Nine Great Benefits of Reading
and Reflecting Over the Qur'aan [1]
www.bakkah.net
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, may
His Salaah and Salaam be upon His last Messenger Muhammad, to
proceed:
Indeed the Book of Allaah is not a book like
any other, it is the timeless Speech of Allaah, not a created thing, a study
guide for life and death and what comes after. Therefore it deserves a more
careful study than anyone else's speech. It necessitates that its reader return
to the early narrations of those who witnessed its revelation and heard its
explanation by the one deputed by Allaah to rehearse and explain His Words to
humanity (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam). For if one would try to ponder
over the meanings of the verses without having done this study, then surely the
filth of the time that he lives in and his ignorance of the correct application
and understanding that the early Muslims had would cause him to understand some
things not intended by Allaah Most High, and therefore he would go astray,
thinking to be worshipping Allaah.
So every sincere Muslim who hopes to earn
Allaah's Love by reciting and reflecting over Allaah's Book, then let him hold
tight to the meanings explained by the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam),
and those taught by the Companions and their immediate followers, and the early
scholars of Islaam.
Know that reciting and pondering over the
Book of Allaah, devoting your time regularly to its study and implementation has
tremendous benefits in this life and the Next, so let us now look to just a few
of them to attach ourselves more firmly to Allaah's Majestic Words. Each benefit
stands as enough of an encouragement on its own for us to shun any laziness we
have and dedicate ourselves to the Qur'aan properly.
1 - Reading and
reflecting over the Qur'aan fulfills an Islaamic duty
Indeed the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) summarized this Religion with his statement:
"The
Religion is naseehah (sincerity)!"
So then Tameem ibn Aws (may Allaah be pleased
with him) then said, "We asked, 'To whom?'" He (sallallaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam) replied:
"To
Allaah, HIS BOOK, His Messenger, the leaders of the people, and their
common folk." [2]
The sincerity that is due to the Book of
Allaah, as Ibn Rajab Al-Hambalee said, includes having a strong love for it,
honoring it and extolling its great status, affirming that it is the Speech of
Allaah, seeking to understand its meanings, acting by it, following the orders
found in it, spreading its correct understanding, continually studying it, and
taking on the good manners that are encouraged in it. [3]
So by reading and reflecting over the Qur'aan,
one fulfills an obligation and is rewarded for that. Upon fulfilling this
obligation, the Qur'aan then becomes a proof for him on the Day of Judgement!
And that is our second benefit we will take by embracing this Noble Book...
2 - The Qur'aan
will be a proof for us on the Day of Judgement
This is due to the statement of the
Messenger:
"...and
the Qur'aan is a proof for you or against you..."
[4]
So one of two things will occur with this
proof, the Book of Allaah. It will either be in your favor, a proof for you on
the Day when you will need every single good deed, or it will be something
standing against you, the very Speech of your Creator, a proof against you! Who
could be saved from the terrors of that Day if Allaah's own Speech is against
him?!?!
Think carefully, dear Muslim brother or
sister, about your position with the Qur'aan! Are you neglecting it,
contradicting it, being heedless of its orders and prohibitions, are you
thinking deeply over it?! Will it be on your side on the Day of Judgement?!
O Allaah! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech
and the rest of Your beautiful Names and Attributes, to make the Qur'aan a proof
for us! O Allaah! Don't make the Qur'aan a proof against us on that Day, and
save us from the hellfire!
For if Allaah makes the Qur'aan a proof in
our favor on that Day, then it would also be an intercessor for us, when NO
intercession will take place except by His Permission.
3 - The Qur'aan
will intercede for us on the Day of Judgement
The proof: Aboo Umaamah relates that the
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"Read
the Qur'aan, for verily it will come on the Day of Standing as an intercessor
for its companions." [5]
4 - Your status
in this life will be raised
In Saheeh Muslim, we find a lovely
story, about how a man from the promised people of Jannah, 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab,
understood this principle.
Some men came to question him during his khilaafah
about the leadership of Makkah, they asked, "Who do you use to govern
Makkah?"
He said, "Ibn Abzaa."
They asked, "And who is Ibn Abzaa?"
'Umar replied, "A freed slave from
those we freed."
They remarked, "You left a freed
slave in charge of the people of the Valley (the noble tribes of the Quraysh)!?!?"
So he answered them, "Verily he is a
reader of the Book of Allaah and is knowledgeable about the obligations of the
Muslims. Haven't you heard the statement of your Messenger:
"Verily
Allaah raises some people by this Book and lowers others by it." [6]
5 - You will be
from the best of the people
'Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him),
the third khaleefah and fourth most virtuous person on earth after the
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), Aboo Bakr, and 'Umar, said that
the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"The
best of you are the ones who learn the Qur'aan and teach it to others"
[7]
6 - There are
ten rewards for each letter you recite from the Qur'aan
As an authentic hadeeth in Sunan At-Tirmithee
proves:
"Whoever
reads a letter from the Book of Allaah, he will have a reward. And that reward
will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that "Alif, Laam, Meem"
is a letter, rather I am saying that "Alif" is a letter, "laam"
is a letter, and "meem" is a letter."
[8]
So increase your recitation of the Qur'aan to
gain these merits, and to gain the following merit as well...
7 - The recitors
of the Qur'aan will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her),
the Prophet's beloved wife who held his head in her lap as he took his last
blessed breaths, relates that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
said:
"Verily
the one who recites the Qur'aan beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be
in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites
with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have
TWICE that reward." [9]
So do not let the Shaytaan give you false
excuses, such as "I am not an 'Arab," or "Its not my
language." This hadeeth is a firm proof against these whisperings.
Dedicate yourself to the Book of Allaah, whether you are an 'Arab or not! The
excuses have been eliminated and the pathway has been cleared for you to embrace
the Book of Allaah without holding back or offering excuses!
And surely you will not hesitate to seek a
teacher or a study circle for the Qur'aan once you hear the last and perhaps
greatest benefits of reading and contemplating over the Qur'aan...
8 - The Qur'aan
will lead you to Paradise
The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
said:
"The
Qur'aan is an intercessor, something given permission to intercede, and it is
rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to
Paradise; Whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire."
[10]
9 - Your
position in Paradise is determined by the amount of Qur'aan you memorize in this
life
'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr ibn Al-'Aas heard the
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:
"It
will be said to the companion of the Qur'aan: Read and elevate (up
through the levels of the Paradise) and beautify your voice as you used to do
when you were in the dunyaa! For verily, your position in the Paradise
will be at the last verse you recite!" [11]
Know that these nine benefits, from the many
benefits available, can only be attained by a sincere commitment to the Book of
Allaah, not by a person's mere statement, "I love the Qur'aan, it's
beautiful." Rather the heart must be sincerely attached to Allaah's
Book and the limbs and tongue will follow in this attachment.
You must know that only a few of the numerous
benefits of reading and reflecting over the Qur'aan have been mentioned here.
There are many benefits that await your reading in the Qur'aan and books of
hadeeth, like the chapter of the Qur'aan that will argue on your behalf in the
grave, and that it is a physical healing, a source of rest and relaxation for
your heart, among many other things.
And Allaah knows best.
This article was
taken from BAKKAHnet (www.bakkah.net)
FOOTNOTES
[1] written by
Abul-'Abbaas
[2] Saheeh Muslim #194 (1/220 of Sharh
An-Nawawee)
[3] refer to Jaami'ul-Uloom wal-Hikam,
p.221 (Ar-Risaalah, 1417)
[4] part of a hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim
#533 (2/97 of Sharh An-Nawawee)
[5] Saheeh Muslim #1871 (3/330 of Sharh
An-Nawawee)
[6] Saheeh Muslim #1894 (3/339 of Sharh
An-Nawawee)
[7] Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree #5027 (9/89-90
of Fat-hul-Baaree)
[8] Sunan At-Tirmithee #2910; Al-Albaanee
authenticated it in Saheeh Sunan At-Tirmithee (3/164)
[9] Saheeh Muslim #1859 (3/325 of Sharh
An-Nawawee); another version of this hadeeth with a slighty different
wording can be found in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree #4937 (8/852 of Fat-hul-Baaree)
[10] an authentic hadeeth found in Saheeh
Ibn Hibbaan #124 (1/330-331 of Tarteeb Ibn Balbaan, printed by Ar-Risaalah),
on the authority of 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood; Al-Albaanee authenticated it in Silsilatul-Ahaadeethis-Saheehah
#2019
[11]
Sunan At-Tirmithee #2914; Al-Albaanee authenticated it in Saheeh Sunan
At-Tirmithee (3/164-165)
TEST YOUR
UNDERSTANDING
What are some
dunyaa benefits of reading and reflecting over the Qur'aan?
What are some
benefits of reading and reflecting over the Qur'aan that one may enjoy in the
Hereafter?
What would you say
to Muslims who are discouraged from reading the Qur'aan since they are not
'Arabs?