“Say, ‘O People of the Book, you have no true foundation until you uphold the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been sent down to you from your Lord.’ Yet what has been revealed to you from your Lord will increase many of them in rebellion and rejection. So do not grieve over the people who knowingly reject or cover the truth (Kufr).”
Surah Al-Mā’idah (The Table Spread) – Ayah 68
Keyword Focus
Ahl al-Kitāb ( أَهْلَ الْكِتَاب): People of the Book.
People entrusted with divine revelation and responsible for establishing it.
What I Learned
(My personal experience. Why did this verse matter at that moment?)
While spending time with a couple of close friends, I found myself quietly wondering whether they had ever tried to read and reflect on the Torah or the Gospel directly, instead of relying on intermediaries. If the original revelations are no longer fully preserved, I wondered whether they still sought whatever truth remains by reading them for themselves.
Out of curiosity, I had asked a few people this question before. To my surprise, they have not read the Scriptures themselves. Instead, they depended on preachers and repeated inherited teachings and prayers.
Then another thought came to me.
How different was I?
Many of us—including my own people, who are encouraged to read the Qur’an directly—often fall into the very same pattern.
And then my heart humbled itself.
Who was I to judge anyone?
Not long ago, I was guilty of the same.
How It Helped Me
(Life Connection. Practical Grounding)
Before I began reading the Qur’an directly, I depended on scholars and teachers. I accepted what I had inherited without taking the time to examine Allah’s words for myself.
Yet deep inside, I carried questions.
Some teachings never fully made sense to me, but instead of searching for answers, I simply accepted them because that was all I had ever known.
Whenever I shared something about the Qur’an, my husband would ask, “What is your source?” He challenged me because he knew I had not done my own homework. I had listened to many people, but I had not truly read, studied, and reflected on the Qur’an myself.
That realization changed my life.
I came to understand that seeking truth requires sincerity, patience, investigation, reflection, and the willingness to question what we have inherited. The Qur’an repeatedly invites us to think, reflect, observe, and use the reason Allah has given us.
I had not truly done that until 2022.
That year, I began spending hours each day reading the Qur’an slowly and directly. I intentionally stepped away from the constant noise of endless commentaries and books. My only prayer was that Allah would guide me to the truth through Quran pondering.
Something beautiful happened.
As my understanding grew, even my husband began taking my reflections more seriously. Our evenings became filled with meaningful conversations about God’s revelations. He often alternated between reading the Old Testament and the Qur’an, while I remained focused on the Qur’an. Then we would sit together and share what each of us had discovered.
Those conversations became one of the greatest blessings of my life.
Although our journey of exploring the Scriptures together was brief—he returned to Allah two years later—those moments remain among my most treasured memories. They strengthened my commitment to continue seeking truth through the Qur’an for as long as Allah allows me to live.
Closing Reflection
(Simple and Honest)
My heart still wonders whether people have ever read God’s revelations (Torah, Gospel, and Quran) for themselves with a sincere desire to seek the truth.
But I have learned that my role is simply to share what I have learned, allow the Qur’an to keep correcting me, and leave the rest to Allah.
One Ayah (verse) at a time.
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