The Quran a guidance for all mankind – the Quran Effect in Guiding Souls
Praise be to Allah, who made the Qur’an a light for those who seek guidance, a straight path for those with insight, and a door to the righteousness of this world and the hereafter. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone without any partner, whose words – Glorified is He – are the best narration and the clearest argument. I also bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, to whom Allah revealed the Qur’an, a perfect book without any distortion, which brings glad tidings to the believers, warns the disbelievers, heals the hearts, illuminates the paths with its light, admonishes the servants, and calls them to the straight path.
Afterwards:
Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, showed mercy to His servants by sending the Qur’an to His Messenger as a timeless, unaltered, and preserved book, a reference for recitation, practice, arbitration, and seeking guidance. It is a lamp of light whose glow never fades and whose rays never diminish. Whoever seeks guidance through it will be guided, and whoever turns away from it will be in clear misguidance.
The Qur’an is the clear light that was sent down by the trustworthy spirit to the heart of the master of messengers (Peace and blessings be upon him), to guide those who follow His pleasure to the paths of peace and to take them out of darkness into light. Allah says:
قَدْ جَآءَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ نُورٌۭ وَكِتَـٰبٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
(Al-Ma’idah: 15)
There certainly has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book
The Powerful Impact of the Qur'an
The Qur’an guides to the paths of safety and righteousness, protects from harm, and shows the right way to live. If one examines the stories of those who found guidance, they will see that the Qur’an was the key to their guidance, whether they moved from disbelief to Islam, or from sin to obedience. In their stories, there are lessons and reminders that renew faith, increase love for the Qur’an, and soften the hearts.
The Qur’an has a powerful effect on the hearts, so much so that the disbelievers would forbid listening to it out of fear of its influence. Allah says:
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَا تَسْمَعُوا۟ لِهَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَٱلْغَوْا۟ فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ
(Fussilat: 26)
And those who disbelieve say, “Do not listen to this Qur’ān and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome.”.
Despite disbelievers war and internal warnings against listening to the Qur’an for the residents and visitors of Mecca, they were unsuccessful with everyone. When Tufayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi came to Mecca and the Quraysh knew of his status, they warned him strongly against listening to the Prophet. The warning was so intense that he stuffed cotton in his ears to avoid hearing the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, Allah’s mercy and guidance cannot be blocked when He desires it to reach hearts. Tufayl said: ‘But Allah refused except that I heard some of his words, and I heard beautiful speech. I said to myself: Woe to me! By Allah, I am a sensible man and a poet, and I can distinguish good from bad. So what would stop me from hearing what this man says? If what he brings is good, I will accept it, and if it is bad, I will reject it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) offered me Islam and recited the Qur’an to me. By Allah, I never heard anything more beautiful or more just than his words. So I embraced Islam and testified the testimony of truth.
It is no wonder that the Qur’an has such an impact, for Allah says about it:
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍۢ لَّرَأَيْتَهُۥ خَـٰشِعًۭا مُّتَصَدِّعًۭا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
(Al-Hashr: 21)
If We had sent down this Qur’ān upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and splitting from fear of Allāh. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.
And Allah – Glorified is he – says
ٱللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْحَدِيثِ كِتَـٰبًۭا مُّتَشَـٰبِهًۭا مَّثَانِىَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ
Allāh has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance [i.e., mention] of Allāh.
The Qur'an, the Arabs, and the Non-Arabs
The Qur’an is not only for the Arabs; it is for all people. Its impact is not limited to Arabs who understand its language, but it also affects non-Arabs. Allah says:
إِنَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ يَهْدِى لِلَّتِى هِىَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًۭا كَبِيرًۭا
Indeed, this Qur’ān guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward
Those who listened to it from among the non-Arabs, such as the Negus (king of Abyssinia) and his people, were deeply affected and embraced Islam. Allah says:
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰٓ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ ۖ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
(Al-Ma’idah: 83)
When they listen to what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears for recognizing the truth. They say, “Our Lord! We believe, so count us among the witnesses.
And as those before were guided by the Qur’an, so too will those after them be guided. The Qur’an’s influence is not confined to the Arab lands, but continues to spread across the world, reaching people of all languages and backgrounds. Allah Says:
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍۢ لَّرَأَيْتَهُۥ خَـٰشِعًۭا مُّتَصَدِّعًۭا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
(Al-Hashr: 21)
If We had sent down this Qur’ān upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and splitting from fear of Allāh. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.
This indicates that the Qur’an has a unique quality that affects even those who do not understand its meanings or know its interpretations. It is narrated that a Christian once passed by a reciter of the Qur’an and stood there weeping. When asked why he was crying, he replied, “Because of the beauty of its rhythm and eloquence.” This shows that the Qur’an’s impact transcends comprehension, touching the hearts of even those unfamiliar with its language or message.
Ways the Qur'an Affects People
The one who follows the methods of the Qur’an and its means of guiding to belief finds them to be diverse. This is because people differ in the means by which they are affected. Guidance through the Qur’an does not enter their hearts through one path, but through various ones.
There are souls that are eager and are enticed by the promise of good. When they read what Allah has prepared for His faithful servants in terms of reward and generous giving, they long for that promised good and turn to guidance.
There are other souls that need admonishment and force. When they read or hear verses of threat and what Allah has prepared of severe punishment and great retribution for those who disobey, they tremble with fear and awe, abandoning their disobedience and following the path of guidance.
There are also souls that are captivated by words, their strength, their well-structured expressions, and the beauty of their coherence. When they encounter such qualities in an Ayah they hear or read, it overwhelms them and leads them to the truth.
There are souls that are fascinated by stories and the way events are presented, their subjects, and their outcomes. In the stories of the Qur’an, they find lessons and wisdom that satisfy their hunger and rein in their inclinations toward indulgence. The stories of the Qur’an are not like those of others. For example, the Qur’an addresses the “stories of the prophets and messengers and mentions some of their miracles.” It is established that the goal of this is not to gather historical facts, to determine specific times, or to discuss circumstances and contexts, nor is it a mere record of events and individuals, nor is it historical research in the technical or artistic sense. Rather, the purpose is guidance and reflection, to establish the principles of guidance in the souls by mentioning these stories and presenting their events before the listeners and readers. The Qur’an explicitly states this clearly, Allah says:
لَقَدْ كَانَ فِى قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌۭ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ
(Yusuf: 111)
There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding
There are other souls that search for convincing arguments and proofs to leave their state of misguidance. This method of guidance is also addressed by the Qur’an, which provides strong arguments and proofs that make the fair-minded person submit to its authority and follow its guidance. The Qur’an possesses the unique ability to control the human soul through the only means that overcomes its superiority in debate: by presenting irrefutable evidence to counter every doubt, and applying decisive reasoning to every argument.
Summary
- Divine and Unaltered: The Qur’an is a divine, unaltered book from Allah, guiding people to righteousness in this world and the hereafter.
- Universal Impact: The Qur’an’s impact is not limited to Arabs but extends to non-Arabs as well, transcending language and cultural barriers. Its influence is felt even by those unfamiliar with its language, as they are moved by its rhythm and eloquence.
- Profound Effect on Hearts: The Qur’an profoundly affects hearts, leading individuals from disbelief to faith or from sin to obedience.
- Appeals to Different People: The Qur’an affects people in various ways:
- Some are moved by its promises of reward.
- Others by its warnings of punishment.
- Some are captivated by its beauty, eloquence,
- Some with the lessons in its stories of past prophets, which provide guidance and reflection.
- Others with the irrefutable proof and compelling arguments, convincing people to submit to its guidance.
- Guiding to the Straight Path: Overall, the Qur’an guides individuals to the straight path, adapting its methods to suit the diverse needs of its readers.
Allah says:
إِنَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ يَهْدِى لِلَّتِى هِىَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًۭا كَبِيرًۭا
Indeed, this Qur’ān guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward
