Question 7: How Can We Strengthen Our Relationship with the Qur’an and Supplication?
The Issue
A relationship with the Qur’an and supplication (du’ā’) is not limited to reciting sacred words or repeating devotional expressions. The essential question is whether the Qur’an and supplication have become, within the existential dimension of the human being, a source of guidance, spiritual formation, and the manifestation of Divine Lordship, or whether they have been reduced to a collection of outward religious practices and habitual acts of devotion.
The fundamental question is this: How can one’s relationship with the Qur’an and supplication be elevated from the level of words and rituals to a level that genuinely shapes one’s decisions, conduct, and daily way of life, thereby preparing the ground for the transformation of the soul and nearness to God?
Qur’anic Evidence
1. The Qur’an: Humanity’s Continuous Source of Guidance
God says:
“Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright.”
(Qur’an 17:9)
The Qur’an is a book of guidance, not merely a book to be recited. Qur’anic guidance is realized when the divine verses become present within the human soul and reform one’s intellectual orientation and practical conduct. Therefore, recitation without attention and reflection, although meritorious, is not by itself sufficient to achieve the guidance intended by the Qur’an.
2. Supplication: The Direct Path to the Lord
God says:
“Call upon Me, and I will answer you.”
(Qur’an 40:60)
Supplication is not merely asking for one’s needs. Rather, it is the manifestation of servitude and the realization of Divine Lordship. Through supplication, the human being recognizes his own limitations and becomes connected to the Source of perfection and power. The greater one’s presence of heart and sincerity, the deeper this relationship becomes and the more enduring its transformative effects.
3. Reflection: The Prerequisite for Benefiting from the Qur’an
God says:
“This is a blessed Book which We have revealed to you so that they may reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding may take heed.”
(Qur’an 38:29)
The purpose of the Qur’an’s revelation is not merely recitation but reflection (tadabbur) and remembrance. Reflection enables the divine verses to move beyond the level of words, producing insight, self-awareness, and the reform of human conduct. Consequently, a profound relationship with the Qur’an cannot be attained without contemplating and understanding its meanings.
Alawite Teachings
In the teachings attributed to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), the Qur’an and supplication are presented as two fundamental pillars of humanity’s spiritual formation.
Throughout Nahj al-Balāghah, human beings are continually called to reflection, learning from historical lessons, remembrance of God, and the practical application of divine teachings. From Imam Ali’s perspective, the Qur’an is the Book of Life and the guide for action. Its true value becomes manifest only when it is reflected in human character and conduct.
A. Reflection and Presence of Heart
According to Imam Ali’s teachings, recitation that is not accompanied by thought and contemplation yields only limited benefit. Reflection forms the connecting link between knowledge and action, completing the progression:
Knowledge → Orientation → Conduct
The deeper one’s understanding and contemplation of the Qur’anic verses, the more profoundly the Qur’an shapes one’s personality.
B. Supplication: Beyond Requesting Needs
Supplication is not merely a means of asking for one’s needs. Rather, it is an educational process that frees the human being from self-centeredness and draws him nearer to practical monotheism.
Within the atmosphere of supplication, one realizes one’s dependence upon God and strengthens one’s capacity to receive divine guidance.
C. Integrating Spirituality with Daily Life
One of the principal criteria for evaluating a genuine relationship with the Qur’an and supplication is their effect on everyday life.
If reciting the Qur’an and engaging in intimate prayer do not lead to better decisions, greater responsibility, stronger self-control, nobler character, and healthier human relationships, then that relationship has not yet reached its intended level.
Analysis
According to Mullā Ṣadrā’s Transcendent Philosophy (al-Ḥikmah al-Mutaʿāliyah), the human soul is a dynamic reality continually advancing toward perfection.
Every genuine act of knowledge and every sincere turning toward God brings about a new degree of perfection within the human being.
The Qur’an and supplication are among the greatest means of this perfection because they produce deeper understanding and more God-centered inclinations, thereby directing the soul’s substantial motion toward perfection.
Within this framework, the theoretical intellect perceives the truth, while the practical intellect realizes that truth in everyday life. Whenever Qur’anic reflection and supplication culminate in righteous action, the process of humanity’s existential growth reaches a higher level of completion.
A Practical Framework for Strengthening One’s Relationship with the Qur’an and Supplication
1. Define Your Purpose Before You Begin
Before reciting the Qur’an or engaging in supplication, clarify your intention: seeking guidance, reforming the soul, and drawing nearer to God—not merely performing a religious act.
2. Practice Active Reflection
After reading each verse or passage of a supplication, ask yourself:
What relevance does this message have to my life?
What change does it call me to make?
How can I translate it into practice?
3. Cultivate Presence of Heart
A calm pace of recitation, attentiveness to meaning, and avoiding haste help cultivate presence of heart.
The quality of one’s relationship is more important than the quantity of words recited.
4. Evaluate Its Practical Effects
Regularly examine whether the Qur’an and supplication have influenced your perspectives, choices, and behavior.
5. Maintain Consistency
Your relationship with the Qur’an and supplication should become a continuous program of spiritual formation.
Profound spiritual transformation ordinarily emerges through perseverance, patience, and conscious repetition.
Conclusion
The Qur’an and supplication fulfill their true role only when they transcend the level of words and become instruments of guidance, self-purification, and the existential transformation of the human being.
Reflection, presence of heart, sincerity, and practical commitment constitute the four essential pillars of this relationship.
The more these elements are strengthened, the more deeply one experiences God’s Lordship within one’s life, and the firmer one’s journey toward spiritual growth and perfection becomes.