Virtues of the Qur'an

كتاب فضائل القرآن

Chapter 15: The descent of As-Sakinah and angels at the time of the recitation of the Qur'an

Narrated Usaid bin Hudair

That while he was reciting Surat Al-Baqara (The Cow) at night, and his horse was tied beside him, the horse was suddenly startled and troubled. When he stopped reciting, the horse became quiet, and when he started again, the horse was startled again. Then he stopped reciting and the horse became quiet too. He started reciting again and the horse was startled and troubled once again. Then he stopped reciting and his son, Yahya was beside the horse. He was afraid that the horse might trample on him. When he took the boy away and looked towards the sky, he could not see it. The next morning he informed the Prophet who said, "Recite, O Ibn Hudair! Recite, O Ibn Hudair!" Ibn Hudair replied, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! My son, Yahya was near the horse and I was afraid that it might trample on him, so I looked towards the sky, and went to him. When I looked at the sky, I saw something like a cloud containing what looked like lamps, so I went out in order not to see it." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do you know what that was?" Ibn Hudair replied, "No." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Those were Angels who came near to you for your voice and if you had kept on reciting till dawn, it would have remained there till morning when people would have seen it as it would not have disappeared.

Chapter 16: Whoever said that the Prophet (saws) did not leave anything after his death

Narrated `Abdul `Aziz bin Rufai'

Shaddad bin Ma'qil and I entered upon Ibn `Abbas. Shaddad bin Ma'qil asked him, "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) leave anything (besides the Qur'an)?" He replied. "He did not leave anything except what is Between the two bindings (of the Qur'an)." Then we visited Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyya and asked him (the same question). He replied, "The Prophet (ﷺ) did not leave except what is between the bindings (of the Qur'an).

Chapter 17: The superiority of the Qur'an above other kinds of speech

Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The example of him (a believer) who recites the Qur'an is like that of a citron which tastes good and smells good. And he (a believer) who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which is good in taste but has no smell. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who recites the Qur'an is like the Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who does not recite the Qur'an is like the colocynth which tastes bitter and has no smell.

Narrated Ibn `Umar

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Your life in comparison to the lifetime of the past nations is like the period between the time of `Asr prayer and sunset. Your example and the example of the Jews and Christians is that of person who employed laborers and said to them, "Who will work for me till the middle of the day for one Qirat (a special weight)?' The Jews did. He then said, "Who will work for me from the middle of the day till the `Asr prayer for one Qirat each?" The Christians worked accordingly. Then you (Muslims) are working from the `Asr prayer till the Maghrib prayer for two Qirats each. They (the Jews and the Christians) said, 'We did more labor but took less wages.' He (Allah) said, 'Have I wronged you in your rights?' They replied, 'No.' Then He said, 'This is My Blessing which I give to whom I wish."

Chapter 18: To recommend the Book of Allah عز وجل

Narrated Talha

I asked `Abdullah bin Abi `Aufa, "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) make a will (to appoint his successor or bequeath wealth)?" He replied, "No." I said, "How is it prescribed then for the people to make wills, and they are ordered to do so while the Prophet (ﷺ) did not make any will?" He said, "He made a will wherein he recommended Allah's Book."

Chapter 19: Whoever does not recite the Qur'an in a pleasant tone

And he said: {Did he not stop them, that we have revealed to you the book to be followed by them}?
Narrated Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah does not listen to a prophet as He listens to a prophet who recites the Qur'an in a pleasant tone." The companion of the sub-narrator (Abu Salama) said, "It means, reciting it aloud."

Narrated Abu Huraira

The Prophet (ﷺ) I said, "Allah does not listen to a prophet as He listens to a prophet who recites the Qur'an in a loud and pleasant tone." Sufyan said, "This saying means: a prophet who regards the Qur'an as something that makes him dispense with many worldly pleasures."

Chapter 20: Wish to be the like of the one who recites the Qur'an

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Not to wish to be the like except of two men. A man whom Allah has given the knowledge of the Book and he recites it during the hours of the night, and a man whom Allah has given wealth, and he spends it in charity during the night and the hours of the day."

Narrated Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) I said, "Not to wish to be the like of except two men: A man whom Allah has taught the Qur'an and he recites it during the hours of the night and during the hours of the day, and his neighbor listens to him and says, 'I wish I had been given what has been given to so-and-so, so that I might do what he does; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it on what is just and right, whereupon an other man May say, 'I wish I had been given what so-and-so has been given, for then I would do what he does."

Chapter 21: The best among you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it

Narrated `Uthman

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it."

Narrated `Uthman bin `Affan

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The most superior among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it."

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d

A lady came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and declared that she had decided to offer herself to Allah and His Apostle. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I am not in need of women." A man said (to the Prophet) "Please marry her to me." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), "Give her a garment." The man said, "I cannot afford it." The Prophet said, "Give her anything, even if it were an iron ring." The man apologized again. The Prophet then asked him, "What do you know by heart of the Qur'an?" He replied, "I know such-andsuch portion of the Qur'an (by heart)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Then I marry her to you for that much of the Qur'an which you know by heart."

Chapter 22: The recitation of the Qur'an by heart

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d

A lady came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have come to you to offer myself to you." He raised his eyes and looked at her and then lowered his head. When the lady saw that he did not make any decision, she sat down. On that, a man from his companions got up and said. "O Allah's Apostle! If you are not in need of this woman, then marry her to me." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do you have anything to offer her?" He replied. "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Go to your family and see if you can find something.' The man went and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have not found anything." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Try to find something, even if it is an iron ring.'' He went again and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), not even an iron ring, but I have this waist sheet of mine." The man had no upper garment, so he intended to give her, half his waist sheet. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, ''What would she do with your waist sheet? If you wear it, she will have nothing of it over her body, and if she wears it, you will have nothing over your body." So that man sat for a long period and then got up, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw him going away, so he ordered somebody to call him. When he came, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked him, " How much of the Qur'an do you know?" He replied, "I know such Surat and such Surat and such Surat," and went on counting it, The Prophet (ﷺ) asked him, "Can you recite it by heart?" he replied, "Yes." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Go, I have married this lady to you for the amount of the Qur'an you know by heart."

Chapter 23: The learning of the Qur'an by heart and the reciting of it repeatedly

Narrated Ibn `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The example of the person who knows the Qur'an by heart is like the owner of tied camels. If he keeps them tied, he will control them, but if he releases them, they will run away."

Narrated `Abdullah

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is a bad thing that some of you say, 'I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur'an,' for indeed, he has been caused (by Allah) to forget it. So you must keep on reciting the Qur'an because it escapes from the hearts of men faster than camel do."

Narrated `Abdullah

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying... (as above, no. 550).

Narrated Abu Musa

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Commit yourself to the Qur'an, for by Him in whose Hand is my soul, it is surely more prone to break away than a camel in its bind.

Chapter 24: The recitation of the Qur'an on an animal

Narrated `Abdullah bin Mughaffal

I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) reciting Surat-al-Fath on his she-camel on the day of the Conquest of Mecca.

Chapter 25: Teaching the Qur'an to the children

Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair

Those Suras which you people call the Mufassal, are the Muhkam. And Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's Apostle died when I was a boy of ten years, and I had learnt the Muhkam (of the Qur'an).

Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair

Ibn `Abbas said, "I have learnt all the Muhkam Suras during the life time of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." I said to him, 'What is meant by the Muhkam?" He replied, "The Mufassal."