“Render your innermost hearts pure of all dross.” ~ Qur’an 3:154
“If you get irritated by every rub, how will the mirror of your heart ever be polished? ~ Rumi
It is important that we have an experienced guide walk us through the landscape of revelation and help us understand the hidden secrets of the scripture. Any literate person can read the Qur’an’s words, but not everyone can digest its deepest truths. The Qur’an is the living word of God, so the same verse is never experienced the same way twice. It in an interactive and highly intelligent book.
To read the Qur’an from the heart, we have to be conscious about the level of respect and intention we bring to the book. If we approach the Qur’an with an agenda of debating others, we run the risk of projecting on the book what we want to see rather than what has been revealed. When we read only the parts of the Qur’an that resonate with us and ignore the parts we don’t agree with, we run the risk of shaping the scripture around our likes and dislikes, instead of allowing the book to shape us.
It is not self-righteousness or ego-based consciousness that is the precursor to receiving revelation, but an awakened and humble heart. Our loving Lord tells us that the Qur’an will not be understood by just anyone, because, “This is a message for everyone whose heart is wide-awake or who listens while he is present” (50:37). Reading the Qur’an from the heart begins with repentance, because until we let go of our subjective opinions and biases, we will end up seeing the Qur’an not as it is, but through the filters of our misperceptions and projections.
To approach the soul of the divine revelation you have to come purified, humble, and empty of your attachment to the self, because a singular God cannot be experienced where there is multiplicity. Allah calls you to drop all other distractions and “Recite the Qur’an calmly and distinctly [with your mind attuned to its meaning]” (73:4). Allah then tells us that if we want to benefit from the recitation of His words, we must be in a state of God-consciousness: “When the Qur’an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy” (7:204).
The heart is always in communion with God. It is the noise of the mind that prevents us from being aware of that innate connection. Just as a seed has to break to take the raindrop in, we have to come humble with the shell of our ego broken for the message of the Qur’an to truly penetrate our deepest hearts.
This blog is an excerpt from A. Helwa’s recently published best-selling book, “Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam.” Her book is available on Amazon.com
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About A. Helwa
A. Helwa believes that every single person on Earth is deeply loved by the Divine. She is a writer who has inspired hundreds of thousands of readers through her passionate, poetic, and love-based approach to spirituality. Her popular blog @quranquotesdaily, was established while obtaining her Masters in Divinity, as a means of helping others overcome personal and spiritual struggles on their journey of experiencing divine love.
With over 15 years of experience writing and speaking on Islam and spiritual development, A. Helwa draws from her personal experiences and traditional sources to help her readers access ‘Divine love in everyday life.’