Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Is it true that the Holy Quran serves otehr purposes than guidance, reading, spirituality. It is said, by some, to also contain exact preminations/predictions if read between the lines. IS that a mth or factual? 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Does Quran predict future?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The Glorious Quran may have innumerable benefits for the one who recites it, understands it, accepts it as the Word of His Lord and Creator, submits to its Commands, obeys it and follows it. But there is absolutely no doubt that the main purpose of its revelation is the Guidance of mankind to the Straight Path.

Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185:"Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood."

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah Ibrahim verses 1-2:This is a Book which We have sent down to you (O Prophet) that you may bring mankind, by the help of their Lord, out of the dark ways (of ignorance) into the Light (of knowledge), to the Way of that Lord, Who is All Powerful, and inherently All Praiseworthy, and the Owner of whatever is in the heavens and the earth.

The Glorious Quran are the exact Words of the All Knowing, All Wise Lord, and it means what it says! The Quran clearly predicts the coming of the Inevitable Day of Judgment and portrays the scenes of the unseen in the life of the Hereafter, etc. Although we may not fathom the complete and exact reality of those coming Inevitable events, we are commanded to believe in the predictions of Truth of the Holy Quran; for indeed, whatever Allah Subhanah has Decreed in His Glorious Message, will happen in the future.

But one cannot start ‘reading between the lines’ and start interpreting the Holy Quran arbitrarily; or take the Aayahs of the Quran out of context and start predicting some fantastic predictions to come in the life of this world from himself! That would indeed be a dangerous path! Only the people who have a disease of disbelief or hypocrisy in their hearts, tread this path of interpreting the ‘baatin’ (hidden) and ‘taaweel’(elongated) meanings of the Quran! The Message of the Holy Quran is straight-forward, and it means what it says!

Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 7:It is Allah, Who sent down this Quran to you. (There are two kinds of verses in the Book.) In it are verses Basic or Fundamental (of established meanings which can be easily understood), and they are the essence or foundation of the Book. And the other verses are Allegorical or Ambiguous. Those in whose hearts is perversity will always go for the Allegorical or Ambiguous verses, seeking discord and trying to search for their hidden meanings. None, except Allah, knows their real meanings(Ta’aweel)! In contrast to them, those who are firmly grounded in knowledge, say: “We believe in them all, because all of them are from our Lord.

Allah Subhanah revealed His Glorious Message to mankind so that they may read, understand, ponder, accept, follow and obey its clear teachings and guidance! He did not reveal it as a riddle or book of hints and innuendoes, where one has to ‘read between the lines’ to understand its ‘hidden’ meanings!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89:We have sent down to you this Book, which makes everything plain, and is a guidance, blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah Maryam verse 97:O Mohamed, We have made this Quran easy, and sent it down in your tongue so that you should give good news to the pious and warn the stubborn people.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 1-3:All praise is for Allah Alone, Who has sent down this Book to His Servant (Mohamed (saws), and assigned nothing crooked to it. This Book says everything directly, so that he may warn the people of the severe chastisement of Allah, and give good news to the believers who do righteous deeds, that they will have an excellent reward.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan