Mahirul Qadri’s lamentation over the abuse of the Qur’ān by Muslims reminds me of the observation of my friend, philosopher and guide – the Sir Syed of the South – Prof. Syed Abdul Wahab Bukhari, who used to say that the Qur’ān is remembered and honoured when Muslims are ‘hatched’, ‘matched’ and ‘despatched’. What he meant was that when a child is born, Muslims rush to buy a copy of the Qur’ān and gift it to the nearby masjid; at the time of the Nikah too, the same thing is done and when a person dies, his or her people make it point to gift it to the masjid where the funeral prayers are held.
S.M. Pasha
Chennai, T.N.