This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail-e-Amaal.
The Holy Quran is the Word of Allah Almighty. It is the most magnificent book, which Allah Almighty revealed upon the pure heart of His most beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Its recitation, memorization, understanding its explanation and interpretation, learning it, implementing its commands, and avoiding its prohibitions have been commanded.
There are countless verses in this regard, in which Allah Almighty has commanded the recitation of the Quran. A few are as follows:
﴿وَاتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن كِتَابِ رَبِّكَ ۖ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَن تَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَدًا﴾
"And recite what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. None can change His words, and you will not find any refuge besides Him."
Reference: (18-Al-Kahf:27)
On the Day of Judgment, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will complain to Allah Almighty about the polytheists of Makkah, saying, "O my Lord! These very people neglected Your Quran in the world. When it was recited before them, they mocked it, whistled, and made various noises so that people could not listen attentively." This complaint will be made so that Allah's punishment may be increased for them.
Another narration states that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made this complaint to his Lord during his lifetime.
﴿يَا وَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا . لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِي عَنِ الذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَاءَنِي ۗ وَكَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ لِلْإِنسَانِ خَذُولًا . وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا﴾ .
"Alas! Would that I had not taken so-and-so as a friend. He misled me from the Quran after it had come to me. And indeed, Satan is to man a clear enemy. The Prophet will say, 'O my Lord! Indeed, my people have abandoned this Quran.'"
Reference: (25-Al-Furqan:28,30)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in the commentary of this verse that abandoning the Quran means leaving the Holy Quran in many ways. For example, a person does not listen to it attentively, does not believe in it, does not act upon it, does not consider it a decision in all his affairs, does not ponder over it, and does not treat his spiritual ailments through it. Hafiz Suyuti and Abu al-Saud, among others, say that this verse is a warning to those who do not recite the Holy Quran daily, that on the Day of Judgment, the Noble Prophet ﷺ will complain to Allah against them.
Reference: (with reference to Taysir al-Rahman: 1026/2)
Furthermore, Allah Almighty has said that We revealed the Quran over twenty-three years according to the requirements of wisdom, so that you gradually teach it to the Companions, and the divine rulings are revealed gradually according to the conditions and interests of the people, and their hearts and minds become positive. Thus He said:
﴿وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنزِيلًا﴾
"And We have divided the Quran into parts so that you may recite it to the people gradually, and We have revealed it gradually."
Reference: (17-Al-Isra:106)
The Holy Quran should be recited with pauses. This is included in the etiquettes of the Holy Quran. It is said:
﴿وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا﴾
"And recite the Quran with measured recitation."
Reference: (73-Al-Muzzammil:4)
عبد الله ابن مسعود رضي الله يقول: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من قرأ حرفا من كتاب الله فله حسنة ، والحسنة بعشر أمثالها لا أقول الم حرف ، ولكن ألف حرف، ولام حرف، وميم حرف .
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah (the Quran), he will have a reward, and a reward for a good deed is multiplied ten times. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter."
Reference: Sunan Tirmidhi, Chapters on the Rewards of the Quran, Chapter on the one who reads a letter from the Quran and his reward, No. 2910 -
Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it "Sahih."النواس بن سمعان رضى الله عنه يقول: سمعت النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: يؤتى بالقرآن يوم القيامة وأهله الذين كانوا يعملون به ، تقدمه سورة البقرة وآل عمران ،تحاجان عن صاحبهما .
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Nawas ibn Sam'an (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ say: "On the Day of Judgment, the Quran and those who acted upon it in the world will be presented (before Allah). Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Aal Imran will come forward and argue on behalf of their reciters."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Quran, Chapter on the Virtue of Reciting the Quran and Surah Al-Baqarah, No. 805.
عن أبى أمامة رضى الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: إقرؤوا القرآن فإنه يأتى يوم القيامة شفيعا لأصحابه
Sayyiduna Abu Imamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ say: "Recite the Quran abundantly, for on the Day of Judgment it will come as an intercessor for its companions."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of the Prayer of Travelers, Chapter on the Virtue of Reciting the Quran and Surah Al-Baqarah, No. 804.
عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الماهر بالقرآن مع السفرة الكرام البررة، والذي يقرأ القرآن ويتتعتع فيه ، وهو عليه شاق له أجران .
It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Whoever recites the Quran and is proficient in it will be with the noble, righteous angels. And whoever recites it with difficulty and stammers in it will have twice the reward."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, Tafsir of Surah Abasa, No. 4937 - Sahih Muslim, Book of the Prayer of Travelers, Chapter on the proficient in the Quran and the one who stammers in it, No. 798.
عن أبى مالك الأشعري رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : الطهور شطر الإيمان، والحمد لله تملأ الميزان، وسبحان الله والحمد لله تملآن - أو تملأ - ما بين السموات والأرض ، والصلاة نور ، والصدقة برهان، والصبر ضياء ، والقرآن حجة لك أو عليك ، كل الناس يغدو، فبائع نفسه، فمعتقها أو موبقها .
Sayyiduna Abu Malik al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Purity is half of faith. Saying 'Alhamdulillah' once fills the scale (with good deeds), and saying 'Subhan Allah wal Hamdulillah' once fills the space between the heavens and the earth (with good deeds). Prayer is the light of the face in this world and the Hereafter. Charity is a means of salvation on the Day of Judgment. Patience is light, and the Holy Quran will testify for or against you on the Day of Judgment. Every person wakes up with his soul pledged, which he either frees by doing good or destroys by committing sin."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Chapter on the Virtue of Ablution, No. 223.
قال عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه: إن نبيكم صلى الله عليه وسلم قد قال : إن الله يرفع بهذا الكتاب أقواما ويضع به آخرين
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Allah will honor many people because of this Book and will disgrace others because of it."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of the Prayer of Travelers, Chapter on the Virtue of the One Who Stands with the Quran and Teaches It, No. 817.
They were honored in the era by acting upon the Quran,
And you became disgraced by abandoning the Quran.
عن عثمان بن عفان رضى الله عنه عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلمه .
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "The best among you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of the Virtues of the Quran, Chapter on the Best Among You is the One Who Learns and Teaches the Quran, No. 5027.
عن أبى سعيد الخدري رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقال لصاحب القرآن إذا دخل الجنة: اقرأ واصعد ، فيقرأ ويصعد بكل آية درجة حتى يقرأ آخر شيء معه .
Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "When the memorizer of the Quran enters Paradise, he will be told: Continue reciting the Quran and ascend in ranks. Thus, he will rise one rank for every verse until he reaches the last verse he has memorized, and that will be his rank."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Manners, Chapter on the Reward of the Quran, No. 3779 - Silsilat al-Sahihah, No. 2240.
Whoever acts upon the following noble hadith, memorizes two or three verses daily, learns the translation and interpretation, will gather the blessings of this world and the Hereafter in a short time. The Noble Prophet ﷺ said:
أيكم يحب أن يعدو كل يوم إلى بطحان أو إلى العقيق فيأتي منه بناقتين كوماوين، فى غير إثم ولا قطع رحم؟ فقلنا: يا رسول الله، نحب ذلك ، قال: أفلا يغدو أحدكم إلى المسجد فيعلم أو يقرأ آيتين من كتاب الله خير له من ناقتين، وثلاث خير له من ثلاث، وأربع خير له من أربع ، من أعدادهن من الإبل .
"Who among you would like to go every day to Maqam Bathan or Wadi Aqeeq and bring two she-camels with large humps without any sin or severing of kinship? We said: O Messenger of Allah! We all want that. He ﷺ said: Then why does not each one of you go to the mosque and learn or recite two verses from the Book of Allah? These two verses are better than those two she-camels, and three verses are better than three she-camels, and four verses are better than four she-camels. Likewise, as many verses as there are, they are better than that many she-camels."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of the Prayer of Travelers, Chapter on the Virtue of Reciting the Quran, No. 803
If we had not forgotten the lesson of the Quran,
The era would not have shown us hardship.
You have licked the books of philosophy and English,
But by mistake, you touched the Quran.
