Introduction: The Book "Metta Al-Tadabbur" and Bringing About Change
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. Dear attendees, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The goal of this segment is to explain the idea behind the book "Metta Al-Tadabbur", for which a second edition has been published by the grace of Allah the Almighty. We wrote this book to bring about a change in the way we interact with the Quran; so that when you read the Quran, you extract its treasures, find answers to your doctrinal, intellectual, social, and political questions in your daily life, and develop the skill of deriving lessons from the verses in appropriate contexts.
In short, the goal is for you to live your life guided by the light of the Quran, whether as individuals or in Quran memorization centers. This is what we hope for; that the book brings about a change in the work of brothers and sisters in memorization centers, so that the matter is not limited to memorizing Allah's Book for our children and daughters, but we also cultivate in them the skill of deriving lessons from it, so they love it and follow its light in all their affairs.
Methodology of the Book and How to Use It
We will review with you some preliminaries on how to conduct competitions among our children at home, in memorization centers, or in Islamic institutes using this book.
Question Division
The questions in the book are divided according to the parts; each part of the thirty parts of the Quran has its own questions that assess its understanding. Most of the questions are manageable if one pays attention and focuses, and there are about thirty questions for the "excellents" - those who live with the Book of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted - which we have placed in a special section.
Features of the Second Edition
For those who read the first edition, we have placed a dividing line in each part to distinguish between the old questions and the new questions added in the second edition, for their convenience. Also, the electronic version is designed so that you can navigate between sections by simply clicking on the title of the part or section in the table of contents.
Ways to Benefit from the Book in Gatherings and Homes
You can read the book to yourself, or hold competitions among students and children, in meetings and seminars, and in memorization centers, especially during the month of Ramadan where the enthusiasm increases. All of this is in compliance with His saying, may He be glorified and exalted: {Do they not then consider the Quran?} [7:204], and His saying: {A blessed Book which We have revealed to you, that they might ponder over its verses, and that those of understanding might take admonition} [38:29].
And remember the saying of our Prophet, peace be upon him: "And when a group of people gather in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, then tranquility descends upon them, mercy envelops them, the angels surround them, and Allah mentions them among those with Him." So when you gather your children or students on this book to derive meanings, you are surrounded by these blessings.
Competition Levels:
- For the Distinguished: The question can be posed without specifying the part, making it a comprehensive test to recall verses from the entire Quran.
- For the Youth or Non-Memorizers: The competitor is given the questions in advance to search for their answers while reading their daily portion. This is a beautiful exercise that puts the reader in a state of "meaning hunting" and continuous search during recitation.
Technical Notes on Answers
- Separating Questions from Answers: We intentionally placed the questions in one section and the answers in another distant section; so that the presence of the answer next to the question does not kill the idea of contemplation. We want you to try hard, and if you give up after attempts, you go to see the answer.
- Location of the Evidence: In the answers, we distinguish "location of the evidence" in blue, while the verse is in red.
- Word Count: For the competition, we do not count the "waw of conjunction" as a separate word (e.g., "wajhadu" is counted as one word).
- Abbreviations: The presence of three dots (...) in the answer means that we have abbreviated the words of the interpreter, and the word "with modification" means that we have refined the phrase for ease.
Practical Examples from the Book's Questions
Let us take some practical questions to see how the book connects Quranic verses with contemporary reality:
Example One: Responding to Atheistic Doubts (Part One)
Question: The evidence for the correctness of the religion of Allah the Almighty is clear, conclusive, and sufficient for every seeker of truth. If someone rejects it, this indicates their corruption, and that deviating from the path of goodness is their nature and habit, which prepares them for disbelief with such evidence. In this, there is a response to those who claim that the "poor atheist" was presented with evidence of Islam but did not accept it and is therefore excused because he was not convinced by it; rather, if anyone rejects the evidence of Islam, this is a flaw in them, not a lack in the evidence. Mention a verse that indicates this.
Answer (from Part One):
Allah the Almighty said: {And certainly We have sent down to you clear verses, and none disbelieve in them except the wicked}.
- Explanation: Allah the Almighty mentioned that His verses are "clear," meaning extremely clear and indicative, and sufficient to establish the proof, and He followed it with His saying: {And none disbelieve in them except the wicked}. Presenting the negation with the exception implies restriction; meaning it is not possible for anyone to disbelieve in these clear verses except that he is a wicked denier of Allah's command. And the wicked linguistically is the one who deviates from the path, which indicates that the flaw is in the rejecting person, not in the clarity of the evidence.
Example Two: The Obligation of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil (Part Four)
Question: The deniers shy away from forbidding evil, arguing that this threatens the social fabric and causes strife among its sects, and they call for not interfering in the affairs of others. Mention five words from a verse that responds to them.
Answer (from Part Four):
Allah the Almighty said: {And let there be from you a community calling to good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those are the successful. And do not be like those who divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them...}.
- Explanation: Allah the Almighty placed division and difference in opposition to enjoining good and forbidding evil. Leaving this obligation is what causes division, not performing it as some claim.
Example Three: The Regret of the People of Falsehood on the Day of Judgment (Part Twenty-Four)
Question: One of us hopes to meet the Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgment to shake his hand and thank him, while the people of falsehood wish to see their leaders whom they exalt today to do something completely opposite to them. The Quran expressed this with six words, what are they?
Answer (from Part Twenty-Four):
Allah the Almighty said: {And those who disbelieved said, "Our Lord, show us those who misled us of the jinn and mankind; we will place them beneath our feet to be among the lowest"}.
- Location of the Evidence: (We will place them beneath our feet to be among the lowest).
Question: Some may think that the cause of conflict and discord in communities is primarily economic, so that if the economy thrives, people's needs will be met and harmony will be achieved. Mention a verse that indicates otherwise, that money alone does not unite hearts.
Answer (from Part Ten):
Allah the Most High said: {And He has united their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them. Indeed, He is Exalted in Might and Wise}.
- Explanation: This verse was revealed about the Aus and Khazraj; even if all the gold and silver on earth were spent to unite them after that intense hatred and division, their hearts would not have been united, for none can unite hearts except Allah. Therefore, economic stability - despite its importance - is not the foundation, but rather unity upon the word of monotheism and what pleases Allah.
Conclusion and Invitation to Benefit
We have given you these questions as examples, and what we strongly encourage you to do is to acquire the book, either electronically (which is available for free to everyone) or in print. The book is available, by the grace of Allah, in Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and soon in Morocco, God willing.
Make the most of it, and sit with your children, spouses, and relatives, and use it in community gatherings. We ask Allah, the Most High, to accept it from us all, and to make it for us on the Day of Judgment in the scale of our good deeds.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.