by it; and the more deeply a person knows Allah and His law, the dearer His Book becomes to him. You will find such a person continually thinking about and reflecting on the Qur’an—whether he is in a study circle, walking along, or wherever he may be—human beings can never have their fill of it.

Likewise, “whoever speaks by its authority speaks the truth,” for he has uttered the very truest of words. Thus, if someone says, “The unbeliever is in the Fire of Hell,” he has spoken the truth, because he has spoken according to what the Qur’an has brought.

The statement, “whoever acts upon it is rewarded,” means that he will be recompensed for what he does.

And the phrase, “whoever judges by it is just,” indicates that anyone who bases his ruling on it behaves with justice, whether that ruling settles a dispute between individuals or stands as a general pronouncement. So, if one says, “Carrion is unlawful,” he has judged justly; or if he says, “It is obligatory to treat one’s wives with equity,” he has judged justly, for this ruling is found in the Qur’an. In the same way, whoever proclaims, “So whoever transgresses against you, then transgress against him in proportion to what he has transgressed against you” (Qur’an 2:194), has judged justly.

He also says, “whoever calls to it is guided to a straight path,” meaning that Allah guides him. Anyone who invites people to the Qur’an has been guided to the straight path; whereas one who summons others to his own whims and bends the Qur’an to serve those whims goes astray. Hence the hadith adds, “whoever seeks guidance elsewhere, Allah will lead him astray.”

“And whoever abandons it out of arrogance, Allah will break him.” The verb qasma (“to break”) originally means “to shatter his back.” Someone might object that we see tyrants today who have turned away from the Qur’an but remain unbroken. The answer is that this breaking may occur in this life or in the Hereafter; if it passes him by in this world, it will not do so in the next.