ASK MAULANA

ASK MAULANA Your Questions Answered The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad). The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey. How should we strive to understand the deeper meaning of the verses of the Quran? The Quran has its own style. The Quran is not a narration of history nor is it a novel. The truth is that the Quran is a book of wisdom. In the language of wisdom, some things are between the lines or undeclared. Thus, you have to engage in reflection in order to understand the message that lies between lines. For example, at the time of the Battle of Uhud, seventy Companions of the Prophet were killed. A verse that was revealed on this occasion said: He paid you back with one sorrow after another, so that you might not grieve for what you lost, nor for what befell you. (3: 153) The wisdom behind this verse of the Quran is that after every loss, we need to adopt the attitude of re-planning instead of becoming hopeless or engaging in complaints against others. According to the Quran, the deeper meaning of the Quran can be understood through contemplation (tadabbur). Such reading should be done with an open mind, not with a conditioned mind. Only if a person reflects objectively would, he be able to reach the deeper meaning of the verses of the Quran. What do you think about the verse of the Quran, "The Messenger will say, 'Lord, my people did indeed discard the Quran'?" This verse is about the Day of Judgement. These are the words the Prophet will say on the Day of Judgement about his community of later times. After the death of the Prophet and the passing of several