We can learn a lot from how the Companions reflected and reacted to the Quran. Some of the most instructive incidents were when some of them misunderstood some words or their implications, and the Messenger ﷺ was there to gently guide them.

“Can you share an example?”

One such man who loved the Prophet ﷺ so deeply, suddenly became distressed when he encountered all the indications that his Beloved would be united in the Garden with his brother-prophets, and that the likes of this simple man would lose out on his companionship. Upon relating this to the Prophet ﷺ, the following ayah full of reassurance was sent down:

[Hadith is recorded by al-Tabarani]

See how the Messenger ﷺ was teaching us how to read the whole Quran and connect its parts. Then the scholars have connected this ayah of al-Nisa’ to the phrase in the Fatihah: “those whom You have blessed” أنعمت عليهم – so it can be understood that we are asking to be on the Path all those prophets and other people of truth. This enriches our reflections upon these ayat, since we now understand that when we walk on the Straight Path, we are already in the company of all the righteous, and walking towards their eternal companionship in the Hereafter!

“Now understand that when we walk on the Straight Path, we are already in the company of all the righteous, and walking towards their eternal companionship in the Hereafter!” Dr. Sohaib Saeed

Even aside from hadiths which contain direct explanation of certain ayat, the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ is full of guidance which directly supports reflection upon the Quran. This is why the Lens of Connections extends to those texts as well, as we connect individual ayat to the broader revelation and guidance.

“What’s an example of connecting Quran to Hadith?”

Let me share a quick example in which I started to think about the wording of an ayah, and the meanings of the term أوّاب – then I benefited by bringing a hadith into this reflection, and even a saying from the scholars which summarizes a spiritual principle drawn from the source-texts.

quranreflect.com/posts/9537

Lastly for the Lens of Connection, I can point out that benefit can be drawn even from comparison with earlier scriptures and the traditions of communities who went before us, since the Quran itself gives great attention to their stories and even addresses them directly (see under the Lens of Quranic Worlds). Of course, this kind of analysis needs to be done carefully.