I was just a curious kid
browsing through the bookshelf,
in search of something new to read.
I stumbled upon this book.
It was covered with dust
and smeared with excreta
of cockroaches and rats.
“It must be a very boring book”,
or so I thought,
I flipped through the pages
“In the name of Allaah
The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful”
Those were the opening words
of every chapter,
one hundred and fourteen in all,
except one…
It was the English translation
of the Holy Quran.
I planned to read a page or two
but before I knew it,
I couldn’t stop reading.
Powerful messages.
Awesome style.
Poetically rhythmic.
Intriguing stories.
Challenging statements.
Even as a kid, I knew
it couldn’t be fiction
it couldn’t have been
written by terrestrials
it isn’t just a prayer book
It’s a manual, it’s a guide
touching every topic
capturing every generation
transcending place and time
solving every problem.
Day after day,
I flipped through
to read more, to learn more
I finished the entire book
Then, I started over
And over.
Everyday.
Till today.
Each time, it appears as though I’ve never read it before
I wow at every word
I shiver with every sentence
And there is much more…
there is more to this masterpiece
there is more to the meanings
lost in translation
from Arabic to English,
and to other languages.
I started craving to learn Arabic;
its original language.
and there’s still more
I’m still studying.
I hear the recitation and I cry
I read the exegesis
and I learn more
All I can say is,
it’s not just a book
It’s an entire library under one cover.
AskDoctorKT 