The Importance of Qur'anic Recitation/Memorization

1. Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "Read the Qur'an, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection.''

 [Muslim]. 

Commentary: This Hadith tells the virtues of reciting the Qur'an and following its commands. Intercession (in this Hadath) signifies that Allah will provide the Qur'an with the ability to speak, and it will ask Allah to forgive the sins of its reciters who followed its teachings. As indicated in numerous Ahadith, Allah will accept the request of the Qur'an.

2. An-Nawwas bin Sam`an (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "The Qur'an and its people who applied it, will be brought on the Day of Resurrection preceded with Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al-`Imran arguing on behalf of those who applied them .'' [Muslim].   Commentary: This Hadith means that on the Day of Requital, the Qur'an, with Surat Al-Baqarah and Al-`Imran in the forefront, will intercede before Allah for those who used to recite and act upon them in the life of the world.

3. 'Uthman bin 'Affan (may Allah bless him) reported that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said, "The one who learns and teaches the Qur'an is the best among you."  [Al-Bukhari]  

4.  'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) related what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur'an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels), and the one who recites the Qur'an but finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will be rewarded twice."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: "Proficient" here refers to someone who reads the Qur'an according to the rules of "Ilm At-Tajwid" (the science of Qur'an recitation), as demonstrated by Imam Bukhari's narration and the chapter's title.

This Hadith also emphasizes the merit of the Qur'an reader who does not understand 'Ilm At-Tajwid and hence cannot read it fluently. Despite this, he makes a serious effort to read it. He will be given double reward, one for the difficulty encountered in reciting it, and another for reading it. The angels who provide the Wahy (Revelation) to Allah's Messenger are known as Safratun, which is translated as scribes (angels) in the Hadith. 

 It has been interpreted by Imam Bukhari to imply ""A person who reconciles". The angels who bring Wahy and chastisement from Allah.

5. Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (may Allah bless him) reported that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said, "The believer who recites the Qur'an is like a citron, with a sweet scent and delicious taste. A believer who does not recite the Qur'an is compared to a date fruit, which has no scent but a sweet taste. The hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like a colocynth whose fragrance is so sweet, but its taste is bitter. The hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like basil which has no fragrance and its taste is bitter .''   [According to Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: According to this Hadith, Allah will provide a high position to a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it. Allah adores him, and he is well-liked by the general public. Allah and people love the believer who does not repeat it but acts on its lessons. The hypocrite who recites the Qur'an for the purpose of getting recognition has a dark and evil mind. Last but not least, there is the hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an and has a dark mind and appearance.

6. `Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Verily, Allah elevates some people with this Qur'an and abases others.''

[Muslim]

 Commentary: Only those who follow the teachings of the Qur'an and refrain from doing what Allah forbids will be raised. Because they loved and applied the Qur'an, Allah bestowed tremendous honor on the Muslims of the early decades of Islam. They achieved great things in religious and worldly realms as a result of their deep devotion to the Qur'an. Those who disobey Islam's teachings will be shamed and humiliated. May Allah guide and help us to re-establish our connection with the Qur'an and reclaim our former splendor. Exaltation and humiliation, as described in the Hadith, are certain to occur in this world and the next.

7. Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said: " Envy is justified in regard to two types of persons only: a man whom Allah has given knowledge of the Qur'an, and so he recites it during the night and during the day; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and so he spends from it during the night and during the day .''

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith has been quoted before at two places (see Hadith No. 572 ). It has been repeated here to bring into prominence the merit of reciting the Qur'an. Refer to the Commentary on Hadith No. 544.

8. Al-Bara' bin `Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: A man was reciting Surat Al-Kahf, and a horse was tied with two ropes beside him. As he was reciting, a cloud overshadowed him, and as it began to come nearer and nearer, the horse began to trample voilently. The man came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in the morning and mentioned the incident to him. He (PBUH) said, "That was tranquillity which descended as a result of the recitation of the Qur'an. ''

Commentary: There are two points to be made from this Hadith. Firstly, the excellence of Surat Al-Kahf ( The Cave, No. 18 ). Second, Allah's peace descends on the righteous. The appearance of a cloud for the tranquillity of heart on the recitation of the Qur'an is a supernatural event ( miracle) to which a pious man does not make any contribution. It is fully dependent on Allah's Will.

9. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.''

[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: This Hadith urges us to recite the Qur'an and also mentions the great reward for reciting it.

10. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who does not memorize any part from the Qur'an he is like the ruined house. ''

[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: This Hadith signifies that a Muslim's heart is devoid of spiritualism and Allah's favour if he does not memorize any section of the Qur'an by heart, just as a deserted house is devoid of residents and Allah's blessings. This teaches us that every Muslim must memorize a portion of the Qur'an in order to avoid the admonition contained in this Hadith.

11. `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The one who was devoted to the the Qur'an will be told on the Day of Resurrection: `Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.'''

[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: This Hadith highlights the benefit of people who memorize the Qur'an (in its entirety or in part) (Huffaz ). The word 'ascend' here refers to moving up the Jannah's ranks. The more one remembers the Qur'an, the more clear and distinct is his recitation of it, the higher would be the status that he will go on attaining through its blessings. As a result, this Hadith encourages us to remember the Qur'an and informs us that reciting it frequently is a means of achieving higher Jannah levels.