Imrana Latif, Canada
“The Holy Quran is a treasure chest, but few are those who are aware of it.” (Hazrat Ahmadas, Selections from the Writings of the Promised Messiah, p. 31)
The Holy Quran, the Final Book sent down in the month of Ramadan, glows with guidance. It is the book through which mankind can attain true salvation and establish a relationship with its Author: Allah the Almighty. From the beginning, we read:
“This is a perfect Book; there is no doubt in it; [it is] a guidance for the righteous.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.3)
The Holy Quran is the Perfect Book, which undertook the reformation of entire humanity and is not addressed only to one nation. It seeks the reform of all and has set forth all grades of human development. It teaches the ways of guidance and instils high moral qualities.
The Holy Quran was revealed in many intervals and it took about 23 years to complete. The disbelievers said:
“‘Why was not the Quran revealed to him all at once?’” (Surah al-Furqan, Ch.25: V.33)
To this objection, the Holy Quran responds:
“[We have revealed it] thus that We may strengthen thy heart therewith. And We have arranged it in the best form.” (Surah al-Furqan, Ch.25: V.33)
Under the above-mentioned verse, we read in the Five Volume Commentary:
“The Quran was revealed piecemeal and at intervals. This was intended to serve two very useful purposes: (i) The interval between the revelation of different passages afforded the believers an opportunity to witness fulfilment of some of the prophecies made in the passages already revealed and thus their faith became strengthened and fortified. Further, it was intended to answer the objections raised by disbelievers during the interval. (ii) When Muslims needed guidance on a particular occasion to meet a particular need, necessary and relevant verses were revealed. Besides, the revelation of the Quran was spread over a period of 23 years in order to enable the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa to remember, learn and assimilate it.” (Five Volume Commentary [1960], Surah al-Furqan, Ch.25: V.33, p. 1892)
The Holy Quran is the best and ultimate source for guiding humankind towards the right path. This Holy book contains divine knowledge and this is the complete institution in itself and the guide for the people who strayed away from their paths. It is a sure fact that the Quran is rich with knowledge and has strong benefits for its reciters and listeners. It is the natural practice of Muslims to recite and listen to the Holy Quran regularly. The Holy Prophetsa gives an example to differentiate between people who recite the Holy Quran and those who do not recite it. He stated that a believer who recites and follows the Holy Quran is akin to a fragrant and flavorful citron. Similarly, a believer who doesn’t recite the Quran but adheres to its teachings is comparable to a sweet-tasting date that lacks fragrance. On the other hand, a hypocrite who recites the Quran is like a sweet-smelling yet bitter Raihana (sweet basil), while a hypocrite who neglects the recitation of the Quran is likened to a colocynth, unpleasant in both taste and smell. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab fadha’ili l-qur’an, Hadith 5059)
The text of the Holy Quran has remained unchanged over the past 1400 years. And this is not strange since God says in the Holy Quran that He Himself will guard this book. Allah Says:
“Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian. (Surah al-Hijr, Ch.15: V.10)
What does the Holy Quran contain?
The simple answer is, “the Qur’an was sent down as a guidance for mankind”. (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.186)
For Muslims, the Holy Quran is the Word of God and contains complete guidance for mankind. Much of the Quran is about God, His attributes and Man’s relationship with Him. But it also contains directives for its followers, historical accounts of certain prophets and peoples, arguments for accepting the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa as a true Prophet and good news for the believers and warnings for the disbelievers.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, writes:
“Anyone who studies the Holy Quran will find that, from beginning to end, it provides two kinds of testimonies—the testimony of reason and the testimony of revelation. In the Holy Quran, these two are like two great streams running in parallel and influencing each other continuously. The stream of reason shows that something ‘should be’, and the stream of divine testimony assures us, like a wise and righteous informant, that ‘it is.’ The advantage of this Quranic approach is obvious, for in reading the Holy Quran a seeker finds rational evidence for its teachings—evidence the like of which cannot be found in any work of philosophy.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya [Parts I & II], p. 94)
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, in his Friday Sermon of 29 February 2008, stated that we urge our opponents to carefully examine the teachings and contents of the Holy Quran, recognising its merits in providing spiritual, moral, and social guidance for humanity. (Friday Sermon, 29 February 2008; Al Fazl, 21-27 March 2008, pp. 5-8)
The Holy Quran carries a complete, comprehensive and final moral and spiritual law. Not only does it make claims of perfection, but it also provides undeniable proof with regard to the truth of its claims based on rational reasoning. In light of what the Promised Messiahas has imparted to us, our verdict is absolutely and emphatically certain that the Holy Quran is Al-Furqan (Criterion), and as such, it clearly discriminates between what is truth and what is falsehood.
The Holy Quran grants spiritual eminence to the believers, and salvation is found through acting upon its teachings, but only the mutahharin – the pure of heart – can benefit from it, not the doubting disbelievers and the wrong-doers. The best defence of the Holy Quran is to follow in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet Muhammadsa to whom the Quran was revealed.