My Muslim brothers and sisters, may Allah Almighty increase our knowledge and teach us. My brothers and sisters, I ask Allah Almighty with the best of his names to keep us steadfast on his deen and keep our Iman safe till the day we meet him.
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So, there are two principles that Allah Almighty (Azzawajal) revealed, two things that will define my relationship with this book (Quran). The first of those principles is:
“ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ”
There is absolutely no room for any doubt that bothers you on the inside whatsoever in it. In this Quran there’s no room for any skepticism, any uncertainty. I’m not so sure. Is it really from Allah Almighty? There’s no room for that whatsoever, not in this book.
The first of them is there should be no room for doubt, and the only way you will have no doubt left. How can you talk to just somebody and say,
“This is the Book of God.”
They’ll say, “Well, I have a Bible; that’s the book of God.” Somebody else will bring a veda from the Hindu scripture and say, “This is a book of God; actually, this is a book of lots of Gods.” Your book, the Quran, is a book of God. How am I supposed to know if this one is right and those are wrong?
Some of you are in college; your friend comes to you and says, You know, there are so many religions; somebody’s got to be wrong. How do you know you guys are right? How are we supposed to know without any room for doubt that this is the book of Allah?
How did the followers of Musa (AS) know without a doubt that he’s a messenger? They questioned him so much, didn’t they? but when he struck the staff and the water parted. If you were in that audience, there is no room left.
He is a messenger of God. You know what? I’m just going to throw this river with, on either side, two massive mountains of water standing and retaining a shape without a container. And I’m going through it in the middle. He’s definitely a messenger.
In other words, when does doubt get removed? When you see a miracle. Doubt is removed when you see a miracle. The people who followed Isa (AS), when they saw a clay bird turn into a real living bird, by Allah’s permission, the doubt was gone.
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When a staff turns into a snake, the doubt is gone. But the question is, this book, the Quran, it’s not parting any rivers; this book is not turning any sticks into snakes. It just printed on glossy paper. Where’s the miracle? Allah Almighty gave us this Quran, and it’s miraculous not for the eyes; it’s miraculous for the ears.
This is the last of all miracles, those miracles that were given to previous prophets to remove doubt. So, what’s the purpose of miracles? to remove doubt. That’s their purpose. Don’t forget that it’s not special effects; it’s not.
So, you look at it and say, “Whoa, that was awesome.” That’s not the purpose. The purpose is there should be no doubt left. That’s the reason miracles were given. But within one generation, the miracles die. The miracles die. Why?
Because for the next generation, that miracle is just a story. They didn’t see it. For you to experience a miracle, you have to see it with your own eyes. Even that next generation of the Banu Israel, or the next generation of the followers of Isa (AS) or Saleh (AS), those people.
When they tell the story of their children, it is just a story. If they didn’t see it like, Ah, come on, Dad, really, I have my doubts; I have my question. But this final Quran, this last revelation that Allah gave us, Allah gave us a miracle inside it that is not for the eyes; it’s for the ears, and it’s not for every ear.
There’s a big difference now; now, those miracles, even if you weren’t followers of Musa (AS). If you were just fishing in the river and the water parted and you looked at that man, you would say, “That man, he has some connection with God.”
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I don’t know what’s going on over here; you would see that as a miracle. Yes or No? You would immediately, but the Quran, anybody who reads it, is going to see it as miraculous. No. You have people who read it.
They used to hate Islam before; after reading the Quran, they really hate Islam; they really hate the Quran. There are people who are skeptical; before, after reading a translation, they become even more skeptical, isn’t it?
So, the question is, where are the miracles? the miracles Allah decided for the last messenger, and this last messenger is no longer free. It’s not just anybody who glances at it and sees a miracle.
The only way you will find the miracle of this book is if you come looking for it, and you reflect inside this book, and you dig and ponder into this book; then it will become clear.
This can only be from God; if you give it a shallow look, it will give you nothing, but if you decide to ponder. Why am I saying ponder? That’s not something I came up with. That’s something Allah Almighty’s own claim,
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا۟ فِيهِ ٱخْتِلَـٰفًۭا كَثِيرًۭا
Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would have certainly found in it many inconsistencies.
By the way, if you study the Quran in a shallow way, you will find contradictions. Allah almighty says, If they reflect, they will not find contradictions. Which means if they don’t reflect, what will happen? They will find contradictions.
They will make websites, blogs, and videos dedicated to the contradictions. They will make lists of contradictions in the Quran because they don’t do Tadabur, and if they were to do Tadabur, then they would become convinced that this can only be the word of Allah.
The first part of my relationship with the Quran is there’s no doubt in it. It’s a miracle, the second part of my relationship with the Quran;
هُدًۭى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ (A Guide For those mindful of Allah)
‘Hudan’ literally means guidance for someone who’s lost. Hidayah in Arabic is closely related to the word Hadiyyah or Hadiya, which means a gift. For the Arab that was lost in the desert, the problem with getting lost in the desert is you don’t even know if you’re walking in a straight line.
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You could be walking in a straight line but end up circling and ending up where you started. You understand? What’s the biggest gift you can give to someone lost in the desert? That’s why Hadiya and Hadiyya are related to each other. If you flew over with a helicopter and dropped a water bottle and said, ‘Good luck, man,’ that’s not enough of a gift.
He needs Hidayyah; the hadiyah he needs is Hidayyah, you understand? That’s the one that’s going to help him survive to know which direction to go to. This word itself illustrates not the intellectual relationship we have with the Quran.
Where there’s no doubt, that’s already covered in ‘La Raiba Fihi.’ This is the second dimension of our relationship with the Quran. A relationship in which I’m constantly seeking direction. I’m constantly just like, our bodies have a relationship with water.
I can’t say; I already had water yesterday, no need; today I can’t. My body will necessitate water, isn’t it? Allah Almighty, in the Quran, when he describes the revelation of the Quran, he always compares it to what?
“Water”
He compares it to water; there’s a very close relationship that you have with water. That you have with the Quran, your thirst doesn’t let you go; every few hours, you have to what? Drink again, whether it’s water, or it’s some kind of fruit that has water in it, or food that has water in it, the water is always there.
The liquid is always there, right? Every few hours, you’re going to have to fill the thirst of your hearts as well and that water, that water of revelation, is actually what? The Quran itself.
Every few hours we stand in front of Allah Almighty in salah and say,
ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
I’ll translate that figuratively: “Let us have a drink again.” We’re thirsty again; you need to guide us again. Guidance and thirst are closely related, you understand? So now that’s the second bit of our relationship: when there’s no doubt left and you’re completely convinced this is the word of Allah, then you’re going to come to the Quran.
You’re going to ask Allah for guidance, and then when he gives you guidance, you will follow it. Because there’s no doubt, because there’s no doubt. When you see young people reluctant to follow the word of Allah, not so motivated to follow the word of Allah Almighty, they’re not taking the ‘Hudal Lil Muttaqeen.‘ What that means is,’ That is, in fact, the book. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that in it, there is guidance for those who have ‘Taqwa’ for those who have to protect themselves.’
In other words, if you want to save yourself, if you want to lead a careful life, there is no way Allah will not give you the drink; there is no way Allah will leave you misguided. You know we are living in the age of over-information, where people are thinking, ‘I don’t know what to follow.’ There is so much conflicting information.
If you can turn to Allah Almighty and say, “I just want to protect myself, Ya Rabbi,” and then you come to this Book, this book (Quran) will absolutely guide you.