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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب صفة الصلاةChapters on the Description of Prayer
بَابُ جَامِعِ صِفَةِ الْقِرَاءَةِ مِنْ سِرٍّ وَجَهْرٍ وَمَدٍّ وَتَرْتِيلٍ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَComprehensive Chapter on the Manner of Recitation: Silent, Loud, Prolonged, Measured, and Others
Hadith 1650
اُردوEn
عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ قِرَاءَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: كَانَ يَمُدُّ بِهَا صَوْتَهُ مَدًّا
Qatadah says: I asked Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) about the recitation of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: When reciting, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would prolong his voice considerably.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … In the narration of Sahih Bukhari, these words are also present: ثُمَّ قَرَأَ {بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ}، یَمُدُّ {بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ} وَیَمُدُّ بِـ {الرَّحْمٰنِ} وَیَمُدُّ بِـ {الرَّحِیْمِ}. That is: Then he recited {بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ} and prolonged {بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ}, {اَلرَّحْمٰنِ}, and {اَلرَّحِیْمِ} while reciting them. The meaning of this hadith is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prolonged the "L" in {بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ}, the "M" in {الرَّحْمٰنِ}, and the "H" in {الرَّحِیْمِ} while reciting; this style is called "natural prolongation" (mad tabi‘i) by the reciters (qurra’). Allah the Exalted says: {وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِیْلًا} … (And recite the Qur’an with measured recitation. (Surah al-Muzzammil: 4))
At present, most people—whether elite or common, imams or followers—do not observe this etiquette of Qur’an recitation. Those who are particular about recitation do not focus on quality, but rather on quantity; everyone desires that the recitation of the entire Qur’an should be completed once during the Tarawih prayer, regardless of how the reciter is reading, whether any word is being understood, or if only the sound is being relied upon. In fact, in some mosques, the reciter who reads quickly is praised, and the one who reads slowly is incited—by suggesting that he is opposing the Sunnah—to read quickly as well, lest it happen that half an hour of the worshippers’ time is spent standing and their time for chatting is wasted (we seek Allah’s protection).
At this time, another great calamity is that the number of worshippers is considered a matter of disgrace or honor for the mosque administration. To attain this honor, the administration strives to find such a reciter whose voice is both beautiful and fast, regardless of his own character, so that worshippers are drawn in. For this purpose, incentives such as food, drink, and air conditioning are also offered.
Here, it is necessary to clarify that reciting in a beautiful voice is in accordance with our Shari‘ah, but to become attached solely to the beauty of the voice, disregarding the meaning and understanding of the verse and the righteousness or wickedness of the reciter, is itself opposition to this Shari‘ah.
At present, most people—whether elite or common, imams or followers—do not observe this etiquette of Qur’an recitation. Those who are particular about recitation do not focus on quality, but rather on quantity; everyone desires that the recitation of the entire Qur’an should be completed once during the Tarawih prayer, regardless of how the reciter is reading, whether any word is being understood, or if only the sound is being relied upon. In fact, in some mosques, the reciter who reads quickly is praised, and the one who reads slowly is incited—by suggesting that he is opposing the Sunnah—to read quickly as well, lest it happen that half an hour of the worshippers’ time is spent standing and their time for chatting is wasted (we seek Allah’s protection).
At this time, another great calamity is that the number of worshippers is considered a matter of disgrace or honor for the mosque administration. To attain this honor, the administration strives to find such a reciter whose voice is both beautiful and fast, regardless of his own character, so that worshippers are drawn in. For this purpose, incentives such as food, drink, and air conditioning are also offered.
Here, it is necessary to clarify that reciting in a beautiful voice is in accordance with our Shari‘ah, but to become attached solely to the beauty of the voice, disregarding the meaning and understanding of the verse and the righteousness or wickedness of the reciter, is itself opposition to this Shari‘ah.
