Ismail ibn Musa Menk Qur an Gems and Miracles

Quran Gems and Miracles

By Sheikh Mufti Ismail Menk

Opening Recitation

(بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. And when the buried-alive female infant is asked for what sin she was killed. And when the scriptures are brought forth. And when the heaven is laid bare. And when the Hellfire is set ablaze. And when Paradise is brought near. A soul will know what it has brought. So I do not swear by the retreating stars, those that run their courses and disappear. And by the night when it departs. And by the morning when it breathes. Verily, it is the word of a noble Messenger, with power, in the presence of the Lord of the Throne, obeyed and trustworthy. And your companion is not mad. And he has certainly seen it in the clear horizon. And he is not, concerning the unseen, a withholder. And it is not the word of Satan, the outcast. So where are you going? It is not but a reminder to the worlds for whoever wills among you to take a right course. And you do not will except that Allah wills - Lord of the worlds.

Introduction and Prayers

Peace and blessings and salutations upon Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) his entire household. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless them all, and to bless every single one of us, to grant us goodness and ease, and to create ease for all those who are suffering any form of difficulty in this world. And more so to protect us from difficulty in the life after.

The Truth of Allah's Word

My brothers and sisters, what is your relationship with the word of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? It is indeed full of gems and miracles, and we need to understand it is the only word that is the most true in existence.

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Who can there be more true than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Who can there be more true in word or in speech than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?

Yet you and I sometimes are faltering regarding our link with the word of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The Attraction of the Quran

It is important for us to realize that initially when the Quran was being revealed, it's amazing how the kuffar of Quraysh did not want to listen to a single word of that Quran. And the reason is as soon as they heard a word, immediately they felt inclined towards it no matter who they were.

Even the enemies felt inclined towards it. And I'm sure you know of the story of Al-Akhnas ibn Shuraik with Abu Sufyan and Abu Jahl. When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to recite the Quran in a beautiful voice at night, they used to tiptoe and go in the darkness to listen to the words of the Quran.

Yet they were the enemies of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). They did not accept him, they rejected him. Mainly because of arrogance, not because they belied the message and its contents.

They knew deep down this is the truth. Wallahi, they knew deep down that this is the truth. And this is why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

We know that the utterances they are uttering hurt you, they pain you, but we want to advise you, Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is being told by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, they do not belie this message. They are not in disagreement, no, they are in denial. They are denying, who are in denial? The oppressors, the wrongdoers are in denial. They are arrogant, full of arrogance.

The Story of the Three Leaders

So they did not want to hear the word publicly, but they were tiptoeing at night to listen to the word. And it so happened that as they are coming back, as they are returning from this beautiful listening of the Quran read by none other than Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Imagine you and I, we listen to a good reciter and we are soothed by it, because it's the word of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And you know if it's recited correctly, alhamdulillah may Allah grant us the ability to correct our recitation further and to purify it. The correction of recitation is a mission that will only progress as our life progresses up to the point of death, we will continue to purify our recitation, to correct it and the development of the link with the Quran will increase further and further.

When they were tiptoeing back or coming back, they bumped into each other. What are you doing at this time of the night? May Allah safeguard us. What are you doing at this time of the night? One asks the other.

And they told each other the truth. And they said, you know what, we went to listen to the word of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) or the word of this man. We just wanted to hear it.

They said, no way. We are the leaders. We are the leaders of Quraysh. We are the ones who are telling the people not to listen and we are the ones listening. Imagine, what hypocrisy. May Allah safeguard us from hypocrisy.

So it's important for us to know that they agreed, we are not going to come back. And the next day, guess what, they were there. And the next day, again they bumped into each other. Guess what, a second time. Leaders of Quraysh. What fools. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.

Guidance was written for Abu Sufyan later on (رضي الله عنه) But as for the other two, no guidance was written for them. Allah knows best. But they heard the Quran from Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Imagine, they heard the Quran. Allahu Akbar.

The Companions and Their Status

They say, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)'s company, the best company in existence. If you had to be in his company, even just by looking at him for a split moment, with the correct heart, which means you have Iman, you were known as Sahabi (رضي الله عنه). When people said your name, they had to utter after it, (رضي الله عنه).

And that's the respect we offer these companions of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). But if a person has the wrong heart, the wrong condition, they can have lived on the same street or right next door, or part of the family or someone who's extremely close, but with the wrong heart, they were not known as (رضي الله عنه). They were known as the enemies of Islam.

Take a look at Abu Lahab, related to Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Yet, verses were revealed in the Quran, which are to be recited up to the end of time.

The Story of Abu Lahab

When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was asked to deliver the message openly to a certain group of people, the people of Quraysh and the Ashira, you know, the clan of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) he got hold of the top of the mountain and he gathered them at Safa.

And he asked them the question where he says, if I were to tell you that there is an army behind me, this side of the mountain that you cannot see, and that they are ready to attack you, would you believe it? And they said, yes, we would believe it. We've never known you to have lied, not even once. Subhanallah.

And then what happened? He says, well, I'm warning you of a severe punishment that will come to those who disobey. And you worship Allah alone and so on. And Abu Lahab gets up and he says:

You know, people get angry when you correct them. My brother, this is a thing, I love you, I respect you, but please, this is a matter I need to talk to you about. Who do you think you are? And why are you telling me? Don't be like Abu Lahab. May Allah forgive us.

So what he says, destruction be upon you. Tabban lak, woe be upon you, O Muhammad. Is this why you gathered us? You're wasting our time here. We are the leaders. We are the top shots. We own the whole of Mecca, basically.

The Response from Allah

Now that was a very big insult. Imagine, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives the most beloved to him who is Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), a mission to deliver a message. And when he delivers that message, immediately one man gets up and he is related closely to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and he swears in public.

What happens? You think Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala leaves it? Never ever. Up to this day we read the verses of the Quran in that regard. Immediately the verses were revealed:

Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he! His wealth and his children will not benefit him! He will burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame. And his wife [as well] - the carrier of firewood. Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] fiber.

All against Abu Lahab. And why were they revealed? I met a man who told me, how can the Quran have an entire surah which is denouncing a man? And I said, what's wrong? The man denounced the messenger, so Allah is showing that that man is also denounced. That's all.

The Ease of the Quran

The verses were revealed, that's one thing. But they are so beautiful. They have such a deep meaning. And at the same time, they are so easy to memorize. And that's the beauty of the Quran. The Quran is such that it's been made easy to understand and to memorize.

Allah says so many times in the Quran:

We have made the Quran very easy to understand and remember. Two things, understand and remember. Dhikr actually has a deep meaning, but it would be included in it. A lot of people think that

(وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ - wa laqad yassarnal qur'ana liz-zikri) means we've made it easy to memorize. Not just memorize, to understand as well.

Miracles of Previous Prophets

You see, every nabi, every prophet of Allah, came with something that was at the peak at that particular time, but he came with it on a much higher level that would prove that it's not magic, and it is not even part of the ability of man, but it is revelation from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

At the time of the prophet, Jesus may peace be upon him, Isa (عليه السلام) medicine was at its peak. You know, people were getting excited about how this one is cured and that one is cured, and when he came in, the miracles that he was granted by the power of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, they were such that even the person who died was given life by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And that was a miracle of Isa (عليه السلام). And the Quran makes mention of it. Allahu Akbar.

Allahu Akbar. Allah says, through our permission, you have taken out those who were dead. And what he used to do, he used to make a shape of a bird, and he used to blow, and it used to get life and carry on. Allahu Akbar.

Allah says, remember, O Isa (عليه السلام) when you made these shapes, the shape of a bird from clay by our permission, and you breathed into it and it became a bird by our permission.

Musa (عليه السلام), he was at a time when engineering was at a very advanced stage. You find the pyramids and so many other proofs and evidences of how they were advanced in that regard.

What happened? Subhanallah. A little touch of his stick on the ocean, and it opened out completely into roads. Complete. This was the height of it. It's the gift of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Those who knew and those who bothered to know, would immediately believe that this is divine. This is something from Allah. This man is a prophet. This is why the Sahara, those magicians, you know one narration says they were more than 100,000 magicians. Allah knows exactly how many they were. But mention is made of 120,000 of them. And mention is made of thousands. It was a large number.

The Miracle of Language for Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

So with Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and now I'm fast forwarding to the time of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) what was the in thing? What were they bragging and boasting about? It was language. It was language. They were linguists.

The Power of Short Verses

This is why, you hear the verses of the Quran. I opened this session this evening, with powerful verses of the Quran. And why did I choose these verses? Because they are short, sharp verses, directed to a topic of belief and aqeedah. And what is going to happen in the future. Prophecies, and subhanallah, so short and sharp, that those who do not want to listen, are forced to listen, and digest, and understand, whether they like it or not.

So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reciting the verses. For example:

When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness].

The kuffar of Mecca used to say, don't listen to this Quran.

And those who disbelieve say, "Do not listen to this Qur'an and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome."

The kuffar used to say, do not listen to this Quran. Don't listen to it at all. And make noise when it is being recited. So that you may overcome. So that you may be victorious. You may overpower these people. They knew that the Quran has some power. It's a divine power. It's the word of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So immediately you find when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would recite a verse, they would take their fingers and put them into their ears. But the beauty of it is, as soon as they took their hands up towards their ears, the verse was over.

Too late. The verse is over. Because I hear (إِذَا الشَّمْسُ - itha ash-shamsu) and I lift my hands up. By the time I put them in, it's already (كُورَتْ - kuwirat) it's already recited. So I put my fingers in. So it gives me an opportunity to think.

Allahu Akbar. Now my ears are closed and I'm busy thinking, Whoa! I just heard (إِذَا الشَّمْسُ - itha ash-shamsu). That means, one day this is what's going to happen to the sun. And I've just heard this.

And then I think, Okay, it's over. Let me put my fingers down. So I put my fingers down.

And when the stars fall, dispersing.

So what happened? It's over. By the time I put my hands down, when I want to lift it up again, what happens? The entire verse is recited, complete, gone, finished. And my ears are blocked once again, and it's giving me a moment to concentrate.

So it's a miracle, wallahi. Nobody could have ever thought that such a short, sharp verse would actually pierce to the deepest point of the heart. Subhanallah.

The Transformation of Umar ibn Khattab رضي الله عنه

Look at Umar ibn Khattab رضي الله عنه. We're talking of the miracles of the Quran and the gems in the Quran. He came out with an intention to commit murder. That was the intention.

And he just read short verses of Surah Taha:

We have not sent down the Qur'an upon you that you suffer,

We have not revealed this Quran to you, O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم in order for it to be a point of distress for you, or in order that you fail and so on. No, the Quran is there in order to elevate you.

Like Allah says:

But only as a reminder for those who fear [Allah].

It is only but a reminder for those who are conscious of Allah, who fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So if you're not conscious of Allah, there won't be a reminder for you in that Quran. If you want to be reminded, you need to have consciousness. You need to have the fear of Allah in you.

Umar ibn Khattab رضي الله عنه who read the first few verses and he began to cry, his heart was shattered, meaning the hard heart crumbled and softened. So much so that he says, take me to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and you know what happened to Umar ibn Khattab رضي الله عنه . What moved him? Few verses of the Quran, when he looked at them with the correct heart.

Our Response to the Quran Today

How many of us? And this is a cry. We need to continue mentioning this. We finish khatma, upon khatma, we complete the Quran so many times. Ramadan, we've done this and we've done that. And wallahi, our lives have not changed. Not changed at all.

And those were the men, they read two, three verses and they were known thereafter as رضي الله عنه Subhanallah. He was a man who dedicated his whole life thereafter. He became known as amirul mu'mineen رضي الله عنه

But what about us? We are living at a time where it's not just a few verses of surah Taha, but we have access to our phones, we have access to the internet, we have access to the mashayikh of the globe, wallahi. We have access to anyone. Yet we are far away from the deen. We haven't yet changed our bad ways and habits.

The Impact on Christians: Al-Najashi's Story

Take a look at al-Najashi. When Ja'far ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه happened to recite a few verses of surah Maryam. And what happens to al-Najashi? He breaks down. He breaks down and he weeps. Subhanallah.

How many of us weep when we listen to the word of Allah? This man was a Christian, and he wept, and his tears are mentioned in the Quran. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala speaks about it:

And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is making mention of how the tears rolled down their cheeks when they heard the verses of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and they believed in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Technology and Our Children

What about us? How many of us would even take the time to listen to the recitation of the Quran and to be able to be affected by it and impacted by it, yet it is at our fingertips. Today, we have our children, mashallah, if a child can't sleep, give him the phone, give her the little phone, iPad, whatever else, and you can listen to your movies and watch cartoons.

They have Ben Ten, I think, subhanallah. And they have angry birds. And I'm always surprised, why are the birds angry? Why couldn't they just have had happy birds? Allahu Akbar. Happy birds, wallahi.

And the beauty is, subhanallah, they have Tom and Jerry, and I love to talk about these two because they're still going on. Do you know why they're going on? Have you ever seen Tom and Jerry really get along and one comes with tea to the other and one greets the other and they're sitting and doing something? No.

They are fighting. One spends his whole existence trying to do the other one down. And that's exactly what our children have learnt. And when we grow up as adults, 30, 40, we are doing the same with everyone else. We are Toms and Jerrys. May Allah forgive us.

The Need for Better Alternatives

We need to change this life of ours. And we need to make sure we understand. That little phone that we've given the children, wallahi, today, there is an alternative to those cartoons where you have Islamized programs.

You know, subhanAllah, someone was telling me, why are you encouraging people? Wallahi, you need an alternative. If you do not provide a suitable alternative to your children, they will never ever want to shift from doing something to cutting it completely when they know that this technology still has to be used.

But the problem is when mom and dad themselves tell the children, don't watch this type of movie, don't watch that type of movie, and the kid says, no problem, dad. And then the kid goes to the room of the mom later on, or the dad, and opens the door to say, mom, I need a bit of water. And what are they watching? The same movie they told me not to watch. Oh no. Hypocrisy.

The Living Miracle of the Quran

This is why we say, the Quran is such a powerful gift of Allah. It is the ultimate gift that Allah has blessed us with. It is the miracle of this age. Subhanallah. It is something that is living with us. It is the most powerful ever.

You take a look at those. And you know with technology, Alhamdulillah, we thank Allah for technology, because with technology, we have been able to see little children and adults from across the globe, making effort towards the Quran, which embarrasses us.

I've seen a young man from Egypt, subhanallah, he memorizes the Quran in such a way that you just have to bring a little word, and he'll recite any word you want, and he'll tell you exactly how many places the word is in, and where it is, what's the page number, what's the line number, what's the verse number. No other book ever in existence can that ever happen to. Not a single soul has done that to a book with so many pages, and so big, subhanallah. It's a miracle. It's Allah.

Our children memorize the Quran at a young age. Wallahi, you write 500 pages with your own hands, and you won't be able to memorize what you've written yourself. Never. This is the Quran.

The Hadith About Al-Khawarij

The hadith speaks about those who will come out of the deal known as al-khawarij. What does it say? Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5058:

Sahih Bukhari 5058

It says, yaqra'oona al-quran. They will be reading the Quran. Yaqooloona min qawli khayri al-anam. They will be saying statements, powerful statements. La yujawizu thalika taraqihum. Doesn't go down their throats. Why? Hypocrisy.

Daily Connection with the Quran

We are so blessed that we are living, subhanAllah, at a time where technology is, well, for us, at a peak. And like I said, you can listen to who you want, what you want.

The link with the Quran. Every day, you should not commence your day without the Quran. It's the word of Allah. You should not end your day without the Quran. It's the word of Allah. Even if it means one verse.

And this is why, if you take a look at the powerful hadith, that we're all supposed to be knowing of by heart, and we're supposed to be practicing upon it:

Sahih Bukhari Hadith 3461

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says, convey from me, even if it is a single verse. وَلَوْ آيَةً . One verse. And that is so powerful for me because it makes me learn that a single verse is enough to change a person, to motivate them, to actually shake them up completely.

Surah Al-Asr

And this is why sometimes, and it's reported that, you know, the great predecessors, when they used to meet each other, and sometimes as they used to part, they used to remind each other of one of the shortest surahs of the Quran. But it's full of meaning. What is it? Suratul Asr:

By time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

What a short surah. And we know it. We memorize it. Do you know its meaning? Have you ever made an effort to listen to the deeper meaning of that surah? Something short and beautiful.

The Rhythm and Topics of the Quran

So getting back to what I was saying about the Makki verses and the Madani verses, something very unique is that in the short sharp verses of Makkatul Mukarrama, there is a rhythm. It's not poetry, but at the same time, it's somehow you find the ending of the verses rhyme. And suddenly it changes. Why does it change? That's a gem. That's a gift. That's a miracle. Subhanallah.

You will notice when the rhyming comes, as soon as the rhythm changes, it's a new topic. That's Allah's gift. Subhanallah.

You know, like for example, and I'm going to give you this example, I've cited it in the past, but let me make mention of it:

O you who covers himself [with clothing], Arise and warn, And your Lord glorify, And your clothing purify, And evil avoid, And do not confer favor seeking increase, But for your Lord be patient.

Do you hear how it ends? All ended quite similar. And suddenly you hear:

For when the trumpet is blown.

Different. Why? The topic has changed completely from one. These were the instructions to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and so on. And now Allah is reminding you of the day that the trumpet will be blown.

Allahu Akbar. Then Allah says:

Topic is over:

New topic, new subject. Allahu Akbar. And these are the verses of the Quran. But how many of us would know that the topic has changed. We've just read it and we carry on and that's it. And it stops there. These are the gifts of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The Conversion of Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه

The people of Mecca who were the most eloquent. They turned to Islam because they understood what was happening. They knew, subhanallah, they knew that this is the correct religion. They knew the message is correct.

Take a look at Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira رضي الله عنه. Take a look at this man. You know what happened? He was an enemy of Islam. He was one of those who is known in the battle of Uhud for having afflicted a lot of harm upon the Muslims on that day. Because he came from the back.

And what happened later on, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said something powerful to his brother al- Walid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه. He says, He asked him, Where is Khalid ibn al-Walid? And he knew Khalid is intelligent.

How did he deduce the intelligence of Khalid ibn al-Walid? Because of him being a proper master in the war. He thinks up things that others don't think up. He's so sharp. He's witty. He's shrewd. And so many different qualities that he had prior to Islam.

And when Islam came in, obviously these qualities were enhanced and streamlined. But at the same time, the statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to the brother of Khalid ibn al-Walid when he asks him, Where is Khalid? You know, he needs to come. InshaAllah.

Allah will bring him. Allah will bring him. And then he says:

He says, A man like Khalid cannot be ignorant of the correctness of Islam. Subhanallah. That means he's so sharp. He would definitely know that this is correct.

The New Jahiliyyah

On one hand you have Islam, and the other hand you have this pagan worship and you have all this disaster that people were engaged in for so long known as al-jahiliyyah. Sadly we are returning to the jahiliyyah but in a very subtle way. May Allah safeguard us.

So he says, A man like Khalid cannot be ignorant. Today what about us? You know what shocks me and what hurts me and what makes me cry is the fact that today we can all read and write. Today we can all read and write.

In this masjid I'm sure if not every single one of us can read and write. And a lot of us have been to schools, we've got qualifications, you know, primary, secondary, depending on your age, and perhaps a degree, and perhaps even a post-graduate, and perhaps you're working so much. But subhanallah, sometimes we still haven't understood this link with Allah and the Quran.

The Question of Inheritance in Islam

People become apologetic. The other day someone was telling me, and I'm going to say this because it's in the Quran. Do you know Islam oppresses women because at the time of the death of a man, for example, if he has daughters and sons, the sons get double that of the daughters, and that's very, very bad.

I said, brother, utter your shahada again. Without a joke, utter your shahada again. If you were asking a question, it's a different thing. You are making a declaration. Wallahi, it's a serious matter to come and say, look, I don't understand why is this? That's still good enough. Wallahi, that's good enough.

You say, I know I'm a Muslim, but I don't understand why is it that women get less than men in inheritance. There is an answer to it. But if you come and say, that's very bad, and I disagree with it, and it's terrible, it means, you know what? You've already declared yourself an enemy of the Quran, and you don't even know.

The Quran as Witness

And that is the same Quran that's going to take you to paradise. You know the Quran, the hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says:

(Sahih Muslim Hadith 804)

The Quran will come and bear witness on the day of judgment either for you or against you.

And why will it bear witness? And upon what will it bear witness? Not only whether you read it or not, but how you made an effort to apply it, your link with it, you had a relationship with it, what type of a relationship did you have with it? You knew the verses, did you adopt them? You knew of the mercy of Allah, did you ask for it? Did you try to gain it? You knew of the wrath of Allah, did you stay away from it?

And that's why the hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says:

(Sahih Muslim Hadith 817)

Allah elevates some people through the Quran. And through the same Quran, He drops other people. Allahu Akbar.

And the hadith says:

(Sahih Muslim Hadith 806)

It says, the person will be told on the Day of Judgment, read, recite as you used to recite in the dunya, and ascend. Read how you used to read in the dunya. You keep on going up as you read. One verse, one level. Second verse, next level. Third verse, next level. And your final abode, your final status and place will be upon the last verse that you get to.

That's why I told you, read melodiously in the dunya, please. Because if you get to the akhira, and you are one of those who just used to say (الضَّالِّينَ - alddallina) in salah, then you will be from amongst the (الضَّالِّينَ - alddallina)

There is an imam, they call him Sheikh Ferrari. Why Ferrari? Not because he comes from Harari, no. But because he reads so quick in taraweeh. Some people have a disease. They follow the masajid which are fast.

Is that how you're treating the Quran? Wallahi, the people who look at the clock are far away from the Quran. They are far away from Allah. You need to look at the quality. This is the word of Allah. How dare you want to look at the clock.

The Quran Contains Cure

This is the Quran. Beautiful words of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So you find topics changing as the rhythm changes. But here we are, we don't even know that. We haven't even made an effort.

And this is why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

O people! A reminder has come from your Rabb to you. And cure for the diseases of the heart. Cure for what lies in the heart. Allahu Akbar. Cure. There is definitely cure in the Quran. And then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, In it, there is guidance and mercy. But that's only for the believers.

The Wisdom Behind Inheritance Laws

Since we opened that can, let's try and inshallah serve it. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us. In Islam, a man is supposed to be looking after the women whom he is the guardian of. The closest male relative is supposed to be providing the basics for the females whom he is the closest to in terms of the sharia.

So a woman in actual fact does not really need money for anything that is necessity. If she has money, it's for her own, I would term luxury. It means it's just hers. She doesn't actually have to look after someone with their wealth. But a man if he has wealth, he's got duties, obligations.

So by right, a woman a long time ago used to be inherited herself. You know when a man owed another man money, and if he died, they would say, okay, just give me his daughter and forget about the money. A'udhu billah. Just give me his wife, the widow and forget about the money.

What dignity did Islam bring to those women? That is prohibited. It is wrong. It's haram. So Islam honored the woman by saying, you know what? You are not a commodity. You are not a mere tool for business.

Allah says, a woman will not be sold and she will not be used as a commodity. In fact, she will be acknowledged as a human being by giving her a share, even though she doesn't really need something. Give her.

So now, and I'm going to give you an example. A man dies. He leaves behind one son and one daughter. And he leaves behind 75 million qatari riyals. So the son gets 50 million, and the daughter gets 25 million.

And this daughter, the closest relative to the daughter, male relative is that son, my brother. So now what happens? Islam says, listen sister, that 25 million is yours. You can do what you want with it. And this guy's 25 million, he has to look after his wife and children with it. And on top of that, all your basic requirements, he must provide for you. Allahu Akbar. Who has more money?

This guy has to divide his 50 million in 5 people, 10 million each. And that one, 25 million, I'm still sitting with it. And it's mine. Take a look at who got more. But people don't look as deep as that.

The Problem with Our Practice

The Quran is not wrong. But because we are the ones who are not practicing upon the teachings of Islam. And we don't even want to know them. So you are supposed to be looking after them. Allahu Akbar. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala help us and may He safeguard us.

Understanding Verses of Prohibition

A young boy came to me and I was so touched because it proved that he reads the Quran. He says, I read in the Quran that it's okay to drink. To drink alcohol. And I know it's haram. Because I'm a Muslim. So can you explain to me what's going on?

Look at the wording. Beautiful wording. Look, a young boy words it so respectfully because he says, I know it's haram. I know I'm not allowed and I know alcohol is abomination. But how come there's a verse of the Quran which says:

O you who believe, do not come close to salah if you are in an intoxicated state until you know what you're saying. Subhanallah. So I said, that actually is not allowing or permitting drinking.

It was only dealing with a certain stage. Alcohol has been prohibited in four stages. That initially the people were involved in alcohol and intoxicants in a very big way. And so Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala created a hatred in the hearts of the believers for this item. And when the hatred was in, He cut it completely and He says:

The next, the verse came later on in Madinah Munawwarah where it was totally prohibited. And what did the sahabah رضي الله عنهم do? The few of them who were still involved, they had immediately spat it out, they dropped it out and it is reported that the gullies and alleys of Madinah were flowing because everybody got rid of whatever they had, immediately.

The Importance of Following the Sunnah

That does not mean that we are Quraniyoon. A'udhu billah. May Allah forbid. Quraniyoon are those who say we only accept the Quran, the sunnah is discounted completely. Astaghfirullah. May Allah forgive us. And may Allah guide such people.

Wallahi, that statement is so flawed that they have not yet read the Quran correctly because had they read the Quran correctly, it leads you to follow the sunnah. That's what it is. Allah says in so many places in the Quran that what the messenger has given you, you take:

Whatever the messenger has given you, you take it. Whatever he has prohibited, you consider prohibited. That's the messenger. That is rubber stamping the entire sunnah of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And this is why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala speaks about something else when it comes to Rasulullah صلی الله عليه وسلم: He says.

Instructions from the Sunnah

The topics that are covered in the Quran are vast. It covers entire life. It covers everything. The explanation is provided in the sunnah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم . So you find salah. Salah is instructed in the Quran. But the details of that salah is explained in the sunnah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

You find hajj, for example. It is instructed in the Quran. And at the same time, the explanation is in the life of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم:

(Sahih Bukhari Hadith 1665)

"The hadith says, take from me these actions of hajj. And the various elements of hajj are to be taken from Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. As you see him do, so you shall do. The same applies to salah. He says:

(Sahih Bukhari Hadith 631)

"Fulfill the salah exactly as you see me fulfill the same salah.

The Test of Materialism

The difficulty, my brothers and sisters, there are so many distractions on the globe today. So many. The marketing of materialistic items is so aggressive that wallahi it sucks through even the most dedicated person. May Allah forgive us.

Sometimes we all become followers of something. You know, we say, I've seen the latest of this. What do you think about it? Brother, relax. Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed you. You're allowed. It's not haram. But don't let that overtake your main focus. What is the main focus? My jannah. I need jannah. You need jannah. The rest of my stuff, we're going to leave it behind.

The Difference Between Makki and Madani Verses

My brothers and sisters, a beautiful gift of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So beautiful, the Quran. And when we speak of the gems in the Quran, there are plenty.

You know, from a young age, I was very intrigued by something. And I share this often with people. And it is the difference between the verses revealed in Mecca, known as the Makki period, and those revealed in Medina.

The topics that are dealt with are quite different. In Mecca, the concentration was on various matters. It was on belief. Belief in the unseen, and the angels, and heaven and hell, and so on. These topics are in Mecca. Most likely, if you come across those type of verses, you can close your eyes and say, this verse was revealed in Mecca.

If you come across the stories of the previous messengers, the verses were revealed in Mecca. Similarly, when you have details of inheritance, and other details, and the long verses, you'll find that those are the verses of Medina Munawwara. Longer verses which have deeper explanation in them. Because now, the people are believers. So now they need deeper explanation.

From this, we also learn, that, you know, when you are speaking, say, for example, I'm speaking today, 45 minutes to an hour is more than enough. Subhanallah. The minute I drag it, you find people walking out.

There was once a man, and I heard the story, subhanallah. He was a lecturer. And he's lecturing, and he's lecturing. And you know, the people began to walk out. And he continued, because he was taught by his sheikh, that, you know what, don't worry about numbers. And that's true. Don't worry about numbers.

Everyone walked out, and one man remained. One man. And he kept on talking, and he talked for another hour, with the man alone. And later on, he finished his talk, and alhamdulillah, he's now walking out, and he tells the brother, brother, mashallah, I'm so impressed by your dedication. Even if it is just one man.

He said, sheikh, I was waiting to lock the door, man. I have the key, I was waiting to lock the door. May Allah safeguard us.

But the moral of it is, you need to understand the level of the people. Look at the Quran. The verses of Makkah, clearly, are short, sharp, because those people were not really interested in listening.

Regular Practice vs Intensive Bursts

You need 5 mls, or 10 mls. And after a certain time, you need another 5 mls, and a certain interval, another 5 mls. The same applies to us. We continue reminding each other, today, tomorrow, you will have someone else speak to you, the following day, you have another person speak to you, and it's very healthy, and very good.

There is no point in reading the whole Mushaf today, and then for one year, I don't read it. A lot of us, in Ramadan, we think, oh, shahrul Qur'an. We've heard that it's shahrul Qur'an:

"It is the month of Ramadan in which the Qur'an was brought down. Subhanallah.

And we say, right, that's the month of Qur'an. Every day we read so much. When Eid comes, we put our Qur'an back on the shelf. Up to the next Ramadan. When the next Ramadan comes, we dust it out, everything nicely. What an insult.

A mu'min is he who, on a daily basis, he has a link with the Qur'an. Even if it means less:

(Sahih Bukhari Hadith 6464)

"The best of deeds are those that are done regularly, even if they are little. But you do it regularly.

You cannot operate in a way that I do everything today and then I have a break. No. Like salah, you know, and wallahi it's a true story, a very true story. There was a visitor who visited the home some time back. This was many years ago when we were young.

And the lady is making wudu. So she makes wudu once, twice, three times, four times, five times. And then she gets up and she reads some salah and so on. And my mom asks her, what's going on? She says, no, we have a wedding. And you know, I just need to make a few wudus. So if one goes, you know, I have another four.

That's foolish. We have a wedding. I have another four wudus. But that's the attitude we have with the Qur'an is the same. Let's be honest.

The Response to Blessings and Trials

You know, when we have a small problem or something, we get up for tahajjud. Like Allah says:

"When man is given a gift, when he's blessed with so much, he turns away, he's on his side. He turns away from Allah. He forgets sometimes that Allah even exists. And then Allah says, when man is afflicted by a little bit, he makes these broad du'as.

It's the passion. Because you really think, ya Allah. You know, and you're crying. But you don't know the same du'a, you can also make it just like this. And Allah is hearing you.

The Testimony of the Quran

We should not be doing so many deeds one day, and then we forget about it. Even your charities. The link with the Quran. Every day, you should not commence your day without the Quran. It's the word of Allah. You should not end your day without the Quran. It's the word of Allah. Even if it means one verse.

Conclusion and Final Advice

My brothers and sisters, promise yourselves and promise Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala not a day will pass

without us having something to do with the Quran. Read it, understand it, read its meaning, even if it means one single verse. Talk about it, speak to others, go to work and say, today I read this verse, this is what it is. You are adopting the sunnah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم .

(Sahih Bukhari Hadith 3461)

"Convey from me, even if it means a single verse. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala use me to do that and use everyone of you to do that.