Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 45

45. (O Prophet!) Recite [72] what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Surely, prayer restrains from indecency and evil [73], and the remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing [74]. And Allah knows what you do [75].

[72]
The Benefits of Reciting the Quran:

In this verse, the apparent address is only to the Messenger of Allah ؑ, but in reality, all believers are addressed—those who were enduring hardships at the hands of the disbelievers in Makkah. As a remedy for these afflictions, they were advised three things: first, the recitation of the Quran; second, steadfastness in prayer; and third, remembering Allah at all times. The greatest benefit of reciting the Quran is that it instills patience and endurance in the heart. As stated elsewhere: ﴿لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهٖ فُؤَادَكَ﴾ [33:25] provided that the Noble Quran is read with understanding and its requirements are implemented upon oneself. The second benefit is that the recitation of the Quran itself is a source of reward, and for every single letter, ten good deeds are granted. As is clear from the following hadith: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud ؓ narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, for him is one good deed, and every good deed is multiplied tenfold. And I do not say that "Alif Lam Meem" is one letter, but "Alif" is a letter, "Lam" is a letter, and "Meem" is a letter. [ترمذی۔ ابواب فضائل القرآن۔ باب ماجاء فی من قرء حرفا من القرآن۔۔۔ ]
The third benefit is that by reciting the Quran with understanding, its meanings and realities are gradually unveiled to the reader. The fourth benefit is that through the recitation of the Quran, others also benefit from its admonitions, knowledge, and blessings. The fifth benefit is that the very foundation of the duty of da'wah and reform is also the recitation of the Noble Quran. Then, for those who do not accept the guidance of the Quran, Allah's proof is established and completed upon them.

Is Reciting the Quran Without Understanding Useless?

However, the Quranic commentator of our era, Mr. Parwez, considers the recitation of the Quran without understanding to be a futile act. He says: "The Quran is a book in which it is written that life should be lived according to the ways it prescribes. Tell me, will this purpose be achieved by merely repeating its words? Also, the Quran repeatedly invites reflection upon its subjects—can this objective be achieved by reading without understanding? Suppose you tell an author: I do not understand a single word of your book, yet I read it every day. In fact, I do not even know the language in which you wrote this book, yet I keep repeating it. Just think, what answer will that author give you? This belief was actually crafted to keep Muslims away from the Quran, which is the result of a non-Arab conspiracy, and this belief is entirely un-Quranic, a relic of the age of magic, when it was thought that words (not meanings) themselves have an effect. These Quranic practices, amulets, talismans, invocations, and so on, are all borrowed forms of this belief." [قرآني فيصلے ص : 103]
These same ideas are repeated in "Maqam-e-Hadith," page 221, and after that, a few hadiths regarding the virtue of reciting Quranic surahs or verses are mentioned, giving the impression that such hadiths are fabricated. The same thoughts are also presented in "Asbab-e-Zawal-e-Ummat," page 59, and as evidence, this verse is also presented: ﴿يَقُوْلُوْنَ بِاَفْوَاهِهِمْ مَّا لَيْسَ فِيْ قُلُوْبِهِمْ﴾ [167:3] "They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts." (Asbab-e-Zawal-e-Ummat, p. 59) Before responding, we must commend Mr. Parwez's cleverness in fitting a verse related to the hypocrites into this context. This verse begins from ﴿وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا﴾, and the meaning of the quoted portion is that the hypocrites say one thing with their tongues while their hearts hold something else; that is, what they profess with their tongues, their hearts deny. But the matter of reciting the Holy Quran without understanding or without knowing its meaning is entirely different from this. Because such a person has nothing in his heart, or if there is anything, it is only that he is reciting the words of his Lord. And this is a good, blessed, and rewarding act. The Quran greatly emphasizes the recitation of the Quran. The very first responsibility of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was to recite Allah's verses to the ummah, because this was Allah's command, and Muslim men and women were also commanded to memorize these recited verses. Allah Almighty says to the wives of the Prophet: ﴿وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلٰي فِيْ بُيُوْتِكُنَّ مِنْ اٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ﴾ [33۔ 34] "And remember what is recited in your homes of the verses of Allah and wisdom."

Recitation of the Quran and Memorization of the Quran:

And it is clear that to remember and memorize the verses, one must read and repeat them again and again, and the purpose of repeated recitation is not always reflection and contemplation. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach the Companions the Quranic verses, make them recite, make them memorize, then listen to them, and recite to them, and only then would the Companions memorize and retain them. The repetition, reiteration, or revision done during memorization is not for the purpose of reflection, but for memorization itself. Now, the repeated recitation of verses for memorization, even if done without understanding, fulfills a great religious need, i.e., the Quran is preserved in hearts. Therefore, this is a commendable act, even if one has to repeat like a parrot during memorization. What need is there for tartil (measured recitation) for a book of law? In the early days of prophethood, Surah Muzammil was revealed, and Allah Almighty addressed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, saying: ﴿اَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْاٰنَ تَرْتِيْلًا﴾ [73:4] "And recite the Quran with measured recitation." The meaning of "rattil" is for something to be arranged and organized with beautiful proportion. (Mufradat) Included in this is to recite with pauses, with beautiful pronunciation of words, and with melodious voice. If we consider the Quran to be merely a book of law and code of life, then what need is there for such instructions for reading a book of law? For pondering over a book of law, there is not even a need to read the words aloud, let alone recite it with tartil.

The Benefit of Reciting the Mutashabihat (Ambiguous Verses):

Moreover, there are some ambiguous verses in the Quran whose interpretation is known only to Allah, or to some firmly grounded in knowledge. Ordinary people, who are always in the majority, cannot reach the true meaning, interpretation, or explanation of these verses. And those who pursue the meanings and interpretations of such verses have been declared by Allah as those who cause discord. Almost all verses related to the attributes of Allah are of this kind. Then, the disjointed letters (huruf muqatta'at) in the Quran are also of this kind, which have no relation to practical human life, nor has their true meaning been known. Now, if the Quran is considered only a book of law and code of life, the question arises: what was the need for such verses in the Quran? Or should such verses be omitted during recitation? These points are clear evidence that, besides understanding and acting upon the Quran, mere recitation is also extremely necessary. Now, as for whether there is any effect in the words of the Quran or not, which Mr. Parwez associates with the age of magic, the answer is that we do believe in the effect of the words of the Quran, and the reasons are as follows:
1. The Quran is not the word of any human; rather, the arrangement of its words and its eloquence and rhetoric are such that, despite repeated challenges, the eloquent and articulate Arabs were unable to produce anything like it. Therefore, to equate it with ordinary human compositions is a great audacity, as Mr. Parwez has given the example of reading an author's book without understanding.
2. Most of the disbelievers of Makkah were eloquent Arabs, including poets. They would listen to the verses of the Quran and understand them well because their language was Arabic. They were inwardly opposed to the Quran, yet the miraculous nature of the Quran's words would enchant them. Why was it that, despite their own imposed restrictions, they would secretly listen to the Quran for hours at night? Was this not the effect of the words themselves?
3. Mr. Parwez himself acknowledges the miraculous effect of words elsewhere under the heading "Mushaira" (poetry gathering): "Tell a poet to read what he has written in verse as prose, and then see what happens to his emotions. Consider how great is this magic, by which merely rearranging the words changes your impressions." [قرآني فيصلے، ص 305]
Now, if such an effect is possible in the arrangement of words in an ordinary poet's poem, is it not possible in the arrangement of the words of the Quran? And such effect is possible not only in poetry but also in prose. The Noble Quran is completely free from poetic absurdity, yet its miraculous nature and effect are undeniable.
4. The effect of rajaz (war songs) and huda (camel songs) on camels and the like is proven by observation. Even though the camel neither knows the language nor understands the meaning, it is still affected. So, is there some non-Arab conspiracy at work in the camel as well? A related anecdote comes to mind: Someone did not believe in the effect of the words of the Quran and was debating this topic with a friend. The friend simply said, "You are a complete donkey." At this, the person became furious, his face reddened with anger, and he started calling his friend names. The friend calmly said, "If words have no effect, why did you get so angry? Did you actually become a donkey?" Hearing this, the person became somewhat embarrassed and his anger subsided. Although reciting without understanding cannot be called a purposeful act, even so, three benefits are obtained from it:
1. As long as the reciter is engaged in recitation, he will be protected from other frivolities.
2. Whoever makes this mindless recitation a habit will, at some point, surely try to understand its meaning.
3. If the divine word is recited with tartil, many other things in the universe are also affected by it and become harmonious with it. When Dawud ؑ would recite the verses of the Zabur, the mountains and birds would become enchanted by his praises and join in, as stated: ﴿وَلَقَدْ اٰتَيْنَا دَاوٗدَ مِنَّا فَضْلًا يٰجِبَالُ اَوِّبِيْ مَعَهٗ وَالطَّيْرَ﴾ "And We gave Dawud a great favor from Us: 'O mountains and birds, echo with him (in praise)!'" The same subject is mentioned in Surah Anbiya, verse 79, and Surah Sad, verse 19. In these verses, the mountains belong to the inanimate, and the birds to the animate, meaning all these things are affected by the recitation of the divine verses, even though they can neither understand the meaning nor reflect. All these clarifications prove that although the main purpose of reciting the Noble Quran is to understand and act upon it, there is an extraordinary effect in the arrangement of its words, which cannot be denied. Therefore, even if the reciter does not know its meaning, he can still benefit from its recitation in many ways. As for the matter of Quranic practices, talismans, amulets, and invocations, there is no evidence for these in the Book and Sunnah. Therefore, these are innovations and acts of shirk, and if Mr. Parwez wishes to associate such things with the age of magic, he may do so as he pleases.

[73]
If Prayer Does Not Prevent Immorality and Evil, It Is Proof of Heedlessness in Prayer:

There are two meanings to this. One is that Allah Almighty has placed such an effect in prayer that it removes the intention of indecency and evil deeds, just as Allah has placed the effect in water that it quenches thirst. The second meaning is that what is required from prayer is that the worshipper refrains from indecency and evil deeds. Both meanings are correct, and even if it is said that both meanings ultimately amount to the same thing, it is correct. Now, if you reflect on the components of prayer and what is recited in prayer, it becomes clear that whoever continues to pray but is not kept away from indecency and evil by it, then he is merely performing prayer habitually and without thought. How can someone who, in every rak'ah of his prayer, sincerely repents before Allah and declares disavowal of shirk and seeking help from others, still be involved in shirk? And in every rak'ah of prayer, one seeks forgiveness from Allah for one's sins—will such a person not try to avoid evil and indecent deeds? And the person who, in every rak'ah of his prayer, prays to Allah to be guided on the straight path—can he commit evil and indecent acts? In short, the more one reflects on the confessions and supplications made before Allah in prayer, the clearer it becomes that whoever performs prayer correctly will inevitably refrain from evil deeds, and if he does not, the logical conclusion is that he is not performing prayer properly. He is heedless of Allah's remembrance in prayer and is engrossed in worldly thoughts. Such a prayer is the prayer of a hypocrite, not of a believer. That is why Allah Almighty has warned of a bad end for those who are heedless of Allah's remembrance in their prayer. [108: 4، 5]

[74]
How Is the Remembrance of Allah the Greatest Thing?

This phrase also has several meanings. One is that the very soul of all acts of worship is the remembrance of Allah. If a person is heedless of Allah, how can he worship? The second is that all acts of worship can only be performed properly if, during worship, one is not heedless of Allah's remembrance. The third meaning is that remembering Allah, saying "Allah Allah" with the tongue, and remembering Allah in the heart at all times is, in itself, a very great act of goodness. This meaning is supported by the following hadith: Hazrat Ali ؓ narrates that Hazrat Fatimah ؓ was greatly troubled by grinding flour at the mill. She heard that some captives had come to the Prophet ﷺ (from the spoils, a fifth of which was reserved for him and its distribution was at his discretion). She went to the Prophet ﷺ to request a maidservant or slave. By chance, she did not find him at home, so she mentioned this to Hazrat Aisha ؓ. When the Prophet ﷺ came, Hazrat Aisha ؓ informed him. He came to us that night when we had already lain down on our beds. We tried to get up, but he ﷺ said: "Stay where you are." (He ﷺ sat between me and Hazrat Fatimah ؓ.) I felt the coolness of his feet on my chest. He ﷺ said: "Shall I not tell you something better than what you asked for? (And that is) When you go to your beds, say 'Allahu Akbar' 34 times, 'Alhamdulillah' 33 times, and 'Subhanallah' 33 times. This is better for you than what you asked for." [بخاری۔ کتاب الجہاد والسیر۔ باب الدلیل علی الخمس لنوائب رسول اللہﷺ]
And the fourth meaning is that if a servant remembers Allah, Allah also remembers the servant [2: 152], and it is obvious that Allah's remembrance of the servant is a very great thing.

[75] That is, Allah knows the one who is constantly engaged in His remembrance and also the one who is heedless of His remembrance. Then He will deal with each according to his deeds.