These sorts of people stick to the verses of the Qur`an...

These sorts of people stick to the verses of the Qur`an which suit their purpose and leave aside all other verses of the Qur`an. Through this, they have actually become a living example of the verse that states: نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَ نَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ “We believe in part of it and disbelieve in part of it.”[^3] It is clear that such people have thrown the Qur`an behind their backs!

Many of the misled Madhahib (sects) which have come forth within Islam, such as the Wahhabis, are plagued with this sickness. When a person's theological beliefs become very exact and precise, we see that they try to gather all of the verses of the Qur`an which are decisive in their understanding and choose the verses which have two sides to their meaning and which serve their purpose.

On the opposite side, there are a people who are students of the Qur`an and they say, “Our final decision is that which the Qur`an tells us.” These types of people take the guidance of the Qur`an when they need to solve any difficulty and are a living example of the verse of the Qur`an that reads: فَلاَ وَ رَبَّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْـفُسِهِمْ حَرَجاً مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَ يُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيماً “But no by your Lord!

In actuality, they do not believe until they make you a judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among them, and then do not find any straitness in their hearts as to what you have decided and submit (to you) with entire submission.”[^4] We have all heard the saying record in Nahj al-Balagha which states: أَلإِِسْلاَمُ هُوَ التَّسْلِيمُ.

“Islam is Taslim (complete submission).”[^5] Thus, as long as a person does not submit completely in the presence of the Qur`an, he shall not be considered as a true Muslim!

It is not appropriate for a person to impose his own beliefs upon the Qur`an and in actuality, this is a form of egotism since the Qur`an clearly tells us that, “We must submit entirely to it - both its outer content and its inner purport.” With all of the emphasis that exists in regards to the importance of the Book of Allah (SwT), still the Qur`an does not hold an essential and deserving status within our lives as it should.

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