I have a theory as to why we tend not to focus on the Qur'an: we are drawn towards controversy. The Qur'an and its sciences have no such divisive opinions. Human beings love controversy. I believe the reason we tend to argue back and forth regarding the same issues such as moon-sighting or eating zabiha is because these issues allow us to take a little bit of textbook knowledge and preside over people. It gives our nafs (lower self) a sense of satisfaction to 'beat' our opponent in arguments. The Qur'an however has no such arguments, because in reality who can argue over the minutiae of the prestigious science of tajweed (the art of reciting the Qur'an)? Or the qira'at (styles of Qur'anic recitation)?

Much of what we differ over is not from the fundamental aspects of our deen (religion or way of life) nor is it our job to argue over it. Though those issues may be important at some level, they are not a reason for us to neglect the fundamentals-unity and brotherhood-in order to be correct on the secondary issues.

The Qur'an's Role in Spiritual Development

We should preoccupy ourselves with the Qur'an, and not distract ourselves by arguing over issues that do not benefit us. The Qur'an is truly 'soul food'-it is the food for our souls, the healing for our hearts and our conversation with the Divine. Our bodies were created from this Earth and Allah placed sustenance for our body in the Earth as well. Everything we eat eventually originates from the Earth. Our ruh (soul), however, is from Allah; as such, its sustenance must also come from its place of origin-Allah . This is why the heart, when engaged with the Qur'an, feels tranquility and peace, and when it's away from the Qur'an it slowly hardens up until it dies.

Ibn Qayyim notes that, "The keys to the life of the heart lie in reflecting upon the Qur'an, being humble before Allah in secret, and leaving sins."2 When a person turns away from the Qur'an, the heart starts to starve just as the body starves when it is not fed; as a result, life itself becomes depressing and incomplete, as the individual preoccupies themselves in other matters, seeking to fill that void within. Thus, argumentation and controversy become an avenue to satisfy the nafs.

How Can We Actualize the Role of the Qur'an in Our Lives?

The root of our communal problems can be traced to an incorrect approach to knowledge. The point I'd like to highlight here briefly is that knowledge has a methodology by which a student seeks it. A student does not jump to the top of the ladder; he climbs up step by step, and the first step of the ladder is engaging the Qur'an. A medical student who aims to specialize in heart surgery does not begin by reading a textbook on surgery; rather he goes through the process of pre-med, medical school and specialization. We need to apply the same standard with our religious sciences and focus on developing our fundamentals. Imam Nawawi rahimahu allah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in his introduction to al-Majmoo' Sharh ul-Muhadhhab (1/38) regarding the student of knowledge,

"So the first thing he should begin with is memorization of the mighty Qur'an, which is the most important branch of knowledge. And the Salaf did not use to teach Hadeeth or Fiqh, except to one who memorized the Qur'aan. So when he has memorized it, then let him beware of pre-occupying himself from it with Hadeeth, Fiqh or other things, to the extent that it leads him to forget anything of the Qur'an, or makes that likely."

This is the method that the best scholars and students of knowledge followed-they gave the Qur'an precedence before engaging in learning hadeeth or fiqh, much less advanced `aqeedah issues, while we tend to do the opposite. The point is not that we abandon seeking knowledge altogether; rather we should prioritize correctly the role of the different sciences of our religion so that we have a balance between what we seek to learn out of desire and what we need to learn as part of the essence of our religion; meaning, that we give the Qur'an precedence when it comes to seeking knowledge and make it our first priority to learn it. The Messenger said, "Do not seek knowledge to compete with the scholars, nor to argue with the foolish people, nor to gain control of gatherings; for whoever does that - the Fire, the Fire!"3

The Qur'an is the foundation of everything in our religion. It is the Book that built the Companions and shaped their personalities and molded them into individuals that caused Allah to call them the best of nations for mankind. It was their relationship with the Qur'an, their reciting it at night and reflecting on it during the day, their understanding of its universals and application of it that allowed them to become who they were. The Prophet raised them to be attached to the Qur'an and have a relationship with it that went beyond just reciting it-it was something that humbled them and made them the best of the best.

Just like them, we can begin by focusing on the Qur'an-memorizing it, reciting it, listening to it and seeking to understand it. We live in a time where this type of knowledge is easily accessible requiring minimal effort on the part of the student to learn. Yet, in the midst of the vast knowledge that is available to us at our fingertips, courtesy of the internet, we cannot lose sight of the true role that knowledge is supposed to play in our lives-it is meant to be a source of good for the individual, his family, his social sphere and the community at large.