The Book of Recitation or
The Book of Obedience

There was a property dispute between Mr. A and Mr. B, both of whom were Muslims. Both claimed ownership of a particular piece of property. Mr. A said to Mr. B: “If you take the Quran in hand and say that this property is mine, then I will withdraw my claim and accept your right to the property.” Mr. B asked, “What is the connection between the Quran and this issue?”

If Mr. B was a Muslim, why did he ask such a question? The reason is that the present day Muslims have given up the book of God. They have shown their disregard for it, as mentioned in the Quran (25:30). The truth is that, for present-day Muslims, the Quran has become a book of recitation and not a book of guidance or obedience. This mindset has become common in Muslims today. The above-mentioned event is an example of that very mindset. I asked many people who were running institutions and movements in the name of Islam, whether they had read the Quran again and again before starting their work to ascertain what work, according to the Quran, they should be doing. But hardly anyone answered in the affirmative. There will be some people who will read commentaries of the Quran, or who will try to learn the Arabic language, so that they may understand the Quran directly. But such individuals will be hard to find, who have made the Quran a guide book for their words and deeds. This is the greatest negligence on the part of the present-day Muslims. Not until Muslims make the Quran their personal guide book, will their affairs be set properly in order.