Salam,
Although the Quran is a pure light that can direct our paths and bring us into an understanding of God and His salvation, man needs to read the Book in the language he understands. The major reason as to why many Muslims do not understand the Quran is purely because they read the Quran in Arabic a language they do not understand. The very first step for non Arab to understand the Quran is to read the translation and there are numerous translations of the Quran in many languages in the world today. The Holy Quran, the holy book of about 1 billion Muslims around the world is now available, with selected verses translated in 114 languages and the complete book in 47 languages of the world.Having read the translation it is only appropriate that effort should be made to learn the Arabic language at least completing the basic level.
While the Quran is in Arabic it is not necessarily the Arab have a total understanding of the Quran unless they practice what they believed. On the contrary the Arab is known to be the least people who follow the guidance from the Quran and the Quran confirmed their position by the following verses:
The Arabs are the worst in unbelief and hypocrisy, and most fitted to be in ignorance of the command which Allah hath sent down to His Messenger: But Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise. (Surah 9:97)
Then the Apostle will say: "O my Lord! Truly my people took this Qur'an for just foolish nonsense." (Surah 25:30)
There are many examples in the Quran that exhibit the failure of those who read the Book but they failed to understand the message and some of those who comprehend the knowledge from the Quran yet failed to put up the principles into practice. In another word they falter to submit to what they understand and what they believe to be the truth because not very many Muslims take their guidance solely from the Quran and most of them just take the easy way by following the majority. The Quran is guidance and by understanding it is to submit to its principles and this is achieved by obeying God and His Messenger as portrayed in the Quran in great detail, just believing is not sufficient until it is manifested in practice as shown by the following example below:
The Arabs say, 'We believe.' Say: 'You do not believe; rather say, "We surrender"; for belief has not yet entered your hearts. If you obey God and His Messenger, He will not diminish you anything of your works. God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.' (Surah 49:14)
Following the Salat practice of the fathers
Most people in this world inherit the practices of their fathers. Children for generation have been following the footstep of their fathers and the fathers before them. Most of the children were not given the opportunity to understand other religion and they are being taught only their ways to religion is the correct way as such they became blind followers. However following the practice of our fathers do not guaranty that we have the truth in our hands. God is fair to all mankind and He is the Knower of All Things and each human need to find their own path as God in the Quran has given warning that following the ways of the fathers will not be an excuse in the Day of Judgment as He has plainly stated in the Quran during our genesis, it has been made clear to us that this is not a debility to put an excuse as shown by the following verse:
And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their loins, their descendants, and made them bear witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! We bear witness. Lest you should say on the day of resurrection: Surely we were heedless of this. Or you should say: Only our fathers associated others (with Allah) before, and we were an offspring after them: Wilt Thou then destroys us for what the vain doers did? (Surah 7:172-173)
When it is said to them: "Come to what Allah hath revealed; come to the Messenger": They say: "Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following." what! Even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance? (Surah 5:104)
When they are told to follow the Revelation that Allah has sent down, they say: "Nay, we shall follow the ways that we found our fathers following. "What! even if it is Satan beckoning them to the Penalty of the Blazing Fire? (Surah 31:21)
In conjunction with the above acknowledgment during genesis we bear witness that Allah is our Lord and as such we have been cautioned to check the practices of our fathers whether it has its origin from divine sources. That which is conceded from sources other than the Book of God is invention. The repercussion will be idolatry, ignorance and diabolical. For salvation it is our duty to make the effort to read and find out the truth and the truth comes only from God and it is written in His Book as His Apostle said:
"O men! Now Truth hath reached you from your Lord! Those who receive guidance, do so for the good of their own souls; those who stray, do so to their own loss: and I am not (set) over you to arrange your affairs."
(Surah 10:108)
The Truth comes from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt.
(Surah 3:60)
By following the practice of our Prophet as portrayed in the Quran naturally give us the confidence and reliability that it is sanctioned by God. When the detail of the Salat is emulated as shown by the example of the Prophet there should not be any more reservation or doubt in our heart as every single action can be justified with the words in the Quran. On the contrary how is one to justify to God that it is Suboh and not fajar he was enjoined; from which source that one prays two, four, four, three and four bowing (rakaat) for the five daily obligatory prayers? The Prophet perform his prayers with a mid tone voice according to Surah 17:110 how relevant it is then when others recite the two rakaat in laud pitch in Suboh, four rakaat silent at noon and late afternoon, two laud and one silent for the maghrib and two laud and two silent for the Ishaa Salat? Surely when the sources were unknown and ambiguous it will naturally effectuate point to the reason it has been the practice of the fathers and their fathers before them.
Incorrect attitudes towards the Quran
It has been the standpoint of the scholars of Islam that when the Quran is being referred, to them it sets out the principles framework of Islamic jurisprudent but the detailed is explained by sources outside the Quran. In another word they claimed the Quran is without detail. However when one take a closer and deeper look into the message of the Quran the actions taken by the scholars is repugnant to the Words of God as stated in the Quran that it was inspired to the Prophet Muhammad without leaving any detail as proven by the following evidences:
There is not an animal that lives on the earth or a being that flies on its wings, but forms part of communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end. (Surah 6:38)
Ramadhan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear Signs for guidance and judgment between right and wrong. (Surah 2:185)
For We had certainly sent unto them a Book, based on knowledge, which We explained in detail, a guide and a mercy to all who believe. (Surah 7:52)
Invariably in the hereafter the Prophet Muhammad will be a witness to authenticate that God has completely sent down His message without leaving out any detail in the Quran. Indeed the Prophet has done his part in this world by propagating the detailed message whether it is the Salat or the Zakat or any other injunction sufficient for the salvation of those who believe and those who follow his examples to be in the category of those who received mercy from God in the hereafter. He will be the witness as to whether we have followed the details as has been laid out by God in the Quran or of those who reject the details shown in the His revelation:
One day We shall raise from all peoples a witness against them, from amongst themselves: and We shall bring thee as a witness against these people: and We have sent down to thee the Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy, and Glad Tidings to Muslims. (Surah 16:89)
Verily We have propounded for men, in this Qur'an every kind of Parable: But if thou bring to them any Sign, the Unbelievers are sure to say, "Ye do nothing but talk vanities." Thus does Allah seal up the hearts of those who understand not. So patiently persevere: for verily the promise of Allah is true: nor let those shake thy firmness those who has no certainty of faith. (Surah 30:58-60)
Usage of the intelligence
In order to extract and understand the details in the Quran there is a need to adopt the use of our intelligence and an open mind. The capacity to solve problems and to put thing together systematically is a clear and definite criterion of intelligence. And God bestow on us freedom to choose is a specific human quality and something valuable in itself, in relation to its objects can be used to good value or wrong value. Nevertheless since we are given the faculties of seeing, hearing and understanding by God the primary initiative is to be grateful for His wonderful gift to mankind:
It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that ye may give thanks to Allah. (Surah 16:78)
The use of our intelligence is to submit to what has been commanded by God and to follow the examples that were being shown by all the messengers of God. The submission is on the Words of God that is the Truth which He has made it plain and easy for us to comply. As an example there is nothing to add or to subtract on His command to do the ablution as stated in Surah 5:6 or Surah 4:43 and only an ignorant mind will embrace the distortion. And so is the command to stand, bow and prostrate before God, there is nothing to dispute that it is all a physical movement in postures. These postures reflect our willingness to humble ourselves to God the action of which will register as our devotion to Him. However the use of intelligence if not verify with the virtue described in the Quran will become dishonor and immorality and this has been cautioned by God in the following verse showing the example of former people:
Remember also the 'Ad and the Thamud people: clearly will appear to you from the traces of their buildings (their fate): the Evil One made their deeds alluring to them, and kept them back from the Path, though they were gifted with intelligence and skill. (Surah 29:38)
Thus the Quran provide the guidance by examples between right and wrong or of good and evil and the path to the right religion. There is no such thing as blind faith but it must come with evidences and proofs provided from the inspired message. The message is in detail and had it not been made plain and clear to mankind the disbelievers of the Quran will not be uttering the following statement in hell:
They will say: "Yes indeed; a Warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said, 'Allah never sent down any (Message): ye are nothing but an egregious delusion!'" They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!" (Surah 67:9-10)
Asar
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