Du'aa: "O Allah! Whatever my tongue recites from Your Book, grant me the favour to reflect upon it. O Allah! Bestow upon me the understanding of it. Bestow upon me the knowledge of its meaning, and spirit, and the vision to see its niceties. Grant me the favour to act according to its injunctions as long as I live. Certainly You have power over all things."
It is pointless to watch other people's houses crumbling when our own house is in need of repair and attention.
Nine Great Benefits of Reading and Reflecting Over the Qur'ân
By Abul Abbas
With the Name of Allâh, the Most Merciful, may His Salâh and Salâm be upon His last
Messenger Muhammad, to proceed:
Indeed the Book of Allâh is not a book like any other, it is the timeless Speech of Allâh,
not a created thing, a study guide for life and death and what comes after. Therefore it
deserves a more careful study than anyone else's speech. It necessitates that its reader
return to the early narrations of those who witnessed its revelation and heard its
explanation by the one deputed by Allâh to rehearse and explain His Words to humanity
(sallallâhu 'alayhe wa sallam). For if one would try to ponder over the meanings of the
verses without having done this study, then surely the filth of the time that he lives in and
his ignorance of the correct application and understanding that the early Muslims had
would cause him to understand some things not intended by Allâh Most High, and
therefore he would go astray, thinking to be worshipping Allâh.
So every sincere Muslim who hopes to earn Allâh's Love by reciting and reflecting over
Allâh's Book, then let him hold tight to the meanings explained by the Prophet (sallallâhu
'alayhe wa sallam), and those taught by the Companions and their immediate followers,
and the early scholars of Islâm.
Know that reciting and pondering over the Book of Allâh, devoting your time regularly to
its study and implementation has tremendous benefits in this life and the Next, so let us
now look to just a few of them to attach ourselves more firmly to Allâh's Majestic Words.
Each benefit stands as enough of an encouragement on its own for us to shun any laziness
we have and dedicate ourselves to the Qur'ân properly.
1 - Reading and reflecting over the Qur'ân fulfills an Islâmic duty
Indeed the Prophet (sallallâhu 'alayhe wa sallam) summarized this Religion with his
statement:
"The Religion is nasîhah (sincerity)!"
So then Tamîm ibn Aws (may Allâh be pleased with him) then said, "We asked, 'To
whom?'"He (sallallâhu 'alayhe wa sallam) replied:
"To Allâh, HIS BOOK, His Messenger, the leaders of the people, and their common
folk." [2]
The sincerity that is due to the Book of Allâh, as Ibn Rajab Al-Hambalî said, includes
having a strong love for it, honoring it and extolling its great status, affirming that it is the
Speech of Allâh, seeking to understand its meanings, acting by it, following the orders
found in it, spreading its correct understanding, continually studying it, and taking on the
good manners that are encouraged in it. [3]
So by reading and reflecting over the Qur'ân, one fulfills an obligation and is rewarded
for that. Upon fulfilling this obligation, the Qur'ân then becomes a proof for him on the
Day of Judgement! And that is our second benefit we will take by embracing this Noble
Book...
2 - The Qur'ân will be a proof for us on the Day of Judgement
This is due to the statement of the Messenger:
"...and the Qur'ân is a proof for you or against you..." [4]
So one of two things will occur with this proof, the Book of Allâh. It will either be in
your favor, a proof for you on the Day when you will need every single good deed, or it
will be something standing against you, the very Speech of your Creator, a proof against
you! Who could be saved from the terrors of that Day if Allâh's own Speech is against
him?!?!
Think carefully, dear Muslim brother or sister, about your position with the Qur'ân! Are
you neglecting it, contradicting it, being heedless of its orders and prohibitions, are you
thinking deeply over it?! Will it be on your side on the Day of Judgement?!
O Allâh! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech and the rest of Your beautiful Names and
Attributes, to make the Qur'ân a proof for us! O Allâh! Don't make the Qur'ân a proof
against us on that Day, and save us from the hellfire!
For if Allâh makes the Qur'ân a proof in our favor on that Day, then it would also be an
intercessor for us, when NO intercession will take place except by His Permission.
3 - The Qur'ân will intercede for us on the Day of Judgement
The proof: Abû Umâmah relates that the Prophet (sallallâhu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"Read the Qur'ân, for verily it will come on the Day of Standing as an intercessor for
its companions." [5]
4 - Your status in this life will be raised
In Sahîh Muslim, we find a lovely story, about how a man from the promised people of
Jannah, 'Umar ibn Al-Khattâb, understood this principle.
Some men came to question him during his khilâfah about the leadership of Makkah,
they asked, "Who do you use to govern Makkah?"
He said, "Ibn Abzâ."
They asked, "And who is Ibn Abzâ?"
'Umar replied, "A freed slave from those we freed."
They remarked, "You left a freed slave in charge of the people of the Valley (the noble
tribes of the Quraysh)!?!?"
So he answered them, "Verily he is a reader of the Book of Allâh and is knowledgeable
about the obligations of the Muslims. Haven't you heard the statement of your
Messenger:
"Verily Allâh raises some people by this Book and
lowers others by it." [6]
5 - You will be from the best of the people
'Uthmân (may Allâh be pleased with him), the third khalîfah and fourth most virtuous
person on earth after the Prophet (sallallâhu 'alayhe wa sallam), Abû Bakr, and 'Umar,
said that the Prophet (sallallâhu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"The best of you are the ones who learn the Qur'ân and teach it to others" [7]
6 - There are ten rewards for each letter you recite from the Qur'ân
As an authentic hadîth in Sunan At-Tirmithî proves:
"Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allâh, he will have a reward. And that
reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that "Alif, Lâm, Mîm" is a letter,
rather I am saying that "Alif" is a letter, "lâm" is a letter, and "mîm" is a letter." [8]
So increase your recitation of the Qur'ân to gain these merits, and to gain the following
merit as well...
7 - The recitors of the Qur'ân will be in the company of the noble and obedient
angels
'Aishah (may Allâh be pleased with her), the Prophet's beloved wife who held his head in
her lap as he took his last blessed breaths, relates that the Prophet (sallallâhu 'alayhe wa
sallam) said:
"Verily the one who recites the Qur'ân beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will
be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites
with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have
TWICE that reward." [9]
So do not let the Shaytân give you false excuses, such as "I am not an 'Arab," or "Its not
my language." This hadîth is a firm proof against these whisperings. Dedicate yourself to
the Book of Allâh, whether you are an 'Arab or not! The excuses have been eliminated
and the pathway has been cleared for you to embrace the Book of Allâh without holding
back or offering excuses!
And surely you will not hesitate to seek a teacher or a study circle for the Qur'ân once
you hear the last and perhaps greatest benefits of reading and contemplating over the
Qur'ân...
8 - The Qur'ân will lead you to Paradise
The Prophet (sallallâhu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"The Qur'ân is an intercessor, something given permission to intercede, and it is
rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise;
Whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire." [10]
9 - Your position in Paradise is determined by the amount of Qur'ân you memorize
in this life
'Abdullâh ibn 'Amr ibn Al-' آs heard the Prophet (sallallâhu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:
"It will be said to the companion of the Qur'ân: Read and elevate (up through the
levels of the Paradise) and beautify your voice as you used to do when you were in
the dunyâ! For verily, your position in the Paradise will be at the last verse you
recite!" [11]
Know that these nine benefits, from the many benefits available, can only be attained by
a sincere commitment to the Book of Allâh, not by a person's mere statement, "I love the
Qur'ân, it's beautiful." Rather the heart must be sincerely attached to Allâh's Book and
the limbs and tongue will follow in this attachment.
You must know that only a few of the numerous benefits of reading and reflecting over
the Qur'ân have been mentioned here. There are many benefits that await your reading in
the Qur'ân and books of hadîth, like the chapter of the Qur'ân that will argue on your
behalf in the grave, and that it is a physical healing, a source of rest and relaxation for
your heart, among many other things.
And Allâh knows best.
Footnotes:
[1] written by Abul-'Abbâs
[2] Sahîh Muslim #194 (1/220 of Sharh An-Nawawî)
[3] refer to Jâmi'ul-Ulûm wal-Hikam, p.221 (Ar-Risâlah, 1417)
[4] part of a hadîth in Sahîh Muslim #533 (2/97 of Sharh An-Nawawî)
[5] Sahîh Muslim #1871 (3/330 of Sharh An-Nawawî)
[6] Sahîh Muslim #1894 (3/339 of Sharh An-Nawawî)
[7] Sahîh Al-Bukhârî #5027 (9/89-90 of Fat-hul-Bârî)
[8] Sunan At-Tirmithî #2910; Al-Albânî authenticated it in Sahîh Sunan At-Tirmithî
(3/164)
[9] Sahîh Muslim #1859 (3/325 of Sharh An-Nawawî); another version of this hadîth
with a slighty different wording can be found in Sahîh Al-Bukhârî #4937 (8/852 of Fathul-
Bârî)
[10] an authentic hadîth found in Sahîh Ibn Hibbân #124 (1/330-331 of Tartîb Ibn
Balbân, printed by Ar-Risâlah), on the authority of 'Abdullâh ibn Mas'ûd; Al-Albânî
authenticated it in Silsilatul-Ahâdîthis-Sahîhah #2019
[11] Sunan At-Tirmithî #2914; Al-Albânî authenticated it in Sahîh Sunan At-Tirmithî
(3/164-165)
One main reason to read Quran actually is that this is the only possible way of ever getting in touch with Muhammad's (pbuh) God. God is never going to speak to us, converse with us, encourage us in times of difficulty or extreme illness etc, listen and verbally respond to us to even say "it will be all right" except through Quran. Hence, it makes it all more important for those souls who are trying to find God to read Quran if they have faith that these are words of God. For the faithless, still, Quran remains to be the only possible way to discover God if they can fathom even a minute possibility of existence of God.
Love this man, may Allah give him place in Jannah.
Last edited by CosmicPathos; 05-18-2011 at 01:47 AM.
Help me to escape from this existence
I yearn for an answer... can you help me?
I'm drowning in a sea of abused visions and shattered dreams
In somnolent illusion... I'm paralyzed
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7 Reasons to Read the Qur'an
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