The Holy Qur'aan

      The Holy Qur’aan is unique, marvellous and unprecedented (never produced before) in the History of Literature since its revelation 1400 years ago. Enemies of Islam have left no stone unturned in their attempts to ridicule and discredit the great and glorious book of Allaah.

      They have employed their energy, wisdom and cleverness to destroy and reject its Divine origin and greatness. Not only has the Holy Qur’aan bravely withstood these attacks but it has set forth its true position by issuing a challenge. Glory be to Allaah! Since its revelation no soul has yet answered this challenge of the Holy Qur’aan.

      The pages of history bear enough testimony to the fact that in the past, great men who were renowned for their poetry, power of speech and literary skill had failed miserably in their attempts to compose or produce something similar or better than the Holy Qur’aan.

      The Holy Qur’aan could never be the work of any human being, but it is not in the power of any human being to doubt the word of Allaah.

 

The Benefits of Recitation of the Holy Qur'aan:

      The benefits of reciting the Holy Qur’aan varies but reward in the hereafter and the practice of its teachings exceeds all. You can only be the loser if there are no rewards in the hereafter.

      For its recital, our beloved Prophet (S.A.W.) said:

“The reciter of one letter from the Holy Qur’aan receives the blessings of ten rewards. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Meem is one letter – but Alif is one, Lam is one and Meem is one letter, thus totaling thirty for the whole word. “

 

      Is this reward small for reciting? Every word in the Holy Qur’aan follows this pattern. The opening chapter – Sura-e-Fatiha which is recited in all our prayers (Namaaz or Salaat) carries an abundance of rewards, for the first word has five letters – one word carries fifty rewards. It is strange we discard these benefits and care for them only at the time of death.

      Hazrat Abu Huraira (Rd.A) reported from Rasulullah (S.A.W.) about the saying of Almighty Allaah –

“Verily the Qur’aan reading during the morning is witnessed.” (17:78).

      He said –

“The angels of the night and the angels of the day witness it.” (Tirmidi).

 

A person is rewarded by merely listening to the Holy Qur’aan (Hadees).

 

      Hazarat Maadh Johani (Rd.A) reports that the Messenger of Allaah (S.A.W.) said: “Whosoever reads the Holy Qur’aan and acts upon what is contained in it, his parents will be made to wear a crown on the Day of Judgment, the brilliance of which will excel that of the sun even if it i.e. the sun, was close to your house.” So what do you think will be the reward of the person who himself acts upon it?

      Thus it is through the virtues of reading the Holy Qur’aan and acting upon it that the parents of the reader will be honoured with a crown. What will be the reward of the person (i.e. the reader) who is the real cause? This will definitely be much more.

      Hazrat Anas (Rd.A) reported the Messenger of Allaah (S.A.W.) said :

“Whosoever teaches the reading of the Holy Qur’aan to his son (without his memorising it), all his sins whether previous or subsequent (past or later) will be forgiven and whosoever makes his child memorises the Holy Qur’aan will be raised on the day of Judgment in the resemblance or likeness of the full moon. His son will be asked to start recitation and for every Aayat (verse) read by the child, the status of the parent will be raised to the next higher grade of Jannat (paradise) till the recitation of the Holy Qur’aan is completed”. (Jama’ul Fawa’id by Tibrani (Rh.A).

      Such are the blessings for teaching the Holy Qur’aan to your children.

 

THE HOLY QUR’ANN – A NOOR (LIGHT) IN THIS LIFE.

      Hazrat Abu Dhar (Rd.A) says that he requested the Messenger of Allaah (S.A.W.) to give him some lasting advice. He, the Messenger of Allaah (S.A.W.) said:

“Stick to the reading of the Holy Qur’aan because it is a Noor (light) in this life and Zakheerah (provision) for the hereafter.”

      Hazrat Abu Na’eem (Rh.A) states that Hazrat Basit (Rd.A) has reported from the Messenger of Allaah (S.A.W.) that the houses in which the Holy Qur’aan is read shine unto the inhabitants of heaven and the stars shine unto the inhabitants of earth. (Sharah-ul-Ilya).

 

The Holy Qur’aan Means Nearness to Allaah:

      Hazrat Abu Dhar (Rd.A) reports that the Messenger of Allaah (S.A.W.) said:

“You cannot turn to Allaah and gain nearness to Him with anything superior to that which directly proceeded from Him i.e. The Holy Qur’aan.

 

      Imam Ahmad-Ibn-Hambal (Rh.A.) says:

 “I saw Almighty Allaah in a dream and asked Him what was the best means for seeking nearness to His presence. Allaah said – O Ahmad, it is My word i.e. the Holy Qur’aan. Enquiring whether it is only reading while understanding the meaning or reading without understanding; Allaah said whether understanding the meaning or without understanding it, means nearness either way.” (Hadees).

      That is why the reading of the Holy Qur’aan is the best way to be in the presence of Allaah. Hazrat Sa’eed-Ibn-Sulaiman (Rd.A) reported has the Messenger of Allaah (S.AW.) said:

“On the Day of Judgment, before Allaah, no other interceder will have greater status than the Holy Qur’aan, neither a prophet or an angel etc.”

 

      It has been learnt from several other Ahadees (plural of Hadees) that the Holy Qur’aan is an interceder whose intercession will be accepted.

      May Almighty Allaah make the Holy Qur’aan intercede for all of us and may He (Almighty Allaah) not make it an opponent (enemy) or complainant against us.

      It is reported from the relating of Bazzaz:

“When a man dies and his relatives are busy in funeral rites, there stands an extremely handsome man by his head. When the dead body is shrouded, that man goes in between the shroud and the chest of the deceased. When, after the burial the people return home, two angels named Munkar and Nakeer (two special angels who are appointed to come into the grave) come in the grave and try to separate this handsome man so that they may be able to interrogate (question) the dead man in privacy about his faith, but the handsome man says: He is my companion, he is my friend, I will not leave him alone. In any case, if you are appointed for interrogation (questioning) do your job. I cannot leave him until I get him admitted into Jannah (Paradise)! Thereafter he turns to his dead companion and says: I am the Holy Qur’aan which you used to read sometimes in low voice and sometimes in a loud voice. Do not worry, after the interrogation (questioning) of Munkar and Nakeer  you will have no grief.”

 

      When the interrogation is over the handsome man arranges for him from Al Malai Aalaa (the angel in Heaven) a silk bedding for him filled with musk.

      May Allaah bestow this favour on all of us. (La’aali-e-mas-noo-ah).

      Today parents are very anxious for their children to do well in their school exams. They keep them away from Maktab classes so that they can study for their exams and make high grades. Parents are not interested in teaching their children to read the Holy Qur’aan. Today we find that the older people can read and recite the Holy Qur’aan, but, alas, very few youths can do this. This is indeed a very sad state of affairs. For who will continue when the older ones pass away?

 

TILAWAT (RECITING QUR’AAN) IN THE NAMAAZ OR SALAAT.

      The object of reading the Holy Qur’aan in Namaaz or Salaat:-

      It often comes to mind to inquire:- what is the object of reciting the Arabic language, is it important that we understand what we read?

      Is your Namaaz or Salaat valid (accepted) without understanding the verses of the Holy Qur’aan?

      Allaah has made Islam a simple religion for all mankind and thus if the object of Tilawat (reciting) in Namaaz or Salaat was to understand and read then there should not have been the command to repeat Surah-e-Fatiha four times in four Rakaats of Namaaz or Salaat and each Rakaat daily in the Farz and Sunnat Namazes or Salaats.

      To understand and recite this Surah (chapter) once would have been sufficient. If the object was to first understand the Arabic and then perform the Namaaz or Salaat, then surely a great number of non-Arab Muslims and also the uneducated Arabs should not have the privilege of observing this important form of worship.

      There is no doubt that the Holy Qur’aan was revealed for the guidance of mankind, but this is not the object of its recital in the daily Namaaz or Salaat.

      The purpose of Tilawat (reciting) in Namaaz or Salaat is the remembrance and worship of Allaah. The Holy Qur’aan is therefore the most widely read book in the world today.

      All over the world one would find a number of Muslims who have committed the entire Holy Qur’aan to their memory.