Qur'an Convos: Tadabbur
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Learning to Understand the Qur'an
What is the difference between reflecting on the Qur’an and understanding its meanings? How can a holistic approach to its meanings be maintained? How can scholarly interpretation of the Qur’an be made more accessible?
In episode 4 of Qur'an Convos: Tadabbur, Sh. Suleiman Hani talks to Sh. Osamah Salhia and Ustadha Faatimah Knight about understanding the meanings of the Qur’an.
Sh. Osamah is the Imam of the Islamic Center of Passaic County - Clifton Campus. Ustadha Faatimah is a research fellow at Yaqeen and the Community Editor for Renovatio, the Journal of Zaytuna College.
Catch the show every Monday on our Youtube Channel or the main Yaqeen Podcast channel on your favorite listening platform here.
Make sure to leave your feedback on the show here.
Transcript
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings. Asalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatuh. And welcome to Qur'an Convos, a podcast where we explore the many ways you can connect with the Qur'an. In season one, as you've seen, we've been covering the theme of tadabbur and what it means or what it means to reflect deeply on the Qur'an. This is based on the works of Imam al-Ghazali, rahimahullah, the 10 inward acts for the recitation of the Qur'an. Today, alhamdulillah, we'll be exploring the topic of how to understand the meanings of the Qur'an inshallah ta'ala. We are very excited to have our two guests today, alhamdulillah, Sheikh Osama Salhiya and Ustadh Fatima Knight. Sheikh Osama, for those who are listening, is the Imam of the ICPC in Clifton, New Jersey. Ustadh Fatima is a research fellow at Yaqeen. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless you both. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah. Sheikh Osama, Ustadh Fatima, how are you doing today? Wa alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullah. Alhamdulillah, doing well inshallah. Wa alaykum as-salam, doing well as well, alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah, barakallahu feekum. Before we get into the actual topic, I do want to ask you a question we've been asking all of our guests. And it is a personal question, so feel free to share to the level of your comfort. Can you share one instance in your life when reading or listening to the Qur'an evoked a deep emotional reaction from you? What was happening? What did your reader hear? What did it make you do or feel? What did it relate to or connect to? We'll start inshallah ta'ala with Ustadh Fatima. Barakallahu feekum. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Yeah, you know, I can think of an instance that goes back pretty far. I want to say I was 18, so 12-ish years ago. And I believe the experience was the inaugural ceremony for Zaytuna College.
So I was starting as a freshman, and they do these inaugural ceremonies for the beginning of the school year. And it must have been Qari Amr is his name, who's a well-known Qari, Moroccan Qari who resides in California. And he, I believe he recited Surah Rahman. And I think that was probably the first time I'd heard a live recitation of Qur'an that had that level of emotion. That level of beauty and talent and gift behind it. I hadn't really been exposed to people who specialized in this area of not only knowing how to recite the Qur'an technically, but actually having a gift for reciting it beautifully and for having a natural talent for reciting it beautifully. And I think that was probably the first time I was really exposed to, oh my goodness, there are people out there who can read the Qur'an like this, you know, with this level of talent and beauty and majesty. So I think that was a really powerful experience for me. And it was sort of the beginning of many firsts in terms of learning about the Qur'an, learning about the Islamic sciences and things like that. So it was a really beautiful opening to the beginning of that journey for me. Insha'Allah, Jazakumul khair. And SubhanAllah, it's a really relevant, I think, story and example that many people will think about at some point in their lives.
Coming across a recitation that is just very powerful and beautiful and not just technically correct, but impactful on the hearts. And it's a reminder for everyone who's listening, a reminder for ourselves. When you recite the Qur'an, especially if others are listening, be as sincere as you can towards Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. For perhaps this will increase the impact that it has on the hearts of others who are listening. Sheikh Osama, I'll ask you the same question, insha'Allah. BarakAllahu feekum. Jazakumul khair, Sheikh Salman. Allah Hafiz. Yeah, like you said, this is, SubhanAllah, you know, a really personal question, but I guess the benefit, hopefully, that could be in it is, you know, developing that type of emotional and spiritual relationship with the Qur'an that could be very empowering through the experiences that we go through in our lives. You know, I guess one that comes to mind, you know, takes me back to when I had just graduated high school. This was in the month of June, end of June, just graduated high school. And then as soon as July 3rd came, I made myself ready to travel halfway across the world to continue my studies in Egypt. And, you know, it was a really emotional time because it was the first time I was going to live away from home, first time living in a Muslim country. And at that young age, I guess the challenge was and the concern was, am I going to be able to do it? And people around me shared that concern. You're going to be able to, you know, find that strength to be fully independent of your family, of your common surroundings, and continue on that journey of knowledge. So I guess there's one verse that initially I kept on reminding myself of to find the emotional strength to begin the journey. And then there's another verse that I guess helped me throughout as I was there in my years in Egypt studying.
So the first verse is in Surat An-Nisa, Chapter 4, verse 100. And it's, وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُرَاغَمًا كَثِيرًا وَسَعًا وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِن بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ يِدْرِكْهُ الْمَوْتِ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ So the verse basically saying, you know, when you journey and that journey is for Allah, you'll find many safe havens and you'll find much bountiful resources in the land. And whoever leaves his home for Allah and his prophets and then dies, then his ajr is by Allah. And I guess the emotion that was there was, all right, what's going to happen on this journey to me, to my parents? They're getting older. Will I be surprised with something along the way at that far distance? So I guess it was a very spiritually empowering verse for me. And the other verse in Surah Yunus that, you know, I guess helped me along the journey was, you know, as you spend time away, you know, in unfamiliar territories, you get much time for isolation and reflection, you know. And that other verse that, you know, I felt was also very empowering was Surah Yunus, verse 61, where Allah Azza wa Jal says, وَمَا تَكُونُوا فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَثْنُوا مِنْهُمْ مِنْ قُرْآنٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا The verse is basically saying you're never in a situation or condition. You never recite any part of the book of Allah, except that Allah is ever watchful over you, ever seeing every act and every motion you make. So, you know, those are two verses that, you know, struck a very, you know, deep part in my heart. You know, ask Allah Azza wa Jal to make us of those who reflect on the Quran and live with it. Ameen. Ameen. Jazakumullahu khairan, Sheikh. Beautiful examples. And subhanAllah, I think that's also relevant to those who
are in the path of seeking knowledge, especially when they're traveling, they're moving, leaving families, maybe isolated or independent for the first time in a more significant way. It's a really important reminder as well, subhanAllah. And had you heard and perhaps you had heard the ayah so many times before and recited it, memorized it, but it hits differently when you're experiencing something at that point in your life. And there are many other examples like this, even from the companions, may Allah be pleased with all of them. The example of the most difficult day for the Ummah, the passing of the Prophet ﷺ, and how difficult it was to accept this news, even for Umar ibn Khattab, radiyAllahu anhu, to the extent that when Abu Bakr came out, as we all know in the story, and he finally addressed the people and he recited the ayah, وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُولِ There's a report that Umar ibn Khattab, radiyAllahu anhu, said, it's as though I was listening to this ayah for the first time. And he said, only then did I really realize, I fully processed that the Prophet ﷺ had passed away. Sometimes we recite and we recite and we recite and we're not reciting with an emphasis on reflection or on understanding. May Allah ﷻ grant us understanding. Ustadh Fatima and Sheikh Usama, in our first three episodes so far of this season, we've built an understanding of who the speaker of the Qur'an is, and then number two, the importance of priming our hearts to connect with Allah's words, and also how to start engaging in tadabbur or deep reflection of the Qur'an. In this episode, inshaAllah ta'ala, the inward act from the list from Imam al-Ghazali, rahimahullah, that we are reflecting on is what he calls understanding or tafahum. And there are some people who might say that the Qur'an is straightforward and it is clear, and anyone can not just read it, but understand it fully and interpret it as they will.
And there are others who say that the Qur'an can only be understood fully by scholars, so we have to understand it exclusively from them. And of course, we know in the study of Ulum al-Qur'an that there's much more to this. There are qualifications for a mufassir in one of the Ulum al-Qur'an classes I had taught in the past. We listed maybe 20 qualifications that the scholars proposed for someone who's doing tafsir. Whereas tadabbur, as we mentioned before, is something that can be done by people in different ways, and there are etiquettes and guidelines. I guess the question we can start with is the following. What is the very practical step-by-step approach an average Muslim should take if they want to understand the Qur'an, meaning they want to take that first step, an introductory level of understanding the Qur'an? Maybe we can start inshaAllah ta'ala this time with Sheikh Osama and then Ustadh Fafian. JazakAllah khair, Sheikh Suleiman. So, you know, for me, just to, I guess, begin that discussion, what resonates in terms of the difference between tadabbur and tafahum is that tafahum is sort of looking beyond and understanding the profound message that's being conveyed by Allah Azza wa Jal. And then tadabbur is where am I from this verse? How does it relate to me? Or how can I draw personal connections with the words of Allah Azza wa Jal? I think Imam Ghazali in this section on tafahum, he clarifies that, you know, he gives a few examples of what he means by tafahum. And one of those examples is basically when you look at the creation of Allah Azza wa Jal, of the heavens and the earth and the interchange of day and night, that you see something beyond and that is His doing. And you reflect on the greatness of His fi'il.
So you go beyond the fi'il to the fa'il, beyond the action to the one doing it. And that's Allah Azza wa Jal. And through realizing that, you realize the greatness of what's being described in terms of the actions because our actions do not come near His actions, subhanah. And he gives other examples besides that. But I guess, you know, to your point, how can I begin to, you know, develop that type of step-by-step approach in my creation? In my connection with the Book of Allah, I would take, I would, you know, emphasize a few points. The first of these points is, you know, to understand that the Qur'an's address is meant for different levels of understanding. And so it's absolutely not a book reserved for any category of people, scholars or otherwise, but rather it is a book that is fully encompassing in terms of being relevant to the different demographics. And the Qur'an says this, is a verse in Surah Al-Qamar, Chapter 54, Verse 17, where Allah says, وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ We have made the Qur'an easy to be a reminder and a source of remembrance. So is there anyone then to be mindful? But on the other hand, Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala says, of course, not everyone in terms of their reminder will be the same. كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ We've sent down this book, a blessed book, so that they may reflect on its verses. And then the key words in the end of the verse, وَلِيَ تَذَكَّرَ أُولُّ الْأَلْبَابِ And so that those people of intellect and understanding and reason may be reminded. So we have both components here. By the way, that verse is Chapter 38, Verse 29. So the first point is, the Qur'an addresses different levels of understanding. The second is, realize that it's a sea without a shore.
No matter how much I attempt to extrapolate its verses and its bounties, I will never reach its end. And that's how the book is meant to be. And then the third point I would say is, realize, just as there's different levels of understanding, there's also different readings of the Qur'an. And I guess we learned this from our Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ would often be in a position where he would lead the companions in prayer and he would recite to them the Book of Allah. But in one situation that the Sunnah speaks about, the Prophet ﷺ wanted to listen to the Qur'an as a means to get a new doorway of reflection. And that's when he came to Ibn Mas'ud and he said to him, recite to me the Qur'an. So the Prophet ﷺ, Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud radiallahu anhu, he said to the Prophet ﷺ, should I recite it to you when it's been revealed to you? The Prophet ﷺ said, I love to listen to it from another. So the Prophet ﷺ is teaching us how to build doorways to connecting with the Book of Allah. And so he began reciting from Surah An-Nisa until he reached the verse, that verse states, and how then will it be when we bring for every nation a witness and we've brought you as a witness over these haa ulaa. fa kayfa idha jitna min kulli ummati bishahidin wa jitna bika ala haa ulaa shahida So when he recited this, the Prophet ﷺ told him, stop right there. Hasbuka al-an, stop right there. And he looked over to the Prophet ﷺ and he saw him crying. And that's the spiritual empowerment and the emotional empowerment that the Prophet ﷺ got from the Book of Allah. Now, of course, there's much more to say, of course, I'd love to hear from Ustada Fatima what she has to add to that, you know, in terms of the specifics that are needed to build a relationship with the Qur'an. If I think of anything else, I'll add it after that, inshallah. JazakAllah khair. JazakAllah khair. BarakAllahu khair, Ustada Fatima.
Yeah, I think that was beautiful advice. And I would add to it, you know, I think it's interesting when it comes to the Qur'an, a lot of times Muslims feel either very intimidated by it, which the negative consequence of that is staying away from it then. And the opposite is that people can feel a little bit too comfortable. And the negative result of that is thinking that they are then the standard by which to understand the book, you know. So there's, inshallah, a happy middle place because certainly there is a level of intimidation that we should feel by this revelation from Allah ﷻ. But at the end of the day, it has been revealed for our benefit, right? And so you can only benefit through engaging with it. So, you know, I think a lot of what Imam al-Ghazali is trying to get us to do is to be fascinated and interested in the Qur'an, right? To engender a sense of fascination, of interest, of interest in understanding the book, right, to have a certain, to feel a certain pull towards it, right? That will allow us to return to it time and time again. That will allow us to, you know, something comes to our heart or something comes to our mind and we think to ourselves naturally, oh, I wonder what's in the book of Allah about this, right? To engender that sense of fascination with it that keeps us coming back over and over again. And so that's why, you know, all these different points that he's making, especially this point of tafahm, of, you know, try to understand,
come to the book of Allah with the explicit intention of trying to gain an understanding, of walking away, you know, with more knowledge or certainty or even more questions than you had before, but to have a real engagement with the book. And, you know, I think one thing that's interesting, people who study literature, for instance, they'll say things like, in order to really approach a book appropriately, you have to take the author seriously. Meaning the author wrote this book with intention and with purpose. Right? So you can't handle the book frivolously. And you can't assume when you read something in the book that it is pointless or said in vain. And of course, that's just talking about books written by human beings, who it's, you know, it's essentially impossible for us to do everything with intention and, you know, with meaning behind it, although we can certainly try. But when we're looking at the book of Allah, we know with certainty that this is something that has meaning and intentionality in every verse, in every word, in every letter. Right? So we have to take it seriously. And we have to consider that nothing in it is being said in vain. And nothing is, you know, unimportant or frivolous or added last minute or something like that. And then, you know, also in this understanding of Tadabur is to treat with care. Right? So it's something that when we read the Quran, you know, we approach it with care,
we approach it with gentleness, we approach it with this mindset that we're not going to be harmed by it. We're going to be nourished by it. And we want to lend our intellect and our hearts towards understanding it. Right? That's how we treat it with care. So, yeah, I would just rewind here. To say so much of what Imam Al-Ghazali is trying to impart to us is we have to engender this sense of fascination and interest with the book of Allah. And that's the first step towards getting something out of it. Jazakumullah khayran, Sadafatimah. It's an excellent, excellent example and insight as well. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward you. You reminded me of the statement of one of the predecessors, Abdullah ibn Mubarak, rahimahullah. He gives an example of like an approach. And he says the first step towards seeking knowledge is the sincerity of intention. And so as we're talking about, of course, understanding and tafsir and thinking about the Quran and Tadabur starts with the intention. And he says, then it's listening, like listening often, then it is understanding. And so it's one of the first things that's included in this list of advices towards fully engaging with the book of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And then he adds other things, memorizing, implementation of what you are reading and understanding and memorizing. And then it's also teaching others and conveying it. And the story that you reminded me of is actually from the tafsir of Imam Al-Qurti, rahimahullah. It's an analogy rather. And he says the metaphor of those who recite the Quran without knowing its meanings. Here specifically, it's tafsir. Is that of some people to whom a letter arrives from their king at night when they have no lamp? And at that time, of course, they have no light.
They are alarmed, not knowing what the letter contains. The metaphor of the one who knows the tafsir, the meaning of the Quran, is that of a man who brings them a lamp so that they can read what the letter contains. And of course, today in this day and age, we have to give an analogy that people can relate to. And so we asked some of the youth if there's a celebrity, a righteous, pious celebrity, someone you look up to, someone you love, someone you admire, you would love to meet this person. And they sent you a video message, but you had no data, you had no Wi-Fi, you couldn't download the message. You wouldn't benefit from it. You wouldn't know what to do. You'd have maybe a sense of urgency. I need to understand what's here. Like I received a message from this person. I really need to know what's here. And of course, this is a really clumsy analogy because it doesn't highlight fully what we're talking about here when we reference the speech of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, the words of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. This is kalamullah. It is a miracle for us. It is a healing for us. It is a guidance for us. When the average Muslim tries to understand the Quran, sometimes they'll read a translation. Sometimes they'll maybe listen to a short tafsir clip or start studying tafsir. And when scholars try to research and understand and explain the Quran, they are usually delving into a deeper study and analysis of the language and many other things as well. Scholarly commentary is engaged with. But the average person usually is not expected to do something like that. Even a beginner student of knowledge oftentimes is not doing that deep research. You know, every time they start engaging with the Quran. So the question that maybe we can ask is, what should we do to maintain a holistic approach to the meanings of the Quran? And Ustadh Fatima, we'll start with you for this one, inshallah ta'ala. Barak Allahu khair. Bismillah. Yeah, that's a good question.
I would start off with saying that, you know, trying your best to have a regular practice, of course, of reading the Quran. And, you know, even if you're not sure what the future of your study is going to be with regards to the Quran, you don't know how deeply you're going to get to go. If you're going to have the opportunity to do formal training, things like that. Just start reading because I think what happens initially is that the more familiar you are with the Quran, the more it pops up in day to day life. Meaning, you know, you first start to see it happen in just your daily experiences, right? Something will happen in your life. There's an event, a circumstance, you know, a happy moment, a tragic moment, or just an interesting moment. And because of your familiarity with the Quran, something from it will, you know, arise in your mind, right? And it has application for that moment that you're in. And, you know, ultimately, if that's as far as you ever get, that's still really great, right? Because the idea that, you know, I'm so familiar with the book of Allah that when something happens in my life, I think, oh, wow, that reminds me of that verse, right? Or, oh, wow, that's just like what Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala said in that verse. And so I think engendering that familiarity so that when you're going about your daily life, you have the blessing of being able to call upon the Quran or just the fact that it comes to your mind. So I think that would be the first thing.
You know, I really think it's so important to listen to the scholars, to read from the scholars, to, of course, find scholars that you trust and resonate with. Because ultimately, they will be a guide for you in understanding the book better and in putting it into context so that you can understand it better. And there's nothing wrong with that. Of course, we should endeavor to read on our own, but we're also a community that values scholarship and that values, you know, transmission and learning from others. And so we should be happy to hear from others about what they've gained from their study of the Quran. And, you know, I think what happens is that, you know, people sometimes think, oh, well, then you're just relying on someone else to interpret the book for you. One, part of that is totally okay, because just like in any other sphere of knowledge, you can't know everything. And there are people who study more than you. And so you should listen to them. That's one. But two, is that that's not all that happens, right? Sometimes it's that it's not so much that listening to the scholar or reading the book will elucidate everything for you. It might elucidate something in one part of the Quran. And then as you go on in your journey, you realize, oh, well, this has application for that. Even though the scholar may not have spoken about that particular verse, or you may not have read about that particular verse in terms of a tafsir.
But because you're allowing yourself to be in that world of hearing interpretations and hearing scholars talk about it, your mind is going to then be able to apply reasoning to different parts and apply context to different parts. And it will slowly and slowly blossom for you. So I'd say those two things have familiarity with the book so that in your daily life, you feel the applicability of it. And then also feel comfortable listening to scholars because not only will they explain something in particular, but they will give you the context to help you understand some things on your own as well. Jazakumullahu khairan, Ussada Fatima, you give so many useful advices and you also touched on really a crucial point that arises partially due to maybe radical skepticism when it comes to religion, when it comes to Islam, when it comes to what people see as man-made interpretations and constructs. As well as, in a way, you kind of touched on the effects of post-modernism today, where people are refusing to look up to people who are proficient and experts in their fields. But oftentimes, it's in the domain of religion. And it really can confuse a student of knowledge, or sorry, an average Muslim who maybe wants to become a student of knowledge, if they start off with this notion of radical skepticism towards scholarship. And they ignore a number of things amongst them, the amount of sincere effort that went into interpreting an ayah of the Qur'an, the reliance and methodology on not just the Qur'an by the Qur'an, but the Qur'an by the Sunnah or by the statements of companions.
They might ignore the fact that these scholars have put in a lot of effort to ensure that everything they've reported is as authentic as possible. So there are just so many factors, there are many factors that arise, but you kind of, in a way, you gave like a wonderful, profound, 60-second refutation of the effects of post-modernism when it comes to people's skepticism towards the tafsir. And one advice maybe we can give to those who may ask you the follow-up, Steda, is how do I know which scholars to trust, or which institutes or organizations or books? It is a question that arises today, unfortunately, because number one, there's a lot of deviance in the world. Although orthodox Islam is extremely extensive and wide as a scope, there are a lot of things we do need to be honest and frank about in terms of warning introductory students of knowledge. And number two, because there is a clear-cut effort to meddle with the so-called constructs of tafsir and interpretive methods of the Qur'an. And so when you have, for students of knowledge and listeners around the world, when you have scholars clearly and consistently quoting the Qur'an as a source of tafsir, and quoting the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ as a source of tafsir, and quoting the statements of companions, in addition to quoting the really deep, powerful intellectual tradition that we have, this is a good sign, inshaAllah ta'ala. But if you hear somebody giving an entire khutbah and all they've quoted are like philosophers for the last 25 minutes, not a single reference to hadith or Qur'an, that's probably not a good sign in terms of methodology. Obviously, there's more context to every khutbah. But my point here is look to those who are trustworthy in terms of what they've quoted and cited, as well as those who are themselves cited by others, by their colleagues, by other institutes, by organizations that are trustworthy.
May Allah ﷻ grant us the ability to see the truth as truth and follow it, and to see falsehood as falsehood and to abstain from it. JazakAllah khair, Ustadh, you gave us a lot to take from that. Sheikh Osama, same question for you, inshaAllah ta'ala. What should we do to maintain a holistic approach to the meanings of the Qur'an? BarakAllahu khair. JazakAllah khair, Sheikh Suleiman and JazakAllah khair, Ustadh Fatima for those beautiful points. BarakAllahu khair. I guess just to add to what Ustadh Fatima was speaking about, you know, they say about the Qur'an, it's a book that if you give it your all, it'll give you some of what it has to offer. If you give it its all, it'll give you some of what it has to offer. If you give it your all, sorry about that. But, you know, I guess in that vein, you know, there needs to be a personal investment in this endeavor of building a relationship with the Qur'an. You know, yes, some verses of the Qur'an are self-evident, but the more I invest in, you know, learning the tools that'll help me understand and internalize the words of Allah ﷻ, the more that'll have a profound impact on me as a person. You know, and I guess, you know, in that regard, there's a beautiful verse in the Qur'an, Surah Al-Baqarah, where Allah ﷻ says, those whom we've given the book, they recited its due recitation. And when they explain it, they say that they act upon it, its due action. They reflect on it, its due reflection. Reciting it, reflecting on it, living by it. That's actually what made the generation of the Companions so distinguished. They lived in the shade of the Qur'an. And for that reason, each of its verses and its chapters transformed them as individuals.
So if you take someone like Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab, you know, when one of the woman Companions by the name of Khawla bint Tha'labah, she came asking for Sayyiduna Umar. And he was in a congregation, and at that time he was Amir al-Mu'minin, he was the Khalifa. He left that congregation and he stood with her to fulfill whatever her need was. And they said, will you leave this important entourage that's with you to speak to an elderly woman? Why are you doing this? And he responded and he said, don't you know who this is? This is someone whom Allah answered her call from above seven heavens. And this is when Surah al-Mujadilah was revealed. So, you know, Sayyiduna Umar lived the book. That's why he connected with it so much. If the Quran is not the focal point of my existence, then how could it really be my guiding light in terms of the experiences that I go through on an individual level? I need to make that type of investment in terms of learning about these tools of the Quran, learning about balagha, rhetoric. It'll open doorways of reflection that perhaps were not known to have existed to someone who never studied balagha before. Knowing the interpretive tools, the causes of revelation, what was revealed in Mecca, what was revealed in Medina, having a foundational understanding of aqeedah and understanding Allah and his names and his attributes through the Quran. All of these are critical tools that will help us develop a more meaningful relationship with the book of Allah. So there's different levels of recitation. I need to have my regular dose of reciting, of listening to the Quran. I need to have a khatmah, a cycle of Quran that involves devotion through recitation,
and another cycle of reciting the Quran that incorporates devotion through reflection, and another one that incorporates devotion through listening to the book of Allah Azza wa Jal. All these are really critical points in having that holistic relationship with the book of Allah. Personal study. I need to dedicate some time every single day to connecting with the words of the Quran. And there's just too many examples of that. All in all, there's another statement that I want to bring to your attention, in which it's said, Allah elevates by this book groups of people, and some find their ruin or their demise by it as well. And the focal point of that is, how am I living by revelation and enacting it in my life? Those are the three points I would advise. Jazakumullahu khairan, Sheikh. Beautiful points. Very profound. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala accept from you. There are so many things that we can talk about here, and so many directions we can go in, based on what you both shared. A lot of people might be wondering, let's say they want to start for the first time studying tafseer or understanding, where do I even go to explore the world of tafseer? Where do I even start beyond translations? And we had a separate, alhamdulillah, we have basically a different discussion on translations of the Quran. But for now, do you have any recommended resources for a person starting from the beginning, who wants to start exploring the scholarly interpretations of the Quran? They want to start exploring tafseer for the first time. What are some advices that you would give or resources? Again, something for the absolute beginner student of knowledge or listener, inshallah ta'ala.
Ustada Falkin, we'll start with you, inshallah. Yeah, I would say take a class, honestly. I think especially when it comes to the Islamic sciences, there's few things better than finding a great teacher who can really walk you through step by step and that experience of being in person with someone, or if it has to be online, it has to be online, but still learning through that human connection, I think is so important. And, you know, they'll throw in their life stories and their experiences. And, you know, you can maybe get to learn about their teacher and how they came to learn what they have learned. And so I think really getting into a class, I think, is so very helpful. Another thing I would say is that, you know, if you're really just looking to start off in your exploration, then explore. Right? Think about, okay, what is a particular surah that has always interested me, that has always sort of stood out to me? And let me find some, you know, well-written, well-established articles and pieces of content on that. Because I think sometimes people try to, you know, they have this zeal in the beginning. And so it's like, okay, let me read a book from cover to cover. But that book may start off with things that are not particularly interesting to you. And, you know, we have to be honest about that. We're human beings. We're not going to be fascinated by everything we read, even if it's about the Quran. Right? So let your fascination drive you in the beginning so that you can really have that fascination fed. Right? And have your curiosity fed.
And then, inshallah, that will lead you to be curious about more aspects of the Quran, but really start off trying to uncover the meanings and the context and the history about something in the Quran that has already been interesting to you. Jazakumullahu khairan. Usada Fatima. Sheikh Osama, same question for you, inshallah ta'ala. About, again, the beginner student of knowledge who wants to start somewhere with tafseer, inshallah. Jazakumullahu khairan. I couldn't agree more with Usada Fatima Knight's advice. I think really the best way to go about it is, you know, start off with a course. And that course that you may perhaps look for is something on alum al-Quran, Quranic sciences, something that will give you a bird's eye view of what makes the Quran a miracle, what defines the Quran and what are the aspects of its miraculous nature, what is tafseer, what are its methodologies. I think that will be a good springboard to being able to access the actual books of tafseer. And then besides that, so I would take a class on that. And then besides that, just investing in learning the language itself separately, because the stronger your mastery of the language becomes, the more access you'll have and the more you'll be able to learn. The more refined your understandings will be. Wallahu anab. Jazakumullahu khairan, Sheikh. Oftentimes, people ask as a follow up to what you both just mentioned, the barrier of language. And although it's something we explore in a different episode, there is always this question about resources for those who, like the majority of the ummah, who are not native Arabic speakers or have not yet learned Arabic. And I found, subhanAllah, both of your advices, Jazakumullahu khairan, Ustadh Fakhri, for emphasizing this note of find a class, a mentor, a teacher who's qualified to teach tafseer, because you'll take, yes, some of the tradition, let's say they're citing some of the companions of previous tafseer,
but you also take some of the applications of that, you know, in terms of tadabur. So we've had a lot of, for example, converts, new students of knowledge, young and old, different walks of life, study uloomul quran with us. This was a few years back at an Islamic center. And initially the thought of some of the organizers was it's going to be too difficult, too advanced, too much. But as you, I think you mentioned, Ustadh Fakhri, it sparked their curiosity. Now they learn about one thing just in terms of like tafseer and said, I want to learn about all of this. This is the book of Allah, subhanAllah. And there are many ways for non-Arabic speakers and readers to engage in terms of tafseer. Of course, learning Arabic is a really important thing for those who are able to put in the time and effort to simultaneously, you know, find a teacher, a class, a program to learn the Arabic language. It really will open up your eyes. It will help you. It will benefit you in terms of your ibadah, connection to the Quran. And I found it interesting that there's a statement attributed to the companion who is one of the most important companions when it comes to the Quran, Ubaid bin Kaam, radiallahu anhu, who said, learn the Arabic language just as you learn to memorize the Quran. And this advice perhaps was really important as Islam started to spread to other regions that people were trying to engage with it and maybe just memorizing it. I really appreciate what you both shared about connecting with it, because oftentimes we'll have Quran memorization institutes or tajweed programs, and those are important. Every single program that helps with one aspect of connecting to the Quran is important, and they're not mutually exclusive where you can only do this or do that. But an advice to all the parents out there and all the youth, everyone out there who is really prioritizing just the memorization of the Quran, the advice is make sure you are emphasizing the understanding of the Quran,
because there are many people who memorize the Quran who do not understand it, and they are not acting upon it, and they are not reflecting the teachings of the Quran. And of course, there are those who have memorized less, and they are implementing it because of their understanding and their sincerity towards it. So an advice here is to ensure that you are trying to study Arabic, trying to study tafsir. If you both had to share, jazakumullah khairan with our listeners, one resource for tafsir beyond just a course, let's say a translation of tafsir, is there one that you both prefer as a recommendation for new students, introductory students, inshallah ta'ala? I know that there are many out there. We definitely need more in the English language in terms of books and publications. But if you had to recommend one for new students, what would it be, Ustada Fatima and then Sheikh Osama? Okay, I was hoping Sheikh Osama would go first. I'm trying to think. You know, I don't know exactly that I have one resource, but I will say this. You know, my father, who alhamdulillah is a convert to Islam, he never got the opportunity to study Arabic formally. But one thing he did, which I always saw him do and I think is so beautiful, is that he would purchase just about any translation of the Qur'an that there was. And he did this because there would genuinely be, you know, verses that he would read in one translation. And he would be fascinated and wonder, you know, hey, I know I don't know the Arabic language, so let me at least go to another translation to get, you know, a different, a slightly different coloring,
a different flavoring, a different, you know, connotation of this particular word. And I think that's so important, especially, you know, if English is your native tongue and if you don't really foresee that you're going to have the opportunity to study Arabic, then at least broaden, you know, your English sources to the best extent that you can, right? And then also get a good Qur'an dictionary, a good Qur'an dictionary that, you know, they have these, many of them now, I think, where, you know, it'll have the word in Arabic and then it'll have, you know, a nice list of definitions and connotations for you to look at and to hopefully color your understanding. Because just because you don't know the Arabic language and you may not get the chance to study it formally does not mean that you can't have layers to your understanding, right? You can exhaust what's available in English to the best extent that you can and really use that as your resource and not be shy to do that. So I would say, yeah, get, you know, different credible translations of the Qur'an, read multiple. And sometimes the differences in one translation to another may not be very significant, but they may give you a little something extra that makes you feel like, oh, wow, I'm understanding this closer to the Arabic language than I would otherwise, just having that one translation that I always go to. Jazakumullahu khairan, Ustadh. That's really, really good advice. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless your father and all of our community members who are listening as well,
who have family members who converted to Islam and perhaps are not able to, you know, access or study the Arabic language. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless them as well. This is a beautiful example and inspiration. And practically here, anyone today can go to quran.com and just check the boxes of the translations you want simultaneously, you know, four or five, let's say for some ayat and try to get a better understanding of the ayat through, yes, through an attempt to translate the meanings of the Qur'an. But that's a really good advice. Personally, I would recommend the Clear Qur'an by Dr. Mustafa Khattab. I think today in terms of the language and the way people speak, it's very relevant, very useful as well. And there's Sahih International, which is always a useful one. There's MS Abdul Halim as well, the Oxford publication. And since you mentioned this, Ustadh Fatima, I remember seeing the publication of the Clear Qur'an Dictionary, also by the Qur'an Foundation, by Dr. Mustafa Khattab and his team. May Allah reward them. And, you know, when I saw the copy and how useful it was for those who are trying to just start their journey, connecting the Qur'an, I thought it was one of the best publications in English as a dictionary, as far as the dictionary goes. So that's another recommendation that we can share, insha'Allah ta'ala. Sheikh Osama, I'm sure you have some advices and recommendations as well about it for people. JazakAllah khair, Sheikh Suleiman. Yeah, I think there's so many books that have been published on individual chapters and also on Qur'anic sciences that I think would be useful for someone who, you know, wants to at least prepare themselves until they find a course. I think some of the books on aloom al-Qur'an that are available in English, there's a there's some a book series by Sheikh Furhan Zubaydi from IOK Institute of Knowledge that I personally found very useful in some of the classes I taught. He has it on Qur'anic sciences and then he has a few books published on individual chapters.
I know there's also aloom al-Qur'an by Dr. Yasir Qadhi, which has a lot of detail and is very beautiful. I found it very useful for an English audience. And also one of my friends, dear friends from Al-Azhar, Sheikh Omar Hussein, he actually translated Gateway to the Qur'anic Sciences, Al-Itqan by Siyuti. So you can you can also find that there. And then there's a lot of others who've like did tafsir of Surat al-Hujurat, for example, or Surat al-Kahf, critical surahs of the Qur'an that are in publication. So I think there's so much there out there that, you know, of course, the classical works like tafsir of al-Kathir, I really think that you need some level of foundation and Islamic sciences to be able to truly benefit from its from its content. But I think some of the modern works where some of the scholars of today sort of like simplified that and given more detail and explanation for an introductory audience, you know, could be very useful. Allah o' Allah. Jazakum Allah khair, Sheikh. That's a whole ton of resources, masha'Allah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward you and reward all of those who facilitate beneficial knowledge. Allahumma ameen. I think recently someone informed me as well, maybe in the last five years, ten years, there was a translation for tafsir al-Sa'di in the English language. And it's a very simple one, a good introductory tafsir. There are also many abridged versions of Ibn Kathir for beginner students, but oftentimes they come with narrations and some Isra'iliyat and others. Tafsir al-Sa'di is a very safe, simple, introductory tafsir to start with in the English language. I'm going to ask you both as we close off here and we kind of wrap up this episode, inshallah ta'ala. You've given us so much in terms of insights, gems, advices. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward you both and your loved ones and your families.
Perhaps the team will take this and clip this as a 15 second or 10 second advice. And I know that's very challenging. I know it's hard to condense something in 10 seconds. But if you had to give one really brief piece of advice to someone who is thinking about starting the recitation or engagement with the Qur'an today for the first time or to rekindle that relationship, what's a 10 second piece of advice that you would give? This time we'll start with Sheikh Husam, inshallah. My advice would be always approach the Qur'an from a standpoint of action. Don't put the book down until you've identified at least one thing you could live by. Beautiful, Jazakum Allah khayran Sheikh. Man, you did that in 10 seconds. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward you. I think most people, they mentioned 10 seconds is hard, but Jazakum Allah khayran. Take one at least action item and everything in terms of the Qur'an has some kind of action, internal or external. Jazakum Allah khayran Sheikh. Saada Fadlima, same question for you inshallah ta'ala. Alhamdulillah, I would say, you know, don't be shy with the Qur'an. Really approach it. And even if, you know, it's been a long time since you've read it or you feel that you don't have what it takes to read it and understand it, know that, you know, inshallah, your intention to understand and to connect with it will be rewarded and that God sees that intention. And don't prolong approaching the Qur'an just because you've procrastinated with it before, because it's always there at the ready for us to take benefit from. Jazakum Allah khayran. Wonderful advice. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept from you both and reward you and elevate your ranks. This does bring us to the end of our episode. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to guide us to that which is beneficial and to implement it as soon as we can, and in a consistent fashion that is pleasing to Him.
As one of the predecessors said, read Qur'an in proportion to how much happiness you desire. Jazakum Allah khayran Sheikh Osama, Saada Fadlima, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward you for your time. You've given us a lot to take and implement, inshallah ta'ala, for our brothers and sisters listening from around the world. This Qur'an Convo episode has come to an end, but we invite you to take action today, and we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to accept from all of you and to make us amongst the people of the Qur'an. We will see you next time, inshallah ta'ala. Wa salilahum ala nabiyyina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma'in. Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
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