All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He guides His obedient servants to His love and admits the doers of good to His Paradise. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is the Servant of Allah and His Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his pure blessed family and companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
Respected brothers and sisters! A large number of people believe that the Noble Qur’an is a cure for certain diseases only, such as epileptic fits and symptoms associated with being possessed by Jinn, but not physical diseases. This contradicts the relevant verses of the Qur’an and Hadiths that indicate that the Qur’an is a cure for physical diseases. Moreover, Azkar (remembrances and mentioning of Allah) and authentic Du’a (supplications) ascribed to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) are also cures for physical ailments. Allah The Almighty Says:
“And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers.” [Qur’an, 17:82]
Dear brothers and sisters! Wallahi all Qur’anic verses are a cure and a mercy for believers. Shaykh Ibn Sa’adi said that the Qur’an contains a cure for all ailments, including physical diseases.
Allah The Almighty Says:
“Say, “It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure.” [Qur’an, 41:44]
Shaykh Ibn Sa’adi deduced from this verse that the Qur’an contains a cure for all physical and spiritual diseases, and those of the heart, mind and soul.
The following are authentic texts from the Sunnah indicating that the Qur’an cures physical diseases:
1. When Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri read Surah Al-Fatihah as a Ruqyah (Qur’anic healing) for a sick non-Muslim, Allah The Almighty cured him. When he told the Prophet (Peace be upon him) about what had happened, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) approved of what he had done. [Al-Bukhari]
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim deduced from this Hadith that the effect of reciting the Qur’an in Ruqyah for curing some diseases is far better than the effect of medicine.
2. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to read Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas over a sick member of his family. Muslim narrated this Hadith on the authority of Aisha.
There is a lot of evidence on this topic, but what has been mentioned should suffice. For Ruqyah to really be effective as a cure, both the person who performs it and the one who receives it must have sincere faith in Allah The Almighty.
I cannot name a person who can perform Ruqyah for you. But there are many righteous people who can do that, and I am sure you can find one of them.
* Al-Qur’an is the Book for All Times
My people! Al-Qur’an has a strong relation with the daily life of the human being.
It is not enough to believe that the noble Qur’an is the Word of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and that it was sent down to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It is also necessary to feel that it has a strong relation with our daily life. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is understood to be a character of utmost perfection and importance, and yet often seen as a historic figure only. What is necessary to solve our problems is to imagine that he is living among us. Indeed, we won’t benefit from the religion unless we believe with total certainty that what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, provided us with is solutions to our problems. If the religion is not transformed from tradition and history to reality, we won’t succeed.
Dear brothers and sisters! The Noble Qur’an is not a historical novel but the Divine Law for all humanity. This vision of the religion as the tradition of the ummah is very dangerous. What is the relation between the religion and the reality of the ummah? What is the relation between the religion and the problems of the ummah and the challenges that we face?
The solution is to comprehend the religion on the basis of everyday application. The religion is not history, and the evidence pointing to this fact is that Allah the Almighty neglects on purpose the details of the stories told in the Noble Qur’an.
Some scholars said that if Almighty Allah had mentioned a lot of details in the stories in the Noble Qur’an, we would assume and imagine that they are historical events that happened once and won’t happen again. Thus, the religion would become tradition and the Noble Qur’an a book on history. What, then, should be our relation with what Allah said to Prophet Yunus when he said:
“And (remember) Zan-Nun (Jonah), when he went off in anger, and imagined that We shall not punish him (i.e. the calamites which had befallen him)! But he cried through the darkness (saying): La ilaha illa anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.” [Surah Al-Anbiya, 87]
There seemed to be no hope of survival in this situation.
“So We answered his call, and delivered him from the distress. And thus We do deliver the believers (who believe in the Oneness of Allah, abstain from evil and work righteousness).” [Surah Al-Anbiya, 88]
Almighty Allah made this verse a Divine Law; “And thus We do deliver the believers.”
This versed is not a novel or a story of one of the previous Prophets which happened and won’t happen again. There lies the danger –to view the Noble Qur’an as a book on history; to think that the Noble Qur’an tells here the story of one of the Prophets. Such is not the case. The Noble Qur’an gives the vital guidance to the people of our age relating to the believer who finds himself in distress, as was the case of this noble Prophet who cried in the darkness saying ‘la ilaha illa anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.)-and even though there seemed to be no hope for him to survive, he was made to survive, ‘and delivered him from the distress’ to fill you with confidence that this story is for you not a historical novel ‘And thus We do deliver the believers.’
Dear brothers and sisters! The most dangerous thing is when the religion turns to tradition which we boast of. Consider Allah’s Words:
“And We inspired the mother of Musa (Moses), (saying): “Suckle him [Musa (Moses)], but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve. Verily! We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of (Our) Messengers.” [Surah Al-Qasas, 7]
Is it reasonable for a mother who fears for her child to cast him into the river? What can we conclude here?
In whose hands was this box thrown into the sea? Who controlled it? Almighty Allah. Who moved it? Almighty Allah. Who led it to the shore? Almighty Allah. Who made it arrive at the palace? Who inspired the wife of the Fir’aun (Pharaoh) to come to the shore? Almighty Allah. Who instilled in her heart the love for the child? It was all the Almighty Allah.
Respected brothers and sisters! When you understand that the Hands of Allah alone are at work and that He controls everything this means that you read this story in a contemporary way. It is a dangerous thing when the religion turns to tradition, and when you consider it as something ancient, something to be proud of. We should believe with absolute certainty that the religion offers contemporary guidance and solution for our everyday life.
My people! Wallahi the Qur’an is a Divine Book in which we should search for solutions to all our problems.
If the Noble Qur’an is not our book for the present time and if we don’t seek in it solutions to our problems, then we are far from Truth. It is not a history book. It is not just a Revelation from Heaven, sent down one thousand four hundred and forty (1440) years ago to the Master of Prophets, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and that was all. It is our handbook. Almighty Allah has created the heavens and earth; the sun shines and the moon sheds light upon the earth. He has created rain, the seas, and the plants; the deserts and the mountains; the vegetation and the animals. The things that Allah Most High has created are still effective in our life, and the Noble Qur’an is the Light of the Universe until the Doomsday. Again, it is very dangerous to imagine that the religion is merely tradition or that the Noble Qur’an is a book sent to the Prophet who was an exceptionally influential figure only. It is necessary to believe that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, accompanies us when we look for solutions to our problems and that those are to be found in the Noble Qur’an. Almighty Allah says:
“And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.” [Surah Al-Talaq, 2-3]
This means you –the believer, the young person, in this modern age, going, perhaps, through difficulties, unable to find a job or a good wife or perceive a way out ahead of you– should fear Allah and fulfill your duty, then wait for the Divine Promise mentioned in this Qur’anic verse.
Dear brothers and sisters! Believers believe that the stories in the Qur’an recur until the Judgment Day.
What I hope to be clear is that the Noble Qur’an is not a historical book. When Almighty Allah mentions the stories in His Book, He does it not for the sake of story-telling but to make these stories the truth for us. These days there are unjust powers, armies equipped with weapons of mass-destruction, there is air force, rockets and missiles, atomic and nuclear bombs, biological and cluster bombs; there is economic blockade and space satellites which observe and watch every movement on the face of the earth.
When Fir’aun (Pharaoh) followed Prophet Musa, Peace be upon him, because every age has a Fir’aun (Pharaoh) who is in possession of destructive weapons, filled with malice and arrogance, when he followed Prophet Musa and the small band of his followers, and I say “small” because they were weak, poor and scared; the Fir’aun (Pharaoh), thus, followed them with all his power, pride, arrogance, malice and hatred until they reached the sea. The sea was in front of them and the Fir’aun (Pharaoh) was behind them, there seemed to be no hope of survival whatsoever. Allah the Most High says:
“And when the two hosts saw each other, the companions of Musa (Moses) said: “We are sure to be overtaken.” [Musa (Moses)] said: “Nay, verily! With me is my Lord, He will guide me.” [Surah Al-Shu’arah, 61-62]
If you don’t believe that this story will recur until the Day of Judgment, then you are not a believer in the Noble Qur’an –the book of life, the book of the present day. If you don’t read the stories in the Noble Qur’an believing that each of them will recur, this means that you haven’t read the Words of Allah but a history book.
Respected brothers and sisters! Know that, the reciter of the Noble Qur’an never grieves.
The one who reads the Noble Qur’an never grieves. Almighty Allah says:
“Then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery.” [Surah Taha, 123]
And He the Most High says:
“And whoever follows My Guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 38]
And also:
“Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves.” [Surah Al-Hijr, 42]
And also:
“Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision).” [Surah Al-Nahl, 97]
And also:
“Say: “Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Maula (Lord, Helper and Protector).” [Surah Al-Taubah, 51]
And also:
“Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Auliyah (supporters and helpers) are Taghut [false deities and false leaders, etc.], they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 257]
My great people! Man shouldn’t separate the Noble Qur’an from his everyday life.
If the Noble Qur’an is not the book of life for you, in which you find the guidance to the path of peace, of being at peace with yourself, with the people around you, and with your Lord, then you don’t benefit from reading the Noble Qur’an. Never separate the Noble Qur’an from the life you live.
Wallahi there’s a certain country that sent hundreds of officers to receive military training on new weapons in another country. The problem was that they all came back in the same plane and this plane crashed with all these military experts on board. Almighty Allah says in the story of Prophet Yusuf (AS):
“And he said: “O my sons! Do not enter by one gate, but enter by different gates.” [Surah Yusuf, 67]
Indeed, they should have read the Noble Qur’an, the book of everyday life, and have come on different flights.
Dear brothers and sisters! Hopefully, when you read the Noble Qur’an, you will apply it to your reality and your own life.
The Noble Qur’an is the perfect solution to all our problems.
I’ll tell you honestly that if we derived the solutions to all the problems we go through from the Noble Qur’an, these solutions would turn out to be the best ones, and yet we tend to consider it a historical record, and reading it a blessing and an act of worship. What is required is to take its verses to be the solution to our problems and see their real dimension through them. Therefore, Almighty Allah says:
“Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful.” [Surah Qaf, 37]
In a country I once visited I found that fruit is eaten before food; it does seem something natural and familiar. I know for certain that natural sugar is the fastest nutrient as it passes from mouth to blood in ten minutes. If you are hungry and eat a date or two, an apple or two, then pray the afternoon Salah (Prayer), you will sit down to your dinner without feeling much hunger, because Allah says:
“And fruit; that they may choose. And the flesh of fowls that they desire.” [Surah Al-Waqi’ah, 20-21]
Allah Most High mentions here fruit before food, and that is a sign.
It is also worth mentioning that eating fruit before it gets ripe causes certain diseases. Allah the Almighty says:
“Eat of their fruit when they ripen.” [Surah Al-An’am, 141]
Respected brothers and sisters! Reflecting on the Qur’an implies identification of your psychological state with it. Allah Most High says:
“Do they not then think deeply in the Qur’an, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?” [Surah Muhammad, 24]
To reflect on the Noble Qur’an is to read the verse and then apply it to your life. Allah the Almighty says:
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” [Surah Al-Nur, 30]
You should ask yourself here whether you have applied this verse, whether you have lowered your gaze or not.
Also Allah the Most High says:
“And those, who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes).” [Surah Al-Furqan, 67]
You should think deeply about the Qur’anic verses, and then put them into practice. Allah says:
“(This is) a Book (the Qur’an) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember.” [Surah Sad, 29]
My people! The religion of Islam is the greatest method which everyone needs in one’s life.
What I hope to be clear is that the Noble Qur’an is neither a history book nor a tradition. The religion is a method which we need in our life. We need it to run our business, we need it in our leadership, we need it in our family life, we need it in marriage; we need it in adversity and in prosperity, we need it in sickness and in health. When you understand that the Noble Qur’an is a method you need badly in your everyday life, you no longer see it as a Noble Book on history. On the contrary, you find there solutions to your problems. You should make the Words of Allah your Way and when this happens they will cease to be the words describing history, and the religion will become the solution to our problems not a tradition to boast of.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, the Ever-Living, Who does not die, and Peace and Blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and companions.
Your brother Imam Murtadha Muhammad Gusau, sent this piece from Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached through: gusaumurtada@gmail.com or +2348038289761.
