Al Furqān

وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا

30. “And the Messenger will say (that Day): ‘O my Lord! Verily my people treated this Qur’an with neglect.”

Oh Allah! People have deserted the holy Qur’an. Since the previous verses mentioned the different kinds of pretext-seeking of some stubborn polytheists and unbelievers, this holy verse mentions complain and annoyance of the Prophet (S) about the incorrect behaviour of this group with the Qur’an, where it says:

This complain of the Prophet (S) is still heard. He complains to Allah even about a large group of Muslims who have neglected the holy Qur’an which is the secret of life, means of salvation, the factor of victory, development and movement, and full of life programs. They have neglected this book and have begged others for their civil and criminal laws! Now if you study the situation of the people of Islamic countries, especially those who are culturally under the control of Western and Eastern countries, you see that the holy Qur’an is changed into a ceremonial book among them.

Only its words are nicely broadcasted by a few speakers and are seen on glazed tiles of mosques as architecture. It is used for making new house blissful, or for protecting a traveler and healing patients, or at most it is recited for its reward. Even when some persons argue by using the holy Qur’an, their aim is to prove their prejudgments by the help of its verses and their interpretation is according to their personal opinion.

In some Islamic countries, there are great schools that are named ‘Schools of Memorization of the Holy Qur’an’. In these schools girls and boys are memorizing the Qur’an, while their thoughts are sometimes influenced by Western and Eastern countries and their laws are borrowed from some none-Islamic countries and the Qur’an is applied only for covering their wrong actions. Yes, today the Prophet (S) also cries:

“O my Lord! Verily my people treated this Qur’an with neglect.”

It is neglected from the aspects of content, thought, and reforming programs.

Some Points

1. This noble verse refers to the complaint of the Prophet (S) and, because he is ‘mercy for both worlds’, he does not cast curse.

2. Imam Rida (as) said:

“The reason that we read the holy Qur’an in ritual prayers is for paying attention to the Qur’an.”

3. An Islamic narration recommends to read 50 verses of the Qur’an everyday and your aim must not be reaching the end of Surah. Read slowly and strike your heart with reading the Qur’an. Whenever you are surrounded by temptations, as night engulfed you, resort to the Qur’an.³⁴

4. It seems proper to mention a few confessions of some great persons about the holy Qur’an how it is neglected:

A) Mulla Sadra (may his spirit be sanctified!) says in the introduction of Surah Al-Waqi‘ah:

I read books of many philosophers so that I thought I knew all things and I became an important man, but when I began to perceive a little of the true nature of situations, I found out that I knew no real and true knowledge.

At the end of my lifetime, I embarked on pondering the Holy Qur’an and the narrations of the Prophet (S) and his family. I became certain that what I had done up to then was baseless, for during my life I was standing in shadow instead of being under light.

I became wholeheartedly sorrowful, and, then divine favour was bestowed on me and I became familiar with the secrets of the holy Qur’an and I began to comment on and ponder the Qur’an.

I knocked the door of revelation until curtains were taken away and doors were opened and I saw that angels say to me:

B) Fiyz-i-Kashani (may his spirit be sanctified!) says:

I wrote books and treatises and I researched, but none of them was remedy for my pain and no water I found to quench my thirst. I got worried about myself, and I resorted to Allah and repented so that Allah led me by means of pondering the Qur’an and Islamic traditions. ³⁷

C) Imam Khomeini (may his spirit be sanctified!) says that he regrets that he has not spend all of his life for the holy Qur’an and he advised the students of universities and the students of seminaries to set the Qur’an and its various dimensions as ultimate aim in all courses, lest in the end of life they do not regret for youth days.³⁸

D) The relationship of man and the heavenly book must be perpetual and in all aspects, for the word ‘Hijr’ is used when there is relationship between man and that thing.³⁹ So, we must try our best to pay attention to the holy Qur’an and set it our scientific and practical base in all dimensions of life so that the dear Prophet (S) gets satisfied.

E) Abandoning reading the Qur’an, preferring other books to the holy Qur’an, not setting it as pivot, not pondering it, not teaching it to others, and not applying it in practice are extensions of negligence of the Qur’an. Even one who learns the Qur’an, but does not pay attention to it, does not look at it, and does not feel responsible for it, has neglected the Qur’an.⁴⁰