There is only one source of truth: that One Supreme Being from Whom we can get the light of guidance --- Allah the All-knowing. He knows the inner reality of all things. He alone can tell us precisely what is to our benefit and what is to our detriment. He alone can lay down which actions are right for us and which are wrong. Therefore, whatever directions Allah (SWT) gives us is exclusively for our benefit - that all is contained in the Holy Qur’an.

The Qur’an was revealed to live by it. And living by the Qur’an means to convey its message to the people around us. Indeed the moment our Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, received the first revelation he realized the immense task of bringing it to his people. And the second revelation came with the summons: ‘Stand up and warn’ (al-Muddaththir Ayah 2).

Then at various places in the Qur’an, it was made clear to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that to communicate the Qur’an, to make it heard, to explain it, was to be his primary duty, his life mission.

Now, we as his followers, as people possessing the Holy Qur’an, are charged with the same mission. We must make it clear and known to mankind and not let it remain concealed.

Those who conceal the clear messages that We have sent down, after We have made them clear for mankind in the Book – they shall be cursed by God and the cursers (al-Baqarah Ayah 159).

Brothers and Sisters,

Let us analyze the situation of Muslims today. One and a quarter billion Muslims read the Qur’an day and night. Out of that, most of us are guilty of committing the worst crime of not surrendering and obeying it and concealing it and not bringing its light to the world.

Let there not be the slightest doubt in our minds that unless we commit ourselves to the most important responsibility of being the bearers of the Qur’an, we shall never discharge our obligation that we owe to the Qur’an. The ignominy, dishonor, humiliation, and backwardness that has become our lot is only because we are ignoring our obligation towards the Qur’an and the mission it has entrusted us.

To surrender and obey is to fulfill the real mission of the Qur’an. We discover meaning by obeying that we never discover by mere thinking. We must practically involve with the struggle to fulfill its mission. This is the Book, which launched a glorious movement, with the voice of a single individual Prophet Muhammad (S), and continued to provide guidance to it for twenty-three years, till the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. At every stage during this long struggle between truth and falsehood, this Book showed its followers the ways to eradicate the old order and usher in, the new. Is it, then, possible to reach the heart of the Qur'an merely by reading its words, without ever stepping upon the battlefield of faith and disbelief, of Islam and Ignorance? No! We can understand the Qur'an only when we take it up, begin to act upon it, and call mankind to God, and when every step we take is in obedience to its guidance.

This is Our obligation towards the Holy Qur’an.

Let us ask ourselves the most important questions of our lives. If we claim that we have accepted Islam, have we oriented our living and our dying towards Allah only? Are we living for His cause alone? Are our hearts and minds, our bodies and souls, our time and efforts, being devoted to the fulfillment of Allah's wishes? Have we made our likes and dislikes totally subordinate to the wishes of Allah? If we love somebody, is it really for the sake of Allah? If we dislike somebody, is that too for the sake of Allah? Is our motive nothing, but to gain His pleasure through abiding by the commandments of the Qur’an?

'Obey Allah and obey the Messenger' (al-Ma'idah Ayah 92). 'If you obey him, you will be guided' (al-Nur Ayah 54). ’So let those who go against His command beware, lest a trial befall them, or there befall them a painful punishment' (al-Nur Ayah 63).

Brothers and Sisters,

I’d like to end with a prayer that may Allah (SWT) bless us all with studying the Qur’an, understanding it, living by it, discharging our obligation of emphasizing it among our Muslim brethren, and reaching out and presenting it to all others around us who did not get its message. Aameen. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him left this world for his heavenly home about fourteen centuries ago. The commandments given by Allah through him are preserved in the Qur’an and Hadith. May Allah (SWT) help us follow the footprints of Prophet Muhammad (S) in understanding and acting upon the Qur’an as he understood and acted upon it. Aameen.