, read only their own ideas between its lines and cannot, therefore gasp
what the Qur ‘ān wants to convey. It is obvious that this method of study can never
be fruitful even with other books but it is utterly fruitless when applied to
the study of the Qur ‘ān.
There is another thing which must be
kept in view. If one wants to have merely a cursory acquaintance with the
contents of the Qur ‘ān, then perhaps it might suffice for him to read it once.
But, if one wishes to have a deep knowledge of it, one will have to go through
it several times and each time from a different point of view. Those, who
desire to make a thorough study of the Qur ‘ān should read it at least twice
with the sole purpose of understanding, as a whole, the system of life it
presents. One should also try to find out its fundamentals and the way of life
it aims to build on them. During this preliminary study, if some questions
occur in his mind, the reader should note them down and patiently continue his
study, for he is likely to find their answers somewhere in the Qur ‘ān itself.
If he finds answers to his questions, he should note them down along with the
questions. But if he does not find an answer to any question in his first
reading, he should patiently make the second reading. I can say it in the light
of my own experience that in the second reading hardly any question remains
un-answered.
After getting a general insight into
the Qur ‘ān in this way, one should begin its detailed study and take down
notes of the different aspects of its teachings. For instance, one should note
down what pattern of life it approves and what it disapproves. One should note
down the qualities of a good man and those of a bad man, side by side, in order
to bring both the patterns clearly before his mind simultaneously. Similarly, one
should note down, side by side, those things which lead to the success and
salvation of man and those which lead to his failure and ruin. In the same way,
he should put down, under different headings, the teachings and instruction of
the Qur ‘ān about creed, morality, duties, obligations, civilization, culture,
economics, politics, law, social system, peace, war and other human problems,
These notes should be consolidated to form a complete sketch of each aspect of
the teachings and then fitted together to for a complete system of life.
Then, if one desires to know the Qur
‘ān solution of a certain human problem he should first make study of the
relevant literature, both ancient and modern, and note down the basic issues.
He should also make use of the research so far made into the problem and note
down the points at issue. He should then study the Qur ‘ān with a view to
finding out the answers to those issues. I can say form my own personal
experience that when one studies the Qur ‘ān with a view to making research
into any problem , one’s will find an answer to it even in those Verses which
one had skipped over without ever imagining that it lay hidden therein.
It is suggested that each paragraph
of “The Meaning of the Qur ‘ān may be made
the unit of study. At first it should be studied form the original Arabic Text
with the help of some literal translation and then with the help of The Meaning
of the Qur ‘ān. It is expected that the meanings of the Qur ‘ān will surely
become clear by the grace of God.
But in spite of all theses devices,
one cannot grasp the inspiring spirit of the Qur ‘ān unless one begins to put
its message into practice, verses which one had skipped over without ever
imagining that it lay hidden therein.
It is suggested that each paragraph
of The Meaning of the Qur ‘ān may be
made the unit of study. At first it should be studied from the original Arabic
Text with the help of some literal translation and then with the help of the
Meaning of the Qur ‘ān. It is expected that the meanings of the Qur ‘ān will
surely become clear by the grace of God.
But in spite of all these devices,
one cannot grasp the inspiring spirit of the Qur ‘ān unless one begins to put
its message into practice, for the Qur ‘ān is neither a book of abstract ideas
and theories which may be studied in an easy chair nor is it a book of
religious enigmas which may be unraveled in monasteries and universities. It is
a Book that has been sent down to invite people to start a movement and to lead
its followers and direct their activities towards the achievement of its
mission. One has, therefore, to go to the battlefield of life to understand its
real meaning. That was why a quiet and amiable person like Muhammad (Allah’s
peace be upon him) had to come out of his seclusion and start the Islamic
Movement and fight against the rebellious world. It was the Qur ‘ān that urged
him to declare war against every kind of falsehood and engage in conflict with
the leaders of disbelief without any consideration of the consequences. Then it attracted good souls from every home
and gathered them under the banner of its leader in order to fight against the
upholders of the old order who organized themselves into a gang to oppose them.
During this long and bitter struggle between right and wrong, truth and
falsehood, which continued for twenty three years or so, the Qur ‘ān went on
guiding the Movement in every phase and at every stage, until it succeeded in
establishing the Islamic Way of life in its perfection.
It is thus obvious that one cannot
possibly grasp the truths contained in the Qur ‘ān by the mere recitation of
its words. For this purpose one must take active part in the conflict between
belief and unbelief, Islam and un-Islam, truth and falsehood. One can
understand it only if one takes up its Message, invites the world to accept it
and moves on and on in accordance with its Guidance. Thus alone will one
experience and understand all that which happened during the revelation of the Qur
‘ān. One will meet with the same conditions that were experienced at Makkah,
Ta if and Habash and pass through the
same kind of fire that had to be passed through at Badr, Uhd, Hunain, Tabuk
etc. One will meet with Abu Jahls and Abu Lahabs and come across hypocrites,
the double-faced, the Jews, in short, every type of people mentioned in the Qur
‘ān. Incidentally, this is a wonderful experience of its own kind and worth the
trial.
While passing through anyone of
these stages of this experience, one will find some Verses and some Surahs of
the Qur ‘ān, which will themselves tell that they were revealed at such and
such a stage and brought such and such instructions for the guidance of the
Movement. In this way the Qur ‘ān will lay bare its spirit even though one
might not be able to understand all the lexical meanings of its words and solve
all the intricacies of grammar and rhetoric. The same formula applies to its
Commandments, its moral teachings, its instructions about economics and culture
and its laws regarding different aspects of human life. These things can never
be understood unless they are put into practice. It is thus obvious that those
individuals and communities who discard it form practical life, cannot
understand its meaning and imbibe its spirit by mere lip service to it.
This is from me and true knowledge
is with Allah; I have full trust in Him and turn to Him for true guidance.
As I do not intend to discuss in the
Introduction all the problems which might arise during the study of the Qur ‘ān.
I have purposely left untouched those questions that might arise during the
study of some Verses or Surahs, for I want to deal with them in The Meaning of
the Qur ‘ān at their proper places. I have taken up only those questions and
problems which pertain to the general study of the Qur ‘ān as a whole. The
reader is, therefore, requested to defer giving his final judgment on such
questions till he has read the whole of The Meaning. Then, if he finds that
some questions have not been answered at all or have not been dealt with fully,
he should let me know about it for future consideration.
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