Peace be upon you, dear brothers and sisters. One piece of advice I give regarding the Quran is to read it with a specific "lens." What does that mean? For example, in a session titled "And indeed, it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds," I discussed the numerous evidences in the Quran that indicate it is a discourse from the Lord to His servant—something that could not possibly be the writing of a human claiming glory for themselves. The Quran attributes the favor to Allah Almighty in situations where the favor might appear to belong to the Prophet peace be upon him, and it even rebukes the Prophet in some instances and warns him if he deviates from his Lord’s path, among many other examples. If you read the Quran with this lens—a lens of recognizing the divine address—you will grasp meanings you may never have perceived before in countless verses.
Similarly, the brothers who joined us in the "You Matter" competition: if you wear the lens of "You Matter" and search for the Quranic evidences of Allah’s care and attention toward humanity, His legislation tailored for you in the details of your life, and what He has prepared for His righteous servants, you will also find a different impact in the verses and extract meanings you never considered.
Now, the shock that struck the world after the release of some files from the malicious "Epstein network" and the horrifying depths to which its prominent criminals sank—after seeing the lowest depths humanity can reach without holding fast to the rope of Allah and His legislation—read the Quran with this lens: the lens of recognizing the difference between the heavens of divine law and the swamp of "Epsteinean" corruption.
I urge you, dear audience, to start doing this now, before the shock fades and before Ramadan. Begin reading the Quran with this lens, and you will find a profound impact in the verses you never experienced before.
When you read the words of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, Allah conferred a great favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom. And indeed, before [this], they had been in manifest error.
And His words:
Rather, Allah has conferred upon you a favor by guiding you to faith, if you are truthful.
You will feel the immense favor of Allah upon us through this great religion that saved us from the depths of disbelief.
When you read the words of Allah the Exalted:
And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.
Then you look at the state of humanity today, after we—followers of the Prophet of Mercy—have weakened in fulfilling our mission to save people from the darkness of disbelief, and you read His words:
You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind.
When you read the verses that call to virtue, preserve it, and protect all its means, such as the words of Allah the Exalted:
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not display their adornments except what is apparent of it, and to draw their head-coverings over their chests, and not display their adornments except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their fathers-in-law, or their sons, or their sons-in-law, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or those their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
Reflect on lowering the gaze and preserving the chastity of sight. See where the Quran stands and where the followers of "Epsteinean" corruption stand.
When you read:
O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be harassed. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
And when you see that Allah the Exalted addresses us, saying:
O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe.
You realize the value of modesty, chastity, and haya (shyness).
When you read the words of Allah the Exalted:
Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts of a believing people and remove the fury of the hearts of the believers. And Allah turns in forgiveness to whom He wills; and Allah is Knowing and Wise.
These verses that command repelling the people of falsehood so that there is no trial and that the religion will be entirely for Allah—perhaps you were hesitant about these verses before. Now, you see what happens when these people prevail and gain dominance.
When you read the words of Allah the Exalted:
And if Allah had not repelled [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted.
You now understand something of the corruption of the earth in the absence of repelling the people of falsehood.
When you read:
Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.
You may have felt inferior as a Muslim compared to Western scientists, wealthy individuals, or scholars before their true nature was revealed to you. Now, you realize that no matter how high their positions, wealth, or worldly knowledge, they are lower than beasts:
They are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.
When some deceivers defend people like "Hawking" or the atheist preachers of false science, telling you: "Perhaps they examined the evidence for the existence of God and did not find it convincing, but they are seekers of truth," now you read the words of Allah the Exalted:
And We have certainly sent to you verses [which are] clear evidences; and no one would deny them except the defiantly disobedient.
You understand more deeply that no one denies the verses of Allah except the defiantly disobedient, who have no readiness for guidance and do not seek the truth. No truth-seeker can deny them with sincerity.
When you read His words:
Have you not considered those who argue about the signs of Allah? How they are being turned away? Those who deny the Book and what We sent with Our messengers. Soon they will know.
Look at where they are turned away—to what low depths they sink and into what swamp they descend after abandoning the rope of Allah’s signs.
When you read:
Is he who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge from it? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing.
When you read God Almighty’s words:
"Do they seek the judgment of the time of ignorance? But who is better in judgment than God for people who are certain?" (Quran 5:50)
Then observe the vastness, purity, perfection, wisdom, and mercy of Sharia. This great system is one that the impure—those who follow the "Epsteinites" and their ilk among the Arabs—sought to distort, mock, and attack its rulings like dogs barking at the sky. You will deeply realize that any alternative to Sharia is sheer ignorance, no matter how it is adorned with laws and justified by democratic, humanitarian, or other claims.
And when you read:
"Indeed, God commands justice, excellence, and giving to relatives. He forbids immorality, wrongdoing, and oppression. He instructs you so that you may be reminded." (Quran 16:90)
You will perceive the beauty of Sharia and the deprivation humanity faces by turning away from it.
When you read:
"O you who believe, fear God and abandon what remains of usury, if you are truly believers. But if you do not, then be warned of a war from God and His Messenger. If you repent, you may keep your principal—neither wronging nor being wronged." (Quran 2:278-279)
Then look at the reality of humanity today: how usury is one of the pillars of capitalism, increasing the wealth of the rich while impoverishing the poor. You will see how some of the wealthy dominate and enslave people, and how usury is a key factor in the influence and power of Zionism. Many women ensnared in the web of "Epstein" were driven by the need to pay university tuition or living expenses. At that point, you will understand why God has utterly forbidden usury and warned against it so sternly.
When you read the verses that safeguard the family structure:
"Men are in charge of women by what God has given one over the other and what they spend from their wealth." (Quran 4:34)
You realize that women must be protected by men. These vile wolves seek to strip women of this protection and care under the guise of freedom, women’s work, and empowering the "strong independent woman," all to dismantle the family and prey upon its members.
When you read the numerous verses about the Children of Israel and God’s words:
"Did I not take a covenant from you, O Children of Adam, that you would not worship Satan? Indeed, he is a clear enemy to you. And that you worship Me? This is the straight path." (Quran 36:60-61)
Then observe those who have indeed worshipped Satan. And when you read:
"O you who believe, if you obey a group of those who were given the Book, they will turn you back, after your faith, into disbelievers. And how could you disbelieve while the verses of God are recited to you and His Messenger is among you? Whoever holds firmly to God has certainly been guided to a straight path." (Quran 3:100-101)
And many other verses—when you see verses that legislate for you as a human being, you find that God Almighty details rulings to elevate your status and prevent you from falling to the depths we see today.
Start today, my brothers, and read the Quran with the "lens of shock"—the lens that distinguishes between the vastness of Sharia and the depths of ignorance. I invite you, honorable ones, to write your reflections in the comments: the verse that struck you, and how it relates to reality—without forcing meanings not intended by the verse.
Let this passage remain a platform for these reflections, so that God Almighty may help us recognize the blessing of this great Book and make us among those who act upon it and call others to it.
Peace be upon you and God’s mercy.