8. The Excellent Qualities of the Qur'an

وَعَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ: سُئِلَ أَنَسٌ: كَيْفَ كَانَتْ قِرَاءَةُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: كَانَت مدا مَدًّا ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ يَمُدُّ بِبَسْمِ اللَّهِ وَيَمُدُّ بِالرَّحْمَنِ وَيَمُدُّ بِالرَّحِيمِ. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Qatādā said that when Anas was asked how the Prophet recited the Qur’ān he replied that he did so prolonging the words. Then he recited “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,” prolonging each phrase. Bukhārī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا أَذِنَ اللَّهُ لِشَيْءٍ مَا أَذِنَ لِنَبِيٍّ يَتَغَنَّى بِالْقُرْآنِ»

Abū Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has not listened to anything as He does to a prophet chanting* the Qur’ān.” *There are different opinions about the meaning of yataghannā which is here used. While some explain it as in the translation, others prefer to understand it in the sense of yastaghnī which means being content with. (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا أَذِنَ اللَّهُ لِشَيْءٍ مَا أَذِنَ لِنَبِيٍّ حَسِنِ الصَّوْتِ بِالْقُرْآنِ يَجْهَرُ بِهِ»

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has not listened to anything as He does to a prophet with a good voice reciting the Qur’ān aloud.” (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يَتَغَنَّ بِالْقُرْآنِ» . رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “He does not belong to us who does not chant the Qur’ān.” Bukhārī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ: «اقْرَأْ عَلَيَّ» . قُلْتُ: أَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَيْكَ أُنْزِلَ؟ قَالَ: «إِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَسْمَعَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِي» . فَقَرَأْتُ سُورَةَ النِّسَاءِ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ إِلَى هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ (فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَؤُلَاءِ شَهِيدا) قَالَ: «حَسْبُكَ الْآنَ» . فَالْتَفَتُّ إِلَيْهِ فَإِذَا عَيْنَاهُ تَذْرِفَانِ

When God’s Messenger was on the pulpit he asked him to recite to him and he replied, “Shall I recite to you when it was sent down to you?” He said that he liked to hear it from someone else, so ‘Abdallāh recited Sūrat an-Nisa’ up to this verse, “How then shall it be when We bring from every people a witness and bring you against them as witness?”(Al-Qur’ān, 4:1-41) Then on being told that that was enough for the present, he turned round to him and saw the tears falling from his eyes. (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِأُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَقْرَأَ عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ» قَالَ: آللَّهُ سَمَّانِي لَكَ؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ» . قَالَ: وَقَدْ ذُكِرْتُ عِنْدَ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ» . فَذَرَفَتْ عَيْنَاهُ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: " إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَقْرَأَ عَلَيْكَ (لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا) قَالَ: وَسَمَّانِي؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ» . فَبَكَى

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying to Ubayy b. Kā'b, “God has commanded me to recite the Qur’ān to you.” He asked, “Did God mention me to you by name?” and when he was told that He had, he said, “Have I been mentioned in the presence of the Lord of the uni­verse?” On being told that he had, tears fell from his eyes. In a version he said God had commanded him to recite to him “Those who disbelieve were not …” (Qur’ān, 98). He asked if He had mentioned him by name, and when he was told that He had, he wept. (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِن يُسَافَرَ بِالْقُرْآنِ إِلَى أَرْضِ الْعَدُوِّ. مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِمُسْلِمٍ: «لَا تُسَافِرُوا بِالْقُرْآنِ فَإِنِّي لَا آمن أَن يَنَالهُ الْعَدو»

Ibn ‘Umar said that God’s-messenger forbade taking the Qur’ān into enemy territory. A version by Muslim has, “Do not take the Qur’ān with you when travelling, for I cannot guarantee that the enemy will not get it.” (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

عَن أبي سعيد الْخُدْرِيّ قَالَ: جَلَست فِي عِصَابَةٍ مِنْ ضُعَفَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَإِنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ لِيَسْتَتِرُ بِبَعْضٍ مِنَ الْعُرْيِ وَقَارِئٌ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْنَا إِذْ جَاءَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَامَ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَكَتَ الْقَارِئُ فَسَلَّمَ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «مَا كُنْتُمْ تَصْنَعُونَ؟» قُلْنَا: كُنَّا نَسْتَمِعُ إِلَى كتاب الله قَالَ فَقَالَ: «الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي مَنْ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَصْبِرَ نَفْسِي مَعَهُمْ» . قَالَ فَجَلَسَ وَسَطَنَا لِيَعْدِلَ بِنَفْسِهِ فِينَا ثُمَّ قَالَ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا فَتَحَلَّقُوا وَبَرَزَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ لَهُ فَقَالَ: «أَبْشِرُوا يَا مَعْشَرَ صَعَالِيكِ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ بِالنُّورِ التَّامِّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ قَبْلَ أَغْنِيَاءِ النَّاسِ بِنصْف يَوْم وَذَاكَ خَمْسمِائَة سنة» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

I sat with a company of the poor*members of the Emigrants who were sitting close together because of lack of clothing while a reader was reciting to us. God’s messenger came along and stood beside us, and when he did so the reader stopped and gave him a salutation. He asked what we were doing, and when we told him we were listening to God’s Book he said, “Praise be to God who has put among my people those with whom I have been ordered to keep myself.”(Qur’ān,18:28) He then sat down among us so as to be like one of us, and when he had made a sign with his hand they sat in a circle with their faces turned towards him, and he said, “Rejoice, you group of poor Emigrants, in the announcement that you will have perfect light on the day of resurrection. You will enter paradise half a day before the rich, and that is five hundred years.” *Lit. 'Weak'. This is said to refer to the people who lived in the Suffa Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.

وَعَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «زَيِّنُوا الْقُرْآنَ بِأَصْوَاتِكُمْ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ

Al-Barā’ b. Āzib reported God’s messenger as saying, “Beautify the Qur’ān with your voices.” Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah and Dārimī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَادَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «مَا من امْرِئٍ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ ثُمَّ يَنْسَاهُ إِلَّا لَقِيَ اللَّهَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَجْذَمَ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ والدارمي

Sā‘d b. Ubāda reported God’s messenger as saying, “Every man who recites the' Qur’ān and then forgets it* will meet God on the day of resurrection in a maimed condition.” *This has been explained as referring to one who has learned the Qur’ān by heart and later forgets it, or neglects to recite it. Abū Dāwūd and Dārimī trans­mitted it.

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَمْ يَفْقَهْ مَنْ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلَاث» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَأَبُو دَاوُد والدارمي

Abdallāh b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “The one who recites the Qur’ān in less than three nights does not understand it.” Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd and Dārimī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «الْجَاهِرُ بِالْقُرْآنِ كالجاهر بِالصَّدَقَةِ ولامسر بِالْقُرْآنِ كَالْمُسِرِّ بِالصَّدَقَةِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ

‘Uqba b. ‘Āmir reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who recites the Qur’ān loudly is like him who gives sadaqa openly, and he who recites the Qur’ān quietly is like him who gives sadaqa secretly.” Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd and Nasā’i transmitted it, Tirmidhī saying this is a hasan gharīb tradition.

وَعَنْ صُهَيْبٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا آمَنَ بِالْقُرْآنِ مَنِ اسْتَحَلَّ مَحَارِمَهُ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ لَيْسَ إِسْنَادُهُ بِالْقَوِيّ

Suhaib reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who treats what the Qur’ān prohibits as permissible does not believe in it.” Tirmidhī transmitted it, but said this is a tradition whose isnād is not strong.

وَعَنِ اللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مليكَة عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ مُمَلَّكٍ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ قِرَاءَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَنْعَتُ قِرَاءَةً مُفَسَّرَةً حَرْفًا حَرْفًا. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَالنَّسَائِيّ

Al-Laith b. Sa‘d quoted Ibn Abū Mulaika who quoted Yā'lā b. Mamlak as saying that he asked Umm Salama about the manner in which the Prophet recited, and she described it in a manner by which it was explained word by word.* *This is explained as meaning that she showed how he pronounced each syllable distinctly, or simply that she gave an illustration of the fine quality of the Prophet’s recitation. Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd and Nasā’i trans­mitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُقَطِّعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ يَقُولُ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ثُمَّ يَقِفُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ثُمَّ يَقِفُ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: لَيْسَ إِسْنَادُهُ بِمُتَّصِلٍ لِأَنَّ اللَّيْثَ رَوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ مَمْلَكٍ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ وَحَدِيثُ اللَّيْث أصح

Ibn Juraij quoted Ibn Abū Mulaika who reported Umm Salama as saying, ‘God’s messenger used to make pauses in his recitation. He would say, ‘Praise be to God, the Lord of the universe’, then stop. He would next say, ‘The Compassionate, the Merciful’, then stop.” Tirmidhī transmitted it, but he said that its isnād is not fully connected, because al-Laith transmitted this tradition from Ibn Abū Mulaika from Yā'lā b. Mamlak from Umm Salama, and al-Laith's tradition is sounder.

عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَنَحْنُ نَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ وَفينَا الْأَعرَابِي والأعجمي قَالَ: «اقرؤوا فَكُلٌّ حَسَنٌ وَسَيَجِيءُ أَقْوَامٌ يُقِيمُونَهُ كَمَا يُقَامُ الْقِدْحُ يَتَعَجَّلُونَهُ وَلَا يَتَأَجَّلُونَهُ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ

God's messenger came out to us when we were reciting the Qur’ān, our number including nomad Arabs and non-Arabs, and said, "Recite, for it is all good; but after you people will come who will straighten it as an arrow is straightened, seeking a reward for it in this world and not waiting for their reward in the next.” Abū Dāwūd and Baihaqī, in Shu'ab al-īmān, transmitted it.

وَعَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «اقرؤوا الْقُرْآنَ بِلُحُونِ الْعَرَبِ وَأَصْوَاتِهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَلُحُونَ أَهْلِ الْعِشْق وَلُحُون أهل الْكِتَابَيْنِ وسيجي بعدِي قوم يرجعُونَ بِالْقُرْآنِ ترجع الْغِنَاءِ وَالنَّوْحِ لَا يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ مَفْتُونَهٌ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ يُعْجِبُهُمْ شَأْنُهُمْ» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

Hudhaifa reported God’s messenger as saying, "Recite the Qur’ān with the modulations and tones of the Arabs, but avoid the modulations of those who recite love poetry and the modulations of the people of the two Books. After my death people will come who will trill when they recite the Qur’ān as is done in singing and wailing, but it will go no farther than their throats, and they and those who are charmed by their performance will be led into error.” Baihaqī in Shu'ab al-īmān and Razīn in his book transmitted it.

وَعَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «حَسِّنُوا الْقُرْآنَ بِأَصْوَاتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ الصَّوْتَ الْحَسَنَ يُزِيدُ الْقُرْآنَ حُسْنًا» . رَوَاهُ الدَّارمِيّ

Al-Barā’ b. ‘Āzib told that he heard God's messenger say, "Beautify the Qur’ān with your voices, for the beautiful voice increases the beauty of the Qur’ān.” Dārimī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ طَاوُوسٍ مُرْسَلًا قَالَ: سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَحْسَنُ صَوْتًا لِلْقُرْآنِ؟ وَأَحْسَنُ قِرَاءَةً؟ قَالَ: «مَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتَهُ يقْرَأ أَرَأَيْت أَنَّهُ يَخْشَى اللَّهَ» . قَالَ طَاوُوسٌ: وَكَانَ طَلْقٌ كَذَلِك. رَوَاهُ الدَّارمِيّ

Tāwūs told in mursal form that when the Prophet was asked who had the most beautiful voice for the Qur’ān and whose recitation was most beautiful he replied, "The one of whom you think when you hear him recite that he fears God.” Tāwūs added that Talq* was like that. * A companion of the Prophet who belonged to al-Yamāma. Dārimī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ الْمُلَيْكِيِّ وَكَانَتْ لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَا أَهْلَ الْقُرْآنِ لَا تَتَوَسَّدُوا الْقُرْآنَ وَاتْلُوهُ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِ مِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَأَفْشُوهُ وَتَغَنُّوهُ وَتَدَبَّرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ وَلَا تَعْجَلُوا ثَوَابَهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ ثَوَابًا» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

‘Abīda al-Mulaikī who was a Companion reported God’s messenger as saying, "Do not make the Qur’ān a pillow,* but recite it as it deserves to be recited during the night and the day. Recite it aloud, chant it and consider its contents, perhaps you may prosper; but do not seek to get reward for it in this world, for it provides rewards.”(i.e., in the next world) *A figure of speech warning against laziness or neglect. Baihaqi trans­mitted it in Shu'ab' al-īmān.