Introduction
Reflecting on the ayat of the Qur'an is not just reading or memorising it but rather to also understand, ponder and act upon the verses. Generally, it is personal as it allows one to engage with the meaning, the word or sentence structure closely and corelate it to personal experience and daily life.
Allah (ﷻ) says: “This is a Book, We have sent down to you full of blessing, so that they may ponder over its verses and so that the people of reflection take heed.” [Sad:29]. "Will they not reflect upon the Qur’an? Or, is it that there are locks upon their hearts?" [Muhammad:24]
There are a lot of motivations in reading and understanding the Qur’an as quoted in the ahadith of our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Listed here are some of them;
Abu Umama RA. said he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say: “Recite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite It. Recite the two bright ones, al-Baqara and Surah Ali 'Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds or two shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Surah al-Baqara, for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it.” [Sahih Muslim]
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri RA. said: “In the year of Tabuk, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed the people, while leaning against his mount. He said: 'Shall I not tell you of the best of the people and the worst of the people? Among the best of the people is a man who strives in the cause of Allah on the back of his horse, or on the back of his camel, or on his own two feet, until death comes to him. And among the worst of the people, is an immoral man (Fajir) who reads the Book of Allah but he does not refrain from doing anything bad because of it.” [Sunan an-Nasa’i]
Narrated `Uthman ibn Affan RA.: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.” [Sahih Bukhari]
It was narrated that Anas bin Malik RA. said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Allah has His own people among mankind.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, who are they?' He said: 'The people of the Qur'an, the people of Allah and those who are closest to Him.’" [Sunan Ibn Majah]
What can I do in My Reflections?
My Reflections is a space where you can write and store your reflections of the weekly ayah shared in Qalby Community. You may use the suggested prompts to help you with the thinking process before you write your reflection. Try to put into pratice what you have reflected here especially the Practical Tips. If you want to share your selected reflection(s), make sure you set it to Public before submitting the entry. If your Profile is Public the those public reflections will be displayed on your Profile and can be viewed by others.
Caution: Please refrain yourself from issuing rulings, voicing controversial opinions, defaming a character or any organisation, displaying prejudice, plagiarising others' writing (kindly include reference whenever possible), or any call towards hatred in your writing.
Tips to get started:
Reflection is a skill; part of learning and thinking to help us to understand and develop practice for the better. Reflecting on Qur'anic verses may sound hard to begin with but it all start with a sincere intention to obtain guidance from Allah (ﷻ). We must raise our hands and make du'a to Allah (ﷻ) to grant us the ability to reflect on his words.
While there's no one definite way to do this, we suggest the following steps to begin with:
1. Set a plan, a goal or an achievable target - Decide when will you be doing the reflection in that week. It could be a specific day, or right after Fajr, afternoon breaks or after night prayers. You would know your timeline best, but be flexible as some days might turn out differently due to many uncontrollable factors. After all, Allah is The Best Planner. So, be flexible and be realistic. Treat this as one of the ways to cut yourself from the overwhelming news on your social media timeline (although just for a while, it'll help to preserve your sanity too!) You can always resume the reflection and continue with your last progress.
2. Once you have decided on the routine and have all the resources laid out and ready, try to dedicate ample time to listen and to read the ayah. Be present (mind and heart too) while listening and reading the ayah. Try to memorise the ayah too.
3. Spend some time to think and contemplate the ayah. Use the prompts given to get the thinking process started and get going. To help you understand the meaning of the ayah (not just the translation), read the tafsir of each ayah. Decide beforehand which tafsir you will be using. Options include:
- Online tafsir: e.g. Ibn Kathir
- Hardcopy tafsir; for short and concise tafsir we recommend: Tafsir of Ibn Kathir or Tafsir of As-Sa’di (Tafsir Al-Azhar by Hamka - if you prefer a copy of tafsir in Bahasa Melayu)
- Audio lectures of the surah from reputable and trusted sources: e.g. Taleem al-Qur'an 2012 from Al-Huda Institute audio collections
4. Write down your thoughts, your answers to the questions / prompts and expand it to some practical tips or lessons you would like to adopt in your daily life including du'as that you would recite in given circumstances.
What is the Difference Between Tafsir and Tadabur?
Tafsir is the unveiling of the meanings of each ayat of the Qur’an, while tadabur is what comes after the meaning has been unveiled. Tadabur is looking at the meaning, the exact wording, and the sentence structure with close examination. It is reciting the Qur’an and finding out how the Revelation pertains to one’s personal state and daily life. We use tafsir and various other methods to arrive at the aim of the Qur’an, which is tadabur. The more purified your heart is, the more that vessel will extract from the Qur’an. Tafsir is based upon proofs, while tadabur is based on an examination of proofs, rational concepts, and personal ideas; all the while taking the self into account. (Ref: Ustadh Nuh Saunders)