Virtues and Rulings about the Recitation of the Holy Quran: Thirty Lessons of Ramadan – Part 23

By Mufti Abdul Malik Misbahi, New Age Islam Translated into English by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam 14 April 2023 Lesson 23: Virtues and Rulings about the Recitation of the Holy Quran The Qur'an is a heavenly cure and mercy. In the Quran, Allah states: "And We send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it adds nothing to the unjust but loss." [17:82] Every night throughout Ramadan, the Angel Jibreel (peace be upon him) would visit the Prophet (peace be upon him) and study the Qur'an with him. (Bukhari) The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Anyone who recites the Quran and then believes that something else that has been given to others is better than it has diminished the value of the dearest thing of Allah Almighty.” (Ihya Ulum al-Deen, Chapter: Excellence of the Quran) The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “If the Quran is kept within skin, burning fire will not go near it, nor touch it.” (Ihya Ulum al-Deen, Chapter: Excellence of the Quran) The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Recitation of the Quran is the best divine service of my followers.” (Ihya Ulum al-Deen, Chapter: Excellence of the Quran) The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "The example of him (a believer) who recites the Qur'an is like that of a citron which tastes good and smells good. And he (a believer) who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which is good in taste but has no smell. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who recites the Qur'an is like the Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who does not recite the Qur'an is like the colocynth which tastes bitter and has no smell.” (Sahih Bukhari Book 66, Hadith 42) The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it." (Sahih Bukhari Book 66, Hadith 49) There are numerous rewards to reciting the Quran. Another Hadith quotes our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: "Verily, whoever recites the Quran with beauty, ease, and accuracy, he shall be with the honourable and submissive angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward.”(Bukhari) Therefore, based on this hadith, we can conclude that striving hard and making an extra effort to learn and memorise the Qur'an in order to please Allah Almighty will result in a double reward. In order for Allah to be pleased with us and for us to receive tremendous rewards in this life and the hereafter, we should work hard to memorise the Quran. Ten Rewards for reciting one letter of the Quran: According to a hadith, "Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will have a reward." And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “Laam” is a letter and “Meem” is a letter.”(Tirmidhi). Read the Qur'an, for it will undoubtedly appear on the Day of Judgement as an intercessor for its companions, according to one hadith narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Allah says: If a man cannot pray or invoke Me on account of his being engaged in reciting the Quran, I will give him better rewards than those who express gratefulness” (Tirmidhi/Daarmi) Some Essential Guidelines for Reciting the Holy Quran Law: It is individual obligatory [Farz-e-Ain] for every sane, Baligh (who has reached the age of puberty), Muslim man and woman to memorize a portion of the Quran verbatim in order to perform the prayers. Law: It is compulsory [Waajib] for every sane, Baligh Muslim man and woman to memorise Surah Fatiha, as well as one major or three minor verses from the Holy Quran, or one minor Surah like Surah Asr, Surah Kaushar, or Surah Ikhlas, etc., which should be recited alongside Surah Fatiha while offering the prayer (Salah). Law: One must perform ablution before touching the Holy Quran. Law: it is permissible to touch without ablution the Cassettes or CDs that include the recordings of the Quran's recitation. Law: It is commendable (Mustahabb) to clean the mouth with Miswak, Manjan, or toothpaste before reciting the Quran. Law: It is permissible for someone to recite the Holy Quran while still being without ablution as long as they do not touch it, as it is forbidden to touch the Holy Quran without ablution. Law: It is Mustahabb to perform ablution in order to recite the Quran verbally. Law: Reciting the Qur'an by sight is better than reciting it orally because both the tongue and the eyes receive the reward of worship through it. Law: Cleanliness of clothes is not a condition for recitation. Law: Purification of clothes and use of perfume are more rewarding in view of the honour of the Holy Qur'an. Law: It is not necessary to face the Kaaba while reciting. However doing so is more rewarding. Law: It is Sunnah Muakkadah to recite “Auzubillah and Bismillah'' before starting the recitation. Law: Reciting the entire Holy Quran in its whole twice a year is Sunnah Muakkadah. Law: It is better not to engage in any other work in the middle of recitation. Law: Forgetting the Qur'an in such a way that one cannot read it even after looking at it is a major sin. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whoever forgets the Qur'an after memorizing shall appear before Allah on the Day of Judgment in the state of leprosy. The Nafl prayers are not as rewarding as reciting the Holy Qur'an during the nights when it is recommended to wake up and pray. The best reward is to recite the Holy Qur'an for a lengthy time during the Nafl prayer. It is better to perform the missed obligatory prayers instead of Nafl. Law: Reciting any verse of the Holy Quran with music extremely prohibited. It is permissible to teach the Holy Qur'an to a non-Muslim or give it to him as a present in the hopes that he will accept Islam, but if he wishes to touch it, he must first perform ablution. Law: All Ulama have agreed that it is acceptable for a teacher to get income for teaching the Holy Qur'an in modern times. But receiving payment for reciting the Quran is prohibited. However, there is no issue with accepting something that is wilfully given as a gift to the person reciting the Quran. (Continued) Mufti Abdul Malik Misbahi is the author of multiple books. He has also lectured and held positions such as Mufti, Shaykhul Hadith, president, founder, and director at a number of institutions, including Darul Uloom Ghousia in Hubli, Karnataka, and Darul Uoom Solemaniya Rahmaniya in Bikaner Darul Uloom Reza-e-Mustafa, Bihar, Madrasa Shah Khalid, Vanwa Libo Muslim League, Fiji (near Australia), Madina Educational Society, Rajasthan. He currently holds the positions of Mufti in the Sunni Darul Ifta in the Madina Masjid, General Secretary of the Raza Foundation, Director of the Darain Academy, Founder of the Afkar-e- Raza Institution, and Chief Editor of the Do-Maahi Raza-e-Madina (Urdu, Hindi) in Azadnagar, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Previous Articles: Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Welcome to Ramadan and First Lesson on the Virtues of Ramadan Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Second Lesson on the Respect of Ramadan – Part 2 Thirty Lessons Of Ramadan: Third Lesson On The Horrific Consequences Of Desecrating Ramadan – Part 3 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Fourth Lesson on the Fasting Of Ramadan and its Intention – Part 4 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Lessons Five and Six on the Rulings (Ahkaam) And Laws (Masaail) Of Taraweeh Part 5 and 6 Thirty Lessons Of Ramadan: Seventh Lesson On Sehri [Pre-Dawn Meal] Part 7 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Eighth Lesson on Iftar – Part 8 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Ninth Lesson on Rulings and Laws Related to Fasting – Part 9 Thirty Lessons Of Ramadan: Tenth Lesson On Rulings And Laws Related To Fasting – Part 10 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: The Eleventh Lesson on Rulings Regarding Fasting and the Conditions That Permit Refraining From Fasting - Part 11 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Twelfth Lesson on Rulings Related to Qazaa, Kaffarah and Fidyah – Part 12 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: 13th Lesson on Rulings of Kaffarah and Fidyah – Part 13 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: The Fourteenth Lesson on the Updated Guidelines for the Treatment in the State of Fasting – Part 14 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: The Fifteenth Lesson on the Updated Guidelines for the Treatment in the State of Fasting – Part 15 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: The Sixteenth Lesson on the Updated Guidelines for the Treatment in the State of Fasting – Part 16 Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Zakaat in the Light of the Quran and Hadith – Part 17 The Rulings and Laws of Zakaat: Thirty Lessons of Ramadan - Part 18 The Virtues and Laws of I’tikaaf: Thirty Lessons of Ramadan - Part 19 The Virtues of the Qadr Night or Lailatul Qadr: Thirty Lessons of Ramadan - Part 20 Fasting and Modern Science: Thirty Lessons of Ramadan - Part 21 Some Facts about The Holy Quran: Thirty Lessons of Ramadan - Part 22 URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/virtues-rulings-recitation-quran-ramadan-part-23/d/129560 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism