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Towards Understanding the Qur’an

his contemporaries. All this was essential since this Last Book was meant to serve as a beacon light for the guidance of all humanity till the end of time.

The intrinsic value of the Qur’an is evident to many perceiving eyes and reflecting minds. On the other hand is the heart-rending fact that human beings in large numbers are scarcely aware of the Qur’an’s message and teachings. What is more, thanks to the strong Islamophobic media that presently holds sway over the world, multitudes of people are averse to it. Quite a few Muslims regard an accumulation of external factors as responsible for creating a deep-seated prejudice against Islam and the Qur’an. The fact, however, is that it is we Muslims who are to blame more than anyone else for the present state of affairs in so far as we have failed to give this Book its due by making it widely available in a form that would enable our fellow beings to grasp its meaning.

For a number of historical reasons, however, the interaction between the Muslims and the rest of the world, especially with the West, has been on the increase in recent times. This development can prove a turning point in history, especially if the Muslims can have the same degree of concern to make the Qur’an’s message and meaning accessible to all and sundry as they have for their mundane interests. Hence, instead of fruitlessly lamenting the sordid state of affairs of the present, vigorous efforts should be made to change it by building bridges of understanding across the religious, cultural and ethnic divide found in our world today.

The Qur’an – uncreated Word of God though it doubtlessly is – was revealed and communicated through the medium of a human language – Arabic. No wonder its original text remains a livingmiracle in a variety of ways. Hence those who know Arabic have access to a whole universe of meaning which is not easy for others to reach. For it is only by reading the Qur’an in the original that one is exposed to its true beauty and grandeur. It is only the original Arabic Qur’an that can make one appreciate “that inimitable symphony the very sound of which moves man to tears and

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