The Qur’an has about 6,236 ayahs. But one of the 6,236 ayahs has caught my heart. It is quite endearing to me. And that ayat is:

“Read! In the name of your Lord who created.”

The Holy Qur’an is a divine mercy for the nation of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is a light for us, a solution for all our troubles, the spring of our hearts. It is a miracle given to the Messenger (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

The first word sent down by Allah from the heavens to Rasul (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was “Read!” Allah’s wisdom behind revealing the first word ‘Iqra’ is glorious and monumental. Allah (Glorified He be) could have sent many other significant words but He preferred to send the word ‘read’.

Have you ever marvelled over the fact that why Allah had sent the first word as ‘read’? Weren’t you ever curious to know about this? Allah has shown the superiority of reading by announcing it as the initial word because reading helps us to seize the Islamic knowledge. It is a way to accumulate it. It is a way to discover Islam and to apprehend it.

If you’re one of the people who don’t make a habit of reading/reciting Qur’an, you might be missing out. Reading has a significant number of benefits, and just a few benefits of reading are listed below:

1) Mental Stimulation:

Staying mentally stimulated reduces the chances of Dementia. Qur’an is an effective remedy for mental illnesses. By constantly reading Qur’an your mind is stimulated, not only by the recital, but by pondering upon its verses, and meanings.

2) Stress Reduction:

No matter how much stress you have at work or countless other issues faced in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in reciting Qur’an. When reciting the Qur’an, one realises the bigger picture of life; that it is merely a test and we have to bear patience with whatever comes our way. Various ayahs in the Qur’an also cause Taqwa (God-fearing) in our hearts.

3) Knowledge:

When you go through the beautiful ayahs of the Qur’an, you actually gain knowledge. And when you read more, you accumulate a great amount of beneficial knowledge.

4) Tranquility:

Qur’an is indeed the spring of our hearts. It is a great tranquilizer. Reciting Qur’an brings immense peace and serenity. As Allah says, “Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (13:28)

When reading/reciting the Qur’an has so many benefits, then how can we neglect its significance in our lives?

To sum up, I would like all my brothers and sisters in Islam to ponder upon the first ayat and start implementing it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have conversation with your Lord? Then go, fetch a Qur’an and start comprehending it.

May Allah (Glorified He Be) assist us in understanding the Qur’an. Aameen.

Bint Nayeem

Writer, AAT