For Immediate Release!
Call to All to Read the Qur’an
Dr. Firdaus today issued a call to Muslims around the world to organize Weekly Khatm Sharif of the Qur’an between now and the next Ramadan, 1434/2013.
Dr. Fridaus says the word Qur’an means “To Read” or “Reading.” Allah sent the Qur’an to the world so that it will be read – and of course so that it will also be understood and practiced.
It is, therefore, incumbent on everyone everywhere to read the Qur’an – Allah’s book that is – says Dr. Firdaus. “Why else would God send down a book into the world if not for everyone to read it?”
Qur’an Is Al-Kitab – “The Book”
Dr. Firdaus points out that that is what God Almighty calls the Qur’an – in the Qur’an: “The Book” – Al-Kitab!
“Muslims need to lead the charge on this front,” says Hashim Mohammad, a long-time veteran of Read the Qur’an Campaign.
“They need to show the world that the Qur’an is there to be read. Muslims need to set an example to the whole world in reading the Qur’an.”
Ramadan Is the Month of the Qur’an
Ramadan, of course, is the Month of the Qur’an. Ramadan was the month in which the Qur’an was sent down by God into the world.
Muslims around the world make all kinds of special efforts to read the Qur’an during the month of Ramadan.
Throughout the world – from India, Malaysia and Australia to Europe, Africa, China, Russia, Arabia and America – Muslims organize special nightly group prayers throughout the month of Ramadan, called Taraweeh, in which the Qur’an is read from cover to cover over a period of close to one month – the month of Ramadan.
Question: “What Happens after Ramadan Is Gone?”
“But what happens after the blessed month of Ramadan is gone?” asks Kalamazad Mohammad, a stalwart of the effort to Take the Qur’an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It. “Are we supposed to put the Qur’an aside and wait for the next Ramadan to come before we pick up God’s Book again?”
Dr. Firdaus says the answer is Muslims everywhere, in every part of the world that is, must organize a weekly Khatm – cover to cover reading – of the Qur’an. And here, he says, how that could be done at the level of each community in any part of the world.
Answer: “Do a Weekly Khatm for the Whole Year”
- First of all take a quick count to see how many fairly good readers there are in each community – people, men and women and children, who can fairly comfortably read the Qur’an by looking at the book – the Muswhaf, the Qur’an that is.
- Next, recruit and organize the potential readers into teams of 30-35 each.
- Elect a leader for the team or the group, for Islam is all about elections.
- Assign each member of the team a Juz – one of the 30 parts of the Qur’an – to read and complete within the week.
Set a Time to Complete Readings – and Make Du’a
- Assign a day and time by which time the reading of all 30 parts – Juz – of the Qur’an will be read, completed and reported to the leader by all those involved in the group reading effort.
- Have extra readers available to pick up the slack in case any of the designated readers is not able to complete the task.
- At the assigned time on the given day, make the Khatm Du’a, basically asking Allah to accept your Khatm and shower his blessings upon Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and upon all the readers and all the good people of the world.
- Continue this practice, week after week, and month after month, until the advent of next Ramadan, 1434/2013.
Don’t Forget to Teach and Train New People to Read
- Make every effort to train new men, women and children into reading the Qur’an. Use this opportunity – and this occasion – to recruit, teach and train them all how to read the Qur’an.
- Whenever possible, organize group sessions to help everyone understand the meaning of the words and passages (Aayaat) of the Qur’an.
- During these sessions, assess and discuss the extent to which the Qur’an is being put into practice by the world – both Muslim and non-Muslim – and what you can do to improve things and make them better for everyone everywhere.
Take the Qur’an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It
- Discuss practical and active ways of “Taking the Qur’an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It – and Which One Does Not?”
- Enjoy the next Ramadan when it arrives and you are able to greet it at the door with the Qur’an in your hand – and in your heart and on your lips.
- Repeat this Ramadan-to-Ramadan Weekly Khatm of the Qur’an every year, for the rest of your life.
- Sit back and watch and count the blessings of Allah as they descend on his earth and around you.
Muslims to the Rescue of Humanity
“This way Muslims – and the human world as a whole – will be in constant touch with the Qur’an, throughout their life, at least to some extent,” says Dr. Firdaus.
“This way,” he says, “The Muslims of the world will have to some degree fulfilled the obligation that God placed on their shoulders when he said ‘Read!’”
“And also this way,” says Hashim Mohammad, “The Muslims would have come to the rescue of all of humanity, one more time, in terms of its answerability before God to read the Qur’an – the book that he sent into this world for all human beings to read.”
© 2012 Syed Husain Pasha
Dr. Pasha is an educator and scholar of exceptional
talent, training and experience. He can be reached at DrSyedPasha [at]
AOL [dot] com or www.IslamicSolutions.com.