Raising How We Study & Call to the Quran | World Quran Convention | Nouman Ali Khan

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the unique beauty and significance of each Surah in the Quran, comparing them to distinct palaces designed by Allah. He highlights the importance of understanding the Quran's structure and the interconnectedness of its Ayat. The speaker introduces the day's focus on Surah Al-Insan and discusses the relevance of studying the Quran's history, present, and future. He also addresses the impact of social media and creative media on promoting Islamic values. The event aims to inspire creative contributions and global activism in understanding and spreading the Quran's message.

Takeaways

• 🏰 Each Surah in the Quran is a unique and beautifully designed palace by Allah, with its own distinct features and significance.
• 📚 Allah revealed 114 Surahs, each acting like a unique book, though they can have connections with each other and other religious texts or natural phenomena.
• 🕌 Understanding a Surah requires recognizing how Allah intentionally organized the Ayat within it, highlighting its internal coherence.
• 🔍 This convention focuses on one Surah at a time, emphasizing the importance of understanding each Surah in its entirety before drawing external connections.
• 💡 Muslims often underestimate the depth of a Surah because of familiar themes across different Surahs, but each Surah has a unique design and message.
• 🎨 The speaker likens the Surahs to creative works like Lego constructions or paintings, where the same basic elements can be used to create vastly different outcomes.
• 👥 The convention includes multiple sessions focusing on the unique beauty of Surah Al-Insan, with scholars from around the world contributing insights.
• 🌏 The goal is to use the convention as a platform for discussing tough subjects related to the Quran and improving the approach Muslims take in studying it.
• 📖 A specific panel will discuss 'Studying the Quran Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,' examining how interpretations have evolved and what they mean for the future.
• 📱 The impact of social media as a new power in the world is acknowledged, and there's a call for Muslims to use creative media to represent and spread the message of the Quran effectively.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the speaker's introduction in the transcript?

The primary focus is on the unique nature of each Surah in the Quran, likening them to unique palaces designed by Allah, each with its own beauty and significance.

What is the speaker's goal for the session he is introducing?

The speaker's goal is to highlight four main features of the Quran's Surahs and ensure that the audience appreciates the unique design and significance of each Surah.

What does the speaker compare the Surahs of the Quran to, and why?

The speaker compares the Surahs of the Quran to unique castles or palaces, emphasizing their individual beauty and significance, and how each one, while possibly reminding of another, has its own unique design and purpose.

Why does the speaker believe it is important to focus on one Surah at a time?

The speaker believes it is important because each Surah has its own context and message, and understanding them individually allows for a deeper appreciation and comprehension of the Quran as a whole.

What metaphor does the speaker use to explain the interconnectedness of the Ayat within a Surah?

The speaker uses the metaphor of stitching cloth together to describe how the Ayat within a Surah are interconnected, forming a coherent and meaningful whole.

What is one of the key activities mentioned that will take place at the convention?

One key activity is focusing on the unique beauty of Surah Al-Insan, with multiple scholars and intellectuals presenting various aspects of it.

What is the second item the speaker is excited about discussing at the convention?

The second item is a panel discussion on the study of the Quran yesterday, today, and tomorrow, examining how the Quran was studied in the past, how it is studied now, and how it might be studied in the future.

How does the speaker view the relationship between creative media and the message of the Quran?

The speaker sees creative media as a powerful tool for spreading the message of the Quran and believes that Muslims should harness this medium to produce engaging and impactful content that can compete with other forms of entertainment.

What is the speaker's perspective on the importance of studying specific Ayat from the Quran?

The speaker believes that studying specific Ayat in their original context is crucial for a proper understanding of the Quran, as each Ayah is part of a larger Surah with its own specific message and significance.

What initiative does the speaker mention involving creative stories inspired by an Ayah from Surah Al-Insan?

The speaker mentions an initiative where creative Muslims around the world were invited to write stories inspired by an Ayah from Surah Al-Insan. This initiative received almost 900 submissions, and a winning story was selected and presented at the convention.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The Unique Design of Each Surah

The speaker compares each Surah of the Quran to a unique palace designed by Allah, highlighting that each has its own distinctive beauty, structure, and significance. The speaker introduces the day's topic and expresses excitement about the planned discussions, emphasizing the importance of understanding the unique design and relationships between Surahs.

05:01

🔍 Understanding the Purpose of Each Surah

The speaker elaborates on the significance of each Surah being a unique unit designed by Allah, explaining that although Surahs may have connections to each other, their specific arrangement is intentional and meaningful. The speaker underscores the principle of studying one Surah at a time to fully appreciate its unique message and interconnectedness with other Surahs.

10:01

📚 The Study of the Quran: Past, Present, and Future

The speaker discusses the importance of studying the Quran in historical context, highlighting a panel discussion on how the Quran was studied in the past and its implications for contemporary and future interpretations. The example of Bani Israel is used to illustrate how interpretations can vary based on historical context and evolving understandings.

15:03

🌍 The Power of Creative Media in Spreading the Quran's Message

The speaker addresses the influence of social media and creative media in the modern world, comparing it to other powerful resources like oil and gas. The discussion emphasizes the need for Muslims to use creative media to effectively communicate the Quran's message, countering the pervasive influence of other ideologies and agendas in popular media.

🎨 Inspiring Creativity through the Quran

The speaker concludes by discussing an initiative that encourages creative Muslims to submit stories inspired by specific Quranic verses. The example of a winning story from Egypt highlights the potential for global impact through creative expressions of the Quran's teachings. The speaker expresses hope that the convention will inspire new activism and a deeper commitment to the Quran.

Keywords

💡Surah

A Surah is a chapter of the Quran, each with unique content and themes. The video emphasizes the distinctiveness of each Surah, comparing them to unique castles or palaces designed by Allah, highlighting their individual beauty and significance.

💡Ayah

An Ayah is a verse in the Quran. The speaker discusses how Ayahs within a Surah are intricately connected, forming a cohesive message. He emphasizes that understanding a Surah requires recognizing these connections, likening them to stitches in a fabric.

💡World Quran Convention

The World Quran Convention is an event focused on studying and understanding the Quran. The speaker expresses excitement about participating and emphasizes the convention's goal of delving deeply into individual Surahs to appreciate their unique messages and connections.

💡Divine Wisdom

Divine wisdom refers to the profound and insightful guidance found in the Quran. The video highlights the importance of representing this wisdom through creative media to make it accessible and engaging in the modern world, particularly to counteract competing messages in social media.

💡Creative Media

Creative media encompasses various forms of modern content creation, including videos, stories, and social media. The speaker stresses the need for Muslims to utilize creative media to effectively communicate the messages of the Quran, especially in a world where attention is a valuable resource.

💡Insan

Insan refers to the Surah Al-Insan (The Human), which is the focus of the convention mentioned in the video. The speaker talks about exploring the unique aspects of this Surah through multiple sessions and scholars, aiming to understand its comprehensive message.

💡Quranic Studies

Quranic studies involve the academic and spiritual examination of the Quran. The video discusses how these studies have evolved over time and the importance of connecting past interpretations with contemporary and future understandings, using specific Ayahs as case studies.

💡Hadith

Hadith are the recorded sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The video mentions how Ayahs in the Quran can connect with Hadith, enriching the understanding of both texts by showing their interrelatedness.

💡Muslim Activism

Muslim activism refers to efforts by Muslims to engage with and improve their communities based on Islamic principles. The speaker hopes that the convention will inspire new forms of activism, particularly through creative and media-driven approaches that reflect Quranic values.

💡Zionism

Zionism is a movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in what is now Israel. The video includes a discussion on interpreting Quranic Ayahs that some believe refer to historical or contemporary Jewish power, highlighting how interpretations can vary over time and context.

Highlights

Every Surah in the Quran is a unique castle built by Allah, with its own significance and beauty.

The goal is to introduce four key aspects today and focus on Surah Insan.

The unique design of each Surah is compared to creative works like palaces and Lego constructions, emphasizing their individual significance.

The Quran has multiple layers of connections, linking Ayat to Hadith, other scriptures, world history, and natural phenomena.

It's essential to understand the context and relationships within a Surah before exploring external connections.

The World Quran Convention focuses on one Surah at a time, promoting deep contemplation and understanding.

Muslims often underestimate the depth of each Surah, mistaking repeated themes for redundancy.

The convention emphasizes the unique assembly of Ayat within each Surah, likened to a divine painting.

The convention aims to elevate the approach to studying the Quran by addressing tough subjects and fostering deeper understanding.

One discussion panel will explore the historical and contemporary study of the Quran, using specific Ayat as examples.

Social media's impact on the world and the need for Muslims to use creative media to promote the Quran is highlighted.

Creative media is essential for effectively communicating the Quran's message in today's digital age.

Muslim creatives are encouraged to produce content that conveys Quranic wisdom in engaging ways.

A story-writing contest based on Surah Insan received nearly 900 submissions, showcasing global creative engagement.

The convention aims to inspire new kinds of activism and commitment to the Quran, extending its impact beyond Malaysia.

The organized approach to studying the Quran, from beginners to advanced learners, is promoted through an online platform.

Transcripts

the problem with that what I want you to

appreciate is every Surah is a unique

castle built by Allah a unique Palace

designed by Allah and yes when you walk

into this Palace it has its unique

location its unique beauty its unique

walls and windows and arches and

chandeliers all of it and some of them

remind you of another Palace some of

them connect with another but this is

its own beautiful design it has its own

significance

[Music]

uh my job in the next 15 or less minutes

is to introduce to you what we're going

to be doing today and I'm truly truly

excited about laying out

some of the features there's so much

going on today but I'm going to focus on

four things because I want you to take

that with you and remember it so as I

speak to you for the next four minutes I

will be quizzing you

also uh because that's the way that I

make sure that you are not falling

asleep already it's early so the first

thing I want to share with you is how

why and and and really why seriously I

got involved with the world Quran

convention in my own studies of the

Quran

one of the one of the principles that I

hold very dear is that the suras of the

Quran are a unique unit designed by

Allah

himself so when Allah revealed 114 suras

it's as if he revealed 114 books one way

of looking at it is 114 books yes each

of those suras can have relationships

with each other you can read an Ayah in

a Surah and it reminds you of an Ayah

from another Surah that can happen

it can also be that you're reading an

Ayah in a Surah and it connects to a

Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi

wasallam it can also happen that you're

reading an Ayah in the Surah and it

connects to something that you may that

somebody might think about from the

Bible or from Jewish scripture it might

be something that connects to world

history it might be something that

connects to a phenomenon in nature

something in the skies something in the

earth so the Quran has lots and lots of

connections but one of its fundamental

requirement ments to be understood

properly is the fact that Allah put

these suras these ayat together in one

particular Surah for a reason he didn't

just take all of the ayat that are

similar and put them all in one place

and he didn't just take one subject and

just address it one time and nowhere

else now this is a pretty amazing thing

that first of all as a Believer I we

take the word of Allah as he says

it that it's aat are stitched together

you know when stitching happens and you

put a cloth together it's the same

imagery that Allah uses for how the ayat

of a Surah come

together what excites me about this

convention and its Legacy is that

there's a focus on one Surah at a

time instead of generically saying it's

a convention about the Quran or about a

variety of messages from the Quran this

principle that we must respect

where in the Quran did this Ayah come

from what is the Surah what is the

message of that Surah how are all of the

ayat of the Surah that Allah himself

stitched together how are they making

sense together before we go outside we

must go inside because Allah put this

inside first and so just that principle

becoming so important that an entire

year of world Quran hour session after

session after session groups dedicated

to studying the Surah and contemplating

the Surah and at the end of that entire

year an entire conference one of its

main objectives to celebrate the Surah

is such a powerful concept because and

I'll this is the last thing I'll share

I'm going to share four things with you

this is the first of them in now 11

minutes but the first of them is that we

Muslims forget about non-muslims Muslims

tend to underestimate the Surah and what

do I I mean by that there could be a

Surah that was revealed in Makkah it

talks about

the there's another Surah revealed in

mekah it talks about the there's another

Surah it talks about take a

guess the there's a few ayat in the

Quran they're talking about they're

talking about the Oneness of Allah or

Allah's creative power go to another

Surah same subject another Surah same

subject now if that happened in a TV

show you would say I've already seen

this

episode if that happen in a movie oh

they're all the

same and when the opens his mouth and

says today I'm going to talk to you

about the you're like here we go

again I already know this so there's a

tendency to underestimate what's

happening in the Surah because it sounds

familiar to other

suras the problem with that what I want

you to appreciate is every Surah is a

unique castle built by Allah a unique

Palace designed by Allah and yes when

you walk into this Palace it has its

unique location its unique beauty its

unique walls and windows and arches and

chandeliers all of it and some of them

remind you of another Palace some of

them connect with another but this is

its own beautiful design it has its own

significance another way you can think

about this is I I like to give easier

examples I think most of you are

probably familiar with Legos are you

familiar with Legos no if if not make a

but that's okay if you give if you give

a hundred pieces of Legos to a child a

creative child and you gave the same

hundred pieces to another child and the

same hundred pieces to another child and

you said build something would they

build the same thing no because their

creativity is different but they're made

of the same pieces they're made of the

same pieces a painter you can give five

different worldclass painters the same

four colors

here's a blank canvas paint are they

going to come up with the same

painting no but at the end of it it's

just the same colors it's the same

canvas it's the same

paintbrush but the final product is so

so different the way the colors came

together the way certain things certain

shapes were emphasized over other things

isn't it the same way you could say this

Surah has this has this has this has but

the way Allah paints them together the

way Allah takes those same elements and

puts them together every time is a

unique Divine painting it is a unique

Divine Palace is that clear so that's

what we're one of our goals today there

will be multiple sessions today focusing

on the unique beauty of insan multiple

Scholars and uh intellectuals from

around the world have come are going to

be presenting piece by piece some

components of insan and that is the

backbone of today today's convention

that's the backbone

insan that was the first thing now I

have 8 minutes for three more things

okay here's the second

thing when I first came to this

convention I was really excited at the

prospect that mashallah Malaysia being

such a great example of a successful

Muslim society that is celebrating the

word of Allah I shared so many thoughts

about the potential of this convention

and how this can be something that

impacts the entire world it's not just

something amazing that's happening here

but actually something that can impact

the whole world and I was just throwing

all these ideas at D husam and the team

and they're like why don't you become

its

director and I said I I'm the idea guy

I'm not the work

guy I I could give you the ideas but the

execution is going to be a lot of work

but somehow because Dam's smile is so

difficult to resist he said and then

that's it that's all he didn't even say

anything he just smiled and here I am

but I'm so grateful that they allowed me

to share some of those ideas and not

just take those ideas but turn those

ideas into execution and these other

three components are actually part of

that execution so the backbone is insan

but there are these other three pieces

here's the first one I wanted to make

this an opportunity for people to

discuss sometimes tough subjects related

to the Quran and help build our the way

we approach the Quran as Muslims I want

to raise the level of that so obviously

many of you if not all of you have read

a translation of the Quran but you might

find it difficult to understand

sometimes or you might have heard a t of

the Quran or you might have it may be

difficult to understand sometimes or you

hear somebody talk about the Quran a

video you may have seen a lecture

something and you might wonder they're

saying something new about the Quran is

that how they used to think about it

before is this a new interpretation or

is this the original interpretation

which one is better are we supposed to

stick with the old one or do the new one

or what's happening here right so one of

the one of the discussions that's going

to happen today that I'm super excited

about is actually called studying the

Quran yesterday today and tomorrow what

is the relationship how was the Quran

studied in the past and what's the

connection between that and how it is

being studied now is there a connection

is there a comparison in a contct and

what is coming in the future and how are

how are Muslims supposed to think about

all of three of these things and what's

really exciting about that is instead of

talking in theory we've chosen a

particular place in the Quran as an

example so you practically can see the

discussion around particular ayat and

those ayat have to do with bani is and

how Allah told us that they are going to

have great power two times and there's a

lot of conversation nowadays does that

mean great power that they had two times

in history or is that talking about the

rise of Zionism is that is that the

second time is that what it's referring

to because obviously somebody 8

centuries ago six centuries ago when

they were writing their T they were not

thinking about the state the formation

of the state of Israel so how are they

interpreting it how are some people

interpreting it l what are the arguments

on both sides so we're going to look at

that as a case study of studying the

Quran yesterday today and tomorrow now

there's two items the first one was

insan the second one is the study of the

Quran yesterday today and tomorrow now

the quiz begins be ready I have four

minutes two more

items the third item which I'm super

excited about is another panel

discussion and this discussion is about

something that I've been worried about

for some time now everybody here knows

social media has become a new power in

the world just like oil and gas used to

be a power resources material resources

used to be a power Banking and money

used to be a power and there're still

are now there's a new power that has

emerged in the world and that is social

media right the way human beings

communicate the internet has become a

Power by itself and it's so powerful

that even governments that don't like

each other like Russia and the United

States can have wars with each other

without weapons but on social media to

try to disturb each disturb the American

elections or do whatever else you

understand so this is not a small thing

we're talking about it's impacted the

entire world in many different ways but

one of the ways that it's disrupted the

world is that there used to be a time

some of you you know you all look young

but some of you are

not there was a time when you used to go

to a store and rent a movie and and then

come back home and put it in the VCR and

then hit

play but now

entertainment became

accessible and anybody can become an

Entertainer used to be there was the

funny kid in the family that used to do

a little dance in front of the cousins

and everybody used to laugh and now they

have a Tik Tok page and they have 20

million followers everybody became a

Content producer everybody became an

Entertainer so just like nations are

obsessed with Gathering oil and gas and

funds and gold now nations are now

interested the world is now interested

in gathering human

attention that's the new resource human

attention

in this age of Creative Media we want

the world to pay attention to the Quran

isn't that true which means the

competition has gotten a lot tougher

that's what that means because human

beings attention is being taken by cats

playing

pianos human beings attention is being

taken by all you know funny videos it's

being taken by essays writings all kinds

of all kinds of creative stuff so we

need to have a serious conversation

about how do we represent Divine wisdom

the Revelation that Allah has given us

how do we use it as an inspiration to

produce Creative

Media how do we create media that looks

like entertainment but it actually in it

has the message of the Quran on the flip

side there are lots of entertainment

media cartoons movies TV shows you name

it skits comedy that do a very good job

of doing dawa to

atheism they do a very good job doing

dawa to different kinds of social

agendas they do a very good job to

promote for example LGBT values and they

do an excellent job and they do it very

creatively and the amount of books I met

somebody who went to a library

convention in Chicago here and she told

me that she was shocked at the number of

books that have been presented in at

Children's level that thousands and

thousands of books that have already

been produced to promote LGBT values to

children that are now available in the

libraries you know what that means

Creative Media is being pushed for being

produced for a certain agenda well the

only way to fight that battle you cannot

bring a a sword to a

gunfight if the war is happening in the

world of Creative Media the Muslims need

to understand Creative Media and fight

back so there's going to be a discussion

with some really esteemed panelists that

have background in Creative Media and in

the Islamic space about Divine wisdom

and Creative Media and what Muslims can

do What Muslim creatives can do what is

the scope of it in my last 30 seconds

one of the most exciting components of

today's

convention inspired by this Creative

Media idea what Surah I forgot what was

item number one what Surah are we

focusing on oh look at you paying

attention okay good

I know I'm over I have 7 minutes left

this will take me one minute I promise

I'll get off

uh one idea I had and the team had was

why don't we tell creative Muslims

around the world hey here's an Ayah from

insan we guided him to the path he has

the choice either to be grateful or to

be ungrateful simply speaking that's the

Ayah if you can think of a creative

three four page story inspired by this a

a creative story that could turn into a

short film that could turn into a small

book a children's book if you have a

creative idea write us a story inspired

by this Ayah and from around the world

this was very last minute just in the

last couple of months from around the

world almost 900 stories were

submitted and my team and I as the

people here at World Quan convention

went through all of them some of them

very good some of

them but and actually we selected a

winner and that winner has flown all the

way here from Egypt he's a dentist from

Egypt that's flown here

and quite a remarkable beautiful story

because I don't just want this

convention to be about speakers coming

to the audience I want the audience to

also be represented the um needs to see

hey he can do it while doing root canals

I can do it

too we can do this too we can get

creative also we can we can contribute

something too the impact of this

convention inshallah is going to be

Global every one of these discussions my

hope is that it Sparks new kinds of

activism new calls to action not just

across Malaysia but across the entire

Muslim world I ask Allah to bless this

effort and to truly make it a new

beginning and A Renewed sense of

commitment to the word of Allah and a

new kind of service to the word of Allah

that benefits the umah and Humanity in

ways that has never happened before

thank you so

much I hope you guys enjoyed that video

clip my team and I have been working

tirelessly to try to create as many

resources for Muslims to give them first

steps in understanding the Quran all the

way to the point where they can have a

deep profound understanding of the Quran

we are students of the Quran ourselves

and and we want you to be students of

the Quran alongside us join us for this

journey on bv.com where thousands of

hours of work have already been put in

and don't be intimidated it's step by

step by step so you can make learning

the Quran a part of your lifestyle

there's lots of stuff available on

YouTube but it's all over the place if

you want an organized approach to

studying the Quran beginning to end for

yourself your kids your family and even

among peers that would be the way to go

sign up for bv.com

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