The Qur'an ( When Was It Complied )
How To Read the Qur'an
The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
'The beautiful voice is the adornment of the Qur'an.' 137
And he said (S):
'The Archangel Gabriel ordered me to read the Qur'an while standing.' 138
135 Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.627; Al-Khisal: p.42; and Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.178.
136 Al-Amali of al-Sheikh al-Suduq: p.366; Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a:
vol.4, p.253. 137 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.273. 138 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.427.
And he said (S):
'The Qur'an descended with sadness. Therefore, if you read it then weep and if you cannot weep then feign weeping. 139
And he said (S):
'Beautify the Qur'an with your voices for the beautiful voice increases the beauty of the Qur'an.' 140
In al-Khisal with a chain of transmitters from 'Ali (a) who said:
'The servant of Allah should not recite the Qur'an if he is not in a state of ritual purity until he purifies himself.' 141
Related from Imam al-Saadiq (a) who said:
'The Qur'an descended with sadness so recite it with sadness.' 142
And related from Imam al-Saadiq (a) who said:
'The Messenger of Allah (S) said: 'Recite ye the Qur'an with the voice and tone of the Arabs and avoid the tone of those who practise foul deeds and great sins. There will come a people after me who will sing the Qur'an in the style of popular song or the style of the monks or as a lamentation . . .their hearts will be tried as will those who are enamoured by what they do.' 143
Also related from him (a):
'The Prophet (S) said: 'Everything has an adornment and the adornment of the Qur'an is the beautiful voice.' 144
Also related from him (a) is that he said:
139 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.270. 140 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.273. 141 Al-Khisal: p.627; and see The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.847. 142 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.857; and see Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.614. 143 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.857; and see Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.614. 144 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.859; and see Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.615.
'Learn ye the Arabic language for it is the speech of Allah with which he addressed his creation and spoke with it to the ancients.' 145
It is related that Imam al-Kaadhem (a) had a beautiful voice and that he excelled in the recital of the Qur'an. It is related that Imam Zayn el-Abidin (a) was reading the Qur'an and a passer by heard him he would be astounded at the beauty of his voice.' 146
Related from Imam al-Ridha (a) who said:
'The Messenger of Allah said: 'Beautify the Qur'an with your voices for the beautiful voice can only enhance the beauty of the Qur'an.' 147
The Memorisation of the Qur'an
The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
'The number of stations in the garden of Paradise corresponds to the number of verses of the Qur'an. When someone who knows the Qur'an enters the garden he will be told: 'Recite and for every verse ascend a station.' There will be no station higher than he who has memorised the entire Qur'an.' 148
Related from Imam al-Saadiq (a) who said:
'The person who has memorised the Qur'an and acts in accordance with it will be counted among the noble and pious.' 149
He (a) also said:
'How important is the Qur'an! Each verse and each chapter of the Qur'an will arrive on the day of resurrection and will rise one thousand stations illuminating the garden
145 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.3, p.398; and see Seas of Lights: vol.73, p.127. 146 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.274. 147 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida: vol.2, p.322; The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.859. 148 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.231. 149 Thawab al-A'mal: p.101; Seas of Lights: vol.56, p.171; Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.177.
and will say: If only you had memorised me I would have brought you here. 150
Also related from Imam al-Saadiq (a):
'The person who takes pains to memorise the Qur'an through his own labours although his memory be weak will gain twice the reward.' 151
Also related from him (a):
'Whoever forgets a chapter of the Qur'an will see that chapter in the most beautiful of aspects and the most lofty of stations in the garden. When he sees it he will say: What are you? How beautiful you are. I wish you were for me. The chapter will say: Do you not recognise me? I am such and such a chapter of the Qur'an. If you had not forgotten me I would have raised you to this station.' 152
Related from Imam Kaadhem (a):
'The stations of the garden of Paradise are the same number as the verses of the Qur'an and it will be said: Recite and ascend. So he will read and ascend.' 153
Listening to the Qur'an
The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
'The evils of this world will be repelled from one who listens to the Qur'an and the calamity of the next world will be repelled from the reciter of the Qur'an. Listening to a single verse of the book of Allah is better than a great amount of gold, and reciting a verse from the book of Allah
150 Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.608. 151 Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.202. 152 Thawab al-A'mal: p.238; and see Al-Mahasin: p.96. 153 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.840; see also Thawab al-A'mal: p.129 in which is found: 'The degrees of Paradise are equal to the number of Qur'anic verses. The reciter of the Qur'an will be told 'recite and ascend!'
is better than what is below the heavenly throne to the nether regions of the Earth.' 154
He (S) also said:
'The reciter of the Qur'an and the one who listens are equal in their reward.' 155
Related from Imam Zayn al-'Abidin (a) who said:
'Whoever listens to a letter from the book of Allah without reading it will revive the reward of a good deed and an evil deed of his will be erased and he will rise a degree in station. Whoever reads the book of Allah while looking at it in other than during the ritual prayers, Allah will write for him for every letter a good deed and erase an evil deed, and raise him a degree in station. Whoever learns a letter from the book of Allah, Allah will write in his record ten good deeds, and erase ten evil deeds and raise him ten degrees. I do not say: For every verse but for every letter. Whoever reads a letter while sitting in prayer, Allah will write in his record fifty good deeds and erase fifty evil deeds and will raise him fifty degrees. Whoever reads a letter while standing in prayer, Allah will write in his record one-hundred good deeds and erase one-hundred of his evil deeds and raise him one-hundred degrees in station. Whoever completes a recitation of the book of Allah his wish will be granted sooner or later.' 156
Imam Saadiq (a) was asked:
'Is it incumbent upon one who hears someone reciting the Qur'an to listen and pay heed to him?' He said: 'Yes, If the Qur'an is recited near you, you should listen to it.' 157
154 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.261. 155 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.261. 156 See 'Iddat al-Da'i: p.285-288. 157 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.861; and see Appendix to the Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.275. (with a slight difference in wording).
Abandoning the Qur'an
The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
'There will come a time for my nation when nothing will remain of the Qur'an but its script.' 158
He (S) also said in his will:
'O 'Ali, In Hell there is a millstone of iron with which the heads of the criminal reciters and scholars will be pulverised.' 159
He (S) also said:
'Many a reciter of the Qur'an and the Qur'an will curse him.' 160
He (S) also said:
'Whoever learns the Qur'an then forgets it on purpose will meet Allah Almighty on the day of resurrection in chains and for every (forgotten) verse there will be a serpent assigned to oversee him. Whoever learns the Qur'an and does not act accordingly preferring to it the love of this world and its vain ornament will deserve the contempt of Allah and will be in the lowest level (of hell) … ..'
He (S) also said:
'Whoever reads the Qur'an desiring reputation and showing off for the people will meet Allah on the day of resurrection with his face in darkness with no flesh on his face. Whoever reads the Qur'an and does not act accordingly will be brought before Allah on the day of resurrection blind. He will say: 'O Lord, why have I been brought before you blind when I used to see?' He will be told: 'This is the way you approached our verses so that you forgot them, so likewise you are today forgotten.' Then he will be ordered into the fire. Whoever reads the Qur'an
158 Seas of Lights: vol.2, p.109. 159 Appendix to the Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.249. 160 Appendix to the Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.249.
desiring reputation, or as a way to argue with the foolish people or to impress the scholars, or seeking through it the things of this world will have his bones scattered by the Almighty on the day of resurrection and no-one in the fire shall have a worse punishment than him and he will be spared from no kind of torment because of the intensity of the anger and contempt that Allah has for him.' 161
He (S) also said:
'The marks of a tyrant are four in number: Disobedience of the Most Merciful, causing hurt to neighbours, hatred of the Qur'an, and nearness to wrongdoing.' 162
Related from Imam Saadiq (a) who said:
'There are three things which complain to Allah the Almighty: A dilapidated mosque which is not prayed in by its people, a learned person in the midst of the ignorant, and a copy of the Qur'an left unread on a shelf gathering dust.' 163
The Qur'an and the People of the Prophet's Household
The Most noble Prophet, Muhammad (S) said:
'Who loveth Allah then let him love me, and who loveth me let him love my family. I leave behind with you the two momentous things; the book of Allah and my family and who loveth my family then let him love the Qur'an.' 164
He (S) also said:
' . . .they (the people of the prophet's household) are with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with them. They will not
161 Seas of Lights: vol.7, p.215. 162 Seas of Lights: vol.1, p.122. 163 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.855; and see Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.613. 164 Appendix to the Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.3, p.355. deviate from it until they reach me at the sacred well (in Paradise).' 165
He (S) also said:
'Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with him. They will never diverge until they reach me at the sacred well.' 166
He (S) also said:
'Allah Almighty has favoured the Qur'an and the knowledge of its interpretation and His mercy and divine favour for the allies of Muhammad and his pure family and those who oppose their enemies.' 167
Related from Umm Salmah who said:
'I heard the Messenger of Allah (S) saying during the illness which ended in his death and when the room was full of his companions: 'O people, shortly I will die and I will be taken away and I have discharged my duty that I leave with you the two momentous things: the book of my Lord and my family my household. Then he took the hand of 'Ali (a) and said: ' 'Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with 'Ali - two successors of insight they will never depart from one another until they reach me at the sacred well' 168
Imam 'Ali (a) said:
'Allah Almighty purified us and restrained us from sin and made us witnesses over his creation and his proof on the earth. He made us be with the Qur'an and the Qur'an with us. We will never depart from it and it will never depart from us.' 169
He (a) also said:
165 Seas of Lights: vol.22, p.150. 166 Seas of Lights: vol.38, p.38. 167 Seas of Lights: vol.1, p.217. 168 Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.80. 169 Usul al-Kafi: vol.1, p.191.
'We the people of the household cannot be compared to anyone. The Qur'an was revealed amongst us and the mine of the prophetic mission is amongst us.' 170
Imam Zayn al-'Abidin (a) said:
'Our similitude in the book of Allah is as a niche in which there is a lamp. In the lamp there is a glass and the glass is Muhammad (S) as if he was a pearly star lit from a blessed tree. He said: 'Ali is its oil neither of the East nor of the West. Its oil almost illuminates although no flame has touched it. The Qur'an is light upon light. Allah guides to His light who He wishes, He guides to our allegiance whoever He loves.' 171
Related from Imam Baaqir (a) regarding Allah's words:
{ then ask the people of al-Dhikr if you do not know.} 172 He said: 'al-Dhikr is the Qur'an and we are its people.' 173
Also related from Imam Baaqir (a):
'The Qur'an was sent down in four quarters; a quarter about us, a quarter about our enemies, a quarter about injunctions and laws, and a quarter traditions and parables. We have the noble parts of the Qur'an.' 174
He (a) also said:
'The Messenger of Allah (S) said: 'I am the first to go before The Almighty on the day of resurrection along with His book and the people of my household. Then will come my nation, then I will ask them what they did with the book of Allah and the people of my household.' 175
He (a) also said regarding the words of Allah:
170 Seas of Lights: vol.26, p.269. 171 Seas of Lights: vol.23, p.311. 172 The Qur'an: The Bee (16):43. 173 Seas of Lights: vol.23, p.181. 174 Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.114. 175 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.828.
{We will settle your affairs O ye two momentous things.} 176 'The two momentous things are the Qur'an and Us.' 177
He (a) also said:
'Allah has made our regency the axis of the Qur'an.' 178
He also said (to one of his followers):
'O Mufaddal, if our followers were to contemplate the Qur'an, they would not doubt our virtue.' 179
He (a) also said:
'Allah has made our regency the axis of the Qur'an and that of all books. The clear verses of the Qur'an revolve around it and through it faith is made plain. The Messenger of Allah (S) ordered that the Qur'an and the family of Muhammad (S) be followed saying in his final sermon: 'I leave amongst you the two momentous things - the greater and the lesser. The greater thing is the book of my Lord and the lesser is the people of my household so remember me through them for you will not stray as long as you adhere to these two.' 180