THE QUR’AN AND THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMITTING IT TO MEMORY AND RECITING IT

HALQAH SERIES: EPISODE TWO

Mon 17 Ramadan 1443AH

0 7 minutes read

Praise be to Allah the lord of the worlds, master of the day of judgement, YOU alone we worship and YOU alone we ask for help & Salaat and salaam be upon the best of prophets and the leaders of the messenger, our master, Muhammad (SAW) and upon his household, his companions & those that follow afterwards, and all those that follow him until the day of judgement.

Assalamu Alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh everyone.

Insha’Allah we shall continue with our discussions today with the topic : THE QUR’AN AND THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMITTING IT TO MEMORY AND RECITING IT

This matter we intend to discuss is so important that some of the Ulamaa wrote volumes of books to discuss it; among them is Imaam An-Nawawi rahimahullah the Shaafi’i Imaam In his ‘At-Tibyan’, and his ‘Shar’hu Al-Mu’hadhdhab’, and As-Suyuti in his Itqaan

First Matter: Importance of its Recitation
It is important to increase and frequent the recitation of the Qur’an. Allah – ta’ala – said while praising those who frequent its recitation:

((يتلون آيات الله آناء الليل)) آل عمران

“They recite the verses of Allah at the hours of the night” Al-Imran:113
And in the Sahihayn from Ibn Umar – radiyallaahu anhuma –

لا حسد إلا في اثنتين، رجل آتاه الله القرآن فهو يقوم به آناء الليل وآناء النهار…))

“Envy is not permissible but in two cases: a man whom Allah bestowed with (knowledge of) the Qur’an and then He stays upright upon it during the hours of the night and the day.”

May Allah make us among them, aameen!

Second Matter: Forgetting the Verses committed to memory

Imaam An-Nawawi mentioned in ‘Ar-Rawdah’ that to forget verses committed to memory is a Kabirah among the kabaa’ir. This is due to the Hadith transmitted by Imaam Abu Daawud and other than him that the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:

“The sins of my Ummah were shown to me. I did not see – among those sins – any one greater than a Surah of the Qur’an or an Aayah which was bestowed (in memory) upon a person then he forgets it”

Though, this Hadith is weak as declared by An-Nawawi himself and Al-Albaani inclusive; some of the Ulamaa act with its content.It has come in the statements of many of the Ulamaa that the bounties of the Qur’an are lost by forgetting what one memorized of it. and it is a kind of lack of trust for what is memorized is like a thing Allah entrusted to you. Your forgetting it means that you cannot be entrusted with a thing, and that’s among the signs of Nifaaq

It has come in the Sahihayn the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:

تعاهدوا القرآن فو الذي نفس محمد بيده، لهو أشد تفلتا من الإبل في عقلها

“Frequent the recitation of what has been memorised of the Qur’an. For by the one in whose Hand the soul of Muhammad lies, it is hastier to disappear than the camel by its stake”
And, from the experience of those of experience, that is true!

Third Matter: Some of the aadaab of its recitation

Making Wuduu to recite it
This is because it is the best forms of Adhkaar as Imaam An-Nawawi mentioned. It is established that the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – disliked making adhkaar without Wudhuu.Imaam An-Nawawi said in Shar’hu Al-Mu’hadhdhab:
“if during his recitation he is poked by the need to pass wind (to fart) then let him pause his recitation, excuse himself and allow himself to pass it and then he renews his Wudu…”
Recite in a clean place
And the best of such places is the Masjid. Most the Ulamaa are against reciting in the bathroom or on the road.
Facing the Qiblah in a sitting and composed position
Imaam As-Suyuti mentioned that in Al-Itqaan.
To observe the Miswaak before commencing
Ibn Maajah recorded from Ali – radiyallaahu anhu – that he (Ali) said:إن أفواهكم طرق القرآن، فطيبوها بالسواك

“Indeed your mouths are the Path of the Qur’an, therefore purify it with the siwak”
The Hadith is graded Sahih by Al-Albaani in Sunan Ibn Maajah

As-Suyuti said:

“I say: And if he pauses the recitation and then returns soon, the same way it is mustahabb that he repeats the Ta’awwdh (seeking refuge from Allah), he should repeat the use of the Siwaak”

That is in ‘Al-Itqaan’

فإذا قرأت القرآن فاستعذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

“And when you recite the Qur’an, then seek Allah’s refuge from Shaytaan the accursed”

An-Nawawi said:

“And if some people pass across him, and he says the salaam to them then he returns to the recitation. That he repeats the ta’awwudh is better.”

Ash-Shaatibi refers to the obligation of the Ta’awwudh in his ‘Hirzu Al-Amaani’
Begining with the Basmala
i.e saying ‘Bismillaahi ar-Rahmaani ar-Rahim’Imaam Ash-Shaatibi mentions that it is obligatory when you begin a surah to recite it and mustahabb if begining somewhere other than the begining of the surah such as at the ajzaa (parts).
The Qur’an does not require Niyya for its recitation
Tarteel (moderate speed) recitation is the best forms of recitation.

It is obligatory to make tadabbur (meditation) of the verses while reciting. This is established by verses of the Qur’an, the Ahaadith of the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – and the statements of the Ulamaa
Allah bless them, Aameen.8. It is mustahabb to weep while reciting and to pretend to weep if you cannot weep due to the hardness of your heart.
In the Hadith, the Rasul -salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:

“Verily this Qur’an was sent down with grief and a lot of pains. So whenever you recite it, you should weep. And if you cannot weep then pretend to”

Though the Hadith is declared weak, most of the Ulamaa promote its meaning

An-Nawawi said in Al-Majmuu:”And the way to attain weeping is that he (the reciter) should ponder over what he is reciting of the Tahdeed (threats), the severe Wa’id (promise of punishments), the promises and the covenants; then he should ponder over his laxity with respect to that. Then if even after that he does not weep, then let him weep over his inability to weep. For indeed, that is a great disaster”

9. It is sunnah to beautify the voice
Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam said:

زينوا القرآن بأصواتكم

“Beautify the recitation of the Qur’an with your voices”
Sahih Sunan Abi Daawud

An-Nawawi mentions the Ijmaa of the Ulamaa on that

It is disliked to cut the recitation just for the purpose of talking to someone without any cogent reasons.

Al-Halimi says: “that’s because it is the Word of Allah and it is not proper to prefer someone over Allah is discussion”

And that is the Sunnah on Ibn Umar radiyallaahu anhuma as mentioned by Imaam Al-Bukhaari in his sahih
To recite with the Tajwid is also waajib as all of the Ulamaa have agreed

May Allah make us among the People of the Qur’an

O people! What we have mentioned here is simply most but not all of the aadaab of recitation. We intend to stop here. Next time, if Allah spares us with Imaan, life and health, and worthy situation, we shall discuss the details of the memorization of the Qur’an

May Allah make us among those that can practice all what we have said, aameen!

Questions and Answers

what is meant by reading on the road is while walking on feet
And that it because of the kind of ill-respect accorded to it thereby. It is makruh and not haraamما هي الآدآب لقراءة القرآن للحائض؟

Answer: as for the menstruating woman, the Ulamaa differ on the ruling of her recitation to 4 madh’habs:

1. Permissibility to recite from the mus’haf (copy of Qur’an) and touching it. This is the dominant in the Hanafi Madh’hab

2. Impermissibility to recite from mus’haf but from heart. This is the dominant Maaliki and Hanbali madh’hab

3. Impermissibility to recite at all unless for ta’awwudh. This is the view of some of the Shafi’is, some Maalikis, and some Hanbalis

4. Permissibility to recite from mus’haf without touching. This is the view of some of the muhaqqiqun (thorough researchers) and it is the soundest inshaa Allah

That is what most of the Muhaqqiqun today hold such as Shaykh Umar Al-Haddushi – hafidhahullah – and it is the verdict that comprises all of the ahaadith and aathaar that has come on the matter.

Recitation without Wudu is waajib to some Maaliki scholars, and their view is strong due to the Hadith of ‘As-Sahifah’ transmitted and recorded by Maalik in Al-Muwatta. Its isnaad is declared Sahih by Al-Albaani who himself held a contrary view in the beginning of his life but later changed to the the Maaliki verdict at the end of his life as his closest students mentioned

Some of the Ulamaa like Imaam Ibn Hazm – rahimahullah – do not see it as Waajib because to them the Hadith of ‘As-Sahifah’ does not refer to the Taaharah of Wudhuu

At best, it is a matter about which there is difference among Scholars. The best as we have said is to make sure there is Wuduu. Allaahu A’alam

Question: Please more light on renewing Wudhu if it breaks while reciting the Quran. Cos I’ve heard the contrary beforeAnswer: Alhamdulillah it is true that what you have said is an opinion among some scholars, but is it a very weak stance among them. The Sunnah is to make Wudhuu before any Adhkaar. In the Hadith of Aa’ishah – radiyallaahu anha – he – salallahu alayhi wasallam – did not used to make adhkaar in the privy because he did not have wudhu. And since recitation is of the greatest of adhkaar, we are not to engage in it without wudhu even if we terminated it during the cause of its recitation. This is a matter of Istihbaab (preference) among the Scholars, and Waajib to some as we have stated in our answer above .Allaahu A’alam!

Baarakallaahu feekum for ur dedication!’