With all the diversity in this wide world and the billions of people from wildly varying backgrounds, cultures and practices, it takes a remarkable idea to transcend these deep-rooted customs and really touch the hearts and minds of people. It sometimes seems that with the numerous opinions, beliefs and values individuals hold, it would be hard-pressed to get people with such seemingly insurmountable differences to agree on even one concept- and to an extent that could be correct.

This is one of the reasons why the Qur’an -the Holy, Glorious Book of Allah- is such a miracle. The Qur’an cuts straight through all of the inconsequential differences we hold in such high regard and illuminates the issue that we all have in common and is truly superior to all else: worshipping our Creator and preparing for the Day we will finally meet Him.

The Qur’an informs humanity of the most important of goals –meeting Allah- and the most noble of actions –worshipping our Lord, doing acts of Good for one another and forbidding Evil from one another. The Qur’an effectively unites humanity because it exposes that we are the same, equal, and that our experiences as humans always have that common denominator that bonds us- seeking and submitting to the Lord of the Worlds.

The Qur’an is so much more than what we could ever perceive. It gives us the answers to any and all life experiences.

The Qur’an is mercy- through and through. Whenever I feel as though the weight of the world is upon my shoulders and I do not know how I will muster up the strength or courage to go on, the Qur’an reminds me that “On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns…” [2:286]

Whenever I want to bury myself under a mound of rocks or, less dramatically, under my blanket, shamed and red-eyed from the breadth of my sins, I seek Allah in the Qur’an. I seek His promises, desperately in need of the words of comfort that will push me to repent. I read the glorious words of Allah, and tears come to eyes and spill over my cheeks as my heart trembles from the extraordinary mercy and forgiveness of Allah.

[quote]“Say: ‘O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.’” [39:53][/quote]

Whenever I feel distanced from Allah and I want to make my way back to Him, the Qur’an is a comfort. The poetic verses and the striking images within it are His words to me, like a letter written with the solutions to all my grievances and trials and inquiries dispersed throughout the loping Arabic scripture. I know that if I look at the Qur’an in the right light- sincerely searching for my Lord, earnestly seeking His Guidance- I will find my way to Him.

[quote]“Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds. Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help. Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou has bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath. And those who go not astray.” [1:1-7][/quote]

Whenever I feel that my iman is dwindling, flickering wildly like the flames on a vanishing candle, I open the Qur’an and I feel rejuvenated and safe. Like the Qur’an is a reprieve from this big, bad world, and I can only find safety and comfort in its warm, embracing pages, and truth and guidance in its enveloping verses. “This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah.” [2:1]

Whenever I feel as if I have forgotten my purpose in life or my incentive for working, I look to the Qur’an and it reminds me. The supreme reminder, the ultimate remembrance, the Qur’an reminds me of a Day when I will be standing before my Lord. The Qur’an reminds me in the most intricate detail the reality of that Day, and that it is a Day that is not as far off as I had hoped, planned, or thought. That it is a Day when all arguments will be laid to rest before the Truth and that we will witness that the promise of Allah has indeed come to pass.

On that Day, I can either be of those whom Allah’s mercy encompasses, or I can be of those whom Allah describes as bereft of any hope or escape:

[quote]“And on the Day that the Unbelievers will be placed before the Fire, (they will be asked) ‘Is this not the Truth?’ They will say, ‘Yea, by our Lord’ (He will say:) ‘Then taste ye the Chastisement, for that ye were wont to deny (Truth)!’” [46:34][/quote]

The Qur’an is a perpetual and lasting mercy and guidance to mankind. Its blessings are bountiful and affect us directly in this life, and far more potently in the next. It is like a blessed pool of water that cleans our souls, soothes our hearts, and rejuvenates our belief. It is a constant reminder that our Creator, Sustainer and Cherisher is with us, and that He will always be with us, so long as we seek Him.

The Qur’an supplants any differences between human beings and unites us under one banner: the banner of submission to our one true Lord. Through it we find the answers to all questions, but the key is that one has to be looking.

“…And We have sent down to you the Book as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allah as Muslims).” [16:89]

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Halla Ahmed
Halla is an avid reader with a passion for justice, writing and Islam who believes that all the bad in the world is countered by great people with great minds and stupendously great actions. She lives in Toronto, Canada where she hopes to change the world around her by starting with herself.