In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
This thread is dedicated to posting Qur'an recitations for non-Muslims or those new to Islam so they can appreciate the sound and beauty of the Qur'an. Below is a bit of background to this aspect of the Qur'an.
One of the characteristics of the Qur'an is that it is something to be recited and heard by the people. It is not a text that is confined to the pages of a book. Rather it is a living message in the hearts and on the tongues of Muslims throughout the world, who recite it as an act of worship and memorise it also. This has been the case since the time of the revelation of the Qur'an. When parts of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him), he would recite it to his Companions, who would then memorise it and write it down.
Listening to the Qur'an has a moving and penetrating effect, in its language, style and eloquence. There are many instances from the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) where we find examples of the Qur’an’s power over its listeners. The enemies of the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) would even call it magic because of the powerful effect it had on the one who heard it, thereby unwittingly conceding the fact that it was something supernatural. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) recited Surah an-Najm (Qur’an
53) in Makkah, the entire audience, believers and non-believers, fell into prostration in awe, overpowered by what they had heard. When `Utbah ibn Rabi`ah, who was one of the leaders of the polytheists in Makkah came to debate with the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) and he recited Surah Fussilat (Qur’an
41) in response, `Utbah ibn Rabi`ah left shaken and humbled by the verses. There are also stories from the Companions who would tell us how the Qur’an affected their hearts. For example, Jubayr bin Mut’im said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah recite ‘Surah Al Tur’ in the Maghrib prayer, and when he got to the verses “
Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? No, but they have no firm Belief. Or are with them the treasures of your Lord? Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like?” [Qur’an
52:35-37], my heart wanted to fly from my body out of awe.”
Recitation of the Qur'an is an integral part in the life of every Muslim. It is recited loudly in three out of the five daily prayers, as well as other prayers on special occasions such as Friday prayers and Eid prayers. Every year, in the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims across the world recite the entire Qur'an from memory in special night prayers. The very act of reciting the Qur'an is considered an act of worship, as is memorising it. God says in the Qur'an,
...and recite the Qur'an in slow, measured rhythmic tones. [73:4]
There are also numerous teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) which exhort Muslims to read the Qur'an with a slow, rhythmic recitation and beautification of the voice. Non-Muslims who have studied and heard the Qur'an have commented on this unique aspect of the Qur'an:
"…there is a quality to the sound of the Qur'an which anyone familiar with it in Arabic can recognize. Qur'anic commentators have discussed the power
and beauty of this sound… is one of the key aspects of the science of analysing ijaz al-Qur'an (the inimitability of the Qur'an)." Michael Sells
"Whenever I hear the Quran chanted, it is as though I am listening to Music, underneath the flowing melody there is sounding… insistent beat of a drum, it is like the beating of my heart." Arthur John Arberry
The following is written by Michael Sells, a Professor of Religion who speaks about the Qur'an to non-Muslim readers:
...The experience of the Qur'an in traditional Islamic countries is very different from Western attempts to read it as a story bound within the pages of a book with a sequence of beginning, middle, and end. For Muslims, the Qur'an is first experienced in Arabic, even by those who are not native speakers of Arabic. In Qur'an schools, children memorize verses, then entire Suras . They begin with the Suras that are at the end of the Qur'an in its written form. These first revelations to Muhammad express vital existential themes in a language of great lyricism and beauty. As the students learn these Suras, they are not simply learning something by rote, but rather interiorizing the inner rhythms, sound patterns, and textual dynamics - taking it to heart in the deepest manner.
Gradually the student moves on to other sections of the Qur'an. Yet the pattern set by this early, oral encounter with the text is maintained throughout life. The Qur'anic experience is not the experience of reading a written text from beginning to end. Rather, the themes, stories, hymns, and laws of the Qur'an are woven through the life stages of the individual, the key moments of the community, and the sensual world of the town and village. Life is punctuated by the recitation of the Qur'an by trained reciters who speak from the minarets of mosques, on the radio, and from cassettes played by bus drivers, taxi drivers, and individuals. The experience is a nonlinear repetition through recitation. The actual stories, which may seem fragmented in a written version, are brought together in the mind of the hearer through repeated experiences with the text. The most accomplished Qur'anic reciters are famous throughout the Islamic world, and their cassettes and CDs can be found in kiosks and music stores in any city with a large Islamic population...