Making the Quran the Primary Source of Guidanpcppe

No one truly benefits from the Quran’s warning except the one who is spiritually alive, “This ˹Book˺ is only a Reminder and a clear Quran, to warn whomever is alive and justify the word [i.e., decree] against the disbelievers” (36:69-70). In the sight of Allah, the “living” person is the one who takes heed of the Quran’s admonitions, interacts with it, finds tranquility in it, submits to it, follows its guidance, and allows themselves to be led by it — such a person is alive.

As for the heedless, they may recite the Book of Allah, yet remain unmoved by it, failing to follow its path. Their hearts are veiled, darkened, and diseased — on the verge of spiritual death, unless they rectify their state. There is no path to success, except for the servant to be alive, as Allah says: “Only those who listen will respond; but as for the dead, Allah will resurrect them, then to Him they will be returned” (6:36). And He says: “Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or gives ear while being present [in mind]” (50:37).

The path to attaining a living heart is to follow the Reminder, as Allah says: “You can only warn those who follow the Reminder (the Quran) and fear the Most Compassionate without seeing Him. So give them good news of forgiveness and an honorable reward” (36:11).

What are the characteristics of the Reminder that guide a person’s heart to submit to its guidance?

The first characteristic is that the Reminder contains the Truth. The Truth is that which comes with certainty, fully consistent with what has been conveyed, matching reality with absolute accuracy, and confirming what was previously revealed.

The second characteristic is that the Reminder lays out, in detail, the key to guidance, clarifying the path to true success.

Through these two qualities, the Quran guarantees guidance to that which is most upright. As Allah says: “Indeed, this Quran guides to that which is most upright” (17:9). It gives glad tidings to the believers and warns the heedless.

The glad tidings and warnings point to a comprehensive worldview that shapes the servant’s journey through life as outlined in the Quran. The Quran does not merely provide landmarks along the path of salvation, it offers a vivid and tangible depiction of the certain reality that awaits every soul after death. What the Quran conveys about the human condition after death is not simply a warning meant for deterrence or motivation — it is an actual, undeniable reality. As Allah (swt) says: “So by the Lord of the heaven and earth, indeed, it is truth – just as [sure as] it is that you are speaking” (51:23).

In contrast, within the secular worldview, a person’s understanding of existence is considered purely individual and relative. Truly, the only salvation from heedlessness and from the misguidance of a social identity shaped by secular assumptions is to make the Quran the primary source of guidance, the foundation of thought, the standard by which all things are measured, and the criterion for judgment.

When making the Quran the foundation of one’s life and the ultimate criterion, people fall into two groups:

The first is the one who approaches the Quran with an insight tainted by convictions and opinions absorbed from the social environment in which they were raised — opinions that became their source of security, comfort, and happiness. Such a person takes from the Quran only what aligns with their desires; they follow its ambiguous verses in order to interpret them according to their own inclinations. This is a disease of the heart — the disease of deviation — as Allah says: “As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]” (3:7).

What, then, is the path to sincerity in making the Quran the criterion and measure for everything in one’s life?

The goal is to become firmly grounded in knowledge, as Allah says: “But those firmly rooted in knowledge say: ‘We believe in it; all of it is from our Lord’” (3:7). Among the meanings of being firmly grounded in knowledge is certitude that the Quran is the truth — following its clear, decisive teachings and not delving into its ambiguous passages except with knowledge; and being honest in knowing one’s own soul — so one finds reassurance in one’s state and submits to one’s Lord.

Part of this is recognizing that the heedless person — blind to the realities of the Quran — does not see the Quran as a cure. Rather, such a person believes that the cure for grief, anxiety, depression, and the burdens of worldly struggle lies only in secular methods and their proponents — psychologists and advocates of distraction and entertainment. Allah (swt) says: “Say, 'It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure. And those who do not believe – in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness'” (41:44).

One who reflects on the Book of Allah realizes that sadness, worry, and grief are natural consequences of the human condition, for the human being was created weak and shaped in this way. Allah says: “We certainly know that what they say grieves you,” (6:33), and He says: “So do not grieve yourself to death over them” (35:8), and: “So We answered his prayer and rescued him from anguish. And so do We save the believers” (21:88), and: “He said to his companion: Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us” (9:40). And in the Sunnah also are countless examples.

When a servant realizes that there is no shame in feeling worried, sad, distressed, or heavy-hearted, he/she can transform these states into a bridge that elevates above imaginary anxieties — those baseless fears unsupported by the Quran, or by the reality of human nature, such as fear of provision, fear of the future, fear of life’s uncertainties, and so on.

There is nothing blameworthy in the human tendency to worry or to feel sadness — except when such feelings become a barrier between the servant and his/her Lord. At that point, they become harmful to one’s spiritual state, just as in the case of Ayub (peace be upon him), who called upon his Lord to remove the harm once it reached a level that burdened him and hindered him from remembering Allah. Indeed, the remembrance of Allah is the very life of the soul, and the soul of life itself.

In the example of Ayyub and Yunus (peace be upon them), distress and grief became a vehicle — a means by which the servant draws nearer to Allah. Through hardship, a person’s neediness before Him increases, and with greater neediness comes deeper humility. As the servant becomes more broken before their Lord, he/she comes to know Him more profoundly — the Most Generous, the Most Merciful — and thus call upon Him in the darkness and in the depths, seeking refuge in their Lord.

When servants increase in humility and brokenness before Allah, they come to know their Most Generous, Most Merciful Lord more intimately. In such moments, they call upon Him amidst darkness and distress, seeking His aid with a heart humbled in its depths — just as Allah said in the case of Musa (peace be upon him): “So Moses concealed fear within himself, We [i.e., Allah] said, 'Fear not. Indeed, it is you who are superior'” (20:67-68). And one’s heart remains at peace, even when others seek to intimidate them, like the case of Abraham (peace be upon him) when he said: “Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs.”

A person who is close to the Quran views calamity as something natural — an inseparable part of life. His/her focus turns to a single question: How can this calamity be used as a means of ascending the ladder of nearness to Allah?

It is like someone who faces an enemy — terrified and shaken — seeing death with their own eyes. If they advance with patience and seeking Allah’s reward, then for them is Paradise and the pleasure of Allah. But if they turn and flee, then for them is the Fire and the anger of Allah.

Such is the state of the servants in the face of calamity — knowing that once it passes, nothing remains, except what the calamity brought to them, or what they brought to it.

For, memory cannot retain from the calamity except the event itself; it cannot recreate the feeling of pain or grief once they have faded and been forgotten.

Look at the example of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), peace be upon him: he reflected on the blessings of Allah, the Exalted, and mentioned them to his father Yaqub (Jacob), peace be upon him. He did not mention the hardship itself; rather, he spoke of its good outcome. He said to his father: “O my father, this is the explanation of my vision of before. My Lord has made it reality. And He was certainly good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you [here] from bedouin life after Satan had induced [estrangement] between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise” (12:100).

Here, Yusuf (peace be upon him) did not mention the hardship — because hardship is a natural part of life. Instead, he highlighted the positive outcome that the hardship ultimately brought him. For Allah, the Exalted, established him firmly in the land, raised his status, and honored him, all through piety and patience: “Indeed, whoever is mindful ˹of Allah˺ and patient, then certainly Allah never discounts the reward of the good-doers” (12:90).

In conclusion, the one who is truly alive is the person whose heart finds tranquility in the remembrance of Allah; otherwise, he/she is spiritually dead. And if people ask themselves, “Why does my heart not find peace in the remembrance of Allah?” — then this indicates that their hearts still have a pulse of life. If they strive to attain tranquility through remembrance, their self-reproaching souls are revived. And if they continue striving — steadfast, determined, trusting in Allah, and seeking His help — their souls attain tranquility and their hearts find peace. At that point, they say, “Praise be to Allah, who has fulfilled His promise to us.”