The Book of Virtues
كتاب الفضائل
Chapter 1: The Excellence of Reciting the Qur'an
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Read the Qur'an, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection."[Muslim].
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "The Qur'an and its people who applied it, will be brought on the Day of Resurrection preceded with Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al-'Imran arguing on behalf of those who applied them."[Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it."[Al-Bukhari].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur'an will be with the honourable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur'an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have two rewards."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The believer who recites the Qur'an is like a citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is delicious. A believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date-fruit which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste. The hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like basil whose fragrance is so sweet, but its taste is bitter. The hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like a colocynth which has no fragrance and its taste is bitter."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Allah elevates some people with this Qur'an and abases others."[Muslim].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Envy is justified in regard to two types of persons only: a man whom Allah has given knowledge of the Qur'an, and so he recites it during the night and during the day; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and so he spends from it during the night and during the day."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter."[At- Tirmidhi].
[At-Tirmidhi].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The one who was devoted to the Qur'an will be told on the Day of Resurrection: 'Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite."'[Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi].
Chapter 2: Warning against forgetting the Qur'an
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Read the Qur'an regularly. By the One in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, it escapes from memory faster than a camel does from its tying ropes."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The parable of one who knows the Qur'an by heart is as the parable of an owner of hobbled camel. If he remains vigilant, he will retain it; and if he neglects it, it will go away."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 3: The Merit of Recitation of the Noble Qur'an in a Pleasant Voice
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Allah does not listen so attentively to anything as He listens to the recitation of the Qur'an by a Prophet who recites well with a melodious and audible voice."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
And in a version narrated by Muslim "If you would have seen me, as I was listening to your recitation last night."
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting Surat Wat-Teen Waz-Zaitun (Chapter 95) during the 'Isha' prayer. I have never heard anyone reciting it in a more beautiful voice than his.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who does not recite the Qur'an in a pleasant tone is not of us."[Abu Dawud].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "Recite the Qur'an to me." I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Shall I recite it to you when it was revealed to you?" He (ﷺ) said, "I like to hear it from others." Then I began to recite Surat An-Nisa'. When I reached the Ayah: 'How will it be when We shall bring a witness from every people and bring you as a witness against them?' (Having heard it) he said, "Enough! Enough!" When I looked at him, I found his eyes were overflowing with tears.[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 4: Inducement towards the Recitation of some Special verses and Surah of the Noble Qur'an
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Shall I teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an before you leave the mosque?" Then he (ﷺ), took me by the hand, and when we were about to step out, I reminded him of his promise to teach me the greatest Surah in the Qur'an. He (ﷺ) said, "It is 'Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil 'Alamin (i.e., Surat Al-Fatihah) which is As-Sab' Al-Mathani (i.e., the seven oft- repeated Ayat) and the Great Qur'an which is given to me."[Al-Bukhari].