Neno la Qur'ani kwa imani katika uhalisia wa kiroho ni *īmān* (imani), ambalo lina awamu mbili: *iqrār bil-lisān* (kukiri kwa ulimi) na *taṣdīq bil-qalb* (kuamini kwa moyo kwa uthabiti). Kukiri kwa ulimi kuhusu imani katika uhalisia wa kiroho unaoshikiliwa na Uislamu ndiyo sharti la mtu kuingia katika jumuiya ya dini hii, lakini imani ya kweli hujitokeza pale tu imani hiyo inapokuwa imekita mizizi na kuwa kuamini kwa nguvu ndani ya moyo.

The Qur'anic term for belief in a spiritual reality is /man (faith) which has two phases: lqrar bil-lisan (verbal profession) and tasdeeq bil-qalb (heart-felt conviction). A verbal profession of a belief in the spiritual realities upheld by Islam is the condition of a person's admittance into the fold of this religion, but true faith will emerge only when that belief deepens into a strong inward conviction.

Sasa, maana yake nini kuamini Qur'ani? Inamaanisha kwamba mtu kwanza anapaswa kukiri kwa ulimi kwamba Qur'ani ni Neno la Allah (SW) lililoteremshwa na Yeye kupitia malaika Wake aliyemchagua Jibra'eel (AS), kwa mtume wa mwisho kati ya Mitume Wake, Mtume Muhammad ﷺ. Baada ya kufanya ukiri huu, mtu atakubaliwa kuwa mwanachama wa jamii ya Waislamu, ingawa huenda bado hajafikia imani ya kweli. Ni pale tu anapoanza kuliamini jambo hili kwa imani ya kina ya moyoni ndipo nuru ya imani ya kweli itakapoangaza moyo wake. Ndipo atakapokuta moyo wake umejaa heshima kwa Kitabu Kitukufu. Imani yake inapozidi kuwa imara, akili yake itazidi kutekwa na Qur'ani, na hisia zake za heshima kwake zitazidi kuwa za kina. Hivyo basi imani na heshima huenda pamoja. Tunajifunza kutokana na utafiti wa Qur'ani kwamba mtu wa kwanza kuamini Kitabu hiki kilichoteremshwa alikuwa si mwingine ila Mtume ﷺ mwenyewe, ambaye alifuatwa na Maswahaba wake (RAA).

Now what is meant by having faith in the Qur'an? It means that one should, in the first instance, verbally profess that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah (SW) that was revealed by Him through His chosen angel Jibra'eel (AS), to the last of His messengers, Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Having made this profession, a person will be accepted as a member of the Muslim community, although he may not have yet attained true faith. It is only when he comes to cherish this belief with a deep, inward conviction that the light of true faith will illumine his heart. Then he will find his heart to be full of reverence for the Holy Book. As his faith becomes stronger and stronger, his mind will come more and more under the spell of the Qur'an, and his feeling of reverence for it will become deeper and deeper. Thus faith and reverence go together. We learn from the study of the Qur'an that the first individual to believe in this ~evealedB ook was none other than the Prophet (SAW) himself who was followed by his Companions (RAA).

Mtume aliamini yale yaliyoteremshwa kwake kutoka kwa Mola wake, na pia waumini.

The Messenger believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, as well as the believers ....

(Al-Baqarah 2:285)

(Al-Baqarah 2:285)

Imani yao ilikuwa ni itikadi ya ndani kabisa kwamba Qur'ani ni kalamu Allah (Neno la Mwenyezi Mungu). Itikadi hii iliwajengea mtazamo wa heshima kwa Qur'ani na kuziingiza mioyoni mwao mapenzi na kujitolea kusiko na mipaka kwake. Ndiyo sababu Mtume Mtukufu ﷺ alikuwa akisubiri kwa hamu ushuke Wahyi, na alipokatizwa kwa muda alikuwa anakosa subira, na kilipoanza tena alikuwa akijaribu kukihifadhi kwa shauku na bidii kubwa mno, kiasi kwamba Allah (SWT), kwa upendo na huruma kwa Mtume wake ﷺ, alimkataza kuwa na papara katika jambo hili kwa maagizo yafuatayo:

Their belief was a deep inward conviction that the Qur'an was kalam Allah (the Word of God). This conviction developed in them a reverential attitude towards the Qur'an and created in their hearts an unbounded love and devotion for it. It was for this reason that the Holy Prophet (SAW) used to wait anxiously for the Revelation to come, that he a would get impatient if it was temporarily suspended, and when it was resumed he would try to memorize it with utmost avidity and eagerness, so much so that Allah (SWT), out of love and affection for his Messenger (SAW), forbade him to be impatient in this regard with the following instructions:

... usiwe na haraka kwa ajili ya Qur'an ... (Taha 20:114)

... do not be in haste for the Qur'an .... (Taha 20:114)

Wala usiitikisha ulimi wako kwa haraka (katika kujaribu kuhifadhi Wahyi) ili kuuwahi.

And do not move your tongue quickly (in trying to memorize the Revelation) to make haste therewith.

(Al-Qiyamah 75:16)

(Al-Qiyamah 75:16)

Mara moja, katika hatua za mwanzo, mwendelezo wa ufunuo wa Qur'ani ulikatika kwa kipindi kirefu kisicho cha kawaida. Imepokelewa kwamba kukatika huku kulimletea Mtume Muhammad ﷺ huzuni na taabu kubwa hata akawa mara nyingi anafikiria kujitupa chini kutoka mlimani. Upendo wake kwa Qur'ani ulikuwa mkubwa mno hata alitumia sehemu kubwa ya usiku katika sala na kisomo. Alisimama akisoma Qur'ani kwa saa nyingi hadi miguu yake ikavimba. Masahaba zake (RAA) nao walikuwa wakipenda Kitabu hicho kitukufu kwa kiwango hicho hicho, nao wangekisoma kwa saa nyingi usiku.

Once at an early stage, the continuity in the process of Qur'anic revelation was interrupted f~arn untisually long period. It is reported that this interruption caused the Holy Prophet (SAW) so much anguish and distress that he would often think of throwing himself down from a mountain. So deep was his devotion for the Qur'an that he would spend the greater part of the night in prayer and recitation. He would stand reciting the Qur'an for long hours until his feet would get swollen. His Companions (RAA) were equally enamored of the Holy Book and would recite it for long hours at night.

Wengi wao walikuwa wamejiwekea utaratibu wa kusoma Qur'ani nzima mara moja kila wiki. Mtume Muhammad ﷺ, ingawa yeye mwenyewe alikuwa mpokeaji wa Ufunuo wa Qur'ani, mara nyingi aliwaomba Maswahaba wake (RAA) wamsomee Qur'ani, na alikuwa akitokwa na machozi kutokana na ukali wa hisia zilizoamshwa moyoni mwake.

Many of them had made it a point to go through the whole Qur'an once a week. The Holy Prophet (SAW), though himself the recipient of the Qur'anic Revelation, often asked his Companions (RAA) to recite the Qur'an to him and would be moved to tears by the intensity of feelings roused in his heart.

Ni dhahiri kwamba sababu iliyowafanya Maswahaba wa Mtume Mtukufu (SAW) wapende sana Qur'ani mioyoni mwao na kuiheshimu kwa kiwango kikubwa ni kwamba imani yao kwamba Qur'ani ni Wahyi kutoka kwa Mwenyezi Mungu ilikuwa imefikia kiwango cha juu kabisa cha uhakika, kiwango ambacho jambo huchukuliwa kuwa ni Ukweli usiotiliwa shaka. Sasa tuchunguze hali ya imani yetu kwa Qur'ani. Sisi tunakiri kwamba Qur'ani ni Wahyi wa Mwenyezi Mungu, na kwa hakika tunapaswa kumshukuru Mwenyezi Mungu kwa kutujumuisha miongoni mwa wale wanaoamini hivyo kuhusu Kitabu Chake; lakini wengi wetu hatuna uhakika wa ndani kwamba ni Neno la Allah (SWT), Wahyi kutoka kwa Muumbaji wa mbingu na ardhi. Hii ndiyo sababu halisi ya kujitenga kwetu na Qur'ani, na kutojali kwetu. Hata kujichunguza kwa juu juu tu kutathibitisha kwamba mioyo yetu haina imani ya kweli kwa Qur'ani, na badala ya kuwa na imani thabiti, imegeuka kuwa makao ya shaka na wasiwasi. Ndugu zangu Waislamu wanaweza kuchukizwa na kauli hii ya wazi kutoka kwangu; hata hivyo, ni ukweli kwamba sisi Waislamu tunakosa kwa huzuni imani thabiti juu ya asili ya Kimungu ya Qur'ani. Hali ya shaka na kutokuwa na uhakika tunayojikuta nayo leo imeelezwa katika Qur'ani kwa maneno yafuatayo:

Obviously, the reason why the Companions of the Holy Prophet (SAW) came to entertain such a deep love and reverence for the Qur'an in their hearts, and regarded it with so much reverence, was that their belief in the Qur'an being a Revelation from the Almighty had reached the highest stage of conviction - a stage at which a reality is accepted as an Absolute Truth. Now let us examine the condition of our faith in the Qur'an. We do profess that the Qur'an 'is a Divine Revelation and, indeed, we should be thankful to the Almighty that He has included us among those who hold this belief about His Book; but most of us are not inwardly convinced of its being the Word of Allah (SVVT), a Revelation from the Creator of the heavens and the earth. This is the real cause of our estrangement from, and indifference to the Qur'an. Even a casual introspection and self-examination will prove that our hearts are devoid of the true belief in the Qur'an and, instead of harboring true faith, they have become the dwellings of doubts and misgivings. My fellow Muslims might resent this plain speaking on my part; nevertheless, it is a fact that we Muslims woefully lack a staunch faith in the Divine origin of the Qur'an. The state of doubt and uncertainty in which we find ourselves today has been described in the Qur'an in the following words:

hakika wale waliorithishwa Kitabu baada yao wamo katika shaka ya kutatanisha kuhusu hicho. (Ash-Shura 42:14)

... truly, those who have inherited the Book after them are in suspicious (disquieting) doubt concerning it. (Al-Shura 42:14)

Ukosefu huu wa imani ndio sababu ya sisi kutokuwa na heshima yoyote kwa Qur'ani mioyoni mwetu, wala kutopenda kuisoma, wala kutoonyesha shauku yoyote ya kuzama katika maana yake, wala kamwe kufikiria kutafuta mwongozo wake katika kuendesha maisha yetu. Maadamu hatujarekebisha upungufu huu mbaya, hakuna faida yoyote itakayopatikana kutokana na kiasi chochote cha mafundisho ya dini.

This lack of faith is the reason why we neither find any reverence for the Qur'an in our hearts, nor feel inclined to study it, nor evince any interest in pondering over its meaning, nor ever think of seeking its guidance in conducting our lives. As long as we do not make up this dreadful deficiency, no useful purpose will be served by any amount of religious instruction.

Kwa hiyo, wajibu wa kwanza na wa msingi kabisa wa kila Muislamu ni kuangalia imani yake juu ya Qur'an, ili aone kama imani yake kwamba Qur'an ni kitabu kitakatifu na cha kimbingu ni dhana tu isiyo na uhusiano wowote na maisha yake ya kila siku, au kama yeye anaamini kweli kwamba ni Neno la Allah (SWT) lililoteremshwa kwa wanadamu ili watafute mwongozo kutoka ndani yake na kulifanya kuwa kanuni ya vitendo ya maisha. Tukiwa na imani hii, tuna sababu ya kuridhika na kumshukuru Allah (SWT), lakini kama hatuna - jambo ambalo, kwa masikitiko, ndilo hali ya wengi sana - basi kwanza kabisa tunapaswa kurekebisha upungufu huu katika imani yetu, kwa sababu kutimiza wajibu wetu mwingine kwa Qur'an kunategemea imani hii hasa.

The first and foremost duty of every Muslim, therefore, is to check his belief in the Qur'an to see whether his belief in the Qur'an being a sacred and heavenly book is a mere dogma which has nothing to do with his practical life, or whether he is really convinced of its being a Word of Allah (SWT) which has been vouchsafed to mankind to seek guidance from it and make it a practical code of life. If we hold this conviction, we may have reason to be satisfied and be thankful to Allah (SWT), but if not - which unfortunately is the case with a vast majority - we should first of all make up this deficiency in our faith, because the fulfillment of our other obligations to the Qur'an is dependent upon this very conviction.

Inaweza kuulizwa: je, upungufu huu unawezaje kufidiwa? Bila shaka, njia rahisi na yenye ufanisi zaidi ya kupata na kuongeza imani ni kushirikiana na watu wema wanaoshi kwa Mungu, ambao mioyo yao imeangazwa na nuru ya imani ya kweli. Masahaba wa Mtume ﷺ walipata imani yao ya kipekee kutokana na athari yenye kuhamasisha ya Bwana wao ﷺ, ambaye mwenyewe alikuwa mfano halisi wa imani na uhakika. Baada ya kufariki kwa Mtume ﷺ, hakuna mtu anayeweza kutamani kufikia kiwango kile kile cha imani walichokifikia Masahaba (RA) kwa sababu ya uwepo wake wa kimwili miongoni mwao; hata hivyo, njia ya kuboresha na kukamilisha imani kwa kushirikiana na wacha Mungu bado itafuatwa kwa faida kubwa hata leo. Kwa hiyo, tunapaswa kuwageukia wacha Mungu miongoni mwetu ili kuburudisha imani yetu mara kwa mara. Kwa upande wao wacha Mungu, nao kwa zamu yao watapata chanzo kikuu cha nuru ya imani katika Qur'an Tukufu yenyewe. Pia watafanya utafiti makini wa wasifu wa Mtume ﷺ na Masahaba wake (RA), ili waweze kufurahia ushirika wa kiakili na wa kiroho pamoja na Mtume wa Allah ﷺ na Masahaba wake (RA). Kuhusu imani katika Qur'an na ukuaji wake, tunapaswa kutegemea chanzo kimoja tu, nacho ni Qur'an Tukufu yenyewe.

It may be asked as to how can this deficiency be made up. Obviously, the easiest and the most effective way to acquire and augment faith is to move in the society of godly persons whose hearts are illumined by the light of true faith. The Companions of the Holy Prophet (SAW) owed their unique faith to the inspiring influence of their Master (SAW), who himself was an embodiment of faith and certitude. After the death of the Holy Prophet (SAW), one can never dream of attaining the same degree of faith as the Companions (RAA) had attained on account of his physical presence among them, still the method of improving and perfecting faith in the company of the pious will be followed with immense advantage even today; so, we need to turn to the pious among us for continually refreshing our faith. So far as the pious are concerned, they, in their turn, will find the greatest source of the light of faith in the Holy Qur'an itself. They will also make a careful study of the biographies of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his Companions (RAA) so that they may be able to enjoy an intellectual and spiritual companionship of Allah's Messenger (SAW) and his Companions (RAA). As regards the faith in the Qur'an and its growth, we have to depend upon one source only, that is the Holy Qur'an itself.

Kwa kweli, imani (iman) haiwezi kupandikizwa ndani yetu kutoka nje. Ni udhihirisho wa kweli za msingi ambazo huangaza mara kwa mara ndani ya nafsi zetu, na moyo wetu huzinasa na kuziakisi. Tunaweza kusema kwamba moyo wa mwanadamu ni kioo cha ajabu kinachonasa na kuakisi kiotomatiki mwanga wa kweli hizo za ulimwengu wote zinazounda imani. Kinachotokea ni kwamba wakati mwingine uso wa kioo hiki hufunikwa na ukungu chini ya athari ya mazingira na malezi yasiyo sahihi, hivyo kinashindwa kunasa na kuakisi mwanga wa ndani wa imani. Ili kukisafisha kioo hiki ili kiakisi kwa uwazi mwanga wa ndani wa mwanadamu, Allah (SWT), kwa wema wake kwa binadamu, ameteremsha Neno Lake, akitusihi tuutambue mwanga ulio ndani yetu na kututhakisha kweli ambazo ni maarifa ya asili ya fitra yetu ya awali.

In reality, /man (or faith) is not something that can be planted in us from outside. It is an embodiment of fundamental truths that continually flash through our inner being and are caught and reflected by our heart. We can say that the human heart is a wonderful mirror that automatically catches and reflects the light of those universal truths that constitute Iman. What happens is that sometimes the surface of this mirror gets blurred under the effect of wrong environment and education and fails to catch and reflect the inner light of Iman. To polish this mirror so that it may clearly reflect man's inner light, Allah (SWT), out of His Benevolence to mankind, has revealed His Word, urging us to discern the light inside ourselves and reminding us of the truths which are the intuitive apprehensions of our primordial nature.

Maarifa na ukumbusho (wa ukweli uliopandikizwa katika asili ya mwanadamu) kwa kila mja anayemrejea Allah kwa toba. (Qaf 503)

An insight and reminder (of the truths ingrained in human nature) for every servant who turns to Allah in repentance. (Qaf 503)

Ikiwa Kitabu Kitukufu kitasomwa na maana zake kutafakariwa katika harakati za kweli za kutafuta ukweli, pazia zote za giza huondolewa moja baada ya nyingine, na nafsi yetu ya ndani huangazwa kwa nuru ya imani. Mara kioo cha moyo kinapokuwa tayari kuakisi kwa uwazi nuru ya imani, bado itatubidi kurejea Qur'ani kila tunapoona uso wake unaong'aa unafifia na kuwa na ukungu chini ya athari za majaribu ya dunia. Hadithi ifuatayo, iliyosimuliwa kwa mamlaka ya Abdullah Ibn Umar (RAA), inahusu athari ya kung'arisha ya Qur'ani kwenye kioo cha moyo:

If the Holy Book is studied and its meanings are pondered over in a genuine quest for truth, all the veils of darkness are lifted, one after another, and out inner self is illumined by the light of faith. After the heart's mirror has once been rendered capable of clearly reflecting the light of faith, we shall still have to revert to the Qur'an whenever we find that its shining surface is becoming dull and hazy under the effect of worldly temptations. The following tradition, narrated on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Umar (RAA), refers to the polishing effect of the Qur'an on the mirror of the heart:

Mtume Mtukufu (SAW) alisema mara moja: "Hakika mioyo hii hu kutu kama chuma kinavyo kutu majini." Aliulizwa jinsi kutu cha moyo kinavyoweza kufutwa. Akajibu: "Kwa kukumbuka mauti mara kwa mara na kusoma Qur'ani." (Imepokewa na Bayhaqi)

The Holy Prophet (SAW) once remarked: "Surely, these hearts get rusted as iron gets rusted in water." He was asked how the heart's rust could be rubbed off. He replied: 'By frequent remembrance of death and the recitation of the Qur'an." (Narrated by Bayhaqi)

Kiini cha jambo ni kwamba iwapo imani yetu katika asili ya Kiungu ya Qur'ani itabaki kuwa imani ya kukariri tu, haitaleta mabadiliko yoyote katika hali zetu za sasa wala katika mtazamo wetu wa kutojali kwa Qur'ani. Ikiwa tunataka kuitendea Qur'ani haki na kutimiza madai inayotudai, kwanza kabisa tunapaswa kuwa na imani thabiti ya ndani kwamba Qur'ani ndiyo Ujumbe wa mwisho na wa mwisho kabisa wa Allah (SW), uliotolewa kwa Mtume wake wa mwisho kwa mwongozo wa wanadamu. Mara tu tutakapokuwa na imani hii, mtazamo wetu kuhusu Qur'ani utabadilika kabisa. Mara tu tutakapotambua kwamba ni Wahyi kutoka kwa Mola wetu Mlezi, Muumba wetu, Yule Aliye Mtukufu Zaidi ambaye hata uelewa wetu mdogo kabisa kumhusu unapita mipaka ya mawazo yetu, fikra zetu zitageuzwa kabisa.

The crux of the matter is that if our belief in the Divine origin of the Qur'an remains a mere dogma, it will not bring about any change in our present conditions and in our attitude of cold indifference towards the Qur'an. If we wish to do justice to the Qur'an and fulfill the demands it makes from us, we should first of all have the deep inner conviction that the Qur'an is, indeed, the last and final Message of Allah (SW) delivered to the last of His messengers for the ,guidance of mankind. As soon as we come to have this conviction, our attitude towards the Qur'an will undergo a radical change. As soon as we realize that it is a Revelation from our Lord, our Creator, that Most Exalted Being Whose slightest apprehension transcends the bounds of our imagination,? our thinking will be completely revolutionized.

Hapo tutajisikia kwamba Qur'an ni baraka kubwa zaidi kwetu chini ya jua. Kuisoma kwake kutalisha na kulisha roho zetu, na kutafakari maana zake kutaitakasa mioyo yetu na kuangazia akili zetu. Kuanzia hapo, hatutajisikia kushiba kamwe kwa kuisoma; na hata baada ya kuweka nguvu bora za akili na fikra zetu katika huduma yake, na kujitolea maisha yetu yote kutafakari maana zake, bado tutajisikia kwamba hatujaweza kuitendea haki Qur'an Tukufu, kitabu kikubwa zaidi cha mbinguni.

We shall then feel that the Qur'an is the greatest blessing for us under the sun. Its recitation will sustain and nourish our souls, and contemplation over its meanings will chasten our hearts and enlighten our minds. From that point onwards, we shall never feel satiated with its study; and even after dedicating the best powers of our mind and intellect to its service, and having devoted our whole life to meditation over its meanings, we shall feel that we have not been able to do justice to the Glorious Qur'an, the greatest of the heavenly books.