A Book on ‘Qur’anic Commands’

 

'Guidance for the Human Soul'

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International- India Chapter [Noor’ul Islam Masjid- Mathra, South Kerala] recently published a new Book on the Amazon Publishing Platform, Alhamdulillah. The Book, titled “Qur’anic Commands: Guidance for the Human Soul” is essentially a compilation of selected Verses of the Holy Qur’an concerning Divine commandments, prescriptions and prohibitions.

 

Reproduced below are the Acknowledgement and Preface sections as they provide an intimate glimpse of the new Book for the benefit of our interested readers:

Acknowledgement

 

‘All praises are due to the Almighty Alone. That is the defining thought for me as I complete this modest effort to educate myself on the Divine Teachings of the Holy Qur’an.

 

According to the great Muslim saint and reformer of the previous century, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian [1835-1908], there are over 700 verses of clear rulings in the Holy Qur’an and it is only by being aware of, and following them in full measure, that one becomes a true believer. Hazrat Mirza writes:  ‘...beware and do not take a single step contrary to the teaching of God and the guidance of the Qur’an. I tell you truly that anyone who disregards even a small injunction of the seven hundred commandments of the Qur’an, shuts upon himself the door of salvation’.(Noah’s Ark, p. 42, English edition, UK: 2018). 

'Knowledge' and the Muslim

 

Knowledge is a critical factor that can determine the fortunes of an individual, and the fate of a nation. When deployed effectively, the light of knowledge can illuminate hidden realities, and thereby dispel the darkness of ignorance. In the secular realm, knowledge is inextricably intertwined with power and triumph, authority and eminence. Those who master useful knowledge relevant for practical application in everyday life, they gain ranks, status, and authority and superiority in this world. Nations that employ rational faculties and develop science and technology effectively; they rule over others who ignore the laws of progress and prosperity embedded in the commanding heights of knowledge.

 

Beyond secular knowledge, Islamic tradition attaches great importance to the pursuit of spiritual knowledge and insight that leads to recognition of God’s exalted station and highest essence by way of unveiling and eye-witnessing.  Knowledge of the Attributes and Names of the Divine, knowledge of Divine Decrees and Bounties also enable one to know that God is Powerful over all things, and to be mindful in choosing wisely in this life, and to seek forgiveness for sins and mistakes. And several traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa) point to the eminent station of the knowledgeable believers:

“The one among you who has the most knowledge of God is the one whose fear of Him is the most intense.”

 

"If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will set him upon a path to Paradise. Verily the angels lower their wings being content with the one who seeks knowledge. And whosoever is in the heavens and on earth, even the fish in the sea, ask forgiveness for the person of knowledge. The virtue of the pious scholar over the devoted worshipper is as the superiority of the full moon over the rest of the stars. Those who have knowledge are the heirs of the prophets, for the prophets did not leave behind dinars and dirhams; they only left behind knowledge: whosoever receives it, receives an abundance of good fortune.”

 

With the appearance of an Elect of God in an era as a 'heir of the prophets', the treasures of spiritual knowledge and insight become available on an abundant scale for the benefit of all sincere seekers of higher truths, and it is by following such a man of deep religious knowledge and spiritual insight that the renewal of the Faith takes place. In his Friday Sermon of 02 October 2009, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius provides a fascinating exposition on Islamic teachings that underscore the significance of acquiring knowledge, especially knowledge of Religion, in the life of a believer.