The Qur'an ( When Was It Complied )

The Bearers of the Qur'an

The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

'The people of the Qur'an are the people of Allah and His elect.' 95

He (S) also said:

'The nobles of my nation are those who bear the Qur'an (in their hearts), and the people of the night (who worship Allah during the hours of darkness). 96

He (S) also said:

'The people of the Qur'an have reached the highest degree of all the children of Adam, apart from the prophets and messengers. Therefore do not deny them their rights for they have from Allah The Almighty a lofty station.' 97

He (S) also said:

'The person with the most right to humility both secret and public is the bearer of the Qur'an, as is he the person with the most right to prayer and fasting both secret and public.' Then he called at the top of his voice: 'O bearer of the Qur'an, practise humility, with the Qur'an Allah raises you up, and do not make it a source of pride so that Allah humiliates you. O bearer of the Qur'an, beautify yourselves with it for Allah, He will beautify you, but do not beautify

94 Seas of Lights: vol.17, p.210. 95 Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kilam: p.111; Tafsir Majma' al-Bayan: vol.1, p.15.

96 Al-Amali of al-Sheikh al-Suduq: p.234; He who is not in the presence of a Jurist:

vol.4, p.499. 97 Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.603.

yourselves with it for the people that Allah may disgrace you with it. The person who completes a reading of the Qur'an is as one who has reached the station of prophethood except that he will not receive revelation, and he who upholds the Qur'an, and encourages others to do so, he would not respond in the same way when he is insulted, angered, or wrathed, but he would forgive, pardon and forbear (the offending person) in line with the teaching and the honour of the Qur'an. He who is given the Qur'an and thinks that anyone else has been given something better than he has been given has aggrandised that which Allah has belittled and belittled that which Allah has aggrandised.' 98

He (S) also said:

'The most honourable of servants in the sight of Allah after the prophets are the scholars, then the bearers of the Qur'an, they will exit from this world as the prophets exit and will be gathered from their tombs with the prophets, and pass over the path along with the prophets and will receive the reward of the prophets. So act kindly with students and bearers of the Qur'an because of the honour and nobility they enjoy in the sight of Allah.' 99

He (S) also said:

'The bearers of the Qur'an are favoured with the mercy of Allah, they are clothed in the light of Allah, taught the speech of Allah, and drawn near to Allah.' 100

He (S) also said:

'The bearers of the Qur'an are surrounded by the mercy of Allah, clothed in the light of Allah, taught the speech of Allah. Whoever takes them as an enemy has taken Allah as

98 Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.604. 99 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.244. 100 Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.182.

an enemy, and whoever takes them as a friend has taken Allah as a friend.' 101

From the Commander of the Faithful (a) in a noble hadith in description of his followers:

'. . . During the night they are busy performing the prayers, reading the Qur'an and reciting it, admonishing themselves with its parables, and seeking a cure for their ills with its remedy.' 102

Also from him (a) that he said:

'The bearers of the Qur'an in this world are the wise men of the people of paradise on the day of resurrection.' 103

**The Recitation of the Qur'an ** The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

'Illuminate your houses with the recitation of the Qur'an.' 104

He (S) also said:

'There are three kinds of people who will be on a dune of musk who will not be saddened by the great terror nor distressed by the reckoning: A man who reads the Qur'an seeking a reward in the hereafter, then leads a people seeking the reward of the hereafter . . .'105

He (S) also said:

'This Qur'an is the rope of Allah and is the elucidating light, and the beneficial cure . . . So recite it and Allah will

101 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.244. 102 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.240. 103 Jami' al-Akhbar: p.48; See also Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.11, p.7: In which is found: 'The Messenger of Allah (S) said: 'The bearers of the Qur'an are the wise men of the people of Paradise, and those who strive in the way of Allah are their leaders, and the messengers are the masters of the people of Paradise.' 104 Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.610. 105 Seas of Lights: vol.7, p.149.

reward you for every letter you recite with ten blessings, and I do not say that reciting 'A.L.M' is ten but for 'A' ten, for 'L' ten, and for 'M' ten.' 106

And he said (S):

'O Salman, you must recite the Qur'an, for the recitation of it is an effacement of sins, and a shield from the fire, and a sanctuary from the torment. For every verse one recites, the reward of that of one-hundred martyrs is written for him, and for every chapter he is given the reward of that of a prophet, and the mercy of Allah will descend upon him.' 107

He (S) also said:

'You must recite the Qur'an, and remember Allah frequently, for it is a remembrance for you in the sky and a light for you on the Earth. 108

And he (S) said:

'The parents of the reciter of the Qur'an will be crowned with the crown of nobility whose light illuminates for ten thousand years (of walking) distance, and will be clothed in a garment the smallest thread of which will be worth more than one-hundred thousand times those of the earthly world and whatever riches and opulence in it. Then the reciter will be given dominion in his right hand and everlasting life in his left hand in a book which he will read from his right hand: You have been made one of the most esteemed kings of the gardens of heaven and one of the companions of Muhammad (S) Master of the prophets, and 'Ali (a) the best of vice-regents and after them the Imams, the pinnacles of piety. He will then read from the book in his

106 Jami' al-Akhbar: p.40; See also Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.24, p.258: In which is found: 'This Qur'an is the rope of Allah and the elucidating light and the beneficial cure so recite it for Allah Exalted is He will reward you for every letter recited with ten blessings. I do not say that A.L.M is all one letter but A and L and M counts as thirty blessings.' 107 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.257.

108 Seas of Lights: vol.74, p.74.

left hand: You are safe from separation from this dominion and you have been rescued from death and sickness. You are spared from disease and illness and have avoided the envy of the envious and the schemes of the schemers. Then it will be said to him: Recite and rise to your allotted station at the last verse of the Qur'an you are able to recite. When his parents see their garments and their crowns they will say: Lord, how is it that we have this honour when our acts did not deserve it. They will be told: Almighty Allah has bestowed this upon you for teaching your son the Qur'an.' 109

And he said (S):

'The hearts of men can become rusty just as iron rusts. He was asked: O Messenger of Allah what is their polish? He (S) said: The recitation of the Qur'an and remembrance of death.' 110

And he said (S):

'Whoever reads the Qur'an seeking Allah and a knowledge of the religion will have a reward the same as will be given to the Angels and the Prophets and Messengers.' 111

Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) said in his will to his son Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya:

'Know that for the Muslim there are two magnanimities. The one while at home and the ideal during travel. The ideal when at home is the recitation of the Qur'an . . .' 112

Imam Hassan (a) said:

'He who recites the Qur'an will have his wish granted sooner or later.' 113

Imam Zayn al-'Abidin (a) said:

109 Seas of Lights: vol.7, p.208. 110 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.2, p.104. 111 Seas of Lights: vol.76, p.372. 112 Seas of Lights: vol.1, p.200. 113 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.260.

'You must heed the Qur'an, for Allah has created the garden of Paradise out of bricks of gold and silver held together with a plaster of musk, where the earth is of saffron and the pebbles are of pearl. The stations of the garden are equal to the number of verses of the Qur'an and whoever recites the Qur'an will be told 'Recite and ascend.' Of whoever enters Paradise no-one shall be in a higher station than the reciter of the Qur'an except the Prophets and the Righteous. 114

Related from Imam Baaqir (a) who said:

'Everything has a springtime, and the springtime of the Qur'an is the holy month of Ramadan.' 115

Related from Imam al-Saadiq (a) who said:

'If one reads the Qur'an in his youth as a true believer, the Qur'an mingles with and becomes a part of his flesh and blood, and Allah places him alongside the pious and noble scribes, and on the day of resurrection the Qur'an will be a witness in his favour saying: 'O Lord, every doer of deeds has received the reward for his deeds except for him whose work was with me, so let him have the noblest of your gifts. Then Allah Almighty will clothe him in two of the robes of Paradise and the crown of honour will be placed upon his head. Then the Qur'an will be asked: 'Is this to your satisfaction?' And the Qur'an will answer: 'O Lord I desire for him something better than this.' So he will be given sanctity in his right hand and everlasting life in his left then he will be ushered into Paradise and will be told:

'Recite a verse and for every verse ascend a station.' Then the Qur'an will be asked: 'Have We treated him to your satisfaction?' The Qur'an will answer 'Yes.' (The narrator said):'Whoever recites a great amount of the Qur'an and underwent hardship due to the difficulty of memorisation will be given by Allah this twice over.' 116

114 Seas of Lights: vol.8, p.133. 115 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.853. 116 Thawab al-A'mal: p.100; and see Seas of Lights: vol.7, p.305.

Also related from Imam al-Saadiq (a):

'The best worship is the recitation of the Qur'an.' 117

And:

'Whoever reads the Qur'an in order to learn it by heart, Allah will allow him to enter the garden and his intercession will be accepted for ten of his family who had deserved the fire.' 118

Also from Imam al-Saadiq (a):

'Whoever recites the Qur'an to extract money from the people will arrive on the day of resurrection and his face will be a skull with no flesh on it.' 119

Related from Imam al-Saadiq (a) from the will of the Prophet (S) to Imam 'Ali (a):

'You must recite the Qur'an in all circumstances.' 120

Also related from him (a):

'The house in which there is a Muslim who reads the Qur'an will glitter for the people of the heavens as the star glitters for the people of the earth.' 121

And he said (a):

'Amir al-Mu'minin (a) said: 'The house in which the Qur'an is recited and the name of Allah is oft remembered will receive great blessings and will be visited by the Angels and avoided by the demons. It will illuminate for the people of the heavens as the evening star does for the people of the earth. But the house in which the Qur'an is not read nor the name of Allah mentioned will receive few

117 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.825; Tafsir Majma' al-Bayan: vol.1, p.15. 118 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.826; Tafsir Majma' al-Bayan: vol.1, p.16. 119 Thawab al-A'mal: p.279. 120 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.839; Seas of Lights: vol.74, p.70. 121 'Iddat al-Da'i: p.287; and see Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.610.

blessings and the Angels will flee from it and the demons will visit it.' 122

And he said (a):

'Whoever reads the Qur'an from the Holy text will find gratification for the eye, and the torment will be lessened for his parents even if they were disbelievers.' 123

And he (a) said:

'One who reads the Qur'an has riches beyond which there is no poverty and if he does not read then there is no way to riches.' 124

And related from him (a):

'The houses in which prayer is held at night with the recitation of the Qur'an will illuminate for the people of the heavens as the stars illuminate for the people of the earth.' 125

He also said (a):

'The reciter of the Qur'an who does not subjugate to Allah and whose heart does not soften and who does not cover himself with sadness and dread in secret has belittled the greatness of Allah Almighty is He and is in manifest loss. The reciter of the Qur'an requires three things: A fearful heart, (being) away from any distraction and a place free of others.' 126

He also said (a):

'By Allah, there is not a single of our followers who recite the Qur'an in their prayers standing but that they will be given for every letter one-hundred blessings, or in their prayers sitting but that they will be given for every letter

122 'Iddat al-Da'i: p.247; and see Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.498. 123 The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.853; Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.613; and Thawab al-A'mal: p.102. 124 Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.605. 125 He who is not in the presence of a Jurist: vol.1, p.473. 126 Appendix to The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.240.

fifty blessings, and at times other than in prayer but that they will be given for every letter ten blessings.' 127

He (a) also said:

'There are three types of Qur'anic reciters. There is the reciter who seeks to impress patrons and attain power over the people and he is destined for the fire. Then there is the reciter who reads the Qur'an and memorises its letters but neglects to act within its laws and he is destined for the fire. Then there is the reciter who reads and hides himself with the Qur'an under his cloak and he acts according to the clear verses and has faith in the ambiguous verses, he establishes its injunctions, makes lawful what it makes lawful and prohibits what it makes unlawful. This is one whom Allah has rescued from the trials which lead astray and he is of the people of Paradise and his intercession will be accepted for whomsoever he wishes.' 128

He (a) also said:

'What is there to prevent the traders amongst you when you come back home from work to read a chapter of the Qur'an before sleep? For each verse you read you will be accredited with ten good deeds and ten foul deeds will be erased.' 129

He (a) also said:

'The faithful son of Adam will be summoned for the reckoning and the Qur'an will go before him in the most beautiful of aspects and say: 'O Lord, I am the Qur'an and this is your faithful servant who used to tire himself by reciting me and to spend long nights reading me and his eyes would stream when he spent the nights in prayer, so please him as he has pleased me.' Allah Almighty will say:

'Open your right hand, then he will fill it with the pleasure of Allah Almighty and he will fill his left hand with the mercy of Allah then he will be told: 'This garden of

127 Seas of Lights: vol.65, p.81. 128 Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.179. 129 Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.202.

Paradise is open to you so recite and ascend. For every verse he recites he will ascend a station.' 130

He (a) also said:

'The Qur'an is the covenant of Allah to his creation therefore it is imperative that the Muslim should look into this covenant and read from it each day fifty verses.' 131

In the book 'The Reliance of the Summoner to Faith', Imam Ali al- Ridha (a) quotes the Prophet (S) who said:

'Give your houses some benefit from the Qur'an, for the house in which the Qur'an is recited brings ease, and plenty for those who dwell in it and if the Qur'an is not recited in it then it will become difficult for the household and they will be in need.' 132

He (a) also said:

'It is incumbent for the man when he awakes in the morning after his prayer to read fifty verses of the Qur'an.' 133

Related from al-Hassan al-Askari (a) who said:

'The opening surah of the book is the most noble of the jewels of the exalted throne of Allah . . . and whoever reads it while offering allegiance to Muhammad and his family, Allah will give him for every letter a reward each one of which is better than all the wealth of the world and its fineries. The same will be given to the one who listens to the recitation. So make sure you do this often.' 134

The Reciters of the Qur'an

Related from Imam Baaqir (a) who said:

130 Seas of Lights: vol.7, p.267. 131 Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.609. 132 'Iddat al-Da'i: p.278; and see The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.850. 133 Al-Tahdhib: vol.2, p.138; and see The Shi'a Guide to the Shari'a: vol.4, p.849. 134 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida: vol.1, p.302; and Tafsir al-Imam Hasan al-'Askari(a): p.29.

'Reciters of the Qur'an are of three types: A man who recites the Qur'an and takes it as if a thing for sale and seeks to impress patrons and gain power over the people. Then there is the man who recites the Qur'an and learns its words by heart but forgets to act within the bounds of its laws . . . and may Allah not make these types of bearers of the Qur'an proliferate. Then there is the man who recites the Qur'an and cures his ailing heart with the Qur'an's antidote. He remains awake at night with it and goes thirsty during his days to be with it and stands up with it in his place of prayer and leaves his bed to be with it. It is because of them that Almighty Allah will restrain the calamity and grant victory over the enemy, and grant blessed rain from the heavens. I swear by Allah that these among the reciters of the Qur'an are rarer than red sulphur.' 135

Related from al-Saadiq (a) from his forefathers who said:

'The Messenger of Allah (S) said: 'There are two sections of the Islamic Ummah who if they are righteous then the Ummah will be righteous and if corrupt then the Ummah will be corrupt - the commanders and the Qur'anic reciters.' 136