11 Jul Advise to women who have memorised the Qur’aan
Bismillah
Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullah,
Alhamdulillah! The completion of memorisation of Al Qur’aan is indeed a very special, momentous day in the life of every muslimah who by-hearts the Word of Allah..All & absolute praise to Allah ‘Azza wa Jall, for this beautiful bounty – may Allah Ta’ala make us worthy of this great spiritual gift, for with its preservation comes tremendous responsibility..with its recitation comes application..with its remembrance comes reflection..subhaanAllah!
Today, I share with you these special advises for ‘the women who have memorised the Qur’aan’ – I received them as part of a congratulatory card on my khatamul Qur’aan jalsa..though the title indicates to those who have memorised the Qur’aan in completion, I believe that its resounding message is a tender reminder & subtle encouragement to those who are inspired to begin, continue & complete one of life’s greatest spirtual experiences, bi ithnillah:)
May the words of Qur’aan be the compass of life’s journey!
Stay inspired!
Your sister, Rayhaanah
“And We have indeed made the Qur’aan easy to understand and remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition)?”[al-Qamar 54:22]
O sister who has memorized the Qur’aan, congratulations! Allaah has used you to preserve His Book on earth. You are one of those through whom Allaah has kept the promise He made when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily We: it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e., the Qur’aan) and surely, We will guard it.” [al-Hijr 15:9]
O sister who has memorized the Qur’aan, do not underestimate the worth of what you have done. What is in your heart is knowledge. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Nay, but they, the clear aayaat, are preserved in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge…” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:49]
In your heart is a Book which cannot be washed away with water. It was said in the sacred Scriptures concerning this ummah that “their gospel is in their hearts.”
O sister who has memorized the Qur’aan, O citron-blossom of this world.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him ) said: “The believer who reads the Qur’aan is like the citron, whose fragrance is good and whose taste is good.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 5007; Muslim, 1328. Muslim entitled the chapter in which this report is found, Baab Fadeelat Haafiz al-Qur’aan – the virtue of the one who memorizes the Qur’aan).
The phrase “its fragrance is good and its taste is good” attributes the quality of taste to eemaan (faith) and the quality of fragrance to recitation of the Qur’aan (because taste is more tangible and longer lasting than fragrance).
The wisdom behind using the citron as a metaphor rather than any other fruit that also has both a good taste and a good fragrance is because the peel of the citron is used as medicine and the oil that is extracted from its seeds has a number of benefits. It was said that the jinn do not approach a house in which there are citrons, which is an appropriate analogy to the Qur’aan, which the shayaateen (devils) do not approach. The outside of its seeds is white, which is an appropriate analogy for the heart of the believer.
O (female) bearer of the Qur’aan, you are indeed envied by people. This envy is the kind of envy that is permissible.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You should not envy anybody except for two: a man to whom Allaah has given the Qur’aan, so he recites it night and day, so that another man says, ‘If I were given what he has been given I would so the same as he does’; and a man to whom Allaah has given wealth, so he spends it appropriately, and another man says, ‘If I were given what he has been given I would so the same as he does’.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6974)
The permissible kind of envy is al-ghibtah, which means wishing for what another person has, without wishing for him to lose that blessing.
O sister who has memorized the Qur’aan, do you know the status you have reached?
Your mother ‘Aa’ishah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who reads the Qur’aan when he has already learned it by heart is with the righteous, noble travellers (safarah).” (al-Bukhaari, 4556).
The “travellers” are the angels, because they travel to Prophets with messages from Allaah. Or it was said that the safarah are the scribes who write down deeds. The righteous are the obedient who obey Allaah, and the proficient is the one who reads well and has memorized perfectly, who does not hesitate when reading or find reading difficult, because he has memorized it well and reads it proficiently. Al-Qaadi said: saying that he is with the angels could mean that in the Hereafter he will have a position close to that of the travelling or recording angels, because he shares their attribute of carrying the Book of Allaah. Or it could mean that he does what they do and follows the same path as them.
The proficient reader is of a higher status and will receive a greater reward, because he is with the travelling or recording angels, and it was not reported anywhere that this reward and high status will be given to anybody else. How can one who does not pay attention to the Book of Allaah, memorizing it, reciting it properly and often, and conveying it to others, catch up with one who does pay attention to it until he becomes proficient? And Allaah knows best.
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It will be said to the companions of the Qur’aan, ‘Read and increase in status, recite as you used to recite in the world, for your status will be at the last aayah you recite.’” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2838. He said, this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth).
“It will be said” refers to the time when the person enters Paradise . “The companion of the Qur’aan” means the one who persistently recited it and acted in accordance with it. “Increase in status” means ascend through the levels of Paradise . “Recite” means read with tarteel (slowly and precisely), and do not rush in reading. “As you used to recite in the world” means with proper pronunciation (tajweed) of the letters and pausing where one should pause. “Your status will be at the last aayah you recite” – al-Khattaabi said: it was reported that the number of aayaat of the Qur’aan will be like the number of levels in Paradise in the Hereafter, and it will be said to the reader, Go up as many levels as the aayaat of the Qur’aan that you recited. So whoever recited the entire Qur’aan will reach the highest level in Paradise in the Hereafter, and whoever recited a part of it will reach a level commensurate with what he read. The extent of the reward will depend on the amount of Qur’aan read.
O sister who has memorized the Qur’aan, congratulations! You have filled your heart with the words of Allaah and have responded to His invitation.
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “This Qur’aan is a banquet from Allaah, so take as much of it as you can. I know of nothing more devoid of goodness than a house in which there is nothing of the Book of Allaah. The heart in which there is nothing of the Book of Allaah is as desolate as a house in which nobody lives.” (Reported by al-Daarimi, 3173).
O (female) bearer of the Qur’aan, blessings and congratulations be upon you! If you are sincere now, you will be saved from the punishment of Hell.
Abu Umaamah used to say: “Read the Qur’aan and do not be content merely to have these Masaahif (copies of the Qur’aan) hanging up. Allaah will not punish a heart that has memorized and understood the Qur’aan.” (Reported by al-Daarimi, 3185).
O (female) bearer of the Qur’aan, congratulations! For the Book of Allaah will intercede for you and will be your adornment on the Day of Resurrection, and if you remain steadfast it will be greater than the adornment you wear now.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Qur’aan will come on the Day of Resurrection and will say, ‘O Lord! Adorn him’, so he will be given a crown of honour to wear. Then it will say, ‘O Lord! Increase it’, so he will be given a garment of honour, then it will say, ‘O Lord! Be pleased with him,’ so Allaah will be pleased with him. Then it will be said to him, ‘Read and increase in status,’ and for every aayah his reward will increase.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2839. He said, This is a saheeh hasan hadeeth).
O mother of the woman who has memorized the Qur’aan, congratulations to you for your daughter!
Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and I heard him say: ‘Learn Soorat al-Baqarah, for learning it is a blessing and neglecting it is regret, and the magicians cannot contend with it.’ Then he kept quiet for a while, then he said, ‘Learn Soorat al-Baqarah and Aal ‘Imran, for they are the zahraawaan which will shade the one who learns them on the Day of Resurrection, as if they are two clouds, or two rows of birds spreading their wings. The Qur’aan will meet its companion on the Day of Resurrection when his grave is opened for him, looking like a pale man, and it will say to him, ‘Do you know who I am?’ He will say, I do not know you.’ It will say to him, ‘Do you know who I am?’ He will say, I do not know you.’ It will say, ‘I am your companion the Qur’aan, who made you thirsty on hot days and kept you awake at night. Every merchant will benefit from his trade, and today you will benefit too.’ He will be given power in his right hand and immortality in his left, and on his head will be placed a crown of dignity. His parents will be given two garments the like of which could never be made by the people of this world and they will say, ‘How did we earn these?’ It will be said, ‘Because your child learned the Qur’aan.’ Then it will be said to him, ‘Read and go up through the levels and rooms of Paradise . He will keep on ascending as long as he reads or recites.’” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad , 21892 ; classed as hasan by Ibn Katheer; see also al-Silsilat al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 2829).
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