Virtues of the HOLY QUR'AAN a C, Schemes and Mind Maps of Religion

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Virtues of the

HOLY QUR'AAN a C

Revised translation of z.?

the Urdu book Faza'il-e-Qur'aan ;b

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by Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Kaandhlawi

translated by Aziz-ud-Din

CONTENTS (^) c z a

FOREWORD...................................... 7 a,:

O 2

M o ' 3 h

PART 1 -FORTY AHADITH > x

Hadith No: Page No:

1 Who is the best person?.................... 17

2 Blessings of^ recitation^ and virtues^ of^ the Word of Allah............................ 18

3 Rewards of two, three and four ayaat........ 19

4 Rewards for fluent recitation and for falter- ing recitation............................. 22

5 Two things for which jealously is permiss- ible..................................... 23

6 Similitude of those who recite the Holy Qur'an and those who do not...............^23

7 Rise and fall of^ nations by reason of^ the Holy Qur'an.............................. 25

8 Three things shall be under 'Arsh (of Allah) on the Day of Judgement...................^26

Reading it completely twice a year is the

. right of the Holy Qur'an....................^27

Commentary requires expert knowledge of fifteen sciences........................... 28

9 Elevated stage in Paradise by virtue of the

Holy Qur'an..............................^32

10 A reward of ten virtues for every word of the

Holy Qur'an..............................^36

Virtues of the Holy Qur'an

Contents

Hadith No: Page No:

34 No interceder shall be better than the Holy

Qur'an.................................. 76

Protection afforded by the Qur'an in the grave.................................... 77

35 One who reads the Holy Qur'an secures in his heart the knowledge of prophethood..... 77

36 Three persons shall be strolling on mounds of musk ................................. 78

37 Learning of one ayat is more rewarding than hundred raka'at of Nafl Salaat..............^79

38 One who recites ten ayaat shall not be reck- oned among the neglectful ...............:.^80

39 One steadfast in Salaat is not of the neglect-

ful...................................... 8 0

40 The Book of Allah is protection against evil

disorders................................ 81

PART 2 -CONCLUDING SECTION t 1 Surah Fatihah as a balm for all ailments......^83

Virtues of Surah Fatihah and some other Sowar and ayaat.......................... 8 3

2 Blessings of Surah Yasin................... 86 I 3 Blessings of Surah Waqi'ah................ 88

Virtues,of the Holy Qur'an

' 7 (^) Punishment for one who reads the Holy (^) w fi Qur'an for wordly benefits alone............ 93 2-I

PART 3-FINAL NOTE.......................... ; 96 e+ PART 4- COMPLEMENTARY NOTE.............^ S x 115

4 Blessings of Surah Tabarak-al-lazi.......... 89

5 Which is the most virtuous act?............. 91

6 Need for devotion to the Holy Qur'an........ 92

FOREWORD 9

In the name of Allah, the Most Benevolent, the Most Merciful

FOREWORD

riedly written pages contain forty ahadith (Plural of hadith-a saying of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wa- sallam)), which I have compiled on virtues of the Holy Qur',an, in obedience to such people whose words are law for me and following whom is most valuable to me. One of the special favours of Allah, the Sanctified and Pure, which I--^3 have always descended upon the higher Madrasah (relig- (^) ;& ious school) of Mazahir-ul-Ulum, Saharanpur, has been the annual gathering of this Madrasah for the purpose of briefly @^ Q F x mentioning the progress of the institution. For this gather- ing at the Madrasah, not much effort is made to collect speakers, preachers and the famous people of India, but more attention is paid to invite men whose hearts are full of love for Allah and Masha'ikh (saintly people) who prefer to live unknown. Although those days have receded in the past when 'Hujjat-ul-Islam' (a title meaning a great author- ity on Islam) Maulana Mohammad Qasim Nanautvi Saheb (Rahmatullah alaih) and Qutbul Irshad (a title meaning a great savant) Hadhrat Maulana Rashid Ahmad Ganghoi Saheb (Nawwarallahu marqadahu) used to honour this gathering with their presence and illuminate the hearts of all who attended, and the scene has not yet disappeared from the eyes when the spiritual descendants of those revi- valists of Islam-Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind (Rahmatullah alaih), Hadhrat Shah Abdur Rahim (Rahmatullah alaih), Hadhrat Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saheb (Rahmatullah alaih), and Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi Saheb (Nawwarallahu marqadahu) used to assemble at the annual gathering of the Madrasah. Their presence was a fountain source of life and light for deadened souls and quenched the thirst of those who sought Divine love.

All praise be to Allah Who created man, gave him the gift of expression and revealed for him the Holy Qur'an, which is a source of advice, healing guidance and mercy for those who have faith. The Qur'an contains nothing that is doubt- ful or crooked. It is absolutely straight, and authority and Nur (enlightenment) for the believers. Abundant and per-

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fect salutation be on Muhammad Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) (blessing and peace from Allah be upon him), the person who is the best of all creation, whose Nur illuminated the hearts of the living and their graves after death, whose appearance was a bounty for the whole uni-

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verse. Peace be upon his descendants and Companions, who are the stars of guidance and propagators of the Holy

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At present, though the annual gatherings do not have the illuminations of even such sources of guidance, their true spiritual descendants still honour these gatherings with their presence and enrich the audience with bounties and blessings. The people who attended the gathering this year are witnesses to this. Only those who possess eyes that see can experience the effulgence, but sightless beings like us can also feel something unusual.

Qur'an, and also upon those believers who are their fol- lowers in faith.

At the annual gathering of this Madrasah, if a person comes to listen to polished speeches and forceful lectures, he will perhaps not return so much happy as one who seeks a balm for his heart.

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After this praise and salutation, I (the author), Zaka- riyya, son of Yahya. son of Isma'il, state that these hur-

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12 Virtues'of the Holy Qur'an FOREWORD^ 1 3

It is important to note that whenever I have quoted a hadith without mentioning'the name of the book, it should be deemed to have been taken from one of the five books, viz., 'Al-Mishkat', 'Tanqih-ur-Ruwat', 'Al-Mirqat'. 'Sharah-

ul-Ihya' and 'At-Targhib' of Mundhiri, on which I have

relied and from which I have drawn extensively. Whenever I have quoted from any other book, the source has been mentioned. It is incumbent upon the reader of the Qur'an to ob- serve the rules of reverence for its recitation. Before proceeding further, it seems desirable to men- tion first some of the requirements of decorum for reading of the Holy Qur'an; because, as admitted.

One who is devoid of reverence misses Allah's special favour,

In brief, the essence of all the rules of reverence is to consider the Glorious Qur'an as the words of Almighty Allah. Whorq we worship, and as the Word of One Whom we love and seek. Those who have ever experieced love, know how worthy of adoration is a letter or speech of the beloved. The ecstatic raptures caused by such a communication are beyond all rules of propriety because, as it is said.

Love itself will teach one the rules of conduct in love. So, while reading the Qur'an, if we attempt to "isualise the real beauty and limitless bounty of our Beloved Allah, our hearts will be swayed by emotions of heavenly love. At the same tine, the Qur'an is the Word of the Master of mas- ters and thacommands of the Emperor of all kings. It is the law promulgated by the All-powerful Monarch, Who re- mains unequalled for ever. Those who have served at the courts of kings know by experience, while others can just visualise the extreme awe insprired by the king's orders.

The Qur'an is the word of our Beloved Lord, Who is also the Supreme Monarch. We should, therefore read the Qur'an with the emotions of love and awe. It is said that whenever Hadhrat 'Ikramah (Radhiyal- laho anho) (may Allah be pleased with him) opened the Book for recitation, he became unconscious and fell down. Then he would utter,

"This is the Word of my Allah, this is the Word of my Allah." The aforesaid contains briefly the spirit of the require- ments of decorum as written in great detail by the Muslim scholars. It will further be explained in the following para- graphs. In short, a Muslim should read the book of Allah not just as a servant, but as a slave in the spirit of complete humility towards his Lord, Master and Benefactor. The Sufia (Plural of Sufi-mystic) have written that, if a person feels his shortcomings in exercising due respect and rever- ence while reciting the Qur'an, he will continue to progress along the path of nearness to Almighty Allah but a person who regards himself with approval or pride will not ad- vance further.

Rules of R e v e r e ~ r efor readivg the Holy Qur'an

After cleaning the teeth with a miswak (a green twig of special varieties of trees used for brushing the teeth) and wudhu (ablution), one should sit in a quite place with grace and humility and face towards Qiblah (direction to- wards the Ka'bah in Mecca). Then, with an attentive heart, deep devotion and zest befitting the occasion, one should recite, imagining all the time that he is reciting it to Almighty Allah. If one understands the meaning, one should pause and reflect on ayaat (Plural of 'ayat'-a verse of the Qur'an) of promise and mercy and should beg for His forgiveness and compassion. On ayaat of punishment and admonition, one should seek His refuge, as except Him there is no Helper. On ayaat pertaining to His Majesty and Sanctity, one should say "Subhaanallah" (Glory to Allah). If one does not spontaneously shed tears while reading the Book, one must induce oneself to weep a little.

14 Virtues of the Holy Qur'an

For a lover, the moments of greatest pleasure are those when, in the presence of his beloved, he is full of self- reproach and shedding tears profusely. One should not read fast unless one desires to memor- ize it. The Qu'ran should be placed in a slightly elevated position on a wooden stand or a pillow. One should not talk to others during recitation. If one is forced by necessity to speak to someone, it should be done after first closing the Book, and then recite 'Ta'awwudh' (seeking refuge of Allah against Satan), before reading again. If people nearby are occupied in their work, reading in a low voice is appre- ciated otherwise reading loudly is more rewarding.

The Masha'ikh have mentioned six external and six in- ternal rules of reverence for reading the Holy Qu'ran, which are given below:

Rules of External Iieverence

(1) Perform Wudhu and then sit facing Qiblah in a n extremely dignified manner.

(2) Do not proceed fast, but read with measure and correct pronunciation.

( 3 ) Try to weep, even if vou have to compel yourself to do so.

(4) The response to ayaat of mercy or 01 punishment should be as explained above.

( 5 ) Reading should be in a low v o ~ c e .if insincerity is apprehended on your own part or disturbance is caused to others. Otherwise read in a loud voice.

(6) Read in a melodious voice, because there are nu- merous ahadith laying emphasis on this.

Rules oflnternal Reverence

(1) The heart should be full of the glory of Qur'an i.e. realizing how sublime it is.

(2) Bear in the heart the Loftiness, Majesty and Mag- nificence of Almighty Allah, Whose Revelation the Qu'ran is.

1 FOREWORD 15

(3) The heart should be free from distraction and doubts.

(4) Dwell upon the meanings and enjoy reading it. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) once spent the I whole night reading over and over again the following ayat:

If Thou should chastise them, they are Thy servants, and if Thou should forgive them, Thou art the Mighty, the Wise (V: 118). Once, Hadhrat Sa'eed ibn Jubair (Radhiyallaho anho) spent the whole night repeating the following ayat:

I And withdraw aside today,^^0 guilty ones! (XXXVI:^ 59).

(5) Submit your heart to the subject-matter of the verses you are reading. For instance, on ayaat con- taining a message of mercy, the heart should be filled with delight. And on ayaat of chastisement, the heart should tremble with awe. (6) The ears should be made as attentive as if Almighty Allah Himself is speaking and the reader is listening to Him. May Allah, out of His mercy and kindness, grant all of us the ability to read the Qu'ran according to these rules of reverence.

A Heligious Principle The memorizing of that much of the C;lorious Qu'ran v (^) as is necessary for the offering of salaat is obligatory for every Muslim, whereas memorizing the whole of the Holy Qur'an is Fard Kifavah, i.e. an act obligatory on all, but which may suffice if performed by an adequate number. If there were not a single hafiz (may Allah forbid) all the Muslims would be held responsible for this sin. Mulla'Ali Qari (Rahmatullah alaih) has further reported from Zarka- shi (Rahmatullah alaih] that i f , in a town or a village, there were no person to read the Holy Qur'an, all the Muslim in- habitants of that place would be considered sinful. In this

18 Virtues of the Holy Qur'an

him on account of his learning the Qur'an." It is evident that since the Qur'an, being the Word of Allah, is superior to all other discourses as mentioned in some of the ahadith quoted later, its reading and teaching must be superior to everything else. Mulla Ali Qari quotes from another hadith that who- ever acquires the knowledge of Holy Qur'an stores the knowledge of prophethood in his forehead. Sahl 'i'astari (Rahmatullah alaih) says that the proof of love for Allah is the existence of love for the Word of Allah in one's heart. In 'Sharhul Ihya', the list of people who will be given shelter in the shade of the Arsh (Throne of Allah) on the fearful Day of Judgement includes those persons who teach the Qur'an to the children of Muslims and also those who learn the Holy Qur'an in their childhood and are devoted to its recitation when grown up.

HADITH- 2

Hadhrat Abu Sa'eed (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahotalaihe wasallam) said: "Almighty Allah says; "If anybody finds no time for My remembrance and for begging favours of Me, because of his remaining busy with the Holy Qur'an, I shall give him more than what I give to all those who beg favours of Me. The superiority of the Word of Allah over all other words is like the super- iority of Allah over the entire creation. In other words, compared to those who are begging favours of Allah, He will surely confer some better reward on a person who remains so occupied with committing the Qur'an to memory or learning and understanding it that he hardly gets time for du'a (prayer). It is commonly known that when a man distributes sweets, or something else amongst others, a share is set

Part I [Hadith 3) 19

aside for the person who cannot attend the function be- cause of the task of distribution given to him by the dis- tributor himself. In another hadith, in the same context, it is mentioned that Allah would give such a person a better (^) 2 5 reward than what He would give to His ever grateful ser- (^) =-a vants.

HADITH- 3

Hadhrat 'Uqbah ibn Aamir (Radhiyallaho anho) has said: "Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) came to us while we were sitting on the Suffah and asked if any one of us would like to go to the market of But-haan or Aqeeq and fetch from there two she- camels of the finest breed without commiting any sin or severing a tie of kinship. We replied that everyone of us would love to do so. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) then said that going to the musjid and recit- ing or teaching two ayaat of the Qur'an is more pre- cious than two she-camels, three ayaat are most precious than three she-camels, and that similarly re- citing or teaching of four ayaat is better than four she- camels and an equal number of camels." "Suffah" is the name of a particular raised platform in the Mosque of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasal- lam) in Medina. It used to be occupied by the poor Muslim muhajirin (Plural of muhajir-emigrant from Mecca to Medina) who are known as "Ashab-us-Suffah" (Men of Suffah). The number of these men varied from time to time: 'Allamah Suyuti (Rahmatullah alaih) has listed one hun- dred and one names and also written an independent book- let about their names.

2 0 Virtues of the Holy Qur'an 18 Part I (Hadith 4) 21

But-han arid Aqeeq were the two market-places for camels near Medilia. 'l'he camel, more particularly a she- camel having a fat hump, was a favourite of the Arabs. The expression "without sin" is significant. A thing can be acquired without labour either by extortion, through illegal inheritance (by forcefully taking over the property of some relative) or by theft. Kasullullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) thus ruled out all such acquisitions. Acquiring a thing without any sin is certainly preferred by all, but much more valuable is the learning of a few ayaat. It is a clear fact that let alone one or two camels, even if one acquires the kingdom of all the seven continents one will be forced to leave it, if not today surely tomorrow (at the time of death), but the reward of one ayat will be ever- lasting. We see even in this life that a man feels happier when he is given only one rupee (without the condition of returning i t ) , rather than if he is given one thousand rupees for keeping in his safe custody for a while only. In the latter case, he is merely burdened with a trust without get- ting any benefit out of it. in fact, this hadith implies an admonition not to compare something temporary with sonlething eternal. Whether in action or at rest, a man should corisider i f his efforts are being wasted on acquiring the temporary gains of this world, or, are directed towards achieving the everlasting ones. Woe be to the waste of effort for which we earn eternal misery. The last phrase of the hadith "superior to a n equal number of camels" con- tains three meanings. First, upto the number four, the reward has been mentioned in detail. Beyond this, it is brieflv mentioned t h d the more ayaat a person acquires, the greater will be their superiority over the number of camels. In this case, the word "camels" at the end refers to the species-either he-camels or she-camels-and the number implied is more than four because, upto the number four. the reward has been mentioned in detail. The second meaning is that the numbers mentioned are the same as referred to earlier, the significance being that incli- nations are always different; some are fond of she-camels, others prefer a he-camel. Therefore Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has used this expression to signify that every ayat is superior to a she-camel, and if one prefers a he-camel, an ayat is also superior to a he-camel. The third meaning is that the numbers mentioned are the same as re- ferred to before and not more than four. According to the

second meaning, the explanation that a n ayat is superior to a she-camel or he-camel does not hold good, but it implies a collection, i.e.. one ayat is superior to a he-camel and a she-camel considered together, and likewise every ayat is superior to the combination of an equal number of he- camels or she-camels. Thus a single ayat has been com- pared to a pair or couple (of camels). My late father (May Allah bless his grave with Divine light) has preferred the latter interpretation because it points to a superior virtue. This however, does not mean that the reward of an ayat can be equalled to a camel or two camels. All this is for induce- ment arid illustration. It has been clearly written before that an ayat whose reward is permanent and enduring is superior and preferable even to a kingdoni over the seven continents. which is bound to disintegrate. Mulla 'Ali Qari has writteri an account of a pious Shaikh who went to Mecca for Hajj on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah--the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. When he landed at Jicldah, some of his friends in business requested him to prolo~ighis stav in Jiddah, so that they could earn more profit for their merchandise by virtue of his blesskd presence. In fact thev wanted that some of the servants of the Shaikh be benefited by the profits of their business. At first the Shaikh expressed his inability to prolong his stay. but when thev insisted the Shaikh asked them as to the maximum profit that they woutd earn for their goods. Thev explained that the profit was r7t the same in all cases; but the maximum that they could expect was hundred per cent. The Shaikh said, "You have taken all this trouble for such a petty gain: for such ari insignificant gain. I cannot miss the salaat in the respected Harani (the most Sacred Mosque), where the reward of salaat gets multiplie(l one hundred thousand times." 111 fact, we Muslims should con- sider how, for petty worldly gains, we s o m e ~ i m e ssacrifice great spiritual benefits.

24 Virtues of the Holy Qur'an^ Part^ I^ (Hadith^ 7)^2

Hadhrat Abu Musa (Radhiyallaho anho) narrated that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: "The example of a mo'min (believer) who reads the Qur'an is like that of citron which has a pleasant smell and a sweet taste. The example of a mo'min who does not read the Qur'an is like that of a date, which has no smell, though its taste is sweet. The munafiq (hyp- ocrite) who does not read the Qur'an is like a wild gourd, which has a bitter taste and no smell, and the munafiq who reads the Qur'an is like a raihan [sweet- smelling flower), which is fragrant but has a bitter taste. " In this hadith an abstract quality of reading the Glor- ious Qur'an, has been compared to concrete objects in order to illustrate the difference between reading and not reading the tIoly Qur'an. Otherwise it is obvious that ma- terial objects of this world like citrons and dates cannot match the sweetness and perfume of the Qur'an. There are, however, special points in this similitude, which pertain to the deep knowledge of the Prophets and testify to the vast understanding of Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). Consider, for example, the citron, which gives flavour to the mouth, cleans the stomach and stimulates digestion. These are the qualities specially associated with the reading of the Qur'an since, fragrance in the mouth. inter- nal purity and spiritual strength result from reading the Qur'an. It is also said that if there is citron in the house, no jinn can enter it. If it is true. then such is the speciality of the Qur'an. Some physicians say that citron strengthens the memory and it is rep'orted in 'Ihya' by Hadhrat Ali (Rad- hiyallaho anho) that three things, i.e., cleaning the teeth with miswak, fasting and reading the Holy Qur'an strengthen the memory. In the book of Abu Dawood, i t is mentioned at the con- clusion of the hadith given above that a good companion is like a person having musk. Even if vou do not get musk, you will at least enloy its fragrance. An evil companion is like a person with a furnace, near whom, even if you do not get blac:kened, vou certainly cannot avoid the smoke. I t is, therefore. important that one should be very careful in choosing his companions, with whom he has to mix gener- ally.

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• "L Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyal~ahoanho) narrates that Ra- is sullullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: "Allah E 3 exalts many people by means of this Book (the Holy sa Qu'ran), and He also degrades and disgraces many

others by means of the same."

People who believe in the Holy Book and act upon it are given by Allah position of honour and respect, both in this life as well as in the Hereafter, while those who do not act upon it are disgraced by Allah. This principle is also borne out by the various ayaat of the Holy Qur'an. At one place it reads:

"He misleads many by this Book and guides many thereby." At another place we come across:

"And We send down in the Qur'an that which is a healing and mercy for believers, though it increases for the evil-doers naught save ruin." The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is also re- ported to have said: "Many hypocrites of this Ummat will i be the^ qurraa,^ i.e.,^ those who recite the Qur'an correctly." 5 In^ 'Ihya-ul-Ulum'^ it^ is reported^ ffom^ some^ Mashaa'ikh. "As soon as a man starts reading a surah (chapter of the Holy Qur'an), the Angels start invoking mercy for him and they continue to do so till he stops reading; on the contrary an-

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other person starts reading a surah and the Angels start cursing him and they continue to do so till he completes i the reading." I Some scholars have stated that sometimes a man reads the Holy Qur'an and invokes curses on himself without even knowing it. For instance, he reads in the Holy Qur'an: i

26 Virtues of the^ Htdy^ Qur'an^ Part^ I^ (Hadith^ 8 )^^2

"Beware, the curse of Allah is on the wrong-doers" and he exposes himself to this warning because of his wrong- doings. In the like manner, he reads in the Qur'an:

"The curse of Allah is upon the liars".

In fact he exposes himself to the warning by reason of his being himself a liar. 'Aamir ibn Waathilah (Radhiyallaho anho) say$ that Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhivallaho anho) had appointed Naafi' ibn Abdul Harith as the Governor of Mecca. Once he asked the latter as to whom he had appointed as the administra- tor of forests. "Ibn Abzi" replied Naafi'. "Who is Ibn-e- Abzi?" said Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho). "He is one of our slaves" was the reply. "Why have you appointed a slave the ameer (leader)?" objected Hadhrat 'Umar (Rad- hiyallaho an\ho). "Because he recites the Book of Allah" said Naafi'. At this, Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) narrated the hadith that it had been said by Rasullullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) that, because of this Book. Allah elevates many people and degrades many.

Hadhrat 'Abdur Rahman ibn 'Auf (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, ",On the Day of Judgement, three things will be under the shade of the Arsh (Allah's Throne). One, the Holy Qur'an which will argue with men-the Qur'an has both an exterior and a n interior. The second will

be amaanat (trust). The third will be kinship, which shall proclaim, '0. Allah! have mercy wn the person who upheld me. and deprive him of Your merry who- soever severed me.' " "Three things will be under the shade of the 'Arsh" signifies their utmost nearness in the sublime preserlce of Allah. "The Qur'an will argue" nieans that it will pleacl tht: cause of those people who read it, respect it and act upon its commandments. It will intercede on their behalf and solicit the upgrading of their rank. Mulla 'Ali Qari has tiar- b rated on the authority of 'Tirmizi' (a book of Hadith) that. in the presence of Almighty Allah, the Holy Qur'iin will beg Allah to grant an apparel to its reader. Almightv Allah will give him a crown of honour. The Qur'an will again beg for additional favoitrs for him. Thereupon Alrnighlv All;th will award the reader a complete robe of honour. 'I'llu Qur'an will again beseech Allah to be pleased with him. and Almighty Allah will express His pleasure to him. We find in this life that the pleasure of the belovt:d is considered to be the most coveted gift. Similarly ill the life Hereafter, no bountv shall stand comparison with the pleasure of our ljeloved Alnlighty Allah. And in c a w of those who ignore their duty towards the Qur'an. i t will challenge them saving, "Did you care for me'? Ilid vou fullil your obligations towards me?" It has been reported on the authority of Irnnrn Abu Hariifa (Rahn~atullahalaih) in 'Ihya' that it is the clue right of the Qur'an that it should be read completely tu' (^) ,I year. Those of us who never care to reaci the Qur'an shoultl first consider how they will defend themselves agilir~st such a strong plaintiff. Death is inevitable and thew (:an l)e no escape from it. i (^) The meaning of the expression "exterior and interior of the Qur'an" is evident. The Qur'an has an apparcxlt mean- (^1) t (^) ing^ which^ can be understood by all. but the^ doepcr^ spiri- tual significance is not understood by everybody. It is in this connection that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasal- lam) has said: "Whosoever expresses his personal opinion in respect of anything .in the d u r ' a n commits niistake. even if he be right in his opinion." Some scholars hold that the word 'exterior'. refers to its words, which can be recited properlv by evervbodv and the word 'interior', i.e., spirit, refers to its n~eanings.and its ! underlying ideas, the understanding of which varies with

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the ability of the readers. I i

Virtues of the Holy Qur'an Part I (Hadith^ 8 )^^31

(The hand of Allah is over their hands) will have to be explained because Allah has no physical hands.

(10) Usoolul Fiqh i.e., Prin~iplesof Islamic Jurispru- dence. These are necessary for reasoning out and finding arguments in the basic support of state- ments. (11)Asbaabun Nuzool, i.e., the particular circum- stances which caused revelation. The meaning of an ayat will be better understood if we know how arid when it had been revealed. Someti~nesthe true meaning of an ayat is understood only if we know the circumstances in which the ayat had been revealed. (12) An Naasikh wal Mansookh, i.e., knowledge of commandments that have subsequently been abro- gated or changed. so that abrogated command- ments may be distinguished from the standing ones. (13) IImul Fiqh, i.e., knowledge of Islamic Jurispru- dence, because it is only through this knowledge that' we arrive at a complete understanding of gen- eral principles.

(14) Knowledge of such ahadith that happen to be com- mentary on cerfain brief verses of the Qur'an.

(15) The last but most important is the Wahbi ilm, or the gifted understanding, bestowed by Almighty Allah upon Ilis selected ones, as is referred in the hadith-

Whosoever acts upon what he knows, Almighty Allah bestows upon him the knowledge of things not known to him.

. It is this special understanding that was implied in the reply of Hadhrat 'Ali (Karramallaahu wajhahu) (may Allah

be kind to him) when he was asked by the people if he had received from Kasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) any special knowledge or instructions which were not received by others. Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) said, "I swear by Him Who made the Paradise and created life that 1 pos- sess nothing special, except the clear understanding which Almighty Allah bestows upon a person ill respect of the Qur'an." Ibri Abid Dunyaa (Rahmatullah alaih) says that the knowledge of the Holy Qur'an and that which can bc de- rived out of it are as vast s s a boundless ocean. The branches of knowledge described above are like tools, i.e. essential pre-requisite for a c.ommentator. A com- mentary written by a person who is not thoroughly ac- quainted with these branches of knowledge will be based on his personal opinion, which is prohibited. The Sahabah (Companions of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasal- lam) already had Arabic language as their mother-tongue, and they reached the depth of the rest of the knowledge by means of their illuminati~lgcontact that they had with Ra- sulullah (Sallallaho alaihe-wasallam). Allamah Suyuti says that those who think that it is beyond the capacity of a man to acquire Wahbi ilm, or gifted understanding, are not right. To get this k~iowledge from Allah, one should adopt the means to this end, e.g., acting upon the kllowledge that one has acquired, and dis- inclination towards the world. It is stated in 'Keemiyaa-e-Sa'aadat' that three persons are not blessed with complete understanding of the Qur'an. First, one who is not well versed in Arabic, seco~ldly,one who persists in committing a major sin or indulges in act of religious innovation, because these actions blacken his heart, which in turn prevents him from understanding the Qur'an. Thirdly, one who is a rationalist, even in the niatter of faith, and feels enibarassed when he reads an ayat of the Qur'a~iwhich he is not able to fully rationalize.

May Allah protect us from all such sins and evils.

32 Virtues of the Holy Qur'an

HADITH 9

I-Iadhrat 'Abdullah ibn Amr (Radhiyallaho anho) re- ports that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alihe wasallam) said: "On the Day of Judgement, it will be said to the Man devoted to the Qur'an, 'Go on reciting the Qur'an and continue ascending the storeys of Jannat (Paradise) and recite in the slow manner you had been reading in worldly life; your final abode will be where you reach

at the time c)f the last ayat of your recitation." i

"The man of Qur'an" apparently means a hafiz. Mulla 'Ali Qari has explained it fully that this honour is reserved for. a!hafiz, and that this hadith does not apply to one who reads by looking into the Holy Book. First, because the words "Man of Qur'an" point towards a hafiz and secondly there is a tradition in Musnad Ahmad-

Till he reads of whatever Qur'an is with him. I This word more clearly refers to a hafiz, although a reader who remains very often engaged in reciting the Qur'an inay also be implied.

It is written in ' ~ i 6 a a t 'that this hadith does not apply to a reader who is accursed by the Qur'an. This is with re- ference to the hadith that there are many readers of the Qur'an who read the Qur'an but the Qur'an invokes curses upon them. Therefore, the reading of Qur'an by a person who does not adhere to the correct tenets does not consti- tutc ar! argument that he is acceptable to Allah. Many Aha- dith of this type relate to the Khawarij (a sect who were opposed to Hadhrat 'Ali (Radhiyallaho anho).

In this conimentary, Shah Abdul Aziz (Rahmatullah alaih) has written that 'tarteel' literally means reading with good and clear pronunciation, while according to Islamic pri~ciples it means reading in accordance with certain r d e s as follows:

I

I

Part I (Hadith 9 )^3

(1) The letters of the alphabets should be correctly ut- tered to ensure their correct pronunciation so that (b) ' is not read as ' (b) ' and ' (Lb) ' and so on.

(2) Stopping correctly at the pauses, so that the join- (^) 2 5 ing or finishing of the verses may not take place at inappropriate places.^5 .: m & (3) The correct pronunciation of the vowel sounds.

gg 3 h

(4) Raising the voice slightly so that the words of Qur'an uttered by the mouth. may reach the ears and thus influence the heart.

(5) Setting the sound in a way that it may become full of pathos and may affect the heart quickly, be- cause a pathetic voice influences the heart at once, moves and strengthens the soul more affectively. The physicians are of the opinion that if a medicine is re- quired to affect the heart quickly, it should be given a sweet smell by means of a perfume, for the heart is sensi- tive to sweet smell and if the medicine is required to affect the liver, it should be sweetened with sugar because the liver likes sweet things. Therefore, if a perfume is used at the time of recitation, it will have a better influence on the heart.

(6) Tashdeed ( (5) ) (doubling of letters) and madd ( (3) ) (prolongation of letters) should be fully pro- nounced because this reveals the grandeur of the Qur'an and adds to its effectiveness.

( 7 ) As stated earlier, the reader's heart should respond to the ayat indicating mercy of Allah or chastise- ment by Him. The aboce-me~~tionedseven rules constitute the cor- rect way of reciting the Qur'an, which is called tarteel, and the sole object of all this is to reach the correct understand- ing and grasp of the deeper meaning of the Holy Qur'an. Hadhrat Umm-e-Salamah (Radhiyallaho anha) was once askecl by someone as to how Rasulullah (Sallallaho aleihe wasallam) used to recite Qur'an. She said, "In a way that all vowel sounds were clear and the pronunciation of each letter was distinct." It is desirable to recite the Qur'an with propriety even if one may not understand the mean- ing. Ibn Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) said that he preferred

3 6 Virtues of the Holy Qur'an^ Part I (Hadith 11)

reading each letter is counted as one good deed. And the reward of each good deed will be increased ten times, as promised by Almighty Allah.

"One who brings a good deed, for him will be tenfold the like thereof."

'Ten times, however, is the minimum increase.

Allah multiplies the reward for whomsoever He de- sires. That each letter of the Holy Qur'an, when read, amot~ntsto a good deed, has been illustrated by Rasulullah

(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) by saying that '91'(Alif Laam

Meem) is not one letter, but ' (9' (alif). '(J)' (laam) and '(9'

(meem) are three separate letters, so it will comprise thirty blessings. There is a differeilce of opinion anlong scholars whether 'dl' (alif, laam, meem) is the beginning of Surah Baqarah or of Surah Feel. If it is the beginning of Surah Ba- qarah, and only three letters are counted, as they are writ- ten, then the blessings wi!l be thirty. And if it is the

beginning of Surah Feel, then ' ( I ) ' (alif), '(3)' (laam) and '(f)'

(meem). which is the beginning of Surah Eaqarah will be nine letters. Therefore, its reward will be ninety blessings. Baihaqi (Rahmatullah alaih) has reported another hadith similar to this portion of the above-mentioned hadith, viz.. "I do nolt say that '(Ale)' (Bismillah) is one letter, but uphold that '(d)' (ha) '(,.I)' (sin) and '(9' (meem), etc, are separate letters."

HADITH- 11

Hadhrat Mu'aaz Juhani (Radhiyallaho anho) reports that Kasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said.

I

"Whoever reads the Qur'an and acts upon what is con- tained in it, his parents will be made to wear a crown on the Day of Judgement, the brilliance of which will excel that of the sun, if the same were within your wordly houses. So, what do you think about the person^4 I ,, who himself acts upon it?" (^) Zi 3 W^ W Thus, it is through the virtues of his reading the Qur'an (^) .-+ and acting upon it that the parents of the leader will be (^) a-x honoured with a crown, the brilliance of which will far excel the light of the sun even if the sun were within one's own house. The sun is at a great distance from us and even then its light is so bright. If the sun comes down into one's house, its light and brilliance will surely increase mani- fold. The light of the crown to be worn by the parents of the reader will be still more brilliant. When this is in $tore for the parents, what will be the reward of the reader him- self? Surely if the beneficiaries get so much, the reward of the person who is the real cause should be much more. The parents get this reward solely because they were the cause of the reader coming into being, or were responsible for his education. In addition to the fact that the light of the sun will he far greater if it were in one's own house, this simile implies yet another delicate point. Attachment and liking for a thing increase when it always remains with a person. Therefore, the feeling of strangeness for the sun due to dis- tance will give place to attachment, because of its close nearness all the time. Thus, in addition to describing the brilliance of the crown, the hadith implies this attachment with the crown and also the great satisfaction that it be- longs to oneself. Everybody gets benefited by the sun, but if it were to be given entirely to a person, how very proud he would feel.

Haakim (Rahmatullah alaih) has reported from Burai- dah, (Radhiyallaho anho) saying of Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam); "One who recites the Qur'an and acts upon it will be made to wear a crown woven with noor, and his parents will be made to wear garments, which will be more valuable than the entire world. They will say, 'Almighty Allah! what is it that we are being given these

garments for?' 'In lieu of the reading of Qur'an b y your

child', will be the reply." It is given in Jam'ul Fawaa'id by Tabrani (Rahmatullah

38 Virtues of the Holy Qur'an^ 20 Pa? 1 (Hadith 12) 39

alaih) that Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallaho anho) had reported the saying of Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), "Whoever teaches the reading of Qur'an to his son (without memorizing it), all his sins, whether previous or subse- quent, will be forgiven; and whoever makes his child mem- orize the Qur'an will be raised on the Day of Judgement in the semblance of a full moon; and his son will be asked to start reciting, and for every ayat read by the child, the status of the parent will be raised to the next higher grade of jannat, till the recitation of the Holy Qur'an is com- pleted." Such are the blessings for teaching the Qur'an to your children. This is not all. There is another point. God forbid. if you deprive your child of the knowledge of (deen) (relig- ion) for the sake of a few coppers, not only shall you be de- prived of eternal reward but you shall be held answerable before Allah. Is it not a fact that you are depriving your dear child of reading the Qur'an for fear that mullahs and huffaaz, after memorizing the Qur'an become dependent on others for their living? Please remember that not only do vou expose your children to eternal misery, but carry on iour shoulders a very heavy accountability. The hadith that-

Each one of you is a guardian, and will be questioned about those under his control

means that everyone s,hall be questioned about his subordi- nates and dependents as to what extent he taught (deen) to them. Surely one should guard himself and his dependents against these shortcomings. But (as the proverb goes) "should one discard clothes for fear of lice?" Nav, one should surely try to keep his clothes clean. If you impart religious education to your child, you will be free from vour responsibilities. As long as the child lives, and what- ever good deed he does and salad he performs and forgive- ness that he seeks from Allah for you, will elevate your position in Paradise. If for the sake of this life and for the lust of a few coppers, you keep him ignorant of (deen), not only wiil you have to suffer for this misdeed but whatever evil and misdeeds he does. your account will not be free from their burden. For God's sake, have pity on yourselves. This life is only a passing phase and death will put an end

to a!l its hardships, however great, but the sufferings for which there is no end, will be everlasting.

HADITH NO- 12 a c

'Uqbah ibn 'Aamir (Radhiyallaho anho) narrated that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "If the Qur'an is placed in a skin and then put in the fire, it will not get burnt." The scholars of hadith have interpreted this hadith in two ways. Some of them take the words 'skin' and 'fire' in the literal sense. In this case the hadith refers to a miracle which was particular in the lifetime of Rasulullah (Sallal- laho alaihe wasallam) in the same way as the miracles of other prophets were specific to their lifetime. In the second case, the word 'skin' is interpreted to mean the human skin and the word 'fire' means the fire of Hell. Thus the applica- tion of the hadith is general arid not confined to any par- ticular period. It means that if any hafiz of Qur'an were cast in due to any crime on his part, the fire of Hell will not affect him. In another hadith it is said that the fire will not even touch him. The second interpretation of the above- mentioned hadith is also supported by another hadith re- ported by Abu Umaamah (Radhiyallaho anho) and also given in the book Sharhus Sunnah, by Mulla Ali Qari, which says, "Learn the Qur'an by heart, because Almighty Allah does not punish the heart which contains the Qur'an ." In its meanings this hadith is clear and confirmed by the Qur'an. Those who regard memorizing the Qur'an as useless should, for God's sake, ponder over these merits. The last-mentioned one alone should prompt everybody to dedicate his life to learning the Qur'an by heart, because there is no one who has not committed sins and does not deserve the fire of Hell.

In Sharhul Ihya there is a list of those people who wiil rest in the shade of Allah's mercy (protection) on the hor- rible Day of Judgement. It is mentioned therein that. according to a hadith reported from Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyal- laho anho) by Dailami that the custodians of Qur'an, in other words those who learn the Qur'an by heart, will be in