One starry night in the year 610 C.E., when the worshipper ﷺ was alone in prayer and reflection upon a mountain overlooking Mecca, a single word was declared to him in divine command, ‘Iqra!’ This command was to change the course of his life, the lives of his generation, and the lives of many generations to come. Indeed, ‘Iqra!’ with the course of action it entailed, was to bring about a uniquely enlightening, collaborative and productive era in human civilization.
The transforming power of this divinely inspired principle has already proven itself. More than fourteen centuries ago, a few people applying ‘Iqra!’ changed the course of history. Today, as history seems to be taking a turn for the worse, it is up to us to prove ourselves in its regard.
How did the first generation understand this command?
We can come very close to understanding what ‘Iqra’ meant to early Muslims by referring to the lexicon of renowned 10th century lexicographer, Ahmad Ibn Fares Ibn Zakaria (deceased 395 A.H, 1004 C.E.). His ‘Mu’jam al Maqqayees fil Lugha,’ with its documentation of every root and connotation, is one of the oldest and most concise lexicons of the Arabic language. Ibn Faris tells us that the root-verb of ‘Iqra,’ which is ‘qaraya,’ has six major denotations, in view of which the imperative form ‘Iqra!’ would be demanding its addressee: To gather, to carry, to deliberate, to witness, to be timely, and to serve and share.
These are the six requirements needed to fulfil the command.
Iqra!’ is a command so powerful that even listing its six requirements -as we just did- forces us to note its time-honored significance in a world made up of information. Iqra is not only related to our Cognizance, but also to what we are capable of vis-à-vis the information and stimuli that impact our lives.
Upon studying what this command entails we realize that ‘Iqra’ does not relate as much to the material or information gained as it relates to how we obtain it and indeed, what we do with it.
‘The Iqra Principle’ is the six-component dynamic principle which helps us succeed in whatever we do, from our thoughts and needs, purpose and actions, to our relationships and growth, our accomplishment and fulfillment. At any given moment in our lives the elements of this principle are interplaying on a multitude of levels, functioning together to transform us and transport us to fulfillment and success. Failing that, we could simply owe our defeat to having failed to meet the criteria of this dynamic principle.
The first generation’s response to the Iqra!’ command made them, with God as their Witness, ‘the best nation brought forth for mankind’ (Q.3:110).
How we respond to the ‘Iqra!’ command will determine the legacy we leave behind.
