The End is Nearly Close

Bismillah
As salaamu alaikum,

On Thurdsay, February 18, about an hour after 'Isha, I completed the last four ayaat (verses) of Sura Baqara. I reread the page once twice then three times. I closed the Qur'an, then slowly stretched my legs from underneath me. And slowly they moved heavy from immobility. I never thought that I'd actually succeed. Alhamdulillah

Sura Baqara has 286 ayaat which contain 6121 words. So now I am carrying 6121 words that Allah specifically gave to Angel Gibra'il (Gabriel). The same words that travelled down through the seven heavens and were engraved upon the heart of the last messenger. Al-Baqara was revealed in Madinah after the hijrah of the Messenger (S), and it contains everything.

It details the different types of people that exist in the world and introduces a phenomenon that was not known in Makkah: hypocrites. It contains laws on how Muslims are to live socially, from what foods we should and shouldn't eat, to the meaning of piety, to the punishment for murder, to the rulings for fasting and hajj. It also has rulings for inheritance, fighting in the sacred months, marriage, divorce, breastfeeding, the rights of widows. And much more.

Sura Baqara has 4 names. 1) Al-Baqara: refering to the story during the time of Musa when a man was killed and Musa's people asked him to find out 'who done it.' 2) Suratul-Kursi: because it contains ayatul-Kursi the greatest aya in the Qur'an. 3) Sinam ul-Qur'an: for when the prophet said: "Everything has a Sinam and the sinam of the Qur'an is suratul-Baqara." (Sinam: hump of a camel, where all the good life preserving stuff is contained). 4) Az Zahraa' (flower) because the prophet said: "Read the two Flowers, Al-Baqara and Ali 'Imran." Ali 'Imran is the third sura in the Qur'an.

It is strange. Or perhaps it is simply one of many changes I will notice in my mannerisms as I proceed on this path. I'm not excited. I was a bit thrilled on thursday when it was finally finished but I know it's not over. It will never be over as long as I'm alive. Memorization was perhaps the easiest part. Now I have to completely overhaul my character in alignment with what Allah has taught me.

This second journey, within the first, is the real thing. Instead of excitement I feel the weight of it all pushing at me. But I know I can never turn back. I have too much staked on this accomplishment. I have too many needs that only the Qur'an can fulfill. And I have too much hope that my children will be better aware of the Qur'an than I am.

The deepest impression this sura has written on my thoughts is this: "Allah can do anything." Thinking back to two years ago before I memorized this sura, of course I knew that Allah can do anything. Dah. But I didn't know it then like I know it now. I didn't know about the man who died for 100 years then Allah revived him. His food hadn't aged a bit but his donkey was... Well it was a donkey that was dead for 100 years. Then in front of the mans eyes the bones came back together and Allah clothed them in flesh. The man's knowledge reached its pinnacle and Allah made him a sign for the people.

Some might ask, "Did that really happen? I mean like... seriously???" The answer is, "Of course it did. It's in the Qur'an. Allah is the witness for everything in the Qur'an. And Allah says it's true."

I couldn't imagine such a thing happening nowadays, but if a Michael Jackson came back to life and it was actually him, would you be in denial or mesmerized? Or would you say Allah does what He wants? That's what I would say now that I know it.

When magicians levitate, or fly, or drink a gallon of poison and live why are we amazed or stunned or shaken? Some foolish people go so far as to worship magicians. If anything seeing "miracles" should only reaffirm our faith. If Allah caused a man to die for 100 years then brought him back, surely it is no issue to simply stop poison from killing a person or any other small or great thing.

But when I didn't know sura Baqara I had no guidance informing my thoughts when I saw amazing things. I had no meter whereby to judge what was happening or if it was okay to believe it really happened. Memorizing Qur'an with meanings allows me to have a constant reference guide for all information that comes into my personal sphere. What is your reference guide?