BELIEF IN THE BOOKS AND THE HOLY QUR’AN

The Qur’an Will Intercede on Judgment Day for Those Who Recite It

On the basis of what we have learned from the words of God’s Messenger, the Qur’an will not leave us to our own devices in the Hereafter but will hold us by the hand at on the Day of Reckoning where we will be most in need of shade to offer relief to us. God’s Messenger points to this reality in the following hadith:

“When a person is resurrected from the grave on the Day of Judgment, the Qur’an will appear before this person who looks pale and drawn and will ask, ‘Do you recognize me?’ He will reply, ‘No!’ His recitation of the Qur’an will then say, ‘I am your companion, the Qur’an that left you thirsty during the intense heat of the day, and sleepless at night.’ Then a crown of honor will be placed on the head of the reciter, and his mother and father will be adorned in a precious cloak. And when his parents ask the reason for this, their child’s recitations and study of the Qur’an will be displayed before them.” (Sunan ibn Majah, Adab, 52).

In another narration, the noble Prophet said: “Read the Qur’an, because on the Day of Judgment, the Qur’an will appear as an intercessor for the one who read it” (Sahih Muslim, Musafirin, 252).

Daughter of Imran al-Kathir, one of God’s beloved servants, relates: “My father used to say, ‘I will obey and submit to God for the rest of my life. Were it not for the bowing and prostration (during Prayer) and for the recitation of the Qur’an, I would not have wished to live in this world.’ He constantly spent his life in worship.

Upon his death, I saw him in my dream and asked, ‘Dear father, why haven’t we heard from you since you left us?’ He replied saying, ‘How can you hear from someone who has died and entered the grave, my dear girl!’ ‘How are you?’ I asked. ‘I am well, very well,’ he said. ‘Soft beds were prepared for us as well as delightful dwellings. We have been favored with the service coming from Paradise and can smell its perfume.” ‘What is that has enabled you to reach such a station?” I asked. ‘A sincere heart and reading the Qur’an often,’ he answered.”

Angels, Mercy and Tranquility Descends Where the Qur’an Is Recited

Reading and listening to the recitation of the Qur’an is a form of worship. So exalted a book is the Qur’an that not only human beings, but angels too enjoy a share of its recitation. They come to a place where the Qur’an is recited and enable the blowing of a Divine atmosphere therein. The Messenger of God expresses this reality with the following words:

“Any group of people that assemble in one of the Houses of Allah to study the Qur’an, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will engulf them, angels will surround them and Allah will make mention of them to those (the angels) in His proximity.”

(Sahih Muslim, Book 9, Hadith 33).

Usayd ibn Hudayr narrated that while he was reciting Surah al-Baqarah at night, and his horse was tied beside him, the horse was suddenly startled and troubled. When he stopped reciting, the horse became quiet, and when he started again, the horse was startled again. Then he stopped reciting and the horse became quiet too. He started reciting again and the horse was startled and troubled once again. Then he stopped reciting and his son, Yahya was beside the horse. He was afraid that the horse might trample on him. When he took the boy away and looked towards the sky, he could not see it. The next morning he informed the Prophet who said, “Recite, O Ibn Hudayr! Recite, O Ibn Hudayr!” Ibn Hudayr replied, “O Allah’s Messenger! My son, Yahya was near the horse and I was afraid that it might trample on him, so I looked towards the sky, and went to him. When I looked at the sky, I saw something like a cloud containing what looked like lamps, so I went out in order not to see it.” The Prophet said, “Do you know what that was?” Ibn Hudayr replied, “No.” The Prophet said, “Those were angels who came near to you for your voice and if you had kept on reciting till dawn, it would have remained there till morning when people would have seen it as it would not have disappeared.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 66, Hadith 40)

Satan Flees from Houses Where the Qur’an Is Recited

Serenity, blessing and felicity descend to a place where the Qur’an is recited. Recitation of the Qur’an dispels stress and depression and averts distress of the heart and spirit, as the Qur’an repels devils first and foremost, as well as evil spirits. God’s Messenger gives voice to this truth with the example below:

“Blessings abound in a house wherein the residents read the Qur’an. The angels gather in such houses whereas the demons run away from it. The blessings and well-being of houses wherein the Qur’an is not recited diminishes.” (Sunan ad-Darimi, 2/429–430).

How Could I Refrain from the Qur’an?

At a time when Mecca did not allow believers to survive in its bosom, Abu Bakr was one of those people who were not given a chance in Mecca. Like those who had migrated to Abyssinia, he too thought of following his friends and migrating. On the road to Abyssinia, he ran into an idol-worshipper named Ibn’ud-Daghinna. He asked Abu Bakr: “Where are you going, O the son of Abu Quhafa?”

Abu Bakr replied: “My community has banished me. They do not want to see me amongst them anymore.”

“How could they banish someone like you? You are a person who supports the poor, helps the widow and reaches out to the orphan. They cannot deprive someone like you from Mecca. Come with me, I will take you under my protection” replied, Ibn’ud-Daghinna.

They returned to Mecca and Ibn’ud-Daghinna announced that Abu Bakr was under his protection. However, this man was an idol-worshipper from Mecca, thus how long would he endure Abu Bakr, with his friends, behavior and the Qur’an? This remained to be seen.

Abu Bakr accepted the conditions put forward by this idol-worshipper and confined himself to his house. He continued reciting the Qur’an in his own house. After a while, he built an extension to his house, a balcony-like structure located in front of his window and began to recite the Qur’an and offered his Prayers there.

Abu Bakr always had tears in his eyes, whenever he said “God”, he could not hold his tears back and when he prayed, it was as if volcanoes were erupting in him. As he continued to pray and recite the Qur’an in a state of trance on his balcony, men, women and children would gather around his house and listen to him. The hearts of these people were gradually warming up to faith.

The leaders of the idol-worshippers were outraged by this as they spoke to Ibn’ud-Daghinna and said: “Release him from your protection or we will deal with him in a way that will damage your reputation as a protector. Do not let the people gossip behind your back.”

For solution, Ibn’ud-Daghinna asked Abu Bakr to stop reciting the Qur’an. He replied: “How could I refrain from the Qur’an? This is the Word of God. It was revealed so that it is announced to everyone. By God! Even if you take me out of your protection, I shall continue to do this under the protection of God!”

Many Rewards Are Recorded for Each Letter of the Qur’an

The Qur’an is like a fountain of benefaction bringing a multitude of rewards to the human being. Those approaching this fountain will benefit from it in abundance. There is even twofold the reward for those experiencing difficulty reading it. Consider how the Prophet conveys the glad tidings of this:

“The one who recites the Qur’an and he is proficient with it, then he is with the noble and blessed Angels (As-Safaratil-Kiramil-Bararah), and it is difficult for him, then he gets two rewards.”

(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Book 42, Hadith 2904).

God Almighty declares in the Qur’an: “Whoever comes to God with a good deed will have ten times as much, and whoever comes with an evil deed will be recompensed with only the like of it; and they will not be wronged” (Al-An’am 6:160).

Now, just think: The best of deeds is surely reading the Divine Word, the Qur’an, and ensuring its prevalence in our lives. Consequently, it can be gleaned from the verse that a person reciting the Qur’an will be given at least tenfold the reward.

Said Nursi explains this truth in this way: “Out of Divine Grace, the letters of some surahs may sprout and yield 10, 70, or 700, like the letters of Ayatu’l-Kursi. Sometimes they yield 1,500, like the letters of Suratu’l-Ikhlas, or 10,000, like verses recited on the Night of Forgiveness (Laylatu’l-Bara’a) and other blessed occasions. Sometimes they even yield 30,000, like verses recited on the Night of Power (Laylatu’l-Qadr). These are like poppy seeds, each of which may produce 10 cones, each of which contains thousands of seeds. As the Qur’an considers the Night of Power equivalent to 1,000 months (97:3), one letter of the Qur’an recited on that night brings 30,000 rewards.”

Muhammad ibn Ka’b Al-Qurazi narrated: “I heard Abdullah ibn Mas’ud saying: ‘The Messenger of Allah said: ‘(Whoever recites a letter) from Allah’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.’” (Jami at-Tirmidhi, Book 42, Hadith 2910).

Going Back to the Beginning

One day a man came to our beloved Prophet and asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What is the action most adored by Allah the

Almighty?” So the Prophet replied, “The journey that begins again once it ends.”

The man asked again, “O Messenger of Allah! What is a journey that begins again once it ends?” The Prophet answered, “Reading the Qur’an from the beginning to end, and then going back to the beginning again (thus continuing our journey to the Almighty, ever-turning to Him by the continual recitation of the Qur’an).” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Qira’ah, 4).

What Should Be Kept in Mind Whilst Reciting the Qur’an?

1. A person reciting the Qur’an should assume a deep reverence, constantly bear in mind the nature of the words they are reading, and must reflect on the things that they read.

2. The Qur’an, the Book of absolute purity, must be read in a state of perfect cleanliness.

3. A suitable time must be chosen for reciting the Qur’an; one should not attempt to recite the Qur’an when one is mentally or physically exhausted, when they are busy, or when the environment is not conducive to doing so.

4. One of the most important issues to be attended to during recitation of the Divine Word is to avoid prejudice.

5. Recitation of the Qur’an should begin with the words, “I seek refuge in God from Satan, who is eternally rejected (from God’s Mercy).”

6. Another matter one should pay attention to when reading the Qur’an is reading with tartil, or properly, distinctly, in measured tone and doing justice to its recitation.

7. Reciting the Qur’an with a somber tone of voice, effective in eliciting an emotional response, as opposed to a cheerful one, has been regarded as mustahab (recommended).

8. God’s Messenger has advised reading the Qur’an beautifully and for it to be embellished with a sweet, pleasant, and melodious voice.

9. Another important point that we should take into consideration when reading the Qur’an is that each and every verse of it should be regarded as having addressed us directly, as if the events, parables, stories, personalities, and the like, also concern us directly and as imparting messages to us all.

Qur’anic Verses

This is a Book, which We send down to you, full of blessings, so that they (all conscious, responsible beings) may ponder its verses, and that the people of discernment may reflect on it and be mindful. (As-Sad 38:29).

Or do those in whose hearts is a disease think that God will not bring to light their spite (against the Divine Religion and its followers)? (Muhammad 47:29).

With Him are the keys to the Unseen; none knows them but He. And He knows whatever is on land and in the sea; and not a leaf falls but He knows it; and neither is there a grain in the dark layers of earth, nor anything green or dry, but is (recorded) in a Manifest Book. (Al-An’am 6:59).

Do they not contemplate the Qur’an (so that they may be convinced that it is from God)? Had it been from any other than God, they would surely have found in it much (incoherence or) inconsistency. (An-Nisa 4:82).

Prophetic Traditions

Uthman ibn Affan that the Messenger of Allah said: “The best of you (or the most virtuous of you) is he who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.” (Jami at-Tirmidhi, Book 42, Hadith 2908).

Uqbah ibn Amir narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “The one who recites the Qur’an aloud is like the one who gives charity publicly, and the one who recites the Qur’an quietly is like the one who gives charity secretly.” (Jami at-Tirmidhi, Book 42, Hadith 2919).

Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “Indeed, the one who does not have the Qur’an inside him (his heart), is like the ruined house.” (Jami at-Tirmidhi, Book 42, Hadith 2913).

It was narrated that Hisham ibn Amir said: “On the day of Uhud the people were exhausted. The Prophet said: ‘Dig graves and make them wide, and bury two or three in a grave.’ They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, who should we put in first?’ He said: ‘Put in first the one who knew the Qur’an most.’” (Sunan an-Nasa’i, Book 21, Hadith 199).

Questions

1) “When a person is resurrected from the grave on the Day of Judgment, the _______ will appear before this person who looks pale and drawn and will ask, ‘Do you recognize me?’ It will then say, ‘I am your companion, the _______ that left you thirsty during the intense heat of the day, and sleepless at night.’ Which of the following should be used to fill in the blank?

A) Supplication C) Qur’an

B) Sunna D) Righteous acts

2) _______, mercy and tranquility descend where the Qur’an is recited. Reading and listening to the recitation of the Qur’an is a form of worship. Which of the following words should be used to fill in the blank?

A) The Jinn C) Martyrs

B) Angels D) Friends of God

3) Which of the following is not one of the main benefits of reciting the Qur’an?

A) Blessing and felicity descends to a place where the Qur’an is recited

B) Dispels stress and depression

C) Averts distress of the heart and spirit

D) Informs of the Unseen Realm

4) By means of which angels is a proficient recitation of the Qur’an realized?

A) Gabriel C) The Noble Recorders

B) Michael D) Israfil

5) Which of the following is not one of the points to be taken into consideration when reciting the Qur’an?

A) Recitation of the Qur’an should be very aloud.

B) The Qur’an, a book of absolute purity, must be read in a state of perfect cleanliness.

C) God’s Messenger has advised reading the Qur’an beautifully and for it to be embellished with a sweet, pleasant, and melodious voice.

D) Recitation of the Qur’an should begin with the words, “I seek refuge in God from Satan, who is eternally rejected (from God’s Mercy).”