طٰهٰ ۚ (1) مَاۤ اَنۡزَلۡـنَا عَلَيۡكَ الۡـقُرۡاٰنَ لِتَشۡقٰٓى ۙ (2) اِلَّا تَذۡكِرَةً لِّمَنۡ يَّخۡشٰى ۙ (3)
“Ta Ha. We have not sent the Quran down upon you to distress you, ‘O Prophet –
but rather as a revealed reminder for whomever would revere God, in awe of a divine word.”
(Surat Ta-Ha, Verses 1-3)
(Translation by Ahmad Zaki Hammad)
Why was the Holy Quran revealed? What is its purpose? What role does it play in our lives as Muslims? What role should it play in our daily lives? These are all crucial questions that directly affect our identification as Muslims, the worship of Allah ﷻ, and living our lives under the banner of Islam. To understand the answers to these questions, we will explore the meaning and context of which these opening verses from Surat Ta-Ha were revealed.
“We have not sent the Quran down upon you to distress you.” In this case, Allahﷻ is talking to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Surat Ta-Ha is primarily focusing on the story of Musa (AS). Musa (AS) had a life full of hardships along the path of spreading the truth to the Pharaoh and his people. With no doubt, it was an incredibly daunting task to take on. The Pharaoh committed the most immoral acts such as killing innocent baby boys so that they did not grow up to overthrow him. He restricted his own people from their basic rights and necessities, accused Musa (AS) of being an evil sorcerer, tried to kill him and his followers, and much more. However, the victory of Allah ﷻ prevailed in the end and many of the people accepted the truth, although the Pharaoh did not and died in one of the worst states possible.
The Quran is made up of countless stories of our beloved Prophets and believers along with the many lessons to derive from them. The story of Prophet Musa (AS), compared to the lives of other Prophets, bears the greatest similarities to that of Prophet Muhammadﷺ.
Allah ﷻ uses the stories of the previous Messengers, especially Musa (As) in this case, to demonstrate that the victory of Allah ﷻ will always prevail over the other religions and faiths. This was made clear to the Prophet ﷺ and provided a kind of remembrance and motivation for him, as he was also on a path full of hardships, even more so than Musa (AS), in teaching people about Islam.
For that reason, Allah ﷻ says to the Prophet ﷺ in just the opening verses of this chapter, that indeed, “We have not sent the Quran down upon you to distress you.” Rather, it is a “revealed reminder for whomever would revere God, in awe of a divine word.” Allah ﷻ said it very clearly and straightforwardly: the Quran was revealed to be a source of remembrance of the divine words of Allah ﷻ Himself and only that.
If Allah ﷻ is telling this to the Messenger ﷺ, what about us? The truth is, whenever Allahﷻ is talking to his Messenger ﷺ in the Quran, it is also indirectly meant for all Muslims as well. Allahﷻ is telling us as well that the Quran was not revealed to be a burden on us, rather it was revealed to be a source of remembrance for those who find awe in the divine words of Allahﷻ.
As a month is already quickly approaching since the end of the holy month of Ramadan, has our connection with the Quran remained the same or at least elevated as it was during Ramadan? Did we implement the Quran in our daily lives outside of Ramadan? Are we treating the Quran as a burden or as a source of mercy and remembrance of the might of Allahﷻ? Our relationship with the Quran should have changed for the better after the completion of Ramadan and we should have a bond with it that is stronger than ever before. If this is not the case, then surely the problem is that we have decided to treat the Quran as a burden rather than remembrance and mercy, which is directly against the purpose of Allahﷻ.
We ask Allahﷻ to grow our connection and love with the Quran. We ask Allahﷻ to allow the Quran to be our guide and to testify for us and not against us on the Day of Judgement. We ask Allahﷻ to allow the Quran to be the light of our hearts. Allahumma Ameen.
By Ahmad Salah
