“The chapter of Joseph is the most beautiful story, as the Quran itself says. Reading it opened my heart. I knew then that this book could not have been invented or authored by any human hand. It was truly a revelation. From that moment it became clear there was nothing left for me to do but to surrender and embrace Islam.” – Yusuf Islam, Why I Still Carry a Guitar – The Spiritual Journey of Cat Stevens to Yusuf.
The amazing experience gained after reading the Quran as indicated by Yusuf Islam is also shared by many other reverts. One of them is Muhammad Asad, a converted Austrian Jew, author, activist, diplomat and traveller. His well-known “The Message of the Quran” which is the translation of the Quran, in spite of receiving some criticisms, assisted his good friend Murad Wilfried Hoffman, a German diplomat and author to embrace Islam. Apart from Muhammad Asad and Hoffman, scholars such as Dr. Jeffrey Lang, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Kansas and Dr. Atsushi Kamal Okuda, Professor of Political Systems, Keio University, Japan also found their journey to Islam through the Quran.
Professor Lang was mesmerized by the Quran with the first two chapters. He had also found answers to every question and objection that came to his mind. Furthermore, with its unique style which consisted of profound technicalities that is rules and regulations at the beginning, beautiful stories in the middle and burst of powerful spirituality in the end, the Quran according to Professor Lang finally faded his atheism. As for Professor Okuda, he was astonished by a Quranic verse regarding the creation of mankind out of sounding clay from an altered black mud (Surah al-Hijr, verse 26). These beautiful personal experiences with Quran are in line with a verse which states, “Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard to distinguish between right and wrong.” (Surah al-Baqarah, verse 185) and another verse which asserts, “Whoever All wills to guide, He opens their heart to Islam.” (Surah Al-An`am, verse 125)
Al-Quran will remain as a source of guidance and is applicable to all situations at all time and place. The beauty of the Quran lies in its protection from alterations and errors that happened to earlier Holy Scriptures. The guarantee for its protection is given by Allah in Surah al-Hijr verse 9. The aesthetic value and beauty of al-Quran also lies in its universal message which can be clearly seen through the verse, “Surely this Quran is only a reminder to the whole world.” Muslims are enjoined to read and memorize as well as ponder upon the Quran. Therefore, they are urged to study both the meaning and application of the verses and be guided by them in their daily lives and conduct. In other words, the Quran is intended to be the source of guidance and direction for Muslims. It regulates the relationship between a servant and his Creator as well as within the members of a family and society; be it amongst fellow Muslims or non-Muslims. The Quran also determines the relationship of a subject to the State and its ruling authorities.
Even though the Quran contains unlimited benefits and exceptional guidance to mankind, it is not immune from targeted hatred proposed to undermine the religion of Islam. The hatred and mockery are nothing new. The Prophets of Allah were also mocked and denied, and so were the messages they brought. The Quran states in Surah al-Kahf, verse 106, “…and [because] they took My signs and My messengers in ridicule.” Nowadays, the abomination of enemies of Islam towards Muslims and their holy book for is manifested in events such as “Burn Quran Day”. Such is in fact an act that challenges the patience of the Muslim community. Regrettably, one of the pertinent problems faced within the Muslim community is that the Quran no longer serves as a reference and reverence in our lives. Thus, we are easily swept away by worldly pleasures which cause us to lose our self-identity as well as the purpose of life both in this world and Hereafter. Apart from that, there are religious extremists who falsely and selectively take the Quran as a command to serve their ends. By using verses related to jihad, they vindicate the brutal killing not only of non-Muslims but also fellow Muslims. Unfortunately, numerous verses of the Qur’an that call for peaceful co-existence and mutual respect, counter-balancing many of the verses used to justify violence, are ignored and excluded from their one-sided narrative.
At the other extreme, there are also groups who take provocative approaches to re-interpret the Quran to justify same-sex relationship and inter-religion marriage. While their numbers may be small, these groups are vocal on social media and published books. All of these challenges must be addressed with knowledge and wisdom. In conjunction with the celebration of Nuzul Quran this year, let us revive the spirit and practice the morals of the Quran by emulating Prophet Muhammad SAW. By doing this, the important messages of the Quran can be conveyed and the true face of Islam will be manifested as a religion that brings mercy and blessing to the whole world.