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Hifz, in its original and most profound sense, denotes preservation. Over time, however, this noble concept has been narrowly reduced, in popular understanding, to the memorisation of the Qur’ān’s words alone. While the memorisation of the Qur’ānic text remains a praiseworthy and vital tradition, the erosion of the broader and richer implications of hifz has had deeply troubling consequences for the spiritual and intellectual life of the Muslim ummah.

To illustrate the gravity of this reduction, consider the following analogy. Imagine a man who embarks on a lengthy journey and entrusts his servant with the preservation of his home. He gives clear instructions that the house is not merely the structure of bricks and mortar, but encompasses everything within: his family—parents, spouse, children, siblings and other relatives—as well as his treasures, his daily provisions, and the various rooms that constitute his life and comfort. The servant, however, chooses to interpret the word ‘house’ in the most superficial sense. He devotes himself to maintaining the external façade, repainting the walls and repairing the fences, but neglects entirely the people dwelling within, failing to provide them with food, water, or protection. Unsurprisingly, by the time the master returns, the household is in ruin, its inhabitants suffering or perished, and the inner sanctum decayed and forgotten. No reasonable person would consider this an act of faithful preservation; rather, the servant’s neglect would justly incur the master’s wrath.

This allegory starkly reflects our treatment of the Qur’ān. Allah, in His infinite wisdom, bestowed upon humanity the most exalted of revelations. He commanded not only that we read it and recite it, but that we understand, contemplate, and live by its guidance. The Qur’ān is repeatedly described as a book of reflection for people who think, who reason, who possess insight. It invites us to ponder its verses, to derive meaning from its guidance, and to apply its principles in our lives, communities, and societies.

Yet, tragically, the collective behaviour of the ummah has drifted far from this comprehensive mandate. The concept of preservation has been confined almost exclusively to the oral transmission of the text, to beautiful calligraphy and ornate recitations, an external shell. Much like the servant who attended only to the outer walls of the house, we have paid homage to the surface while neglecting the substance. The message of worship, obedience, piety, justice, compassion, patience, humility, and moral courage embedded in the Qur’ān is too often ignored. We elevate the form, while the spirit is left abandoned.

Even our understanding of fundamental terms such as ‘hearing’ and ‘reading’ has undergone a silent erosion. Once, to hear the Qur’ān was to internalise its message, to be moved to reflection and transformation. To read it was to engage the mind and heart, to unlock layers of meaning through study and sincere devotion. Today, in many circles, these acts have become largely ceremonial, disconnected from comprehension or change. We hear without listening. We read without understanding. The Qur’ān, which once transformed entire civilisations, is too often reduced to an object of ritual divorced from its transformative power.

This reduction is not a minor misstep; it is a fundamental betrayal of the trust we have been given. Preservation, in its full Qur’ānic sense, is not passive but active. It demands engagement, reflection, obedience, and propagation of its values. When we reduce hifz to memorisation alone, we present to Allah not the living, breathing guidance He entrusted to us, but its hollow shell. Like the servant who failed his master, how can we expect reward for safeguarding appearances while neglecting essence?

If we believe our Master will be pleased with such superficial loyalty, we deceive ourselves. The true preservation of the Qur’ān must begin anew, not merely in the tongues of our children, but in the hearts of our communities, in the ethics of our actions, and in the architecture of our thought. Only then will we have honoured the trust we were given. Only then will we truly have preserved His Word.