Imagine This . . .
Imagine finding a box that looks ordinary on the outside but is filled with gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, rings, necklaces, bracelets, crowns, pearls, and more.
What would you do with such a box? Would you open it and enjoy the treasures or put it away in a drawer? Many of us, including me, would instantly take advantage of the wealth inside.
You Already Own Something Much Greater Than This
Most of us have something more than a million times more precious than this, something just sitting in our drawers or catching dust on our shelves. Even if we open it to see what's inside, we don't recognize the beauty and magnificence of the treasures in it. Those treasures are the words of Allaah Almighty — the Qur'aan!
My personal copy of the Qur'aan sat in my drawer for years, and I would only pay attention to it once in while. Even if I would recite it, I wouldn't understand a word I was saying and would just get bored.
أفلا يتدبرون القرآن أم على قلوب أقفالها
{Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?} [Qur'aan, 47:24]
In those days I became distanced from the book of Rabbul-'Aalameen (Lord of the Worlds) and got busy with other things. I didn't even think once about trying to understand the Qur'aan. Like many, I had only learned to recite the Qur'aan in Madrasah and finished it that once. However, that's not all that there is to it, the Qur'aan came down for us as a guidance, a manual book to help live our lives according to our Lord.
Once I opened the Qur'aan and analayzed the intricate design of the words, I thought to myself, These are the words of Allaah Almighty. The author of this book is no man, but the Creator Himself!
Did I Deserve This?
Did I deserve to own a copy of this magnificent treasure? Allaah had given me the Qur'aan and all I did was either ignore it or recite it half-heartedly. Why weren't His words touching my heart? Why were my eyes dry? Why? Why? Why? As questions and thoughts rollercoastered through my mind, I figured out the answer; it was because I wasn't valuing the Qur'aan the way it deserved to be valued.
Running to the Prayer Mat
I ran to the prayer mat and made a dua to Allaah Almighty to ask Him to help me understand his Book and guide me to the straight path.
Then I downloaded the English translation of the Qur'aan onto my tablet and soon got attached to its beauty.
Shattering a Mountain
Allaah Almighty mentioned that if the Qur'aan would be sent down to a mountain, it would shatter that mountain into pieces like glass. This is the power of the Qur'aan!
Being a non-Arab, I really wanted to learn classical Arabic. If the translation and tafsir was so powerful, then I couldn't imagine how powerful the actual words of Allaah Almighty would be like if I knew them.
I started my quest to learn the beautiful language and encouraged my family members to do so as well.
Brothers and sisters, please wake up! Realize the true value of Qur'aan. If you have the right intention, work hard, and make dua to Allaah Almighty for making this easy for you, then He will open doors you can't imagine!
I pray for myself and for my ummah to have the ability to understand, love, recite, share, learn, teach, implement, and value the Qur'aan in our lives so it comes as an intercessor for us on the Day of Judgement.