We did not send down the Qur'an to you to make you miserable, but only as a reminder for those who have fear. (Surah Ta Ha: 2-3)
In order for all of humankind to find the truth, to reach the absolute reality, and acquire knowledge about religion, Allah has sent down holy books and prophets to convey and explain these books, throughout history. The last book Allah sent down, as a guide to humankind, was the Qur'an. In one verse the attribute of the Qur'an as a guidebook is explained as:
Previously, as guidance for mankind, He sent down the Torah and the Gospel (Furqan). Those who reject Allah's Signs will have a terrible punishment. Allah is Almighty, Exactor of Revenge. (Surah Al 'Imran: 4)
The books sent down prior to the Qur'an, have all been tampered with by polytheists and opponents of religion. These books have been adulterated by the addition of superstitions and false beliefs. But, Allah has adjudicated clearly in His verses that only the last Holy book, the Qur'an, will not be corrupted and that it will be protected till Judgment Day:
It is We Who have sent down the Reminder (the Quran) and We Who will preserve it. (Surat al-Hijr: 9)
Falsehood cannot reach it from before it or behind it—it is a revelation from One Who is All-Wise, and Praiseworthy. (Surah Fussilat: 42)
Believers, who know that the Qur'an will be valid and protected till Doomsday, live with this comfort and confidence. The Qur'an is a book one can fully trust its every command and decree, and follow without experiencing any resentment or doubt in his heart or conscience. For people to have such a "trustworthy" guide is a great blessing and mercy given by Allah. In one of His verses, Allah informs us of the importance of the Qur'an to believers:
We have sent down the Book to you which manifests the truth about all things and as guidance and mercy and good news for Muslims. (Surat an-Nahl: 89)
Every individual who knows the Qur'an and makes it his guide learns the purpose of his Creation, the means to acquire Allah's approval and mercy, how to reach Heaven, what life will be like in Heaven and Hell, the secrets of Allah's Creation, the best morals, and many more things in the most correct and complete way.
Every type of question that can be asked by different people about religion is answered in the Qur'an. Allah states this in one of His verses:
Every time they come to you with a difficult point, We bring you the truth and the best of explanations. (Surat al-Furqan: 33)
As all knowledge about religion is provided in the Qur'an, this leaves no room for dispute whatever the subject. Allah tells us that one of the purposes for the revelation of the Qur'an is to clarify issues that people disagree on:
We have only sent down the Book to you so that you can make clear to them the things about which they differ, and as a guidance and a mercy to people who believe. (Surat an-Nahl: 64)
As can be seen in this verse, the Qur'an is a great blessing and a guide in every respect to those who have faith in Allah and are righteous. Allah, through the Qur'an, informs us of topics about which we have no knowledge and the secrets of His Creation. For example, in the Qur'an, Allah instructs us on the existence of satan, his qualities, his purpose, the angle from which he gets close to people, the tactics he uses, his insidious character, as well as giving much other information. Furthermore, the way to free oneself from satan's influence is spelled out in the Qur'an. Whatever is explained in the Qur'an about satan is a great advantage to believers, because it enables them always to be alert to the insidious and invisible enemies who approach them.
The Qur'an is a book that is very clearly comprehensive and which appeals to everyone. As a result, on Judgment Day when people are giving their account of all the things they did, they cannot put forward the excuse that nobody had informed them of what was right or wrong or that they were unaware of certain precepts. Allah, by the mediation of the Qur'an, warns people in the best possible way and informs them of the most vital issues pertaining to their lives.
Again for the sake of ease, Allah explains His points in a variety of ways so that people may fully comprehend them. Allah thus makes known to us this style of the Qur'an:
We have brought them a Book elucidating everything with knowledge, as guidance and a mercy for people who believe. (Surat al-A'raf: 52)
Look how We explain the Signs with various symbols so that hopefully they will understand. (Surat al-An'am: 65)
In spite of these declarations of Allah, the error that most people generally fall into is thinking that the Qur'an cannot be understood by everyone. Most people think that they need to be educated for many years to be able to read, understand, and live by the teachings of the Qur'an. Most of those who reach such a conclusion have never actually read the Qur'an before, even once. Or they have, but haven't tried to understand it; they have conditioned themselves from the beginning to think that they would not be able to understand it. Whereas the Qur'an, as it informs us, is crystal clear. It possesses a style which is easily comprehensible to anyone who reads it with sincerity.
It is a great blessing for people that the language of the Qur'an can be easily understood. In one of His verses, Allah declares that He has simplified the Qur'an so that people may read and understand it with ease:
We have revealed to you the Qur'an in your own tongue, so that you may give good news to those who guard against evil and give warning to a contentious nation. (Surah Maryam: 97)
When Allah has made His religion so much easier for people to understand, out of His mercy and compassion, the only thing left for them to do is reflect upon what Allah has said and act upon it. However, many people opt for the hard way when there is an easier way. They go in search of things that will only misguide them and they live their life far from the Qur'an, which is the sole means of their learning the purpose of their life, and which can be their savior for all eternity. As a result, our Prophet (saas) called out to Allah:
"My Lord, my people treat this Qur'an as something to be ignored." (Surat al-Furqan: 30)
Those true believers whose hearts are content and who have submitted to Allah, know that the Qur'an is sent down by the All- Powerful and Wise Allah and that it is the guide that leads to the right path. Allah also informs us that the Qur'an is "a healing and a mercy to the believers" (Surat al-Isra': 82). Through the verses in the Qur'an, all the questions and doubts that may be formed in people's minds are abolished and its readers learn from it the morals and lifestyles most suited to themselves.
This is a very important point: Allah has created people in such a way that if they live by the foundation of Islam, they can be happy, peaceful, and mentally and physically healthy individuals. Those who search for other ways to achieve this will never be able to find them, even if they search for thousands and millions of years. The only way for an individual to be at ease in this world and the next is to abide by the Qur'an Allah has sent down and sunnah of our Prophet (saas). As Allah declares in the following verse, the Qur'an is the only true Book that lifts people up from darkness into light:
Alif, Lam, Ra. This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Surah Ibrahim: 1)
Those who follow the light of Allah's Book and submit to its guiding rule will always be blessed with ease and lead a wonderful life in this world and in the Hereafter, by the will of Allah.
