So I've read through Surah 45. About 90 pages to go. This is going to be a wonderful accomplishment, being that I don't think I've read the bible in its entirety (don't tell my Presbytery higher-ups that fact). But to my defense, the bible is much longer.
After 335 pages of the Quran, an over-arching theme has struck me. Humility. On almost every page, the Quran reminds the reader that Allah is the one God, who created everything, provides all, and who is ultimately in control. It is the humble realization that everything is a gift from Allah, and that Allah, not the reader, is in control, that leads to a faithful and spiritually-centered living. It is this humility that allows one to love others, to learn from one's mistakes, and to keep Allah one's ultimate concern (to us a Tillich phrase).
Many times throughout the Quran, including 9:11, it says, "if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity."
This may be the heart of the Quran.
Everyhthing is a gift from Allah. Everything on earth is temporary as well. Only the Creator is worthy of the ends of one's spiritual focus.
The temptation of cultivating an unhealthy attachment to one's ego (healthy selfishness and confidence is necessary, but elevating oneself (far) above others or God may be damaging), accomplishments, materials, and the temptation of hatefulness or complacence (among other difficulties) threatens all of us, at sometime or another. This line in the Quran reminds the reader to stay focused on living a life of faith and love, to prayerfully remember that everything is a gift from Allah through prayer, and to imagine creation's interconnectedness, empowering the reader to serve others through charity because everyone's wellbeing is interwoven.
What do you think is the heart of the Quran?
Posted via email from Advent with Islam: A Presbyterian Chaplain's Journey with the Quran
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