I.
Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Uthman Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
reported that the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi
wa Sallam has said,
خيركم من تعلم القران وعلمه
“The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur’an.” [Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 2, Page 752]
II. Hadrat Mu’adh al-Juhani Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
reported that the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi
wa Sallam has said,
من قرأ القرآن وعمل بما فيه ألبس والداه تاجا يوم القيامة ضوءه أحسن من ضوء الشمس في بيوت الدنيا لو كانت فيكم فما ظنكم بالذي عمل بهذا
“Whoever recited the Qur’an and acts according to its contents, on the Day of Resurrection his parents will be given to wear a crown whose light is better than the light of the sun in the dwellings of this world if it were among you. So what do you think of him who acts according to this?!” [Musnad aHmad, Vol 4, Page 446]
III. Hadrat ibn Mas’ud Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu reported
that the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam
has said,
من قرأ حرفا من كتاب الله فله حسنة والحسنة بعشر أمثالها ، لا أقول الم حرف ، ولكن ألف حرف ، ولام حرف ، وميم حرف
“Whoever recites a letter of the Book of Allah (the Qur’an) he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem are one letter; but Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter and Meem is a letter.” [Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 2, Page 119 - Sunan Daarimi, Vol. 2, Page 320]
There are 361, 267
letters in total in the Holy Qur’an. Thus, upon the
recitation of the whole Qur’an one shall receive
3,212,670 rewards (good deeds).
IV. Hadrat Bara’ Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu reported that
when a man was reciting Surah al-Kahf, with a horse tied
up with two ropes at his side, a cloud overshadowed him,
and as it began to come nearer and nearer his horse
began to jump. He went and mentioned that to the Holy
Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam in the morning who
said,
تلك السكينة تنزلت بالقرآن
“That was the Sakinah which came down because of the recitation of the Holy Qur’an.” [Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 2, Page 749 - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, Page 268]
V. Hadrat Abu Sa’id al-Khudri Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
reported that Hadrat Usaid ibn Huzair Radi Allahu Ta'ala
Anhu said that one night, when he was reciting Surah al-Baqarah
with his horse tied beside him, it started jumping. But
when he stopped reciting it also kept quiet. When he
again resumed recitation it again started jumping. So he
again stopped reciting and it also kept quiet. Then he
again recited and the horse again started jumping. So he
finished reciting, for his son Yahya was near it and he
was afraid it might injure him. When he had moved him
back, he raised his head to the sky and saw something
like a canopy with what seemed to be lamps in it; and
when he told the Holy Prophet of it in the morning he
said, “you should have kept on reciting, O Ibn-e-Huzair,
you should have kept on reciting.” He said, “I was
afraid, O Messenger of Allah that it might trample on
Yahya who was near it, so I went to him, and when I
raised my head to the sky and saw something like a
canopy with what seemed to be lamps in it, I went out
but could not see them.” He asked, “Do you know what it
was?” He said, “I do not.” He said,
تلك الملائكة دنت لصوتك ولو قرأت لأصبحت ينظر الناس إليها لا تتوارى منهم
“Those were the angels who had drawn near to listen to your voice. If you had continued reciting, the people would have looked at them in the morning and the angles would not have concealed themselves from the people.” [Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 2, Page 750 - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, Page 269]
VI. Hadrat Abu Hurairah Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu reported
that the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam
asked Hadrat Ubayy ibn Ka’b Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu,
“What do you recite (from the Qur’an) in the prayer?” He
recited Ummul Qur’an (Surah al-Fatiha). The Messenger of
Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam said,
والذى نفسى بيده ما أنزلت فى التوراة ولا فى الإنجيل ولا فى الزبور ولا فى الفرقان مثلها
“by Him in Whose power my soul is, nothing like it has been sent down in the Torah, the Injil (Bible), the Zabur, or the Qur’an. It is the Seven oft-repeated verses and the Mighty Qur’an which I have been given.” [Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 2, Page 115]
VII. Hadrat Anas Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu reported that
the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam has
said,
إن لكل شىء قلبا وقلب القرآن يس من قرأ يس تب الله له بقراءتها قراءة القرآن عشر مرات
“Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is Yasin. Allah records anyone who recites Yasin as having recited the Qur’an ten times.” [Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 2, Page 116 - Sunan Daarimi, Vol. 2, Page 336]
VIII. Hadrat ‘Ata Ibn Rabah Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
reported, “I heard that the Messenger of Allah
SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam said,
من قرأ يس فى صدر النهار قضيت حوائجه
‘Whoever recites Yasin at the beginning of the day, his desires will be fulfilled.’” [Sunan Daarimi, Vol. 2, Page 336]
IX. Hadrat Ma’qal ibn Yasar al-Muzani Radi Allahu Ta'ala
Anhu reported that the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa
Sallam has said,
من قرأ يس ابتغاء وجه الله غفر الله تعالى له ما تقدم من ذنبه فاقرؤوها عند موتاكم
“Whoever recites Yasin seeking the pleasure of Allah, his past sins are forgiven. So, recite it over those of you who are dying.” [Mishkat Sharif, Page 189]
X. Hadrat ‘Ali Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu reported: I heard
the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam say,
لكل شيء عروس وعروس القرآن الرحمن
“Everything has an adornment, and the adornment of the Qur’an is (Surah) al-Rehman” [Mishkat Sharif, Page 189]
XI. Hadrat Abu al-Darda’ Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
reported that the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi
wa Sallam asked,
أيعجز أحدكم أن يقرأ فى ليلة ثلث القرآن. قالوا وكيف يقرأ ثلث القرآن قال قل هو الله أحد يعدل ثلث القرآن
“Are any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur’an in a night?” They said, “How could we recite a third of the Qur’an?” He said, “Say, He is Allah, One” is equivalent to a third of Qur’an.” [Sahih Bukhari, Vol 2, Page 750 - Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Page 271]
XII. Hadrat Abu Musa al-Ash’ari Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
reported that the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi
wa Sallam has said,
تعاهدوا القرآن فوالذى نفسى بيده لهو أشد تفصيا من الإبل فى عقلها
“Keep revising (the learning by heart of) the Qur’an, because I swear by Him in Whose control my soul is, it is more slipping away than a camel which is tied with a rope.” [Sahih Bukhari, Vol 2, Page 753 - Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Page 268]
XIII. Hadrat Sai’d ibn ‘Ubadah Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu
reported that the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi
wa Sallam has said,
ما من امرئ يقرأ القرآن ينساه إلا لقى الله عز وجل يوم القيامة أجذم
“Anyone who recites (i.e. learns off by heart) the Qur’an and then forgets it will meet Allah on the Day of Resurrection in a maimed condition.” [Sunan Abi Dawood, Vol. 2, Page 207 - Sunan Daarimi, Vol. 2, Page 325]
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. The Holy Qur’an (whether in salaah or outside) should
be recited clearly, according to the rules of Tajweed.
It should not be sung, as this is not allowed.
2. It is better to recite the Holy Qur’an by looking at
it than off by heart.
[Fatawa-e-‘Alamgiri]
3. It is Mustahab (act of great reward) to face the
Qiblah, to wear nice clothes, to apply fragrance prior
to the recitation of the Holy Qur’an.
4. When starting the recitation from the beginning of a
Surah (outside of prayer) to recite, ‘Ta’wwuz’ (Au’dhu
Billahi Minash Shaytanir Rajim – I seek the refuge of
Allah from Satan, the cursed) is Mustahab.
5. When starting the recitation of the Holy Qur’an from
the beginning of a Surah (outside of prayer) to recite
‘Tasmiyah’ (Bismillahir Rehmanir Raheem – Allah in the
Name of, the Most Affectionate the Most Merciful) is
Sunnah.
6. If one has started the recitation not from the
beginning of a surah but from the middle of a surah,
then upon commencing the recitation to recite both
‘ta’awwuz’ and ‘tasmiyah’ is Mustahab.
[Bahar-e-Shari’at –
Vol. 1]
7. If one has commenced reciting from Surah al-Tawbah
(al-Bara’ah) then one should recite both ‘Ta’awwuz’ and
‘Tasmiyah’. If however, surah al-Tawbah comes in the
duration of one’s recitation then one should continue
and not recite the Tasmiyah. The commonly misunderstood
ruling that if one starts the recitation from Surah al-Tawbah
(al-Bara’ah) there is still no need to pray ‘Ta’awwuz’
or ‘Tasmiyah’ is wrong. The other misunderstood ruling
is that Surah al-Bara’ah (al-Tawbah) comes in the middle
of one’s recitation, then one should pray ‘Ta’awwuz’ but
not ‘Tasmiyah’ is also wrong.
[Bahar-e-Shari’at –
Vol. 1, Chapter 3, Page 309]
8. In some places, (outside of prayer) some start the
recitation with: “لقد جاءكم رسول من أنفسكم عزيز عليه ما
عنتم حريص عليكم بالمؤمنين رؤوف رحيم” But they do not
recite Tasmiyah. This is wrong, as to recite Ta’awwuz
and ‘Tasmiyah’ before this ayah (if this ayah is the
first to be recited) is Mustahab.
9. Likewise, some in the khatm start the recitation with
either of these five verses:
“إلهكم إله واحد لا إله
إلا هو الرحمن الرحيم” or
“إن رحمت الله قريب من
المحسنين” or
“ما كان محمد أبا أحد
من رجالكم ولكن رسول الله وخاتم النبيين وكان الله بكل شيء
عليما”
…but do not recite ‘Ta’wwuz’ nor the ‘Tasmiyah’. This is
wrong.
10. If all the people in a gathering recite the Holy
Qur’an loudly then this is Haram. Often in an Urs or
Fatiha (khatm gathering), all the people recite the Holy
Qur’an aloud. This is Haram. If there are a few people
in a gathering then all should recite quietly. [al-Durr
al-Mukhtar, Bahar-e-Shari’at]
11. When the Holy Qur’an is recited loudly in a
gathering then it is obligatory on all the people
present to listen, if the reason for the gathering was
to recite the Holy Qur’an. Otherwise, if only one person
listened to the recitation, then it is sufficient
regardless if the others are busy in their work or not.
[al-Ghunniyah,
Fatawa-e-Razawiyyah, Bahar-e-Shari’at]
12. It is Fard-e-Kifaya to memorise the whole of the
Qur’an. To learn off-by-heart Surah al-Fatiha and
another small surah or three short verses (ayat)
equivalent in length to one short surah or one long
verse equivalent to three short verses is Wajib-e-‘Ain
(necessary for each person individually, to learn).
13. One should differentiate in pronunciation the
following letters, when reciting the Holy Qur’an: Tha,
Sin, Shin, Swad, Ta’, Twa, Dha, Za, Dwa, Ża, Alif, A’ (hamza),
‘Ain, Ha (from the throat), ha (lighter), Qa’, Ka’, Da’
and Dwa’, Jim, and Za’. Otherwise, if one did not
pronounce each and every letter correctly with its
unique characteristic, then the prayer will not count
because of the changes that shall be made in the
meanings due to incorrect pronunciation.
[Bahar-e-Shari’at]
14. Those who are not able to pronounce letters
correctly such as Ha’ (from the middle part of the
throat), Twa, ‘Ain, Swad and so on, should try their
utmost best, in fact it is obligatory that they make an
attempt to rectify their recitation so that the
pronunciation of the letters is correct. Otherwise,
namaz will be rendered void.
[Fatawa-e-Radwiyyah
Vol. 3 Page 95 and in Radd al-Muhtar Vol. 1 Page 409]
15. We see many teachers in madrissahs who have not
learnt how to pronounce each and every letter of the
Arabic alphabet correctly, according to its unique
characteristic. Moreover, they have not acquired the
knowledge pertaining to the correct way of the
recitation of the Holy Qur’an, by neglecting the rules
of Tajweed. [Some teachers recite the letters Arabic
text dha’, za’, zwa’ asjeem; qaf as kaf; sheen as seen;
ghayn as gaaf. This is an act of great sin.] Therefore,
what they teach children is incorrect and they shall be
held accountable on the Day of Resurrection for teaching
others the incorrect manner of reciting the Holy Qur’an.
In fact, some even touch the Holy Qur’an without being
in the state of purification. This is indeed strictly
forbidden and Haraam, as Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala has
clearly stated in the Holy Qur’an:
لا يمسه إِلا المطهرون
“which none do touch, but the purified ones.” [Surah:56 – al-Waqi’ah, Verse:79]
16. Many who have memorised the Holy Qur’an off-by-heart
(have become hafiz) recite the Holy Qur’an in such a
hastily manner that one cannot differentiate between the
letters, let alone the words! Such that one can only
hear the ya’lamun and the ta’lamun and the rest of the
words are not recited correctly. On top of this, the
common folk feel pride in these huffaz saying that “such
and such a person can recite the Surah in 1 minute!” to
recite the Qur’an in such a hastily manner is strictly
unlawful and Haram. [Bahar-e-Shari’at
– Vol. 3 Page 306]
17. It is permissible, without any disapproval, to
recite the Holy Qur’an in those times in which to
perform salaah is Makruh-e-Tehrimi. These times are:
However, it is better that one does not recite the Holy
Qur’an in these times. One should recite durud sharif
(invoke blessings and salutations upon the Messenger of
Allah) instead. [Bahar-e-Shari’at
Vol. 3 Page 230, al-Bahr al-Ra’iq Vol. 1 Page 251, Radd
al-Mohtar Vol. 1 Page 262]