The Controversy Over The Surah Yaseen And Such

Just to get back on some focus.  This is addressed to the Muslims. 

Do you know how to open a book and locate a chapter? Any book. I think you would. This should be a silly question. 

Say you bought my latest book 'Kafir Who?' and you wanted to locate Chapter 7. Just flip the pages to Chapter 7. 

Here is a  simple challenge. Can you pick up a copy of the Quran and locate any chapter (or surah) of the Quran? 

Lets say you have to locate Surah 39 quickly. Can you find Surah 39? What about Surah 10? Or Surah 90? 

Ok lets make it more difficult. What about locating the surahs according to their "names"  - say Surah Yunus? Or Surah Al Zumar? Or Surah Al Balad?  Can you do it as quickly as locating Chapter 7 of my latest book? 

I strongly doubt it. 

In the old days my friends and I had frequent "discussions" with the retard types.  Without an exception they were all arrogant, rude and loud (their usual style).  

One of the things we would do to disarm them was just ask them to open chapters or surahs of the Quran. None of them ever carried a Quran (and yet they claim to be Muslims) so we would lend them a copy of the Quran.  They all had problems opening the Quran to locate the surahs or chapters.   
What I am trying to say is that the everyday Muslims (as well as their religious types) do not even know how to open their own Quran to locate a chapter of the Book. That's how bad is their familiarity and knowledge of the Quran.

And these are the people who are ready to declare others deviant, disbelievers and crap. 

The Quran has 114 chapters or surahs. Chapter 36 is named 'Surah Yaseen'.  

Many people believe that reciting Surah Yaseen in sing song arabic, even without understanding a word of  what is written inside this surah, will bring about "blessings".  

There are all sorts of tall tales about reciting Surah Yaseen.  People usually recite this surah "for" dead people, like for dead parents, grandparents and so on.  Some say they read it  "in memory of"  dead people.  

One fellow has even written a book about the "miracles" of Surah Yaseen. Dont believe me ? Look at this :

These are just fairytales.   

The question which these folks cannot answer is "Why?" 
Why would there be "miracles" of Surah Yaseen? 
Whatever your answer is, ask again 'Why?'
If you can answer that, then again ask 'Why?'

Keep asking "Why" until your brain blows a fuse.

If you believe your "religion" is the true religion, if you believe you have all the answers, then aswering 'Why?' should be the easiest of things to do.      Takkan tak tahu jawab a simple one word question like 'Why?'  

Other people say that reading the surah Yaseen for dead people is a bid'ah or innovation. That it is NOT part of Islam.  Dont believe me again?

 

Just do a simple Google search for   'Bid'ah of reciting surah Yaseen'.  You will get something like this : 

 
Of course one man's unIslamic bid'ah is another man's Islamic religion. Dato Ayub Khan,  (Counter Terrorism Unit, PDRM)  there is enough bid'ah material in these lists to start a thousand head chopping wars between the salafis, wahabis, sufis, goofeys, tahrekis and the kirkees.  'kirkee'  in my poor Tamil means gila.

I have read Surah Yaseen.  I read it to understand what it is saying. Like the rest of the Quran, Surah Yaseen carries a powerful message.

Here is a selection for your information. 

Here are verses 59 to 64 of the Surah Yaseen,  translated into English by MH Shakir(Mohammedali Habib Shakir). 

36:59  And get aside today, O guilty ones!
 

36:60  Did I not charge you, O children of Adam ! that you should not serve the Shaitan? Surely he is your open enemy,
 

36:61  And that you should serve Me; this is the right way.
 

36:62  And certainly he led astray numerous people from among you. What! could you not then understand?
 

36:63  This is the hell (jahanam) with which you were threatened.
 

36:64  Enter into it this day because you disbelieved.


These are very powerful warnings, for you and me folks.  

It is strong advice for THOSE OF US WHO ARE STILL ALIVE. 

But do you really want to read these very strong words over the dead bodies or at the graves of your dearly departed ones?  

I mean, say your father or grandfather has died. Then you go and recite over their dead bodies something that sounds like :

"Go away today, you guilty one.  You should not serve the shaitan, he is your open enemy. He has led astray many people, couldnt you understand? This is the jahanam for you today. You shall enter jahanam today"  ?

Is this what you want to recite over the dead bodies of your father or mother or grandfather?  It sounds a little bit too inappropriate.  
   
Anyway just a few verses further in Surah Yaseen, you will see this :

Surah 36: 69 - 70 

36:69 We have not instructed the (Prophet) in Poetry, nor is it meet for him: this is no less than a Message and a Qur'an making things clear:

36:70 That it may give admonition to the living, and that the charge may be proved against those who reject.

Read this part again :    "a Qur'an making things clear  .. ..  That it may give admonition to the living"

A Quran that may give advise to those who are living (li tunzira man kaana HAIYYAN).

So the lessons of the Quran are for the people who are alive - like you and me.

We need to read books like the Quran for knowledge and guidance while we are still alive.

Bila sudah mati, too late lah brader.  
 Conclusion : So to my Muslim readers, this is what is meant by 'reading and understanding the Quran'.

This is the Quranic method.  We have to read and study the Quran just like we read any other book; library books, school books, just like we read newspapers, or magazines.  

We want to know and understand the contents of what is written inside the material that we read.