الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينة ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا، ومن سيئات أعمالنا ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، وأشهد أن سيدنا محمداً عبده ورسوله ، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه  ومن تبعه إلى يوم الدين 

As most of you know that after Fajr prayer on the weekend, we have a talk as the one I am giving now and after sun rise we pray two rakka and go to the club to have breakfast and engage in general discussions   Yesterday during our Breakfast in the Club, a discussion started on how to express our gratitude to Allah for all the blessings that He granted us. Obviously, we express our gratitude verbally by saying Alhamdulillah (ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ).  We say this at least 17 times every day when we perform our 5 obligatory prayers. When perform a prayer, we read Al-Fatiiha that starts with (ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ) “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.”  But this verbal declaration may not be sufficient for expressing our thanks Allah because Allah says in Surah Sabba:

اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُدَ شُكْرًا

“O family of David, work for expressing thanks.” (Sabaa 34:13)

This verse implies that Allah demands that expressing our thanks to Him needs to be an action-based that goes beyond the verbal acknowledgement by regularly saying (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ).  Therefore, scholars have suggested that expressing thanks to Allah is a process that involves five elements:

1. Attribute the blessings to the provider of the blessings, Allah. (Never think that what you have achieved is a result of your intelligent and not from Allah. With a single blood clot in the brain the most intelligent person can turn to completely invalid.)
2. Apply the blessings only in the obedience of Allah and using them in accordance with His commandments. (Use the blessing of intelligence to help and improve the life of people, use the blessing of money to help those who are in need, use the blessing of power to remove injustice)
3. Ensure that you never take advantage of the blessings to act superior and arrogant toward other servants of Allah. (Don’t have any form of arrogance creeping in your heart and feel that you are better than anyone.)
4. Never apply the blessings in the disobedience of Allah by using them in violation of His commands. (Don’t use the blessing of intelligence to cheat people or use the blessing of money to spend on something prohibited or the blessing of power to commit injustice)
5. Ensure that the blessing does not get you distracted from fulfilling Allah’s commands. (Don’t use the blessing of having a successful business to distract you from coming on time for the Friday prayer.)

After this discussion, we agreed that everyone will look at the blessings that Allah granted him and write a list of actions that he uses or thinks he should use to express his gratitude to Allah for them.  This assignment is for you also. We can assemble this list and makes it available to everyone to start implementing the actions that he may be able to do and I’ll be glad to assemble the list and distribute to everyone to help us expand our level of gratitude to Allah.

Why expressing our thanks to Allah is very important, it is because thanking Allah for what he granted us is a thanking of ourselves.  This is what Luqman, the wise, emphasized to his son as Allah informs us:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ وَمَنْ يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ

“And indeed, We gave Luqman, saying, Be grateful to Allah, and whoever is grateful to Allah is, in fact, grateful to benefit himself”. (Luqman 31:12)

Why thanking Allah is thanking ourselves, because we gain two major benefits:

1. Expressing gratitude is directly linked to bring joy in our lives. The famous speaker, Dr. Brene Brown, Univ if Houston, College of social work (https://globalleadership.org/articles/leading-yourself/brene-brown-on-joy-and-gratitude/ ) wrote: In my 12 years of research on 11,000 pieces of data, I did not interview one person who had described themselves as joyful, who also did not actively practice gratitude. She writes: It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful.
2. The second and may be the most important benefit is that when we offer thanks to Allah, Allah will increase His favors and blessing upon us, as He said in Surat Ibrahim:

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

“Your Lord has decreed, if you thank Me, I shall certainly give you more.” (Ibrahim 14:7)

So, the more we thank Allah for his favors, the more favors He gives to us and interesting that we will increase our desire to thanks Allah even more and Allah will give us even more and this has no end.  It is we who can stop the blessing of Allah and sadly many people deprive themselves from Allah’s blessings by being ungrateful.  This is something that Allah highlighted in many Surat to make us aware of the harm we can do to ourselves:  Allah says in Surah Al-Baqara, and Ghafer:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ )البقرة(

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ  )غافر(

“Indeed, Allah is full of bounties to mankind, but most people do not give thanks.” (Al Baqara 2: 243, Younes 10:60, Ghafer 40:61)

When we consider expressing our gratitude and thanks to Allah, we always look at health, wealth, spouse, children, and position and obviously all these are blessings but we most likely ignore the most important blessing.  This most important blessing which most of us do not even think of because we take it for granted and thus, we fail to develop an action-based gratitude for it, even though it is the one that encompasses and protects all other blessings, it is the blessing of the Quran.   Without acknowledging this blessing, the Quran, all the other blessings can be transformed into curses.  

When we read Surat Al-Rahman, we note that it identifies many blessings and after each blessing or set of blessings Allah says (فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ) “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” This has been repeated 31 times in the Surah 

However, the Surah starts with highlighting the key blessing that everything else becomes worthless without it including our existence.  The Surah starts with:

ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ (١) عَلَّمَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ (٢)

Al-Rahman. Taught the Qur’an. (Al-Rahman 55:1-2)

The greatest blessing of all is Allah’s teaching every human being the Quran even before He created us. But, to whom Allah taught the Quran before creating. In many verses in the Quran, Allah emphasizes that all mankind were created form a single Nafs (you can translate as single soul, single spirit), as example, Allah says: 

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٍ۬ وَٲحِدَةٍ۬ وَخَلَقَ مِنۡہَا زَوۡجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنۡہُمَا رِجَالاً۬ كَثِيرً۬ا وَنِسَآءً۬‌ۚ

“O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord Who created you from a single Nafs and from it created its mate; and out of the two spread many men and women. (Al-Nisaa 4:1)

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٍ۬ وَٲحِدَةٍ۬ (٩٨)

“It is He Who has constructed you from a single Nafs.” (Al-An’am 6:98)

خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٍ۬ وَٲحِدَةٍ۬ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنۡہَا زَوۡجَهَا (٦)

He created you from a single Nafs, then from it He made its mate. (Al-Zumur 39:6)

This single Nafs from which we all came is the one that Allah taught the Quran and this way all human being were taught the Quran.  But why don’t we remember it?  You will remember it if you purify your Nafs.  How to purify our soul is quite broad and requires a separate talk, let me just mention two of these steps and these are continuous glorification of Allah and restraining your soul from any evil desires. Allah says:

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ تَزَكَّى وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى)  الأعلى (14

But those will prosper who purify themselves, and glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and Prayers. (Al-A’ala 87:14-15)

وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ (٤٠) فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ (النَّازعَات)

“But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained the Nafs from impure evil desires, and lusts. (40) Verily, Paradise will be his abode.” (Al-Naziat 79:40-41) 

Only after the teaching of the Quran, Allah created man and taught him how to communicate, as Allah says:

ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ (١) عَلَّمَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ (٢) خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ (٣) عَلَّمَهُ ٱلۡبَيَانَ (٤)

“Al-Rahman (1) Taught the Qur’an (2). He created man (3). He taught him how to express himself “. (Al-Rahman 55:1-4) 

For more details, you can listen to a YouTube talk on “The secret of Remembering the Quran without Memorizing it” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zikcn-HWlqQ&t=6s ).

So, before the blessing of man’s creation, there was the blessing of teaching the Quran.  Without learning the Quran, man loses his humanity and becomes worse than animals.  This point can be concluded from many verses in the Quran.  Allah says:

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأۡكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأۡكُلُ ٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمُ وَٱلنَّارُ مَثۡوً۬ى لَّهُمۡ (١٢)

“For those who disbelieve, they enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat, and the Fire will be their final abode.” (Muhammad 47:12)

Animals have their functions, and they fulfill them, but man without the Quran fails to fulfill his function, therefore he would be worse than the animals.

Without the Quran, man will lose the value of all the blessings of the senses of intellect, hearing and sight because the function of these blessings would be lost. Yes man will still have physical heart but no feelings, will have brain but no intellect, will have eyes but no sight, will have ears but no hearing. Allah says these blessings will lose its real functionality.  Allah says: 

وَلَقَدۡ ذَرَأۡنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ ڪَثِيرً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِ‌ۖ لَهُمۡ قُلُوبٌ۬ لَّا يَفۡقَهُونَ بِہَا وَلَهُمۡ أَعۡيُنٌ۬ لَّا يُبۡصِرُونَ بِہَا وَلَهُمۡ ءَاذَانٌ۬ لَّا يَسۡمَعُونَ بِہَآ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ كَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ بَلۡ هُمۡ أَضَلُّ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡغَـٰفِلُونَ (١٧٩)

“We have already urged unto Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts wherewith they do not understand, and they have eyes wherewith they do not see, and they have ears wherewith they do not hear. They are like cattle, nay but they are worst. They are the heedless. (Al-Araf 7:179)

When people lose the functionality of all their senses, they will be walking dead.  Their physical body will be like the grave for their dead soul.  Allah says:  

وَمَا يَسۡتَوِى ٱلۡأَحۡيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلۡأَمۡوَٲتُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسۡمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسۡمِعٍ۬ مَّن فِى ٱلۡقُبُورِ (٢٢)

“And the living and the dead are not alike, Allah makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.” (Fatir 35:22)

Without the Quran, man will be walking like a drunken, cannot stay upright or walk straight, Allah says

أَفَمَن يَمۡشِى مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجۡهِهِۦۤ أَهۡدَىٰٓ أَمَّن يَمۡشِى سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬ (٢٢

“Is the one who walks and keep falling down on his face more rightly guided, or the one who walks upright on a straight path?” (Al-Mulk 67:22)

Frankly when you look at the Islamic world today, you cannot but see them walking dead, they stumble in the darkness and offer no value because their bodies hold dead souls.  Only the Quran can lead them out of the darkness to the light.  Allah says.  

الٓر‌ۚ ڪِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ لِتُخۡرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ (١)

“Alif-Lam-Ra. This is a Book that We have sent down to you in order that you lead mankind out of darkness into light with the will of their Lord, leading them to the Path of the All-Mighty, the Praiseworthy.” (Ibrahim 14:1)

Only with the Quran the real life begins, and the body will be the living heaven for the soul that walks the earth.  It is the Quran that will give life to the soul and transforms the dead man into a real living one.   Allah says that the Quran is the Spirt that gives life to the human soul and springs the light that guides him to the straight path:

وَكَذَٲلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ رُوحً۬ا مِّنۡ أَمۡرِنَا‌ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدۡرِى مَا ٱلۡكِتَـٰبُ وَلَا ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِن جَعَلۡنَـٰهُ نُورً۬ا نَّہۡدِى بِهِۦ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا‌ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَہۡدِىٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬ (سُوۡرَةُ الشّوریٰ(

“And thus, We have revealed to you a Spirit from Our command. You did not earlier what was the Scripture or what was Iman (Fait). But We have made it (the Quran) a light with which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, you are guiding to a straight path.” (Ash-Shura 42:52)

The Quran is the compass that keeps man in the straight path to reach his proper destination which is paradise: Allah says:

 إِنَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ يَہۡدِى لِلَّتِى هِىَ أَقۡوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمۡ أَجۡرً۬ا كَبِيرً۬ا (٩)

“Surely, this Qur’an guides unto that which is straightest, and gives glad tidings to the believers who do good deeds that theirs will be a great reward.”  (Al-Isra 17:9)

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدۡ جَآءَكُم بُرۡهَـٰنٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَأَنزَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ نُورً۬ا مُّبِينً۬ا (١٧٤)

“O mankind! A proof has come to you from your Lord and We have sent down to you a clear light.” (Al-Nisa 4:174)

Without the Quran, all the blessings that Allah grants to people in this life and that we admire are only means of curse as Allah says:

فَلَا تُعۡجِبۡكَ أَمۡوَٲلُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَوۡلَـٰدُهُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَہُم بِہَا فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا (٥٥)

 “So do not let their wealth and their children attract you. In fact, Allah intends to punish them with these in this worldly life.” (Tawba 9:55)

The question is: do we really appreciated the Quran as the greatest blessing that Allah granted to us.  This Quran transforms the one who truly receives it to be stronger than the biggest mountain.  Allah says:  

لَوۡ أَنزَلۡنَا هَـٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ۬ لَّرَأَيۡتَهُ ۥ خَـٰشِعً۬ا مُّتَصَدِّعً۬ا مِّنۡ خَشۡيَةِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَمۡثَـٰلُ نَضۡرِبُہَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (٢١

“If We had sent down this Qur’an to a mountain, you would have seen it humbled, burst apart out of awe of Allah. We site such examples for people so that they may reflect.” (Al-Hasr 59:21)

The Quran is the trust that Allah equipped us with powers that make us qualified to carry it and fulfill its obligations.  These powers that Allah has placed in us have not been made available to almost all other creations, Allah says:

 إِنَّا عَرَضۡنَا ٱلۡأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلۡجِبَالِ فَأَبَيۡنَ أَن يَحۡمِلۡنَہَا وَأَشۡفَقۡنَ مِنۡہَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُۖ إِنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ ظَلُومً۬ا جَهُولاً۬ (٧٢)

“We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Indeed, he is unjust and ignorant.” (Al-Ahzab 33:72)

It is man’s ignorance and unfairness to himself that he does not give the Quran its due honor because he fails to recognize and take advantage of the powers that Allah has placed in him.  Instead, he squanders all of them and remain heedless losing his way and stumbling everywhere.  This is not only for the disbelievers but also for Muslims whose hearts are sealed because they fail to study the Quran seriously, as Allah says:

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا )محمد(

Will they not do the Tadabour of the Qur’an, or do they have locks on the hearts?” (Mohammad 47:24)

Those Muslims will be the reason for the Prophet’s complaint to Allah in the Day of Judgment by saying:

   وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا) الفرقان(

And the Messenger said: “O my Lord! Indeed, my people had taken this Quran as deserted (of no account). (Al-Fourqan 25:30)

Note that the prophet (PBUH) is saying that Muslims intentionally took the action of deserting the Quran.

The Quran is the greatest blessing any human being will receive from Allah providing he/she fulfills its obligation by its serious study which is the Tadabour process as Allah says:

كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ )ص(

(This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they should ponder over its Verses, and those who have understanding may remember. “(Sad 38:29)

The Quran is the greatest blessing that Allah sent to man because Allah provided in it all knowledge that are needed for man be successful not only in the hereafter but also in this life by being a true guardian over the universe.  Allah informed us that the Quran includes knowledge about all subjects:

وَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ تِبۡيَـٰنً۬ا لِّكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ وَهُدً۬ى وَرَحۡمَةً۬ وَبُشۡرَىٰ لِلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ (٨٩)

We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for the Muslims. (Al-Nahl 16:89)

مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ )الأنعام(

We have not neglected anything in the Book. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered. (Al-Ana’am 6:38)

In describing the Quran, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

فِيهِ نَبَأُ مَا كان قَبْلَكُمْ، وَخَبَرُ مَا بَعْدَكُمْ

In it there is the true account of the past and the future (those before you, the news of those who will follow you). 

وَهُوَ الفَصْلُ لَيْسَ بِالْهَزْلِ مَنْ ابَتَغَى الهُدَى فِي غَيْرِهِ أَضَلّهُ الله

It is the guide for all matters, and no one gains guidance without it (it serious judgment and not the lighthearted amusement, whoever seeks guidance from other than it, Allah will misguide him).

وَهُوَ حَبْلُ الله المَتِينُ، وَهُوَ الذّكْرُ الْحَكِيمُ، وَهُوَ الصّرَاطُ المُسْتَقِيمُ، هُوَ الّذِي لاَ تَزِيعُ بِهِ الأَهْوَاءُ، وَلاَ يَشْبَعُ مِنْهُ الْعُلَمَاءُ، وَلاَ يَخْلُقُ عَلى كَثْرَةِ الرّدّ، وَلاَ تَنْقَضَي عَجَائِبُهُ،

It is the mighty rope of Allah. It is the wise remembrance.  It is the straight path.   It is the one that will not make the whims deviates, and scholars will always be hungry to study it. Its responses do not need replenishment and its wonders will never cease.

Regarding the breadth and the depth of the subjects presented in the Quran: Imam Abu Hamed Al-Ghazali (ابو حامد محمد الغزالي‎) in his books “Revival of Religious Sciences” (إحياء علوم الدين) and “Jewels of the Qur’an and its Pearls” (جواهر القرآن ودرره) said:  The Quran encompasses seventy-seven thousand and two hundred (77,200) forms of knowledge.   Imam Abu Bakr al-Arabi (ابو بكر العربى), the Maliki Imam made a correction and claimed the Quran includes 77,450 forms of knowledge.  

Without serious Tadabour of the Quran, how would we take advantage of all these knowledges. Imagine if Allah blessed a person with money and all the person does is to keep it in a safe and every day, he opens the safe, kisses the money and counts it.  He does not take advantage of the money to help himself or other people.  What would you say about such a person?

Imagine if Allah blessed a person with knowledge and all he does is sitting every day uttering the knowledge and never benefiting from it or sharing it with others to benefit from it.  What would say about this person too?   It is most likely that you say that such a person is unappreciative of this blessing, and you may even call him stupid.

What would you call those to whom Allah has revealed all forms of knowledge and provided them with the capabilities to understand and promised that if they take full advantage of this knowledge, they will be become the leaders in this world, but they kept this knowledge to themselves and all they did with it is to read the book that includes the knowledge with without comprehension and then kiss it and places in high place.  Would you call those people as giving gratitude to Allah for what he has blessed them with?  Or you wish that Allah takes this blessing from them and granted it to a more deserving group who can take advantage of it and share with others.

Isn’t this our situation now by how we are treating the Quran, we are not acknowledging it as a blessing form Allah.  We cannot even articulate the action-based forms of expressing our gratitude to Allah for granting it to us. 

This may a harsh statement, but will it be fair to say that none of us has really appreciated the Quran as the greatest blessing from Allah.  If you really think about the driver for early Muslims that made them form the greatest empire and develop the most advanced civilization in less than 50 years, you will conclude that it was their keen desire to transmit the Quran to all people. 

The companions of the Prophet (PBUH) knew that the Quran is the greatest blessing that Allah granted to them.  Ibn Abbas said:

قال ابن عباس أن «النعمة» اسم من أسماء القرآن الكريم بقوله تعالى

 “The term “blessing” (نعمة) is one of the names of the Quran as Allah said regarding it:  

يعرفون نعمة الله ثم ينكرونها وأكثرهم الكافرون )النحل الآية 83(

“They recognize the blessing of Allah, yet they deny it and most of them disbelievers (ungrateful).” (Al-Nahl 16:83)

فذكر فما انت بنعمة ربك بكاهن ولا مجنون» )الطور الآية 29 (

“So, keep reminding (them), with the blessing of your Lord, you are neither a soothsayer, nor a madman.” (Al-Turn 52:29)

وأما بنعمة ربك فحدث» (الضحى الآية 11)

“And proclaim the Blessing of your Lord” (Al-Dhuha 93:11)

The love of the early Muslim for the Quran made them show their gratitude to Allah for granting it to them by carry the responsibility of sharing this greatest blessing to everyone that they can reach, and they have succeeded.  And Allah increased their blessings to granting them success in their mission and by opening the secrets of many of its knowledge to them. As a result, you find them leading in in all types of social and natural sciences.  You also note that their success in sharing the Quran outside Arabia that almost all the sciences of the Quran were written by non-Arabs.

 Now, you tell me, have we tried to share this greatest blessing with others?  Or, like the foolish person whom Allah has granted money and all what he does is counting it and kissing it several times per day.  Yes, we read the Quran every day and we kiss it every day, but the Prophet (PBUH) will still complain about us by saying:

   وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا) الفرقان(

And the Messenger said: “O my Lord! Indeed, my people had taken this Quran as deserted (of no account). (Al-Fourqan 25:30)

Let me give a simple example to clarify the point, let us assume that you are owner of a large company, and I am your secretary, and you give a letter with instructions to share with all the employees.  What would do with me if I decided to keep the letter to myself and don’t share with the employees.  You will surely fire me.  To Allah is the greatest examples, isn’t this what we are exactly doing, keeping Allah final message to mankind to ourselves and concealing it form others.  Allah gives grave warning for those who conceal His message:

 إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكۡتُمُونَ مَآ أَنزَلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلۡهُدَىٰ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا بَيَّنَّـٰهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِى ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ‌ۙ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ يَلۡعَنُہُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَلۡعَنُہُمُ ٱللَّـٰعِنُونَ (١٥٩(

“Surely, those who conceal what We sent from clear signs, and the guidance after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse.” (Al-Baqara 2:159)

But, since we are still alive, we can remove Allah curse by repenting to Allah for our shortcoming and committing to deliver the clear message to all mankind, Allah says regarding those whom the curse will be lifted:

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَأَصۡلَحُواْ وَبَيَّنُواْ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيۡہِمۡ‌ۚ وَأَنَا ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (١٦٠)

“Yet, those who repent and correct and openly declare (what they have been concealing).  Those whom I accept their repentance. And I am the Most Relenting, the Most Merciful.” (Al-Baqara 2:160)

If the early Muslims stayed in Arabia reading the Quran and even applying all its commands, none of us would have Muslims.  But they sacrificed their wealth and their lives to deliver it to us.  Are we doing the same?

Here is the assignment that I want to give to you and to myself, we need to develop a action based plan on how to express our gratitude to Allah for the greatest blessing he granted us which is the Quran.  Then we can set priorities and start collectively implementing these actions.

We pray to Allah to grant us the wisdom to appreciate the Quran as the greatest blessing that Allah granted to mankind and to guide us to study it seriously to take advantage of if its treasures and to transmit it to others who can gain great benefits form it.

DUA