* There is a general practice, particularly in the Indian sub-continent, of ritualistic reading of the Qur'aan on occasions like entering a new house for the first time, the 3rd, 10th and 40th days after the death of a person, inauguration of a new business etc, etc. The Qur'aan is read on such occasions just mechanically, without any conscious effort at understanding what is read. People think that just the reading of the Holy Book entails rewards from the Lord, which can be transferred, by His grace, to the credit of a dead person.
Is this practice correct, in Qur'aanic light? * *As the very 2nd Verse of the 2nd Chapter of the Qur'aan tells us, the Holy Book is revealed for the guidance of Allah-fearing, pious people. That is the divinely declared purpose of the Book.* ** *Can that purpose be served by just reading the Book, without understanding what is read? The Qur'aan is a Book of prescriptions for curing a morally ailing humanity. It is, on a micro scale, like a doctor's prescription given for the cure of a disease, any person may be suffering from. The doctor's prescription is not a mantra to be just read and blown over the sick person's body, 3 or 5 times. It is to be read for needful action, as directed by the doctor therein. * ** *The Qur'aan has similarly to be read for needful action as directed by Allah, the All-Knowing Physician, therein. It is not meant to be used merely as a mantra.* ** *And yet, most of the Muslims do just that! How could the pupose of the Qur'aan be served then? If a person reads the Qur'aan to understand the divine instructions therein and acts accordingly, he/she may get rewards, personally therefor, from the Lord. But how could such rewards be transferred to a dead person who has gone beyond the requirement of implementing Qur'aanic instructions? * ** *And the Satan has led many gullible Muslims to do ridiculous things in the perpetuation of this practice. They hire the services of boys from an orphanage to do the ritualistic readings. In one of such sessions, the boys were observed skipping pages in order to complete the readings early! And the household members, in their prayers to the Lord, entreated Him to transfer the 'rewards' for such 'readings' not only to the dead person whose death anniversary was being observed, but also to our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him)!!!! * ** *The prevailing Muslim practice of ritualistic reading of the Qur'aan, without understanding what is read, is thus yet another innovation leading the Muslim Ummah astray - away from the divine Straight Path. * ** *Mohammad Shafi* *islam-n-interest.com <http://www.islam-n-interest.com/>*
