Looking at the sad reality of the world we are in today, I cannot help but think that if we were truly connected to the Holy Qur'an, understood its message, and followed its teachings, we would be in a much better situation. If reading the Qur'an and applying its teachings was part of every Muslim's daily lives, we would see far fewer Muslims murder, lie, cheat, steal, rape, abuse, bribe, oppress, backbite, gossip, pollute, discriminate against others, and commit the ills in society that the Qur'an has so explicitly prohibited. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned that some people will distance themselves from the Qur'an. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) complained to Allah about this and he was saddened by it. In Surah Furqan, verse 30, it states: {And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur'an as [a thing] abandoned."} Have we abandoned the Qur'an? How do I know if I am considered to be one who has taken the Qur'an as something to be abandoned and neglected? There are several forms of abandonment of the Qur'an, and we need to constantly evaluate ourselves and our lifestyle to safeguard ourselves from falling into any of these mistakes. Refraining from listening to the Qur'an, reading it, and reciting its verses is a form of negligence. If all we ever listen to while riding in the car is music, or the news, and not the recitation of the Qur'an; that is negligence. If our kids can read chapter books in English so well but they can barely read one line of the Qur'an, then that is also negligence because we failed to teach them and instill in them a connection to the Qur'an. If the holy book is sitting on the shelf collecting dust and has not been picked up since the last Ramadan, then that is abandoning the Qur'an. Some people read the Qur'an on a regular basis, but they are still considered among those who have abandoned the Qur'an because they do not apply the teachings of the Qur'an to their daily lives. When you come across the verses of the Qur'an that begin with Allah's words, {O you who believe}, do you pause and pay close attention to what Allah is saying to you? Do you feel that Allah is addressing you? The verses of the Qur'an are not meant to simply be written and hung in our cars or framed to adorn the walls of our homes. The verses of the Qur'an are meant to guide us and to help us navigate our lives around the lawful and unlawful. For example, someone who reads the Qur'an but gains his money through unlawful means has abandoned the Qur'an because he did not implement the Qur'an's teachings. Someone who loses their temper quickly and constantly lashes out at others in anger has also ignored the teachings of the Qur'an. A third form of abandoning the Qur'an occurs when we read the Qur'an but do not try to understand and do not reflect upon the meanings of the verses. It is more than simply a rote reading that is expected of Muslims; a deeper reading and understanding is required so that we benefit from the guidance within its pages. Repeatedly, the Qur'an commands us to think, to reflect, and to contemplate. How many times have we read verses in the Qur'an that challenge us to think, verses that end with {in order that they may reflect} and {in order that they may use their intellect}? Hastily and absentmindedly reading the verses of the Qur'an will not lead us to understand and reflect. We need to read slowly, ponder on its verses, and study the tafseer or meanings of the verses of the Qur'an. One problem with many schools is that the students memorize a great deal of the Qur'an without studying and appreciating its meanings. We can try to learn on our own through reading the tafseer. Some scholars have excellent tafseer videos to watch, such as Nouman Ali Khan who makes it easy to understand the verses of the Qur'an. Another way many of us have abandoned the Qur'an is that we do not turn to the Qur'an when seeking cure from illness. When illness befalls we must of course visit the doctor and use medications and the advanced medical procedures prescribed by the doctor. In addition to modern day medicine, we can also tap into the healing effects of reading the Qur'an. It is in the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that he recommended reading Surah Al-Fatiha on an ailment to heal it. The next time you suffer from a headache, remember to place your hand on the pain, and read some verses from the Qur'an. The verses of the Holy Qur'an are not only to guide, teach, and give us patience, but also to heal, as is promised in verse 57 of Surah Yunus, {O mankind, there has come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.} We have abandoned the Qur'an when we do not exert any effort to memorize some sections of the Qur'an. It is not an obligation to memorize the Qur'an, but it is a noble endeavor and will be greatly rewarded by Allah. Honestly, in this day and age, we have no excuse to not learn at least a couple chapters of the Qur'an. There are classes at almost every mosque and a host of on-line Qur'an learning classes. Do not stop there, once you have learned, it is your turn to teach. Remember the saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
