The Quran is a Reminder.For whom? For us. Why? Because we always forget. We forget about the deceitfulness of this world, we forget about the Hereafter that is surely coming. But isn't it strange? When Allah says that the Quran is a 'tazkirah', a reminder, we think that just reading it is enough. When we complete a recitation(khatam), we celebrate, hold feasts, take pictures together. But have we ever thought about it? We should actually feel sad, because much of what we read, we don’t understand. We don’t practice it. We’ve got it all backwards. The Quran should make us cry, but instead, we turn it into an event. We take pride in how many times we’ve completed it, but we don’t think about how much we’ve actually implemented. We feel satisfied just by reading, but we don't feel guilty when we ignore Allah’s prohibitions. We need to fix this wrong mindset. We think that once we’ve completed the Quran, our responsibility is over. But in reality, that’s when our responsibility begins. The Quran is not meant to be rushed through for completion, but to be translated into our daily lives. If we just read without understanding and without trying to change, what’s the point? Have you ever seen people who go to the mosque regularly but still hurt others? People who pray every day but can’t stop gossiping? Hurting their neighbors, harboring envy and suspicion, cheating others in business dealings? Why does this happen? Isn't all of this prohibited in the Quran? Then why do people still do it? Because they don’t understand what they’re reading. That’s why Allah sent down the Quran as a reminder, not just for us to accumulate rewards from its recitation. If we read without understanding and applying it, the reminder won’t reach our hearts. It's just like when someone gives us advice, we listen but don’t act on it. What’s the benefit then? But Allah has already mentioned in the next verse: 'And they will not receive admonition unless Allah wills. He is the One deserving of fear and the One who grants forgiveness.' (Al-Muddathir: 55-56) Not everyone will take heed of this reminder. Only those who truly desire it, who are aware and strive to understand, will receive Allah's guidance. If the heart refuses to accept it, no matter how much a person reads, it will remain the same. That’s why we see people who have memorized the Quran, who read it daily, yet their character doesn’t change—because they read it as a routine, not as a means to transform themselves. We need to change our mindset. Don’t just chase after completion; chase after understanding. Don’t just seek blessings in ceremonies; seek blessings in daily actions. Don’t wait for completion events to feel close to the Quran; make it your daily companion. Allah has given us the ‘manual.’ It’s up to us whether we want to use it properly or not. Do we want to continue this wrong culture, or do we want to change and take the Quran as the true guide in our lives? Wallahualam!
موسوعة الهدايات القرآنية
11mo agoAl-Muddaththir (74:54)
تَذْكِرَة... من أراد الحق والدار الآخرة يكفيه القرآن الكريم؛ فيتبعه ويلتزم تعاليمه، دون تردد أو تهرب.
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5 Comments
SubhanAllah. One of the wonders of the Quran for me is how it can speak to each of us individually, even though we all come from different stories, circumstances and walks of life. Somehow, surah after surah, ayah after ayah, there are moments when it feels as though Allah is speaking directly to you , addressing something in your own heart that you did not even know needed to be addressed.
I am a Muslim revert, and before my conversion I remember thinking that once I accepted Islam, that was it. That I had finally made my way back to the truth, back to Allah. But the more I learn, the more I realize that accepting Islam was not the end of the journey. It was only the beginning.
I was raised in a Christian household and attended Christian schools growing up, so the Bible was very much a part of my education. Perhaps that is why, when I began reading the Qur’an, I told myself that I wanted to complete it not merely so I could say that I had read the entire Quran but because I genuinely wanted to understand the words of Allah and know the guidance He has given us.
Before I began reading this surah, I prayed to Allah and said:
“Open my heart, my mind and my soul, so that I may understand Your words as You intend them to be understood and help me live by them.”
And as I continue reading the surahs, reflecting on the ayat and reading the reflections of others, I realize more and more that completing the Quran cannot be the destination.
The goal is not simply to finish it. The goal is to allow it to finish changing us.
This reflection reminded me that the Quran is not something we are meant to rush through simply for the sake of completion. It is a reminder, a guidance and a means of transformation. What good is it for me to complete page after page if I remain unchanged by what I have read? What benefit is there in knowing the words if I do not allow them to reach my character, my choices, my relationships, my worship and the parts of my heart that still need to be corrected?
Perhaps every time we read an ayah that convicts us, we should not simply move to the next one. Perhaps we should pause and ask: *What is Allah asking me to change? What is this teaching me about Him? What is this revealing about me? What is He reminding me?*
As a revert, I am learning that returning to Allah is not one single moment. It is something we continue doing over and over again. Every time we repent, every time we learn, every time we recognize a weakness in ourselves and choose to surrender it to Him.
So yes, I still want to complete the Quran. But more than that, I want the Qur’an to complete its work in me.
May Allah open our hearts to His words, grant us understanding beyond mere reading, allow the Quran to become a source of guidance rather than simply something we recite and give us the sincerity and strength to live by what we learn.
May He soften our hearts, purify our intentions, correct our character and make us among those who hear the reminder and truly take heed.
JazakAllahu khayran for sharing this beautiful reflection. May Allah reward you for the reminder.