In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Praise belongs to Allah alone; peace and blessing on the last Prophet, his family and his Companions.
Dear brothers and sisters! Noble Qur’an is the 4th and last sacred book of Almighty Allah revealed on Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Qur’an is the Book of guidance for all mankind. The responsibility of the safety of this Noble Book is taken by Almighty Allah by Himself. Qur’an is a source of great inspiration, guidance, and wisdom for millions of Muslims all over the world. We all should know the history of revelation and compilation of Qur’an so that we can understand how important this Noble Book is for all of us (Muslims).
Qur’an is the central point of faith, and essential to the foundations of an Islamic society being the basis of its Shari’ah, Islamic legal instructions, and law. I can say Noble Qur’an is a living miracle. The Noble Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in a period that extends to about 23 years. During this time the Noble Qur’an that we recite today was revealed in bits and pieces and in an order not as we see today. In this Sermon, I will discuss the aspect of Qur’an by describing its revelation and the measures are taken to preserve it or compilation of Qur’an over the Muslim history.
It is important that we all should understand the merits or dignity of Qur’an and what Allah Almighty has said about its preservation and divine nature in Qur’an. Allah Almighty says:
“And we have sent down to you the Book explaining all things, a guide, a mercy and glad tidings to Muslims.” [Quran, 16:89]
Qur’an is the book of guidance, mercy and glad tidings. Other than that we as a Muslim should believe Qur’an is the Book free of doubts. The authenticity of Qur’an in terms of its preservation is concerned, Allah Almighty says:
“We have without doubt, sent down the message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).” [Qu’ran, 15:9]
So, we can say that the Qur’an in its present form is the same as it was revealed and there can be no doubt regarding its being Divine in nature and a source of guidance without any doubt or reservation.
Noble Qu’ran was revealed to last Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in the form of wahy. In Islamic terminology, wahy can be literally defined as “Allah’s divine message conveyed to Allah’s chosen persons (Prophets).” Descriptions of wahy are also given in the Noble Qu’ran:
“So we sent this inspiration to the mother of Musa.” [Qur’an, 28:7]
“This is part of the tidings of the unseen which we reveal unto you (oh Prophet) by inspiration.” [Qur’an, 3:44]
Qur’an revealed in form of Wahy which was made open to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) by Allah Almighty in different forms, either during sleep, while awake, with imprint on His heart, or Gabriel brought the verses in his original or humanly forms from time to time.
The process of revelation of Qur’an started in the month of Ramadan as Allah Almighty mentioned:
“Ramadan is the (month) in which we sent down the Quran.” [Qur’an, 2:185]
The Qur’an was not revealed in one instance but through a gradual process with small numbers of verses revealed at any one time. Allah Almighty also explains the reason behind the in-parts revelation of Qur’an over a period of 23 years. Allah the Most High says:
“(It is) a Qur’an which we have divided (into parts from time to time), in order that you might recite it to men. At intervals we have revealed it by stages.” [Qur’an, 17:106]
Hence there was a step by step process of revelation where the verses were revealed at specific instances to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) making it easy to circulate and propagate the information to the followers of Islam. So the divine message of Allah Almighty was revealed slowly to allow the new Muslims to change and accept the new faith Islam and live their lives according to teachings of Islam.
Revelation in stages also created a constant link between Allah Almighty and His beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him) giving moral support in times of need and distress. Allah the Most High says:
“Thus (it is revealed), that We may strengthen your heart.” [Qur’an, 25:106]
Thus we can conclude from this we have a solution of every problem which we are facing in our lives in the Noble Book Qur’an.
Respected brothers and sisters! Muslims are the only people in the world today fortunate enough to possess the word of Allah (Qur’an) preserved in its original form, free from all distortions, and precisely in the wording in which it was sent down upon the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Paradoxically, these same Muslims suffer the misfortune of being denied the countless blessings and benefits which the word of Allah must give to those who believe in it. The Qur’an was sent to them, for them to read it, understand it, act upon it, and, with its help, establish on Allah’s earth the rule of His law.
The Qur’an came to grant Muslims dignity and power. It came to make them true vicegerents of Allah on earth. And history shows that whenever they acted according to its guidance, it did make them the leaders of the world.
But now the Qur’an’s usefulness, for many Muslims, consists only in coming together to celebrate its festival, keeping it in their houses to drive away jinns and ghosts, in writing its verses on amulets to hang round their necks or washing those amulets with water and then drinking it, or in reading its contents without comprehending their meaning in the hope of receiving some reward.
No longer do they seek guidance from it for their lives. No longer do they ask it to tell them what should be their beliefs, morals and actions, nor how they should conduct transactions, what principles they should observe while dealing with enemies and friends, what the rights are of their fellow beings and of their own selves. Nor do they turn to it to find what is true and what is false, whom they should obey and whom disobey, who their friends are and who their enemies, where honour, well-being and benefit are to be found and where disgrace, failure and loss.
We Muslims have given up looking for answers to these important questions in the Qur’an. Instead, we now ask unbelievers, idolaters, misguided and selfish people, even our own ego and desires and follow what they advise.
What invariably happens to those who ignore Allah and follow the precepts of others has happened to us too. We are reaping only what we have sown everywhere in the world; in Nigeria, in Palestine, in the Middle East, in Pakistan, Indonesia and many other places.
The Qur’an is the source of every good: it will give whatever and as much as you ask from it. If you seek from it such trivial, frivolous and spurious things as how to scare away jinns and ghosts, how to cure coughs and fevers, how to succeed in litigation and find a job – then you may get them, but only them. If you seek supremacy on earth and the power to rule the world you may get that too. And if you wish to reach near Allah’s throne, the Qur’an will take you there.
If you receive only a few drops from the ocean, do not blame the Qur’an, blame yourselves. For the whole ocean is there waiting for him who knows how to take it.
The cruel jokes, brothers, which we Muslims play with the Book of Allah are so inane that if we saw someone else doing such things in any other sphere of life, we would mock them and even brand them as lunatics.
Tell me, what would you say if somebody got a doctor’s prescription and hung it round his neck after wrapping it in a piece of cloth or washed it in water and drank it? Would you not laugh at him and call him a fool?
Yet this is the very treatment being given before your eyes to the matchless prescription written by the greatest of all doctors to provide a cure for all your ailments – and nobody laughs! No one even reflects that a prescription is not meant to be hung round the neck nor are its words to be washed in water and drunk.
Tell me, what would you think if someone who was ill picked up a book on medicine and began to read it, believing, thinking that this would cure him? Would you not say that he was deranged? Yet this is how we treat the Book (Qur’an) which the Supreme Healer has sent for the cure of our diseases.
We think that just by flicking through all its pages, our diseases will disappear without our following the directions given in them or abstaining from the things which they pronounce harmful. Are we not in the same situation as the man who considers that reading a book on medicine will cure his illness?
If you receive a business letter in a language you do not know, you go to a man who knows the language to find out what it says. You remain anxious and restless until you have found out what the letter says, even though it will bring only some paltry worldly profit.
But the letter sent to you by the Lord of the worlds (Allah) which can bring you all the benefits of this-world and the eternal life is carelessly set aside. You do not show any uneasiness at not understanding its contents. Is this not astonishing?
I am not trying to make you laugh. Reflect for a while on these facts and your hearts will tell you that the greatest possible injustice is being done to the Book of Allah (Qur’an).
Ironically, the culprits are the very people who proclaim their faith in it and proclaim their readiness to sacrifice their lives for it. No doubt they do have faith in it and love it more than their lives, but the pity is that it is they, more than anyone else, who treat it outrageously.
Qur’an is the matchless prescription written by the greatest of all doctors to provide a cure for all your ailments.
And the consequences of such treatment are quite plain to see.
Understand fully that Allah’s word does not come to bring misery, disgrace and suffering to man. Allah the Most High says:
“We have not sent down the Qur’an upon you that you be wretched.” [Qur’an, 20:1-2]
On the contrary, the Qur’an is the source of happiness and success. It is impossible for a people to possess Allah’s word and yet suffer disgrace and ignominy, live under subjugation, be trampled on and kicked around, and carry the yoke of slavery on their necks, being led by the nose like animals, live in abject poverty, hunger and insecurity. People meet this fate only when they do injustice to the word of Allah (the Qur’an).
Look at the fate of the Israelites. They were given the at-Tawrah (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel), and were told:
“As they established the Torah and the Gospel and what was sent down to them by their Lord, they would surely have partaken of all the blessings from above them (heaven) and beneath their feet (earth).” [Qur’an, 5:66]
But they adopted a wrong attitude towards these Books of Allah, and reaped the consequences. Allah the Almighty says:
“An ignominy and helplessness were laid upon them, and they were laden with the burden of Allah’s anger. That, because they used to disbelieve Allah’s messages and slay the Prophets against all right; that, because they disobeyed and were transgressors.” [Qur’an, 2:61]
If people possess Allah’s Book and still live in disgrace and subjugation, they are surely being punished for doing injustice to Allah’s word (Qur’an). The only way to save yourselves from Allah’s anger is to turn back from this grave sin and start trying to render His Book its due. Until you do, your condition will never change – even if you open colleges in each and every village, all your children graduate from universities, you amass millions through unscrupulous means, and you waste your time in celebrating the Qur’an’s festival.
Lastly, I pray, may the Almighty Allah remove all our tears, all our worries, all our sorrows and all our pains and replace them with complete happiness, complete smiles and complete good health, ameen Ya Mujib!
All perfect praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: [email protected]; or +2348038289761.
This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, 24 Rajab, 1446 AH (January 24, 2024).
