IHSAN
The Quran Is Not a Newspaper
The Quran is the Word of Allah and the great miracle left by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to his Ummah.
Therefore, it makes no sense for the Word of Allah to be read in the same way as a newspaper — the eyes see the letters, the tongue pronounces the words, and then everything stops in the head or the throat.
Allah does not merely command human beings to read.
Allah says:
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا
“Do they not reflect deeply upon the Quran, or are their hearts locked?”
— Surah Muhammad 47:24
Tadabbur is not merely reading slowly or thinking on one’s own.
It is the effort to penetrate beyond the outward wording until one reaches an understanding that shapes the heart.
And this is where the danger lies:
A person may claim to be engaging in tadabbur while their heart remains locked.
They read on their own.
They interpret on their own.
They feel that they have already understood.
Yet there is no guidance to open and educate the heart.
Outward knowledge can be learned from a teacher through direct instruction — language, grammar, hadith, fiqh, history and religious texts.
But the education of the heart requires a teacher who nurtures the spiritual dimension, rather than merely conveying information.
Allah says:
اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ … تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
“Allah has sent down the best of speech… The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver because of it; then their skins and hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah.”
— Surah Az-Zumar 39:23
Notice the sequence.
The skin shivers — the outward self receives.
The heart softens — the inward self receives.
Why does the heart soften?
Because the Word of Allah no longer stops at sound and writing.
It has been understood until its meaning reaches the heart.
In contrast, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned:
يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لَا يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ
“They recite the Quran, but their recitation does not go beyond their throats.”
— Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim
This is knowledge that reaches only the outward self.
The mouth recites more and more.
The mind becomes increasingly filled with memorised passages.
The collection of books continues to grow.
Yet the heart still does not truly recognise.
Allah gives a parable:
كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا
“Like a donkey carrying books.”
— Surah Al-Jumu‘ah 62:5
The more books it carries, the heavier its burden becomes.
If books merely increase information without deepening understanding and recognition, knowledge can turn from light into a burden.
That is why Allah says:
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“So ask the People of Remembrance if you do not know.”
— Surah An-Nahl 16:43
The People of Remembrance are not merely those who repeatedly utter words of remembrance.
The most firmly established remembrance is not simply remembering through memorisation.
Because what is memorised can be forgotten.
But when something is truly understood and recognised, it becomes rooted far more deeply.
Consider multiplication tables.
Someone who merely memorises them may forget.
But when they understand how numbers work, that understanding becomes something they can rely upon.
The same applies to religion.
A true teacher does not merely make students memorise religion.
A true teacher leads students from REMEMBERING to UNDERSTANDING, from UNDERSTANDING to RECOGNITION, and from RECOGNITION to a living heart.
That is why the Word of Allah cannot be treated like a newspaper.
A newspaper only needs to be read to obtain information.
The Quran must be read until it is understood.
Understood until its meaning penetrates the heart.
And the heart must be educated so that it becomes capable of receiving the Word of Allah.
Otherwise, a person may possess a thousand books —
but those thousand books merely add weight to their shoulders, while their heart remains locked.