The Holy Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt

Brothers and sisters in faith, I invite all of us towards taqwa.   First it is worthy of note to realize that we have been greatly blessed by the holy month of Ramadhan.  Truly it is the month where just one night of Qadr is worth more than a thousand months.  The ones whose worship and obedience to Allah swt has been accepted in this holy month comes out of the month with their sins wiped clean, and has the chance to start fresh, to begin again, to be reborn. 
Now that the month of Ramadhan has ended, it is very important that we continue the efforts into the future that we started in Ramadhan.  The holy month of Ramadhan was not the end, it was the beginning.  May Allah accept our worship and prayers in the holy month of Ramadhan and may Allah swt help us to continue our self-purification process into today and tomorrow.
One of the main ways to attain taqwa is through the love and obedience to Allah, by the wasilah of the Holy Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt (as).  And so therefore, in this article I would like to speak about the importance of the Holy Qur’an in our lives.  Let me relate to you the hadith of the Holy Prophet (saw).  He says, “Recite the Qur’an and memorize it.  On the day, of judgment the holy Qur’an will approach those who recited it.  It will be in the guise of a very good looking person.  It will say I bear witness that Allah’s blessings are about to come your way.  Then a crown will be brought and placed over the head of the person and the letter of permission for freedom from Allah’s retribution will be placed in the person’s right hand.  He will be ordered, recite the Holy Qur’an and for every verse recited he will rise one step higher in the heaven.” (Ain al Hayat-p.311)
This hadith clearly shows us that the Qur’an is a living book and it will bear witness to those that have read it, those that have memorized it, those that have loved it, those that have tried to understand it, and those that have made it an integral part of their lives.  And on the other hand, it is very scary what will happen to us if we have willfully chosen to ignore the Holy Qur’an in our lives.
Dear brothers and sisters, the holy Qur’an will come in the form of a beautiful person and will testify to our love for the Qur’an in front of Allah.  What a great honor and reward awaits those that love the Qur’an and obey its commandments.
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as) has said that when a young momin recites the Holy Qur’an, the Qur’an will become a part of his flesh and blood.  Allah will raise him on the day of Reckoning with the Prophets and the angels. 
The Holy Qur’an will express its love for him and say, Oh Allah, every person expects reward for his good acts!  Therefore I, the Qur’an, demand rewards for the persons who used to recite me. (Ain al Hayat-p.302)
When researching about what the Qur’an is we find that Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as) has said, Allah, who has the knowledge of everything hidden, has sent this book to you.  This book has knowledge about the things past and those to come.  It has the information about the land and the firmament.  (Ain al Hayat-p.310)
So it is this holy Qur’an, the true word of Allah to His servants that has the knowledge to perfect our lives, to perfect our societies, and to perfect the world.  No answer from any philosopher or ideology is as complete, profound and perfect as this Quran al-Kareem.  The Holy Qur’an is not a book to be kept on our shelves at home to collect dust.  At this point it should be clear to us how important the Holy Qur’an is.     
So how should we go about making the Qur’an a part of our lives?  How about three easy steps?  First we should properly learn the words in the Qur’an and the correct pronunciation of the Qur’an.  Second we should learn the correct meaning of the contents of the Qur’an and recite it with understanding.  And third we should practice the Qur’anic laws and precepts and apply them to our daily lives.
Further, on how to read the Qur’an, Imam al-Rida (as)used to recite the Qur’an with feeling and tears.  He used to cry when reference to the heaven and hell came during the reading of the Qur’an.  (Ain al Hayat-p.313)
Imam Ali (as) says, know that this Qur’an is an adviser who never deceives, a leader who never misleads and a narrator who never speaks a lie.  Therefore, seek cure from it for your ailments and seek its assistance in your distresses.  It contains a cure for the biggest diseases, such as unbelief, hypocrisy, revolt, and misguidance.  Pray to Allah through it and turn to Allah with its love.  Make it your guide towards Allah. (Nahjul Balagha-Sermon 175)
Why is it that we have been given a complete guide such as the Qur’an, but we decide to ignore it and cast it aside?  About the greatness of the Qur’an, Imam Ali (as) has said that a house where the Qur’an is recited, the angels would descend there and the Satan flees away from the precincts.  The house where the Qur’an is recited appears like a star to the people of the firmament.  (Ain al Hayat-p.316)
Finally, Imam Ali (as) said, 'Allah Allah [i.e. I advise you] with the Quran, nobody other than you should be quicker in acting according to it.'
May Allah give us the towfeeq to make the Holy Qur’an an integral part of our lives and the lives of all whom we love.
In the second half of this article, I would like to continue about the importance of the Holy Qur’an.  When researching about how the Qur’an helps us and our society, we find that the holy Prophet of Islam (saw) has said that if you have a matter that appears like the darkest of dark nights, and you are unable to unravel the puzzle, then the holy Qur’an, the brightest of lights, will help you dispel all the doubts you have pertaining to the matter.  This will help one in strife, in solving unresolvable problems and is the beacon for showing the way to Jannat. 
He (saw)then continues and says, “It is the negligence of the Qur’an that might dispatch one to the Hellfire.  Qur’an is the best Guide and Leader.  This is the book that has in it all the commandments and details.”   (Ain al Hayat-p.309)
Imam Ali (as)says, learn the Quran for it is the fairest of discourses and understand it thoroughly for it is the best blossoming of hearts.  Seek cure with its light for it is the cure for hearts.  Recite it beautifully for it is the most beautiful narration. (Nahjul Balagha-Sermon 109)
We constantly ask ourselves, why does God not speak to us.  Brothers and sisters, the Qur’an is Allah speaking to us.  Should we not love to hear God speak to us?  Should we not cherish the words of the Creator for his created? 
Dear brothers and sisters, I implore all of us to make the Qur’an an integral part of our lives and the lives of our families.  I implore all of us to love the Qur’an and understand the Qur’an.  Take small steps at first, but be consistent.  Try to read a little bit of the Qur’an every day.  Just five minutes a day and you will begin to see a difference in your life.
We find that Allah is encouraging us to read and understand the Qur’an.  Allah is making it easy for us to love the Qur’an so that we can get close to the Qur’an.  When we get close to the Qur’an we will try to understand the Qur’an.  And when we understand the Qur’an and apply it in our lives, we will be able to find the solutions to our problems, the solutions to help fix ourselves, and the solutions to fix our societies. 
Allah is making it easy for us to get close to the Qur’an through great rewards because being close to the Qur’an is for our own benefit.  The Qur’an is the Best Guide and Leader.  It is the road that takes us closer to Allah.  The Prophet (saw) said, 'Verily these hearts rust like metal rusts when exposed to water.' He was asked, 'And what can polish them?' He said, 'Remembering death much, and reciting the Quran.'
The Qur’an purifies us, cleans us, and erases our sins.  It keeps us away from committing sins and it encourages us to do good to ourselves and to each other.  It makes us fit to meet our Lord.  And truly the Qur’an is the way to perfection.
Here I would like to add a disclaimer which the Holy Prophet (saw) related to us over a thousand years ago, knowing what predicament the Muslims will be in today.  The Messenger of Allah(saw) said: "Verily, I am leaving behind two precious things (thaqalayn) among you: the Book of God and my kindred (`itrah), my household (Ahl al¬Bayt), for indeed, the two will never separate until they come back to me at al¬-Kawthar.  So it is imperative that we keep both the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt together if we are to be successful in our lives as Muslims, as Momins, and as humanity.
Being honest with each other, we can say that the Shia’s have taken the Ahlul Bayt (as), but for the most part have left the Qur’an.  The Shia’s love the Ahlul Bayt (as) and remember them very often, but when it comes to recitation of the Quran, memorization of the Qur’an, understanding of the Qur’an, we are weak.  On the other hand, the Sunni brothers have taken the Qur’an, but for the most part have left the Ahlul Bayt (as).  The Ahlul Bayt (as) play a very little role in their Islamic centers and lives, but they truly truly excel in matters dealing with the Holy Qu’ran.  Brothers and sisters, both situations are not correct.  Remember the Prophet (saw) said to keep both because they are both inseparable and only if we Muslims keep both the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt (as) together, will we be successful.  And for the most part, Muslims all over the world have not kept them together.
My dear brothers, this is why the Muslim nations today are in total chaos. This is why the behavior of Muslims is far from the teachings of true Islam.  This is why there are tyrants ruling over Muslims.  This is why Islam is under attack.  This is why people are committing oppression under the name of Islam.  This is why we are always under stress and facing problems. This is why our homes are breaking apart. This is why our youth are going astray. 
It is because we have not followed the Prophet’s(saw) well known Hadithe Thaqalain, and have cast away either the Qur’an or the Ahlul Bayt (as), and have not bothered to understand them together, respect them together, and love them together as Allah has commanded and as they deserve.  The Holy Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt (as) together, and only together, have the solutions to all our problems as an individual and as a society.  We must try to understand the Qur’an and practice what the Quran and the Ahlul Bayt(as) have taught us.  Only with the holy Qur’an and the holy Ahlul Bayt (as) will Islam survive. 
There is a Muslim country in the world today that has tried their best to keep both the Holy Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt (as) together and because of this it has become a beacon of light in the world.  This country by keeping the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt (as) together has made great advancements in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social welfare, education, diplomacy, and peace.  And on the other hand we have countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar where the holy Qur’an is constantly being read, but there is no value given to the Ahlul Bayt (as), and we see what kind of countries they have become.  Those that have since the beginning said the Quran is enough were wrong and we clearly see it in the present day. 
Regarding the importance of the Ahlul Bayt (as), the holy Prophet (saw) says, Ali (as) is with the truth and the Qur'an, and the truth and the Qur'an are with Ali (as), and they will not separate until they come to me at the Heavenly Waters.'  And if we apply this tradition to the world today, we see clearly that the one who have cast Imam Ali (as)aside have also learned nothing from the Qur’an.
In another tradition Imam al-Sadiq (AS) says, 'By Allah, certainly I know the Book of Allah from its beginning to its end, as if it is in my palm. In it is contained the information about the heavens and the earth, about all that existed and all that is to be. Allah, Mighty and Exalted, has said: "In it is clarification of all things."
When the Muslim countries of the world and the Muslims themselves apply the Prophet’s (saw) Hadithe Thaqalain, and keep both the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt (as) together, then we can perfect our societies, heal our homes, solve our problems, save our youth, protect Islam, and succeed in our future.
We pray that Allah forgive our sins past, present, and future, open or hidden, small or big, willingly or unwillingly, remembered or forgotten, knowingly or unknowingly.  Oh Allah, bless us today and always and help us become sincere Momineen in both words and in action.  Oh Allah, give us the towfeeq to read the Qur’an regularly and establish it in our families.  Oh Allah, give us the towfeeq to realize the importance of the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt (as) together, and then help others to understand their value to our life, our families, and our societies. 
Oh Allah, give us and our families the towfeeq to love the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt (as).  Oh Allah, help us and our families to stay on the right path and always guide us.  Oh Allah, give us and our families the honor of being praised by the Holy Prophet (saw), the Ahlul Bayt (as), and the Holy Qur’an on the Day of Judgment.
Author: Golzar