What Are the Benefits of Understanding the Quran?
You cannot gather the full and real blessings and treasures of
the Quran unless you devote yourself to understanding its meaning, unless you know what your Creator is saying to
you.
The Blessings of Reciting with Devotion
This is not to deny, as we said earlier, that even those who
cannot understand it may partake of its blessings. Obviously an overwhelming
majority of Muslims do not know Arabic, and many do not possess any translation
in their language. But, if they read the Quran with sincere devotion, reverence
and love, they should not fail to share in some of its riches. For,
being in the company of the one you love, even if you do not know his language,
certainly deepens your relationship with Him. Yet immensely greater will be the
blessings and stronger will be the relationship if you also understand what He
is saying.
On the other hand, merely understanding the meaning may also
be of no avail. Many listened to the Quran from the lips of the Prophet,
blessings and peace be on him, and understood every word of it; yet they went
further astray. Millions of people for whom Arabic is their language understand
the Quran; yet it makes no impact upon their lives.
Scores of scholars, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, spend a
lifetime studying and reading the Quran, and their scholarship can hardly be
faulted; yet they remain impervious to its touch.
Why Understanding the Quran Still Matters
Yet, despite this, the urgent need to devote yourself to understanding the Quran remains. The Quran has come as a guide, reminder, admonition
and healing. It is not merely a source of reward (thawab), a sacred ritual, a
sacrament, a revered relic, or a holy magic. It has come to radically change
you and lead you to a new life and existence. Understanding it is no sure
guarantee of finding that new life, but without it the task of fulfilling the
real purpose of the Quran and inviting mankind to it must remain extremely
difficult.
Why have we to devote ourselves
to understanding the Quran, on our own, and to thinking, pondering and reflecting upon its
meaning? Is it not enough that we read or hear its exposition by the learned?
It is most certainly not, even though that too is essential.
The Quran Seeks to Transform You
You must exert yourself to absorb
and discover what the Quran has to say, mainly for one very important, crucial reason. The Quran is
not merely a book of knowledge, or a collection of do’s and don’ts. It does not
merely inform about God and what He wants of you. It also wants to take hold of
your person and bring you into a new living and pervasive relationship with
Him. Hence, it should increase and strengthen your faith (Iman), your will
(iradah), your steadfastness (sabr). It should purify you, form your character,
and mould your conduct. It should continually inspire you and elevate you to
greater and greater heights.
All this can be accomplished only
if you enter into a personal relationship of study, meditation, and understanding with the Quran.
Without pondering over its messages, your hearts, your thoughts and your
conduct cannot respond to them. Without immersing yourself in thinking and
reflecting over them, you cannot absorb them, nor can they impinge upon your
life. Just think: Why should reading the Quran with tartil have been enjoined
upon you if not for you to ponder and understand? Why should you be required to
pause while reading the Quran, and how can you make appropriate inward, physical
and verbal responses - which the Quran so forcefully emphasizes - if you do not
know what you are reading?
For Further Reading:
- 7 rules that help memorize the Holy Quran
- Spiritual Benefits of Listening to the Quran
- Quran at Dawn: The Light of Faith in the Darkness of Night
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Taken from: “Way to the Quran” book by Khurram Murad
