Introduction to the Qur’an

The importance of a book

The Qur'an is the kalam (speech) of Allah. It is essential to read it, understand it, reflect on it, and apply it in our lives.

Point 1: The importance of a book comes from its author

This is one of the things that determines how significant a book is. When a book is written by someone famous or accomplished, people race to read and summarize it. Every other book is written by a human being, but the Qur'an is the kalam of Allah — al-Hakeem (the All-Wise), al-Aleem (the All-Knowing), al-Ghafur (the All-Forgiving), ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful) — who created us and everything else: humans, jinn, animals, plants, galaxies, and stars.

SubhanAllah, what could be more important than a book containing the words of Allah? What a great honor it is for us to be able to read His words. Simply reflecting on that — that you are reading the words of your Creator — is itself a profound honor.

Point 2: The importance of a book lies in the topics it covers

Some books teach how to become rich, succeed in business, or build relationships. The noble Qur'an covers everything:

• The past — what happened to the nations before us, so we can learn from their mistakes and from the examples of the righteous people, Prophets, and Messengers who came before us, and how they dealt with what they faced.

• The present — how we should live our lives and what we need to succeed in the next life: the commands to pray, give zakat, and fast; guidance for our relationships with others, including how to be a good spouse, and how to care for orphans, relatives, and those in need. It regulates every aspect of our lives.

• The future — what will happen in the next life and after death. When Allah speaks of the future, He sometimes uses the past tense. For example:

  • وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌۭ يَنظُرُونَ

  • وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ أَن قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّۭا فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّۭا ۖ قَالُوا۟ نَعَمْ ۚ فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌۢ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن لَّعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

  • وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَنْ أَفِيضُوا۟ عَلَيْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

  • وَإِذْ يَتَحَآجُّونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ فَيَقُولُ ٱلضُّعَفَـٰٓؤُا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًۭا فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا نَصِيبًۭا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ

Only Allah can speak of the future in the past tense, because anything He tells us about the future is 100% certain — as certain as something that has already happened. For example, if someone says, "Yesterday was Saturday and it rained," and that is true, no one doubts it, because it already happened and cannot change.

When Allah speaks of the future, it carries that same certainty; no one else can speak this way. Humans may attempt to speak of the future, but only with the caveat of saying inshaAllah, since our predictions — like a weather forecast — can always turn out to be wrong.