"The Best of You is He who Learns The Qur'an and Teaches It"

WITH ALLAH’S NAME, THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER

The Best of You is He Who Learns the Qur’an and Teaches It

Documented by Jibril Abdul-Hafeez (جبريل عبدالحفيظ)

E-mail: NewAfrica2@aol.com or new_africa_now@yahoo.com

Friday, October 17, 2008 / Yaum-ul-Jumu’ah, Shawaal 17, 1429

As Salaam ‘Alaykum: We thank Allah, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, we believe and put our complete trust in Him, Mighty and Sublime is He. We witness that there is no G’d but Allah, He alone is without partners, and we witness that Muhammed is His Servant and Messenger, the prayers and peace be on him, on his descendants, his companions, and peace be on Allah’s Messengers (all of them), and what follows after this devout invocation.

In the Qur’an, 96:1 Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ -

A reference that gives insights associated with the verbal command (read!) “the ability to interpret written material, the ability to interpret signs and symbols, the ability to understand something intuitively,” therefore, we come to the conclusion that this process is a gateway to education. It is essential for first generation Muslims in America to do all within our ability to learn how to become independent students of the unadulterated Qur’anic language.

With this in mind we have been working with the Qur’an for thirty-three years to develop and formulate the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) in America. By researching his history and how he applied the inspiration from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) in making judgments in all matters; this is the methodology (ﻤﻧﻬﺎﺝ) for making the best effort, taking precious time to do the painstaking research it takes to exert intelligent devotion, using the skills of independent judgment (ﺍﺠﺗﻬﺎﺪ) based on the inspiration and fundamental truths that we get from trustworthy sources.

Thanks to Allah we have looked past the horizon and we see what came out of our mind elevated and taking its rightful place among the heavenly constellations piecing darkness that had engulfed us for hundreds of years. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has guided us to the straightway and has given us an uncompromising love and allegiance to The Qur’an and Sunnah filling our minds and hearts with illumination that is radiating like the brightest stars with the purest light ever seen since in the history of man coming from black coal like shining polished diamonds in the skies of man’s heaven, his mind.

‘A’ishah (ra) said that the first thing that begin happening with the Messenger of Allah (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) from revelation was dreams that he would see in his sleep that would come true. We also know that darkness as a term is used sometimes as a metaphor to describe circumstances when people are illiterate, like the times known as the “dark ages.” Prophet Muhammed’s (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) first instinct as reported in hadith gives us a picture of how he responded to the introduction of sacred language in his life; according to his own words,

فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِىء

“And I said: I am not a reader.” Therefore, we know that before Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) taught His Messenger (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) sacred language, he was not a student of sacred language in the Torah that was before him; he was not a student of the sacred language in the Injeel that was before him; the sacred language that Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammed is the perfected and the completed favor as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said in the Qur’an, 5:3

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الأِسْلاَمَ دِيناً

Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) speaks the truth; His word, “I perfected” (أَكْمَلْتُ) is spoken in language the speaks to us at this present time in a clear and dynamic way that didn’t become static at the time when it was first revealed more than one thousand, and four hundred years ago. This perfection is spoken in the present time voice for you, me and anyone else to come until the end of time and that is the exact word of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) right now; and this is truth for the presence time regarding the perfected religion until the end of times. Allah’s truth deserves intense sessions where we give complete devotion to searching for the best understanding of sacred language. Listen to the mandate in Qur’anic Language, 49:1, as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تُقَدِّمُواْ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Which means we don’t put our matters of concern before Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) concern, we don’t put our matters of concern before Allah’s Messenger (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ); and if we obey and respect this mandate, this is a prescription for success, freedom, justice and equality in the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) in America and the world at large. A lot more could be said, for now, keep the faith until we meet again.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُم