Different Perspectives from Which a New Convert Should Read Quran

Although most of the new Muslims who accept Islam are familiar with the great depth of knowledge and meanings Quran carries, however, accepting Islam is not the ends to which Quran is the means. Rather, Quran is an endless means of understanding and awareness that initially brings a person to the Truth and then takes him or her further into the layers of the Truth.

After accepting Islam, the need to understanding and knowing more about Quran becomes imperative for a Muslim. The more a new convert learns and understands Quran, the more he or she gets knowledge about Islam and the way a Muslim is to live life and perceive things that happen in this life.

In addition to learning Quran in Arabic language, a new Muslim has to pursue Quran as a book of endless wisdom as well. A new convert should try to ponder over the meaning of the different verses of Quran and see the message they convey other than what they explicitly mean. The best way of going about is viewing Quran from different perspectives.

The lines below discuss the different perspectives from which Quran could be viewed so that a Muslim convert could learn and understand Quran better.

A Book Of Science:

Quran is not a religious dogma, rather it carries knowledge that expands to something as contemporary as science. In Quran, Allah Almighty has explained scientific facts 1400 years ago when there was no existence of science as per say. Quran speaks of different phenomenon of this world and how the existence of this world can be viewed in relation to the greater universe. For instance, Quran speaks of the development of life in an embryo, which at that time no one knew. Science in this century got to know about the development of embryo regarding which Quran had spoken centuries ago. In Quran Allah says:

“And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay. Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging. Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump (of flesh), and We made (from) the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.” (23:12-14)

In addition to the creation of man, Quran also speaks about the creation of this universe as well. Quran told people fourteen centuries ago that all this universe was once one and then this smoke of everything burst into different components with a single bang. Science only recently has given the big bang theory as per which all of the universe was one matter, then an explosion took place and it got tore into bits and pieces and these pieces at present are what we see in the universe. As mentioned in Quran:

“Have not those who disbelieved known that the heavens and the earth were one connected entity, then We separated them?….” (21:30)

Therefore, a new  Muslim must pursue learning of Quran as a scientific book and try finding out the ayahs of scientific knowledge that help understand this life and universe in a better way.

An Eloquent Prose:

There is no denying the fact that reading or recitation of Quran brings religious reward and the aforementioned lines have established the fact that it is a book that contains scientific knowledge as well. The other perspective from which a new Muslim must try to learn and understand Quran is from its literary merits. A new convert should understand the prose style of Quran and how it is different from rest of the literary compositions in general and other religious scriptures in particular. Quran is written in decorated prose, the likes of which is not present in this world. Pertaining to its uniqueness in this regard, Quran puts an open challenge to the rest of the world to produce something like it. As is mentioned in Quran:

“And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed (the Quran) to Our worshiper (Muhammad), then produce a chapter like it, and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides God if you are truthful. And if you do not do it, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for disbelievers.” (2:23-24)

A Muslim must realize the literary merits of Quran. He or she must know the way the words are selected, the way the verses of Quran are formed and the way the whole Surah creates an effect on mind and soul to give an elevating experience. A new convert must realize that till present all the disbelievers have not been able to produce a single Surah like Quran, so it ultimately and undeniably is the truth and a proof enough for its Divine origins.

A Forecaster:

It is a part of Islamic belief that the knowledge of the unknown or the knowledge of future rests with Allah Almighty only, therefore, it is quite natural that Quran – His word should contain mentions and forecasts of the future. This forecasting nature of Quran was established even during the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when He was in His hometown while the fight between Romans and Persians was taking place in their region and Allah revealed the ayahs that told about the victory of Romans over the Persian initially, however, to forecast that after 9 years the Persians will gain victory again on Romans. This forecasting proved true to the very fact. As Allah said in Quran:

“The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land (to the Arabian Peninsula), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious within bedd’ (three to nine) years…” (30:2-4)

Similarly, Quran has made predictions about the world to come some of which have come true in our present times whereas there are other predictions that still remain to be explored. Therefore, a new convert should try learning and understanding Islam and find out the ayahs and Surahs that contain predictions about the world to come and see how many of them have come true and how many of them are yet to come true.

In short, there is no denying the fact that Quran contains the dogmatic details according to which a Muslim has to live his life, therefore, a new convert should read it from this perspective. However, reading and understanding Quran only from this perspective will only be limiting its knowledge and a new convert should try reading and understanding Quran from as many perspectives as possible to get a better understanding of religion as a whole.