Skipping Allah's speech.

In the Name of Allah,

All praise is due to Allah, one who holds my life in his hand.

“Have you considered those who were asked to accept judgement from Allah’s Book? When they are asked to accept judgement from Allah’s Book, some of them turn their backs and walk away!” (Qur’an 3:23)

Every week, I look forward to Sundays tafsir class after Maghrib in Islamic Center of Orlando. It saddens me to see 150 Muslims walk out after Maghrib without staying for 5 minutes of tafsir.

Some of them include Hafiz of Quran. Some are pillars of the community. Some are trustees of the community. Some are activists who gather people after Salat for hadith readings. Some are passionate muslims ready to fight. Some have beards reaching their chest. Some lives so close to the masjid that literally they can throw a stone to their homes. Some visit Muslims home, inviting them to Masjid, but walk out of the most important part of being in the Masjid LEARN THE MEANING OF THE WORD OF ALLAH

Do they have so much knowledge that they do not require any more understanding of Quran? Do they despise the Imam so much that they can't tolerate him for 30 minutes? Do they find Quran as a chant that is read to cast spells on each others?

Honestly, I am confused, and I am sad to see that.

Some of them I have invited personally to stay back, but they will not stay back.

I think there is a misconception about Quran that is very common, and a reason for this behaviour. Many memorize the Quran literally assuming that this will give them the benefits promised by Prophet (PBUH). So, a memorizer of Quran will be given power of intercession? Lets look at that hadith.

Hazrat Ali relates that our holy Prophet said “Whoever recites the Qur'an, memorizes it, accepts its halal (lawful things) as halal and haram (forbidden things) as haram (i.e. his beliefs in these matters are correct), Allah, the Exalted, will enter him to Paradise and accept his intercession on behalf of ten such persons of his family upon whom entry into Hell has become incumbent (i.e. Allah will forgive them because of his intercession). (Tirmidhi, Fadailu'l-Quran, 13; Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 17.)

If we look closely to the definition of the person mentioned in this hadith. One has to recite a part of Quran, memorize the part of Quran, and then live that part of the Quran. After fulfilling all three conditions, will he be given the honor that is mentioned.

Hafiz of Quran is not the person who memorize the letters of Quran, and read them in Taraweeh. If a person has memorized the whole quran, but doesn't understand what he has memorized, and doesn't follow in his life. He will not be given any such benefits. Islam is not a system of chants and magical spells, but a practical way of life. No benefit without practice. Even Salat includes actions.

My son is going to hifz program, and memorizing the Quran. I will not consider him Hafiz until he understand the meaning of what he memorized, and live according to that meaning. Solely memorizing the words doesn't benefit in anyway, unless there is an effort to follow those words.

Now, every Masjid in the Muslim communities have such programs of Tafsir of Quran, and so does the Masjid in my community. Imam will announce about the tafsir in the Friday sermon, where 500 people will be there, and there will be 150 people in the Maghrib on Sundays, but only 15 - 20 people present during the tafsir.

Wallah! tafsir class is the call towards speech of Allah, and we skip it, intentionally, every single week like a clock work. This is the value of Allah in our lives? Is this the answer we give to Allah, and his messenger, when he invited the humanity towards Islam?

Quran is the direct speech of Allah, not a paraphrased or summarized version. We are skipping the only chance provided to understand that speech. What is more important in our life that we have to rush towards? Is that the NFL game? Is that the sweet our wives are cooking? Is that the dinner you are invited to?

I urge all who gets this message to please attend the tafsir class or similar to learn about the verses of the Quran. If you are "Hafiz" of Quran, you are more resposible to understand what you memorized, and teach others. Short of that will strip of any benefits of the memorization, InshAllah.

I understand that you may have commitments, or may have some disagreement with Imam, but come for Allah, and come to learn his speech. If you have no excuse, please come and hear what Allah has to say to you. Lets make the masjid our center of learning, not our homes privately where only a few can benefit.

I invite everyone to the following, and will be witness on the day of judgement that this call was made to all of us.

Sisters are invited as well to attend these, since Islam is an equal opportunity system.

Speech of Allah with meaning (Tafsir - e - Quran)

Sundays After Maghrib
Islamic Center of Orlando,
11543 Ruby Lake Road Orlando, FL 32836-6159


JazakAllah Khairin
A struggling Muslim
AbuArman (Adnan Jumani)