This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Keys to the Divine Compass. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Previous in the series: Juz 1

Juzʾ 2: What Allāh Says About Ramaḍān

Juzʾ 2 Contains: Sūrah Sūrah al-Baqarah (#2)

Sūrah Al-Baqarah (2):185

شَهۡرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أُنزِلَ فِیهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ هُدࣰى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَیِّنَـٰتࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهۡرَ فَلۡیَصُمۡهُۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِیضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرࣲ فَعِدَّةࣱ مِّنۡ أَیَّامٍ أُخَرَۗ یُرِیدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلۡیُسۡرَ وَلَا یُرِیدُ بِكُمُ ٱلۡعُسۡرَ وَلِتُكۡمِلُوا۟ ٱلۡعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ۝١٨٥

“Ramaḍān is the month that The Qurʾān was revealed in. It has been sent down as a guidance for Humanity, with clear proofs, and as The Criterion. Whoever is present in this month must fast. If someone is sick or traveling, they can make it up at a later date. Allāh wants to make things easier for you and through you, and doesn’t want to make things hard for you or because of you. This is so that you can complete the month, Declare God’s Greatness because He’s guided you, and so you are grateful and thankful.”

Ramaḍān is the 9th month of Hijrī calendar. It is called the Hijrī calendar because it is based on the Prophet ﷺ’s Hijrah (migration) from Makkah to Al-Madīnah 1445 years ago. Allāh tells us that He ﷻ sent the Qurʾān down, He revealed it within this very month of Ramaḍān. That makes this month very special. It is the month in which Allāh ﷻ’s final revelation, perfect divine words, The Divine Compass was sent down.

But it’s no ordinary text with an ordinary purpose. Allāh ﷻ highlights three key aspects of the Qurʾān here.

1. Guidance of humanity “هُدࣰى لِّلنَّاسِ”
2. Clear Guidance/Clear Proofs “بَیِّنَـٰتࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ”
3. The Criterion/Differentiation “ٱلۡفُرۡقَانِ”

Our last article/session was on our duʿāʾ, our prayer for Guidance in Sūrah Al-Fātiḥah. And in a sense, Allāh answers that duʿāʾ here (as well as in many other places). This Qurʾān is the guidance that you’re seeking and asking for “هُدࣰى لِّلنَّاسِ”. It will illuminate your journey on this earth. Provide clarity in your life. Help you understand your purpose. But guidance, or a tour guide, or any self-help guide can be confusing, inaccurate, or just plain bad. The Qurʾān is not that at all. It is guidance that is clear, that is well proven “بَیِّنَـٰتࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ”. We do not need PhDs in Arabic to understand the Qurʾān. Although learning Arabic is undoubtedly an excellent means to getting a better grasp of the Qurʾān. And IOK has Full-Time and Part-Time programs to help everyone reach their Arabic goals. But the guidance is so clear, that, even a 10-year-old who only knows English can read a translation of the Qurʾān and conclude that:

1. There is only one God worthy of worship
2. That God, Allāh ﷻ, is the creator of all things
3. He has sent Prophets and Books for our guidance
4. He has prepared and promised rewards and punishments
5. Those rewards and punishments will take place in the next life
6. Rewards and Paradise are for those who obey, pray, give charity, have good character, help their families and neighbors
7. Punishment and Hell are for those who reject the truth, lie, cheat, harm others, spread evil and corruption

And the third aspect mentioned is that the Qurʾān is the differentiator, Al-Furqān, which is also one of the names of the Qurʾān. It tells us clearly what is right and wrong. Humans are able to make decisions about what color they want to paint their house. But some things require knowledge that can only come from the Creator. Humans will argue to the death regarding topic x or y, and those important topics that Allāh knows we need to know, but cannot know on our own – He ﷻ gives us the answer. What is clearly moral and immoral. How we help others. The concept of marriage. And much more.

Allāh ﷻ proceeds to tell us that, if we find ourselves in the month of Ramaḍān, then we should fast. And before anyone can ask, He ﷻ kindly tells us that if we are sick or traveling, we can not fast and make them up at a later date. He ﷻ did that to make things easy for us, and not to overburden us. What a caring Lord and Master!

He ﷻ ends by saying He did that so that we can complete the set days – the 29 or 30 days of the lunar/hijrī month of Ramaḍān. And that we declare His greatness and supremacy because He guided us. And we do exactly that right after Ramaḍān. Before the Eid (ʿĪd) Ṣalāh, we say: اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا  اللهُ وَاَللهُ أَكْبَرُ اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ —  Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar, lā ilāha illā Allāh, Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar, wa li-llāh al-Ḥamd. God is Greater, God is Greater, God is Greater. There is no God except Allāh. God is Greater, God is Greater. The most perfect and complete praise and thanks belongs solely to God. And the last thing Allāh ﷻ mentions in this āyah (verse) is, “so that you are grateful”. The point of Ramaḍān, the goal of your recitation, understanding, and living by the Qurʾān should make us more grateful. More grateful to Allāh ﷻ and humanity at large.

May Allāh ﷻ allow us to truly benefit from the Qurʾān, and to truly become more grateful.