Nine Great Benefits of Reading
and Reflecting Over the Qur'aan
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?