A word on the importance of reflecting on the Qur'an when reading it.
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The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the righteous, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows,
We are meeting with our brothers tonight in our usual monthly gathering, which takes place on the night of the third Sunday of every month, and this is the month of Jumada al-Akhirah of the year 1418.
We ask Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) to benefit us through our meetings with our brothers, and to make our days happy and our end even happier, for He is capable of all things.
I find nothing to speak about except what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has facilitated in the form of an explanation of the surah we recited in the 'Isha' prayer tonight, because I wish for all my brothers to take care of the Book of Allah by memorizing it, reflecting on it, understanding it, and acting upon it, for this Noble Qur'an is the source of the honor of the Muslim community, its salvation, and its happiness. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:[Muhammad 47:24] And He (Mighty and Majestic) said: [Al-Mu'minun 23:68] And He (the Exalted) said: [Sad 38:29], and He (the Exalted) said: [An-Nisa 4:82]
O my brothers, we must read the Qur'an and master its wording, read the Qur'an and reflect on its meaning, and read the Qur'an and act upon its rulings. This is what Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) wants from us. He does not want us to read the Qur'an as mere recitation of words, because mere recitation of words without reflection on the meaning is no different from an illiterate man who cannot read. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah (the Exalted):[Al-Baqarah 2:78] meaning: except recitation. Allah described these people as what? Illiterate, just like one who cannot read at all. What is the difference between a person who reads the Qur'an but does not know its meaning and a person who cannot read? There is no difference between them in terms of meaning. However, yes, the one who reads the Qur'an receives the reward for reading, and there is no problem with that. But in terms of meaning and benefiting from the Qur'an, there is no difference between the illiterate person and the one who reads the Qur'an without reflection. Based on this: I urge my brothers to reflect on the words of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), especially the latter part of the Qur'an, meaning the section that begins with the surah Qaf to the end of the Qur'an, because this latter part is what is recited in the five daily prayers, meaning: Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, 'Isha', and Fajr. But the recitation in Zuhr and 'Asr is quiet, and the recitation in Maghrib, 'Isha', and Fajr is loud.
As for what follows,
We are meeting with our brothers tonight in our usual monthly gathering, which takes place on the night of the third Sunday of every month, and this is the month of Jumada al-Akhirah of the year 1418.
We ask Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) to benefit us through our meetings with our brothers, and to make our days happy and our end even happier, for He is capable of all things.
I find nothing to speak about except what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has facilitated in the form of an explanation of the surah we recited in the 'Isha' prayer tonight, because I wish for all my brothers to take care of the Book of Allah by memorizing it, reflecting on it, understanding it, and acting upon it, for this Noble Qur'an is the source of the honor of the Muslim community, its salvation, and its happiness. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?
أَفَلا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَاThen have they not reflected over the Qur'an, or has there come to them that which had not come to their forefathers?
أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُوا الْقَوْلَ أَمْ جَاءَهُمْ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.
كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِThen do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.
أَفَلا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلافاً كَثِيراًO my brothers, we must read the Qur'an and master its wording, read the Qur'an and reflect on its meaning, and read the Qur'an and act upon its rulings. This is what Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) wants from us. He does not want us to read the Qur'an as mere recitation of words, because mere recitation of words without reflection on the meaning is no different from an illiterate man who cannot read. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah (the Exalted):