Before getting into a more detailed explanation of the first of our Five Lenses and sharing some examples to guide you on your way, I have a couple of points by way of introduction.

“What is a Lens?”

We can think of each Lens as a set of QUESTIONS that we use to look at the Quranic text and ponder upon it. We should get more comfortable with the very idea of being curious and having questions - and we need to know how to get answers (not necessarily THE answer).

“We can think of each Lens as a set of QUESTIONS that we use to look at the Quranic text and ponder upon it.“ Dr. Sohaib Saeed

In the first place, there is a wealth of Islamic scholarship we can draw upon. But not everybody is ready to access those books. And though they answer many thousands of questions, there can always be more questions to ask, especially as time rushes on. So we need a living scholarship and Q&A resources - something we are starting to build through Quran.Foundation.

“Can I answer questions myself?”

Our first Lens involves questions about the text itself, but others draw upon different areas of knowledge. Some questions we are each competent to answer for ourselves, and others require some specialist knowledge. The key is to know for myself whether I am able to answer this question, and if I have an answer, whether it is firmly established or just speculation (which isn’t necessarily a terrible thing - we’ll discuss more in the second Lens).

“Do I need to know Arabic to use the Lens of wording?”

When you hear about WORDING, you might think this is about the Arabic language – and you would be right. This Lens concerns questions about why particular things are said (or unsaid), and why particular words and structures are used.

Before anyone runs away, I can reassure you that this is a Lens which everyone can use, including those of us who haven’t had the blessing and opportunity to study Arabic. But let’s not shy away from the fact that without knowing the language of the Quran, our modes of pondering will be more limited. If we rely on translations, we’re far more likely to see something that isn’t there, or miss something that’s there.

Some people have suggested that this Lens should be moved to a bit later, but I start with it for a very important reason: that before any other mode of engagement, we should appreciate the Quran as WORDS from our Master. Once we have some idea of these words, we can start to think about them contextually and relate them to other things.

“...before any other mode of engagement, we should appreciate the Quran as WORDS from our Master.” Dr. Sohaib Saeed

So take this as an encouragement to seek the Arabic language however you can. Take the first step now and Allah ﷻ will open the doors for you.

“What’s next?”

In the next lesson, we will start to explore different ways of using the Lens of Wording, both in the Arabic language and even through translation. إن شاء الله