The Impact of The Quran on Our Lives - 1

The Impact of the Quran on Our Lives

Introduction: Three Common Problems with Quranic Understanding

Today, I'll be talking to you briefly about three problems, three observations that I have noticed in the last 15 years of trying to teach Muslims about the Quran. These observations have basically been my motivation for trying to address issues in the Quran the way that I do.

Problem 1: The Perception of Irrelevance

The first attitude that I have noticed among many, many Muslims, and before I noticed it in anyone else, it was actually an attitude that I had myself, is that the Quran is not relevant. That the Quran is not talking about my life. It's talking about something that happened a long time ago. The people that I know that talk about the Quran look like they belong 500 years ago.

They don't look like modern people. These people, when they speak, they speak in a way that nobody else speaks. My friends don't talk like this. My colleagues at work don't talk like this. My professors at school don't talk like this. As a matter of fact, you could be friends with a khateeb. And when you're talking to them, they talk to you perfectly normally. But as soon as they get up on the mimbar, they talk differently. They talk like they belong in a different time.

Problem 2: The Perception of Harshness

The second problem I noticed is that this religion and this book is extremely strict and harsh and difficult. The rules of this book, the guidelines of this book, tells you to do some things that you're not supposed to do, or it forbids you from some things, or it commands you to other things, but its rules are too many, and too heavy, and too difficult, and basically impractical.

If you have to do it, you have to be a very extreme person. You cannot be a normal, happy person and do these rules. As a matter of fact, the more religious you get, the more depressed you get, and the more angry you get. So all the religious people I know are really angry people.

Problem 3: The Avoidance of Questions

The third attitude was that every time I hear people talk about the deen of Allah, they did not tell me why I should be Muslim. They only told me that I should be Muslim. And if I said, why should I do it? They said, because you're going to burn in hell if you don't do it.

When I asked how we know for sure that this is the right religion, the sheikh would tell me, "You, son, you need to make wudu, then you need to make two raka'a, because you're getting waswasa from shaitan." But after I make wudu and I make two raka'a, I still have the same question.

The Divine Invitation to Question

The Quran is inviting people to ask questions and bring their criticisms. Which religion in the world says, please, criticize? No other religion other than Islam. Please, we would invite you to question and criticize this book.

This book says, no, think for yourself.

No other religion tells you to think. Actually, every other religion tells you, stop thinking and just believe. And this book says, you cannot stop thinking. You have to think. And if you think, only then you will believe.

Personal Discovery: The Truth About the Quran

By the gift of Allah, when I did start to decide to try to understand the book of Allah, and I was fortunate enough to find some incredible teachers, I realized all three of those things were untrue.

The book is incredibly relevant. The book has answers to my questions, and my problems, and my personal problems today. The second issue was it's harsh. The more I studied the book, I realized people are harsh. But the book is not harsh. Allah sent the book as a rahmah. But we don't have rahmah. So when we talk about the book, we talk about the book, but we take out the rahmah.

The Analogy of Rain and Revelation

Let me share with you an ayah of the Quran:

Allah sent water from the sky, then He gave life to the earth after the earth was dead. What did Allah use to give life to the earth? Water. Without the rain, does this planet survive? This planet cannot survive without rain. That is the life of this planet.

Allah produces for you, by using the water, two kinds of things. He produces farm crops like olives (زَيْتُون - zaytun) and palm trees (نَخِيل - nakheel) and grapes, and all kinds of fruits. These things don't grow by themselves - you have to take care of those trees, and you have to grow a farm. But then there are some plants and fruits that will grow on their own with no effort from you.

The Primary Message: The Book as Life-Giving Water

The ayah that I shared with you, وَاللَّهُ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً is not actually about the water and the sky. That's its second purpose. Its primary purpose is dictated by the ayah that came before it:

If you want to understand the effect of the book of Allah on the earth, you have to understand the effect of water on the earth. Water brings life to the earth. So, if the water is essential for the survival of the earth, the book of Allah properly delivered to all the places that are morally dead, that are spiritually dead, it has to be delivered properly because rain has to come properly.

Our Responsibility in Delivering the Message

There is one very important difference. Water comes from the sky and goes everywhere by itself. But when the book comes from the sky, it goes to one messenger. And then he has to make the effort to deliver it. And then the people he delivers it to, they have to make the effort to deliver it more. Allah will not send the book to everyone. We have to deliver it.

About the rain, He says: I am not the one who will deliver the word of Allah into somebody's heart. I can only try to make some effort. The actual delivery is happening just like the rain by Allah.

The Problem of Misrepresentation

We are responsible for delivering the word of Allah to the earth. Are we doing a good job? I would argue we're doing a pretty terrible job even with Muslims. Because we make it seem harsh. The rain is supposed to be rahmah, not azaab. But we present it as azaab.

We heard the recitation. Allah introduced the teaching of the Quran with which name?

Where is the rahmah in teaching the Quran?

The Importance of Balance and Methodology

Allah gives these analogies: Examples are critical in the Quran. Farming was the first act of human civilization. If we don't understand how to deliver Quran, and if we don't understand how to cultivate people, then the Muslim civilization will cease to exist.

If we don't do our job, Allah does not need us:

The Principle: Nothing Above the Book of Allah

Nothing is above the book of Allah. Unfortunately, in our times sometimes you and I have an idea and now we want that idea to be justified by the book of Allah. So we develop our idea first and then we find the deal in the book of Allah.

The ayat of Allah are now being used to justify your philosophy. You are not extracting the philosophy and the thinking and the solution from the book of Allah. This is a disservice to the Quran.

Learning from Different Groups

When I was in New York, every group decides one thing is the most important thing. Every group believes they are the right one.

One group says the most important thing is da'wah. Another group says the most important thing is how you look. Another group says you have to have these books. Every group has certain curriculum, that's what defines their Islam. And not a single group said, you know the curriculum for the Muslim should be the book of Allah.

Why would Allah give us this book and say: This book, if you give it justice, it will cause union. And if you don't give it justice, it will cause division.

The Approach of a Farmer

We are supposed to be farmers. A farmer puts a seed in the ground, then he puts water on top, then he makes dua to Allah. For months and months he sees nothing, because the seed is under the ground. And he doesn't get angry. You have to let things grow. All you have to do is provide the water.

You are not in charge. Stop pretending that you are in charge.

Yaqub's sons disobeyed their father for years and years, and at the end of it all, they make tawbah. Some seeds take a long time to come out

The Real Mission: Showing the Beauty of Islam

Our challenge today is let's re-expose the people to the book of Allah like they've never experienced it before. So they can remove the assumptions that they've had about the book of Allah. Non-Muslims have misconceptions about the Quran. And my conclusion is, Muslims have misconceptions about the Quran. We have to fix the misconceptions for the entire world.

We have to show the world how beautiful, how remarkable, how incredible, how loving, how merciful, how addictive this book is.

- Because of the Quran, they should be happy.

When you begin with the book of Allah, it brings you joy, and it brings people around you joy. It makes you happy. It makes people around you happy.

- It's better than everything they're gathering.

The Importance of Being a Balanced Muslim

Our job is not to be a da'ee. Our job is to be a Muslim. Ibrahim gave us this deen, the name of this deen: Your job in life is to be a Muslim.

You have to give time to your wife, your children, your parents, Allah's house, your job, your health, your learning, your friends, and your rest. You need to balance all of those things. And by the way, in the middle of all of that, you should make time to represent the Deen of Allah as best you can.

When you find that balance between all of those things, that is the greatest dawah you will ever do because the world is out of balance. When you have balance, people will say, "Hey, where did you get this balance from?" And you can say, "It's from Islam."

Allah does not want you to study the Quran and forget about your life. This is not a service to Islam. This is imbalance. The book pushes you to stop reading sometimes and go experience.

- Go take a walk, go outside, go travel. It'll increase your Iman.

The best tafsir of

is not in a book. The best tafsir is in the sky. Go look.

May Allah help us do our job. And may Allah increase our love and affection for the book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger.