Excellence of the Qur'an

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the Companions to recite the Qur'an regularly and not to forget it after they had learned it by heart. He emphasized this fact by swearing that the Qur'an slips away from one's memory faster than camels tied with ropes in the middle of their foreleg. If their shepherd pays attention to them, they remain with him, and if he releases them, they go away and will be lost.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that the best and higher-standing among Muslims in the sight of Allah are those who learn the Qur’an - in terms of recitation, memorization, tartīl (measured recitation), understanding, and interpretation - and teach others the knowledge of the Qur’an that they possess, along with acting upon it.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbids us from failing to pray in our houses, thus making them like graveyards where prayer is not offered. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that the devil runs away from the house in which Surat al-Baqarah is recited.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that whoever recites the last two verses of Surat al-Baqarah at night, Allah will protect him from evil and harm. It is also said that they are sufficient for him in place of qiyām al-layl (supererogatory prayer at night). They are also said to suffice him in place of all regular dhikrs. Others say that they are the least sufficient amount of Qur'anic recitation in qiyām al-layl. Other opinions were also expressed. Perhaps all those views are correct and consistent with the Hadīth's wording.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that any Muslim who recites one letter from the Book of Allah will be credited with a good deed for it, and the reward gets multiplied for him up to tenfold. To illustrate this, he said: "I am not saying that 'Alif-Lām-Mīm' is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lām is a letter, and Mīm is a letter." Thus, they are three and equal thirty good deeds.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that Allah Almighty, in a Qudsi Hadīth, said: I have divided Surat al-Fātihah in prayer between Myself and My servant in two halves; a half for Myself and a half for him. In the first half: praise, exaltation, and glorification of Allah, for which I give him the best reward. And in the second half: entreaty and supplication, to which I respond and give him what he has asked for. When the praying person says, {All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds}, Allah says: My servant has praised Me. And when he says, {The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful}, Allah says: My servant has extolled Me, praised Me, and acknowledged My general favor upon My servants. And when he says, {Master of the Day of Judgment}, Allah says: My servant has glorified Me - and that is a great honor. And when he says, {You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help}', Allah says: This is between Me and My servant. The first part of this verse, namely {You alone we worship), is an acknowledgment of the divinity of Allah and responding to Him with worship, and with it the half which is for Allah comes to an end. The second part of the verse, namely {and You alone we ask for help}, contains the quest for help from Allah and His promise of help. And when he says, {Guide us to the straight path*, the path of those whom You have blessed; not of those who incurred Your Wrath, or of those who went astray}, Allah says: This is entreaty and supplication from My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for, and I have answered his supplication.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the types of people in terms of reciting the Qur’an and benefiting therefrom: First category: The believer who recites the Qur’an and benefits from it is like the citron fruit, good in taste, smell, and color, and has many benefits since he acts upon what he recites and is useful to people. Second category: The believer who does not recite the Qur’an is like a date that tastes good but has no smell. His heart contains faith just like the date contains sweetness in its taste and its inside. It has no smell that could be smelt by people since no recitation could be heard from him to give people comfort. Third category: The hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like a basil that smells good but tastes bitter, as he did not reform his heart with faith or act upon the Qur’an but he shows up as a believer before people. So, its good smell resembles his recitation and its bitter taste resembles his disbelief. Fourth category: The hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an is like a colocynth that has no smell and has a bitter taste. Not having a scent is like him not having a smell for not reciting the Qur’an, and its bitter taste is like the bitterness of his disbelief. His inside is void of faith, and his outside is useless; rather, it is harmful.

In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged us to recite the Qur’an with a melodious voice. The Arabic word "yataghanna", as mentioned in the Hadīth, has two possible meanings: 1. The one who does not make his voice melodious when reciting the Qur’an is not someone following our path and guidance. 2. The one who does not suffice with the Qur’an, seeking guidance elsewhere, is not one of us. Without a doubt, whoever seeks guidance in anything other than the Qur’an, Allah will lead him astray; we seek refuge with Allah. Hence, the Hadīth shows that a Muslim should recite the Qur’an with a melodious voice and find sufficiency in it from anything else.

Abu Sa‘īd Rāfi‘ ibn Al-Mu‘alla,(may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: 'Shall I': He used this form of speech to alert the addressed person to what comes after it. "Shall I teach you the greatest Sūrah in the Qur’an before you leave the mosque": He said so instead of teaching him the Sūrah directly in order to prompt him to clear his mind to receive this information with wholehearted readiness. "Then he took me by the hand": i.e. after he had said that, and we walked on. I said: "O Messenger of Allah, you said: 'I shall teach you the greatest Sūrah in the Qur’an.'" He said: "It is Alhamdulillāh Rabb al-‘Ālāmīn" (i.e. Sūrat al-Fātihah): Al-Fātihah is the greatest Sūrah because it encompasses all the purposes of the Qur’an and hence is called "Umm al-Qur’an" or 'the Mother of the Qur’an'. Then he mentioned what distinguishes Al-Fātihah from the other Sūrahs, thus making it the greatest of them all, saying: "It is As-Sab‘ al-Mathāni”. Mathāni is plural of "muthannah", meaning 'doubled', because it is recited twice in each Rak‘ah; or because it is followed by another Sūrah, so it is recited in a pair of Sūrahs; or because it includes two parts: praise and invocation; or because it includes eloquent meanings and skillful structure; or because it is repeated over the passage of time, so it will never cease to exist, and it is always taught, so it will never become extinct; or because its benefits are renewed with each state infinitely; or because it is derived from "thanā" or 'praise' because it includes praise of Allah, the Almighty, as if praising Him with His beautiful Names and Attributes; or because it is derived from "thanāya" because Allah has made it peculiar to this nation; and there are other possible meanings. "And the Glorious Qur’an": means that Al-Fātihah is also called 'the Glorious Qur’an' because it encompasses everything that is related to existence in this worldly life and in the afterlife as well as rulings and creeds.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the one who recites the Qur’an with strong memorization, precision, and proficiency will have the reward in the Hereafter of being in the rank of the noble and obedient angel-scribes. As for the one who recites the Qur’an while stuttering and rehearsing in his recitation due to weak memorization, yet continues to maintain his connection with the Qur’an despite its difficulty for him, he will have two rewards: one reward for his recitation and another for the difficulty and his rehearsing in his recitation.

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen," i.e. "Don't you know?" Though he is addressing ‘Uqbah in particular, the purpose is to address everyone in general. This is a rhetorical question to express wonder, and he referred to the reason for such wonder in his statement: "the like of which has never been seen before," i.e. they are unprecedented in their category which is "Isti‘ādhah", or seeking refuge in Allah. He said "never" to emphasize that they are unprecedented. His statement: "They are: {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} [Sūrat al-Falaq], and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind} [Sūrat An-Nās]," i.e. there are no verses of a Qur'anic Sūrah which all serve to give refuge to their reciter from the evil of all evils like the verses of these two Sūrahs. Anyone who seeks refuge with these verses while having sincere faith, Allah, the Almighty will grant him refuge. In brief, the Muslim should seek refuge from evil by reciting these two Sūrahs.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reported that it will be said to the reciter of the Qur’an, who acts upon it and devotes himself to it, in terms of recitation and memorization, when he enters Paradise: Read the Qur’an and ascend thereby in the degrees of Paradise. Recite in a measured and calm manner as you used to recite in the worldly life, for your rank will be at the last verse you recite.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked Ubayy ibn Ka‘b about the greatest verse in Allah's Book. He initially hesitated about the answer and then said: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining...} The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) agreed with him and struck him on the chest, indicating that it is filled with knowledge and wisdom. He also supplicated that this knowledge be pleasant and easy for him.

It was part of the Prophet's custom that when he went to bed, he would join his palms together and raise them as a supplicant does, and he would blow into them in a mild manner, along with little saliva. Meanwhile, he would recite the three surahs of al-Ikhlās, al-Falaq, and an-Nās. Then, he would wipe with his palms over as much of his body as he could, starting with his head, face, and the front part of his body, repeating this three times.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out in this Hadīth that envy is of different types. There is a type that is blameworthy and unlawful under Shariah; that is when a person wishes for the removal of some blessing from his brother. The permissible type of envy is when one sees someone enjoying a worldly blessing and he hopes to have the same for himself. There is also a praiseworthy type of envy which is recommended under Shariah. It is when one sees someone enjoying a religious blessing and wishes to have the same thing for oneself. This is what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) intended by his statement: "There should be no envy except in two (cases)". This means that envy has different types, and its ruling differs according to its type. It is not praiseworthy and recommended by Shariah except in two cases: 1. When there is a wealthy righteous man whom Allah has given lawful wealth, which he spends in the cause of Allah, the Almighty. So one hopes to be like him, and envies him, the kind of envy that is free from malice, for that blessing. 2. When there is a knowledgeable man whom Allah has given beneficial knowledge which he acts upon, teaches to others, and judges between the people according to. So, he wishes to be like him.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) appointed a man in charge of an army unit to be in charge and judge between them so that everything take place in an orderly fashion and without chaos. He chose the most religious, knowledgeable, and expert one of them. For this reason, rulers and scholars were to lead the prayers due to their knowledge and religion. He always concluded his recitation with Sūrat al-Ikhlās in the second Rak‘ah of every prayer because of his love of Allah and His names and attributes. It is natural whenever someone loves something that he increases its remembrance. When they returned to Madīnah, they reported this to the Prophet. So he said: "Ask him why he does this!" Is it a coincidence, or is there a special reason? The leader said: "I do this because this Sūrah contains the attributes of the Most Merciful and I love to repeat it because of this. So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Inform him, just as he repeats this Sūrah - because of what it contains of Allah's beautiful names and attributes and because he loves it - Allah loves him as well."

Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) was sitting with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he heard a sound from the sky, like the sound of a door being opened. Gabriel raised his head and looked toward heaven, then he informed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that it was a gate from heaven that was opened that day, and it had never been opened before this day. An angel descended from it to the earth, who had never descended except on that day. The angel greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with peace, and said to him: Rejoice in the good news of two lights that have been given to you, which no prophet before you was given: Surat al-Fātihah and the last two verses of Surat al-Baqarah. Then the angel said: No one will recite a single letter from either of them except that Allah Almighty will grant him the good, supplications, and requests contained within them.

Al-Barā' ibn ‘Āzib (may Allah be pleased with him) related a very interesting story that took place during the Prophet’s lifetime. A man was reciting Sūrat al-Kahf, and there was a horse near him, tied with a rope. Then, something like a cloud overshadowed him and started to come closer and closer. Frightened upon seeing that, the horse began to trample. The following morning, this man went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and related to him what had happened. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that this was tranquility descending due to the Qur’an’s recitation. This was a miracle-like event for this Companion and a proof from Allah, the Almighty, that His word is the truth. The man referred to in this Hadīth is Usayd ibn Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him).

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) after having listened to his beautiful, measured recitation of the Qur’an, said to him: “You have been endowed with one of the melodious voices of the family of Dawūd.” “One of the melodious voices of the family of Dawūd” means the voice of Dawūd himself. Prophet Dawūd (peace be upon him) had such a beautiful and melodious voice that Allah, the Almighty, says about him: {"O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well].” And We made iron pliable for him} [Sūrah Saba': 10]. The phrase “the family of so-and-so” may sometimes be used to refer to the person himself. Indeed, none of them was given a voice as melodious as that of Prophet Dawūd (peace be upon him).

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us in this Hadīth that the Qur’an has a 30-verse Sūrah that interceded for a man until Allah, the Almighty, forgave him. As he used to recite this Sūrah regularly during his lifetime, it interceded for him after his death, until Allah, the Almighty, averted His punishment from him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not name the Sūrah at the beginning of the Hadīth, but he did so at its end; a powerful indication of its sublimity and high rank and a greater motive for reciting it persistently.

An-Nawwās ibn Sam‘an reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, the Qur'an and its people who acted upon it will be brought forth, preceded by Sūrat al-Baqarah and Sūrat Āl-‘Imrān, arguing on behalf of those who were committed to them.” the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) restricted the benefit in this Hadīth, reciting the Qur'an to acting upon it because those who read the Qur'an are of two kinds: the first are those who do not implement it nor believe in its statements and descriptions nor apply the rulings contained therein. On the Day of Judgment, the Qur'an that they recited will argue against them (because they read it yet did not believe it or act upon it). The second kind are those who believe in its statements and descriptions and apply the rulings it contains. Those are whom the Qur'an will argue for them and on their behalf on the Day of Judgment. This Hadīth is a manifest proof that the most important thing regarding the Qur'an is to act upon it. This is supported by the statement of Allah, the Almighty: {It is a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded} [Sūrah Sād: 29]. To “reflect upon its verses” means to understand their meanings; and “that those of understanding would be reminded” means that they implement those verses. Reflection preceded implementation in the verse because one cannot act upon a verse if he does not understand its meaning. Reflection leads to the acquisition of knowledge, and implementation is a consequence and fruit of the knowledge. The purpose of the revelation of the Qur'an is that Muslims recite it, act upon it, believe in all its statements and descriptions, implement its rulings, act upon its commands, and avoid its prohibitions. If he does all of this (sincerely), then on the Day of Judgment, the Qur'an will argue on his behalf.

This Hadīth means that the Qur'an is taken up by some people, who consequently read it. Allah elevates by means of the Qur'an some people in the world and afterlife, and demotes by means of which others in both worlds. Those who are elevated are those who follow the Qur'an, believe in its news, observe its commands and prohibitions, and take as their model the ethics it promotes. Allah will raise their status in this world and in the Hereafter because the Qur'an is the fountainhead of knowledge. Allah, the Almighty, says: {Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees} [Sūrat al-Mujādalah: 11]. In the Hereafter, these people will be elevated in the gardens of bliss. On the other hand, the people whom Allah degrades by means of the Qur'an are those who read the Qur'an and even recite it well, but are arrogant toward it. They neither believe in its news nor implement its rulings. They are arrogant in theory and practice. For example, when they come across stories of the previous Prophets or others, or information about the Last Day, they suspect and do not believe in them. They might even end up denying the Qur'an, although they read it. These Allah will demote in both worlds.

In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) criticizes whoever says that he has forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur'an, because it gives the impression that he takes the issue of neglecting the Qur'an and forgetting it indifferently. Actually, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) added “for indeed, he has been caused to forget it”, meaning: he was punished by forgetfulness for neglecting the regular recitation and memorization of the Qur'an. After that, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded Muslims to keep refreshing their knowledge of the Qur’an by regularly reciting, memorizing, and studying it since it is more likely to escape from the hearts of men faster than camels. The camel was mentioned in particular here because it is the readiest of domestic animals to run away, and if it does run away, recapturing it is very difficult.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged the regular recitation of the Qur’an, for it will intercede on the Day of Judgment for those who recite it and act upon it. He then emphasized the recitation of Surat al-Baqarah and Āl ‘Imrān, referring to them as "Az-Zahrāwayn"—the two radiant ones—due to their light and guidance. The reward of reciting them, reflecting on their meanings, and acting upon their teachings will come on the Day of Judgment in the form of two clouds, or something similar, or two flocks of birds with outstretched wings joined together, offering shade to their companion and defending him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) further emphasized the importance of consistently reciting Surat al-Baqarah, reflecting on its meanings, and acting upon its teachings. He stated that doing so brings immense blessing and benefit in both this world and the Hereafter, while abandoning it brings regret and sorrow on the Day of Judgment. Among the virtues of this surah is that magicians are unable to harm those who recite it.

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that a man heard another reciting the Surah: {Say, “He is Allah, the One”} repeatedly throughout the night, without adding anything else. The next morning, he came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned that to him, as if the questioner thought it was not enough. Thereupon, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swore by way of confirmation: By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, it is equal to one-third of the Qur’an.

When Allah Almighty revealed to His Prophet (ﷺ) His saying: {To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth} in creation, ownership, control, and management. {Whether you reveal} show and declare {what is within yourselves} and in your hearts {or conceal it} and hide it in your hearts, {Allah will call you to account for it} on the Day of Judgment. {He forgives whom He wills} out of His grace and mercy {and punishes whom He wills} out of His justice, {for Allah is Most Capable of all things} and nothing is beyond His power. When the Companions heard this verse, it was hard on them, for it implied being held accountable even for the thoughts that pass through the heart. So they came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and knelt down on their knees, saying: O Messenger of Allah, we have been commanded with bodily acts of worship that we are able to perform—such as prayer, fasting, Jihad, and charity—but this verse has been revealed to you and we cannot bear it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to them: Do you wish to say as the Jews and Christians said: {We hear and disobey}? Rather say: {We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.} The Companions obeyed the command of Allah and His Messenger and said: We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination. When the Muslims spoke those words with their tongues and their hearts submitted to them, Allah revealed—as a commendation for the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Ummah—His saying: {The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers} and their tongues and hearts submitted to Allah's command. {All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.”} Rather, we believe in all of them. {And they say, “We hear} your words {and obey} Your command, and we seek {Your forgiveness, our Lord} and Your pardon, {and to You is the [final] destination”} and the return on the Day when the reckoning will take place. When they did that and said what they were commanded to say—openly declaring their willingness to hear and obey Allah's commands—Allah eased the burden upon this Ummah and abrogated that verse with His saying: {Allah does not burden any soul greater than it can bear} beyond its ability, strength, and effort. {For it is} the reward of {what it has earned} and performed of goodness, {and against it is} the punishment of {what it has incurred} of evil and sins. Thus, Allah does not hold anyone accountable for another's sin, nor for the whispers and passing thoughts within one's own self. {Our Lord, do not hold us accountable} and punish us {if we forget} and do not remember {or fall into error} and unintentionally deviate from what is right. So Allah responded to their supplication and said: Yes, I have done so. {Our Lord, do not place on us such a burden} hardship and load {as You have placed on those before us} from among the Children of Israel and others. So Allah responded to their supplication and said: Yes, I have done so. {Our Lord, do not burden us with that which we cannot bear} of duties, trials, or hardships beyond our strength. Allah said: Yes, I have done so. {Pardon us} and erase our sins, {forgive us} conceal them and overlook them, {and have mercy on us} through Your vast mercy. {You are our Protector} and Master, {so give us victory} by granting us steadfastness and triumph in battle and argument {over the disbelieving people} in fighting and striving against them. So Allah responded to their supplication and said: Yes, I have done so.

A man from among the Jews came to the Commander of the Believers, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), and said: There is a verse in your Book—the Qur’an—which you recite. If it had been revealed to us, the Jews, in our Book, the Torah, we would have taken that day as a festival, celebrating it in gratitude for the blessing of such a great verse. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Which verse is that? He said: {Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion.} ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: We know well the day and the place in which this noble verse was revealed. It was sent down on a day of celebration—on Friday—while the Prophet (ﷺ) was standing at ‘Arafah. Both are great days for the Muslims.

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that when the following verses were revealed to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): {Indeed, We have given you [O Prophet] a clear conquest, so that Allah may forgive you your previous and future sins, complete His favor upon you, and guide you to a straight path, and so that Allah may help you with a mighty victory. It is He Who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers so that they may increase in faith along with their faith. To Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and earth. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. So that He may admit the believing men and women to gardens under which rivers flow, abiding therein forever, and absolve them of their sins; that is a supreme triumph before Allah.} [Surat al-Fat'h: 1-5], as he was returning from Hudaybiyyah, and the Companions were overcome by sadness and depression as they were prevented from performing ‘Umrah due to the terms of the treaty, which they thought was not in favor of the Muslims, and they had slaughtered their sacrificial animals at Hudaybiyyah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Verily, a verse has been revealed to me that is more beloved to me than the entire world, then he recited it.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged his Ummah to read the Qur’an, and said that if they do so, on the Day of Resurrection Allah, the Almighty, will make the reward of their Qur'an recitation come in the form of an independent entity who will intercede for those who had read the Qur'an, those who were preoccupied with it, and those who abided by its commands and prohibitions.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf by heart will be protected, guarded, and shielded from the trial of the Antichrist, who will appear at the end of time and claim divinity. His trial will be the greatest trial on Earth from the time of Adam's creation until the advent of the Hour, due to the supernatural events that Allah Almighty will allow him to perform to deceive his followers. This is because the beginning of Surat al-Kahf contains wonders and signs that are greater than what the Antichrist will use to deceive the people. Therefore, whoever reflects upon it will not be deceived by the Antichrist. Another version reads: The last ten verses of the Surah from His statement: {Do the disbelievers think that they can take My slaves...}.

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Allah revealed to me tonight verses, the like of which have never been seen—meaning in seeking refuge— and they are the two Mu‘awwidhats: Surat al-Falaq and Surat an-Nās.