‘Will the Quran speak to me?’

I know the Quran to be a book of guidance, what Muslim doesn’t, right? The Quran itself testifies to this:

‘We sent down the Book to you which makes everything clear, and a guidance and a mercy…’(16:89)

‘Verily this Qur’an doth guide to that which is most right…’(17:9)

‘The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind…’ (2:185)

‘And it certainly is a Guide and Mercy to those who believe.’ (27:77)

The Quran answers all those important questions that arise, as we navigate our life on earth:

How did I get here?

Why am I here?

Who is Allah?

What is right and what is wrong?

What will happen to me after death?

But what caught me by surprise was to learn that the Quran will only truly speak to people with certain qualities. I took it for granted that to read the Quran was to be guided.

But Allah (SWT) says,

‘In which there is guidance for the muttaqin’ (2:2)

Allah (SWT) in Surah Baqarah, calls the people who will benefit from this Book, ‘the muttaqin’ (the God-conscious), and tells us the qualities they possess.

• They believe in the ‘ghayb’; in all those things which are hidden from our senses, but which the Quran talks about and which the Prophet (saw) has told us of. So they believe in the nature and attributes of Allah, the angels and jinn, heaven and hell, Day of Judgement, the previous Prophets and the previous books.

Those who need to see to believe in these things, or are doubtful about any of the unseen matters revealed in the Quran, will find this Book of little use.

• They ‘establish Salah’. The muttaqin are aware that merely saying ‘I believe’ is not enough. Thus they steadfastly respond to the mu’adhdhin’s call to prayer five times a day, and try to perform their salah in the most perfect manner. The early scholar Qatada explained:

‘The establishing of the prayer is to stick to and guard its timing, ablution, bowing and prostration.’

Ibn Abbas, the companion of Rasool Allah (SAW) said: ‘Establishing the prayer is to perform its bowing, prostrations and reciting in a complete manner as well as having fear of Allah and complete attention to it.’

Those who do not pray, or pray once in a while, or those who do not give due attention to all the necessary prerequisites of Salah, will find this Book of little use.

• They spend out of what Allah (SWT) has give them. They share their wealth, as zakat and sadaqa, with others who are less fortunate, all the while recognising that whatever they possess belongs to Allah.

Those who do not believe that others have a rightful claim on what Allah has blessed them with or are unwilling to part with their wealth will find this Book of little use.


• They believe in what  has been revealed to Prophet Mohammad (SAW) and what was revealed to the previous messengers. They believe that Allah (SWT) has sent successive messengers, since the dawn of human life, to guide man to the worship of Allah alone.

Those who reject or doubt any of the revelations Allah has sent down; those who think it unnecessary to receive guidance from Allah, through the agency of the messengers, to regulate man’s conduct in life and organise the affairs of society, and would rather rely on their own Aql, or a saint, or another human being for guidance, will find this Book of little use.

• They are certain of the Hereafter. They know they will be raised up to stand before Allah and will have their deeds, good and bad, judged by Him (SWT), an accounting that will lead to heaven or hell.

Those who reject or have doubts with regards to the Hereafter will find this Book of little use.

So next time you read, ask yourself ‘Will the Quran speak to me?’