Ramadan and The Holy Quran

MKA USA Taleem Department

April 2023

Discussion

1. What is the significance of the Holy Quran in the holy month of Ramadan?
2. How can we use the Holy Quran to attain the nearness of Allah ta’ala?

Malfuzat Vol 1, Jan 21, 1898

Malfuzat Vol 1, Jan 21, 1898

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“The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was sent down as a guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination. Therefore, whosoever of you is present at home in this month, let him fast therein. But whoso is sick or is on a journey, shall fast the same number of other days. Allah desires to give you facility and He desires not hardship for you, and that you may complete the number, and that you may exalt Allah for His having guided you and that you may be grateful.” –Chapter 2, verse 186

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) said, “The statement, ‘The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was sent down…’ informs us that this last law-bearing and perfect Book is connected to Ramadan. A person wishing to progress in faith, who wishes to disseminate this last and complete Book and Law in the world and for the world to know it, who wishes to try and take himself back to the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to gain nearness of Allah the Exalted and hear the sound of: ‘…I am near…’ (2:187), should pay the dues of Ramadan and the Holy Quran and understand their mutual connection.” –Friday Sermon July 11, 2014

Significance of Holy Quran in Ramadan

Another meaning of the verse is that the Quranic revelation began during the month of Ramadan. It was a momentous night during Ramadan when the Holy Prophet (saw) had taken a retreat of solitude to the Cave of Hira when God revealed to him: ”Proclaim thou in the name of thy Lord Who created, Created man from a clot of blood. Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Generous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not” (96:2-6). –Five Volume Commentary of the Holy Quran by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad

Significance of Holy Quran in Ramadan

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) said, “Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) has related that each year in Ramadan Jibraeel used to revise with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) however much Quran had been revealed until then and in the year of his passing away, the Quran was revised twice. Thus the blessed model of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), owing to the distinct will of Allah the Exalted, draws our attention to at least try and finish one reading of the Holy Quran during Ramadan and as I said earlier, also reflect over it.” –Friday Sermon July 11, 2014

Commentary on Holy Qur’an 2:184 by Hazrat Musleh Ma’ud

Commentary on Holy Qur’an 2:184 by Hazrat Musleh Ma’ud�

لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ points to another command that it is by this means that God, the most High, becomes the true protector of the one who keeps fasts. The meaning of اتَّقَاء is to become a shield, a guard, a means of deliverance. This verse means that fasting is obligatory upon you so that you make God your shield, through which you can safeguard yourself from every evil and everything that will cause loss.

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Losses are of two types. One is that some type of evil affects him, and the other is that he loses hold of some type of goodness. For example, if someone is beaten up, that is one type of evil. Another type is that one’s mother and father should become angry with him. Although, if one’s parents become angry with him, then there is no obvious loss to be seen; rather, food costs can be saved from not having to feed them. But the happiness of the mother and father is a benefit and a blessing, so if they become angry, they are deprived of those benefits. اتَّقَاء directs us to both of these points, and so the righteous person is one who benefits from every type of goodness and who safeguards themselves from every type of evil and abasement.

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Going forward, the compass of evils takes shape in accordance with the action. For example, if someone travels in a car, his being safeguarded from evil would encompass his driving without incident and then arriving at the desired destination safely.

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In this manner, the object of the state of fasting may be to gain and lose. With regard to fasting, fasting is a matter of faith, but to a certain extent, also in the bodily health of a human being. The meaning of لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ is that you should safeguard yourselves from both worldly and spiritual maladies. The spiritual benefits and blessings of fasting should not slip through your fingers [by not fasting], but your bodily health should not suffer the consequences [of not fasting]. Because, at times, fasting is a means that can save a person from different types of sicknesses as well.

Fasting as a Form of Worship

• “A part of the obligation attaching to the Islamic Fast is that apart from abstention from food and drink during the hours of fasting a Muslim must make special efforts throughout the month of fasting to attain to higher standards of virtue and purity. One lesson that the Fast teaches is that a man who abstains from the use of permissible things during the Fast should on no account indulge on any occasion in that which is prohibited.” Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran pg. 286

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Holy Quran: The Greatest Weapon

Explaining the significance of the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiah (as) says: “If we did not have the Holy Quran and only had collections of Ahadith as eminent sources of faith we would have been embarrassed to face other people. I have reflected over the word Quran and it was disclosed to me that this blessed word contains a great prophecy which is that this alone is the Quran, that is, a book worthy of reading. A time will come when more than ever it alone will be the Book worthy of reading when other books will also be read along with it. At that time this alone will be the Book worthy of reading in order to protect the honor of Islam and to eradicate falseness and other books would certainly be worthy of being discarded. This is what ‘Furqan’ means: that is, this Book alone will distinguish between truth and falseness and no book of Hadith or any other book will be of status. Therefore leave all the books and only read this Book of Allah night and day. Extremely faithless is the person who does not show regard to the Holy Quran and is inclined to other books all the time. Our Jama’at should try and be occupied with the Holy Quran and ponder over it wholeheartedly and give up being inclined to Ahadith. It is of great regret that the Holy Quran is not deliberated over as Ahadith are! Take the weapon of the Holy Quran in hand to triumph at this hour. No darkness will be able to withstand this light!” (Malfuzat, Vol. I, p. 386).

Holy Quran: Door to Salvation

The Promised Messiah (as) states, “Fully realize that as it is not possible to see without eyes or to hear without ears or to speak without tongues, so also it is not possible to set eyes on our Beloved God without the aid of the Holy Quran” (Roohani Khaza’in Vol. 10, pp.442-443). This quote makes us realize the importance and need of the Holy Quran in our daily lives.

He also states, “There is no other book under heaven beside the Quran which can furnish you with salvation. God has been very Beneficent towards you that He has bestowed a Book like the Quran upon you. I tell you truly that if the Book that is recited to you had been recited to the Christians, they would not have perished. If this bounty of guidance which has been bestowed upon you had been bestowed upon the Jews in place of the Torah, some of their sects would not have denied the Day of Judgement. Then value this favor that has been bestowed upon you. It is a very dear favor; it is great wealth. If the Quran had not been revealed the whole world would have been left like a dirty lump of flesh. The Quran is the Book in contrast with which all other guidance amounts to nothing.” (Kashti Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 19, pp. 26-27 – Essence of Islam, Vol. 1 pp. 400-401)