The Qur’ān is a Love Letter

What do you think of if I say the Qur'ān is a love letter? One of our teachers once asked:

"Have we ever pondered what the Qur'ān is?"

He said:

"There is nothing that exists in this world that letter by letter, word by word, verse by verse, paragraph by paragraph, chapter by chapter, is in its exact order, and everything about it is recorded and kept preserved by tongue and heart ever since the Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) uttered it. It is an oral transmission, not a written transmission. There are only two things like this in the world: The Qur'ān and the Hadith. So you are reciting words that were the exact words spoken by the Messenger of Allāh  (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). Do you realise how significant that is?"

It feels special for us to be reciting the very same words spoken by our Messenger (Peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), his companions, and all the greats that passed away before us (May Allāh be pleased with them all).

But there's another significant thing he mentioned to us...

Look at the Qur'ān as a series of love letters

How is the Qur'ān a love letter? And how does this perspective change the reality of your relationship with it?

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفْسُهُۥ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِيدِ

Indeed, ˹it is˺ We ˹Who˺ created humankind and ˹fully˺ know what their souls whisper to them, and We are closer to them than ˹their˺ jugular vein. — 50:16

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ

When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near [...] — 2:186

This is the language of love and reality. Allāh wants us to be near to Him. He wants us to know Him. He is always near but He calling us! He wants us to be near.

Writing a love letter lets the reader know their importance in life, captures what makes your relationship special, and demonstrates ones qualities. It allows you to see yourselves through another persons eyes, which is, in itself, a gift.

When you love someone you introduce yourself to them.

We have not revealed the Quran to you ˹O Prophet˺ to cause you distress, but as a reminder to those in awe ˹of Allāh˺. — 20:2-3

۞ قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. — 39:53

This is how the men and women of Allāh see the Qur'ān. They see "a collection of Letters from The Beloved to His Beloved" - that's how they see it.

Allow me to explain.

Another name for the Qur'ān is ar-Risālah (the Message, or the Letter). These are the letters of Allāh to His Beloved, Muhammad Sallallāhu 'Alayhi wa Sallam. Al-Nawawi reported: Al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Basri, may Allāh be pleased with him, said, “Indeed, those before you viewed the Qur'ān as personal letters from their Lord, such that they would ponder over it by night and yearn for it by day.” [al-Tibyān fi Aadāb Hamalat al-Qur’ān 1/54]

When Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked "What is the best litany to read in order to gain proximity with Allāh?"  he said, "The recitation of the Qur'ān. The more you read it the closer you become." 

This is the connection we should have when we recite the Qur'ān.

Whenever someone is in love with someone or is fond of someone they wish to speak to them. When they do, they send each other letters or messages. Not only do they receive them and read them, but they also keep them safe and continue to read them over and over again. They become happy and feel satisfied every time they get a message. Even by looking at it, they rejoice. Why is that? Because they are the letters of those beloved to them.

Imagine you got a letter from someone you aspire to, unsolicited, you will likely boast about it and preserve that letter. Nowadays people save texts, WhatsApp messages, emails, tweets, and other messages or images. They boast - I got a mention by so and so.

Our relationship with the Qur'ān should be such that you treat it in the same manner. It comes through deliberate practice.

A Rare Postman, A Unique Package, And A Special Delivery Container

Can you tell me who is the postman? Who is the package? And what is the special delivery container?

The Postman = The Great Angel, Gabriel.
The Package = The Qur'ān.
The Special Delivery Container = The Heart of the Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

In this way, we can understand how the Qur'ān is a collection of love letters. You can see this relationship in the verses of the Qur'ān. Look at how Allāh addresses His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). This is a truly profound way to connect with the Qur'ān. It feels special that it was revealed to us and shared with us.

What are the effects of this understanding?

It develops many things including:

• Happiness
• Fondness
• Frequent visitation
• Keeping it close
• Change (tilaawah)
• Realisation and more

You begin to recite in the best way possible

When people get a direct letter/message from someone they admire, love, or aspire to - they read it in a different way than they would an ordinary letter. They read it slowly. They soak in each letter, each word, and each sentence. That is one of the reasons we have Tajwīd. It is the way to recite the Qur'ān because it is special. Tajwīd is the decoration and the code on how we are supposed to recite the Words of the King.

You begin to connect beyond recitation

The way people read a love letter is one thing, but the composition is another.

When someone writes a direct letter/message to someone they admire, love, or aspire to - they write it carefully. They are consumed by it. They look for perfection. They look for the best words. They wouldn't ordinarily write like that. In the same manner, the Qur'ān being a love letter was given as a miracle to the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). It was spoken and composed in the best of ways. Allāh used the most endearing and best of speech when addressing His beloved.

When we connect with the Qur'ān from the perspective of a love letter, we yearn more for meaning. We begin to explore the words even more. If we established such a relationship, we would see immediate change. This is why it is said, "The People of the Qur'ān do not take their needs to the People of the world, but the People of the world take their needs to the doors of People of the Qur'ān." 

Create such a connection and relationship with the Qur'ān! Keep in mind what you are about to recite. A precious treasure beyond imagination.

There is love

Anas ibn Malik reported: A bedouin asked the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ “When is the Hour?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “What have you prepared for it?” The man said, “Love for Allah and his messenger.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “You will be with those whom you love.”

We're not going to remain in this world. The world is not going to remain. Everything will perish. But the connections of love you establish in the world will live on.

May Allāh give us the Tawfīq to recite the Qur'ān in the best way. Āmeen.