There are seven states of consciousness which you must try to develop by remembering certain things, absorbing them and by frequently reminding yourself of them.
The Qur’anic Criteria of Inner Participation
First: Say to yourself: My Qur’an reading will not be truly tilawah (recitation) unless my inner self participates in it as Allah Almighty desires it to participate.
So what does Allah Almighty desire? And how should you receive the Qur’an?
The Qur’an itself in many places tells you vividly how it was received by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and by his Companions, and by those whose hearts were gripped by it. Such Qur’anic verses you should try to remember, and, then, recollect and reflect upon them whenever you read the Qur’an. Some of these are:
- “Those only are believers who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts tremble; and when His verses are recited to them, they increase them in faith.” (Al-Anfal 8: 2).
- “Allah has sent down the best discourse as a Book, fully consistent within itself, oft-repeated, whereat shiver the skins of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah.” (Az-Zumar 39: 23).
- “When it is recited to them, they fall down upon their faces, prostrating, and say: Glory be to our Lord! Our Lord’s promise is fulfilled. And they fall down upon their faces, weeping; and it increases them in humility.” (Al-Israa’ 17: 107-9).
- “Whenever the verses of the Most-merciful are read unto them, they fall down, prostrating themselves and weeping.” (Maryam 19: 58).
- “And when they hear what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflow with tears because of what they have recognized of Truth. They cry: Our Lord! We believe; so You do write us down among the witnesses [to the Truth].”(Al-Ma’idah 5: 83)
In Allah’s Presence
Second: Say to yourself: I am in Allah’s presence; He is seeing me.
You must remain alive to the reality that, while you are reading the Qur’an, you are in the very presence of Him who has sent these words to you. For, Allah is always with you, wherever you are, whatever you are doing. His knowledge is all encompassing.
How do you attain this state of consciousness?
Listen to what Allah tells you in the Qur’an in this regard. Remember those verses, and recollect and reflect upon them when you are about to start reading the Qur’an, and during it.
But what will help you more, not only in reading the Qur’an but in living your whole life by the Qur’an, is to remember and reflect this reality as often as you can.
Alone or in company, silent or speaking, at home or at work, at rest or busy say, silently or loudly: He is with me, seeing and hearing, knowing and recording. And remember these verses of the Qur’an:
“He is with you wherever you are.“ (Al-Hadid 57:4)
“We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” (Qaf 50:16)
“Three men converse not secretly together, but He is the fourth of them, neither five men, but He is the sixth of them, neither fewer than that, neither more, but He is with them, wherever they may be.} (Al-Mujadalah 58:7)
“Surely you are before Our eyes.” (At-Tur 52:48)
“I am with you two [Musa and Harun], hearing and seeing” (Taha 20:46)
“Surely it is We who bring the dead to life and write down what they have sent ahead and what they have left behind, everything We have taken into account in a clear register.” (Yasin 36: 12).
More significant is the following verse, which not only forcefully tells, in general, about Allah being present, seeing everything, but mentions, specifically, the act of reading the Qur’an:
{There is no activity you may be engaged in ˹O Prophet˺ or portion of the Quran you may be reciting, nor any deed you ˹all˺ may be doing except that We are a Witness over you while doing it. Not ˹even˺ an atom’s weight is hidden from your Lord on earth or in heaven; nor anything smaller or larger than that, but is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record.} (Yunus 10:61)
So He Himself tells us: I am present when you read the Qur’an; never forget this.
Reciting the Qur’an is an act of worship. The way to attain the highest excellence is worshipping Allah as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, tells us:
“… to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for even if you cannot see Him with eyes, (you realize that) He sees you.” (Muslim)
Additionally, remember that not only are you in His presence but that He remembers you as long as you are reading the Qur’an:
{Remember Me and I will remember you.} (Al-Baqarah 2:152)
The best way to remember Allah, undoubtedly, is to read the Qur’an.
To be continued.
References
Taken with slight modifications from the Author’s Way to The Qur’an