How can we change by the Quran and act according to it?

Allah the Almighty said: "So adhere to that which is revealed to you. Indeed, you are on a straight path." (Az-Zukhruf – 43)

Before the mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), humanity was stumbling in layers of darkness upon darkness, in all aspects of life. Within 23 years, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) succeeded in nurturing a great nation and in changing people's lives for the better. He transformed people from worshippers of idols and stones into creators of knowledge and civilization. He transformed them from shepherds of sheep into leaders of nations.

In summary, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) succeeded in changing the condition of the Arabs from being desperate, miserable, frustrated, poor, needy, weak, and oppressed, to making them heroes, conquerors, strong, pious, and prosperous.

The secret to this lies in this message that Allah the Almighty revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the message of Islam, which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Noble Quran, and in the Prophet Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) application of the teachings of this Quran in real life.

What we want to arrive at is that this Quran, the Word of Allah, the message of Allah to the human beings living on planet Earth, is the greatest factor in changing souls for the better, and in changing the reality of life for the better.

And this Quran is still the same in our hands; not a letter has been diminished, nor a letter added, as Allah pledged to preserve it. It has not been distorted, altered, or lost, as previous scriptures were distorted, altered, and lost, despite the wars waged by the enemies of Allah against the Quran and its people throughout the centuries.

The question here is: How can we change through the Quran? How can we change ourselves for the better through it? And how can we change our reality and our world for the better through it? Just as the companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) benefited from it and changed the face of the world with it.

This is a significant question that has preoccupied scholars and preachers, and many books, exegeses (Tafsir), research papers, and studies have been written about it in various languages. Let us search for the answer to this question in the verses of the Noble Quran itself, which is a generous Quran full of abundant blessings and healing answers.

There are some reasons and factors; whoever acts upon them and adopts them will benefit from the Quran and find its impact and sweetness in their life, morals, deeds, and conditions. Among these factors are:

1. Knowing the value of the Quran (the Word of Allah the Almighty, a guidance for people).

The noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, knew the value of revelation, and that the Quran is the Word of Allah, the verses of Allah, and in it is Allah's message to humanity.

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: After the Prophet's death, Abu Bakr said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them): "Let us visit Umm Ayman, just as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit her." When they came to her, she wept. They said to her: "What makes you weep? Do you not know that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah?" She said: "I am not weeping because of not knowing that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah, but I weep because the revelation from the sky has stopped." Her words moved them to tears and they began to weep along with her. [Authentic hadith] (Reported by Muslim and Ibn Majah).

The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, understood the meaning of revelation descending from heaven to earth, knew its value, and appreciated it duly. Therefore, they hastened to act upon it and respond to its commands.

And this is how we should be: to know the meaning that Allah has singled us out, chosen us, and revealed to us the best of His books, and that Allah has preserved this Book for us, which contains His words and His verses, so that we may be guided by them, act upon them, and walk by their light in this life.

To know that the Quran is the book of Truth, and that following it and acting upon what is in it is a reason for the expiation of sins and the rectification of one's state, as Allah the Almighty said: "And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muhammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition." [Muhammad:6 2]. Meaning: they believe that the Quran is the Truth from their Lord, and this is one of the meanings of faith in the Quran, which is one of the pillars of faith represented in the belief in the Books.

2. Dealing with the Quran with a pious heart, not with an argumentative mind.

Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya said in his book (Al-Fawa'id): If you want to benefit from the Quran: 1 - Focus your heart when reciting and listening to it. 2 - Lend your hearing. 3 - Be present as one who is being directly addressed by Him Who spoke it, Glorified is He; for it is a discourse from Him to you, upon the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)... Allah the Almighty said: "Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind]." (Quran, 50:37).

The Quran is still the same, and its impact remains as it is, but it only needs a sound receiving device, which is the living heart, and it needs a proper method of reception, which is listening and paying attention with the presence of a pious heart that fears Allah and His warning. Here, benefit and remembrance through the Quran occur. As Allah the Almighty said: " It is not but a message and a clear Qur'an, To warn whoever is alive" (Quran, 36:69-70), and as Allah the Almighty said: "So remind by the Qur'an whoever fears My threat." (Quran, 50:45).

3. Read the Quran knowing it is a message from Allah to you.

Al-Hasan al-Basri said: "Indeed, those before you saw this Quran as messages to them from their Lord, so they would ponder over them by night and act upon them by day."

So when you read, listen, contemplate, and learn the Quran, you must keep in mind that you are learning the verses of the Quran to purify yourself with them, to rectify your affairs with them, to correct your mistakes with them, and to elevate your path in life with them.

And this is the path to success in this world and the Hereafter, as Allah the Almighty said: "So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful." [Al-A'raf: 157].

4. Read the Quran with the intention of acting upon what is in it (The Quran was only revealed to be acted upon).

The ultimate purpose of Allah the Almighty revealing the Quran to people is to act upon what is in it. Recitation, contemplation, understanding, and learning are but interim goals to reach the stage of acting upon the Quran, so that man may be happy on earth and in heaven.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "A man among us, when he learned ten verses, would not move beyond them until he knew their meanings and acted upon them."

An-Nawwās ibn Sam‘an reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: “On the Day of Resurrection, the Qur'an and its people who acted upon it in the life of this world will be brought forth, preceded by Sūrat al-Baqarah and Sūrat Āl-‘Imrān, arguing on behalf of those who were committed to them.” (Reported by Muslim).

Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Quran was only revealed to be acted upon, but people took its recitation as their (only) action." It was said: "How is one to act upon it?" He said: "By considering its lawful as lawful, its unlawful as unlawful, obeying its commands, abstaining from its prohibitions, and pausing at its wonders."

Meaning, you deal with the commands of the Quran like a soldier who receives his orders on the battlefield; he receives his orders to implement them, not to discuss or argue about them.

This is how we should deal with the Quran: we receive its commands to act upon them and implement them, believing that they are the commands of Allah, our Creator, Who knows us better than we know ourselves, and Who is more merciful to us than we are to ourselves. So we obey Allah's commands, certain that in His obedience lies our salvation and happiness in this world, and our success and prosperity in the Hereafter.

Allah the Almighty said: "Those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital. They [are the ones who] believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it - it is they who are the losers." [Al-Baqarah: 121]. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Meaning (they consider its lawful as lawful and its unlawful as unlawful, and they do not distort it from its proper places).

The impact of acting upon the Quran on a person's life:

If we act upon the commands of the Quran and abstain from its prohibitions, our condition will change for the better on a personal level and on a general level.

Therefore, you will find that whoever reads the Quran, learns the Quran, and acts upon it will have traits and qualities that must manifest in them: you will find them strong in faith, firm in certainty, strong in connection with Allah, quick to respond to Allah and His Messenger, and fearing Allah in secret and in public.

You will find the companion of the Quran: greatly patient, highly enduring, vast in hope, excellent in deeds, preferring action and avoiding argumentation, seeking the lawful, and shunning the unlawful.

You will find the companion of the Quran: with an expansive chest and a tranquil heart, grateful in prosperity and patient in adversity, standing firm against difficulties, and not broken by hardships.

You will inevitably find the companion of the Quran: of good character, frequent in remembrance (Dhikr), often praying for guidance and piety, generous in spending and charity, even if it is little, due to the many verses they read that urge them towards these commendable morals and refined behaviors.

These morals are the morals of believers in general, but the Quran deepens these morals in the believer's soul and makes the believer interact with these morals in the reality they live in and with the events around them.

Practical examples of acting upon the Quran: Feeding the hungry.

You will find that the companion of the Quran loves to feed the needy and the hungry, for they read the saying of Allah the Almighty: "But he has not broken through the difficult pass. And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? It is the freeing of a slave, Or feeding on a day of severe hunger, An orphan of near relationship, Or a needy person in misery" (Quran, 90:11-16), and they read the saying of Allah the Almighty: "And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive" (Quran, 76:8), and they know the saying of Allah the Almighty: "Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love." (Quran, 3:92).

Thus, the companion of the Quran views times of hardship, high prices, and hunger as perhaps an opportunity to fulfill the duty of feeding the hungry, alleviating suffering, aiding the distressed, and feeding the famished – such as feeding the hungry and besieged in Gaza, in Sudan, and in any other place. These people are good and people of goodness, noble and people of nobility, but they are going through a crisis that will soon be resolved, by Allah's permission. However, the wise and astute person is the one who invests in it and makes it a good deed in their scale of good deeds, thereby presenting good for themselves, which they will find with Allah as better and greater in reward, by Allah the Almighty's permission.

Therefore, the believer hastens to feed the hungry, according to their ability, by any means possible, and it is an easy matter for whom Allah makes it easy. Whoever seeks good will be given it. And whoever strives for good and seeks it sincerely, Allah will grant them success in it and facilitate their path to it.

And contemplate the saying of Allah the Almighty: "And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive."

Meaning, at a time of love for wealth and food, a time of scarcity of wealth and food, a time when people are attached to wealth and food – at these times, the righteous spend and search for the hungry and feed them, and they search for the deserving and deprived who do not beg people importunately, and they feed them. Therefore, Allah promised those who do so that they will be among the people of Paradise, as mentioned in Surah Al-Insan.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, you find people who exploit times of hardship, hunger, and crises. They hoard commodities and raise prices, thus increasing their wealth in this world and amassing their fortunes. However, they also increase their reckoning in the Hereafter and prolong their standing on a Day whose measure is fifty thousand years.

Initiating, Competing, and Hastening in Good Deeds

You find the Quran always urging believers to hasten in all acts of goodness and righteousness, praising those who used to hasten in good deeds, and declaring that Paradise is the greatest goal for which competitors should compete.

So, hasten to every act of goodness and righteousness that benefits yourself, your family, your country, your Ummah (community/nation), and your religion. For the true believer, you will find them preoccupied with preparing the ark of salvation for others and for themselves, due to their knowledge of the danger of the Hereafter; thus, they are concerned with their deeds and compassionate towards others.