بسم الله والحمد لله
والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد
1. Importance of revising
knowledge
2. What forgetting the Qur’aan means
and the rulings pertaining to it
3. Reasons for forgetting and its
cure
4. Weak Hadeeth
Riyaadh al-Saaliheen: Chapter: The Command to keep on reciting the Qur’aan and being careful not to allow oneself to forget it.
1002 - Narrated
Abu Musa رضي الله عنه: the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Keep refreshing your knowledge of the Qur’aan, for, by
Him in Whose Hand my life is, Qur’aan runs away (is forgotten) faster than
camels that are released from their tying ropes.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (5033) and Saheeh Muslim (1727)]
1003 - `Abdullaah
ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهما reported
Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم
as saying: “The example of a man who has memorized
the Qur’aan is like that of a hobbled camel. If he remained vigilant, he would
be able to retain it (with him), and if he loosened the hobbled camel it would
escape.” [Saheeh Muslim (1722)]
[More Ahaadeeth from the Saheehain: The
Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم
also said: “When one who had committed the Qur’aan
to memory gets up (for night prayer) and recites it night and day, it remains
fresh in his mind, but if he does not get up (for prayer and thus does not
recite it) he forgets it.” [Saheeh Muslim 1723]
Narrated `Abdullaah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “It
is a bad thing that some of you say, ‘I have forgotten such-and-such verse of
the Qur’aan,’ for indeed, he has been caused (by Allaah) to forget it. So you
must keep on reciting the Qur’aan because it escapes from the hearts of men
faster than camel do.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (5032, 5039) and Saheeh
Muslim (1724)]
‘Abdullaah رضي
الله عنه is reported to have said: Keep
refreshing your knowledge of the sacred books (or always renew your knowledge
of these sacred books) and sometimes he would mention the Qur’aan for it is
more apt to escape from men’s minds than animals which are hobbled, and the
Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم
said: “None of you should say: I forgot such and
such a verse, but he has been made to forget.” [Saheeh Muslim (1725)]
Ibn Mas`ood رضي
الله عنه reported Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم as
saying: “Wretched is the man who says: I forgot
such and such a Surah, or I forget such and such a verse, but he has been made
to forget.” [Saheeh Muslim (1726)]]
1. IMPORTANCE OF REVISING YOUR
KNOWLEDGE
Al-Haafidh ibn `Abdil-Barr رحمه الله said: “In this Hadeeth is a proof that whosoever does not
revise his knowledge will lose it, whoever he may be because their knowledge at
that time was the Qur’aan and nothing else, and if the Qur’aan which has been
made easy to remember is lost without revision, then what about other types of
knowledge?! And the best type of knowledge is that of which its foundation is
perfected and its branches are memorized, and that which leads to Allaah and
that which pleases Him.”
[Hilyatu Taalibil `ilm (The Etiquette of Seeking
Knowledge) Shaykh Bakr Aboo Zayd p.65; translated by brother: Abu Awzaa`ee]
•۩۞۩•
2. WHAT FORGETTING THE QUR’AAN
MEANS AND THE RULINGS PERTAINING TO IT
Forgetting the Qur’aan means:
1) Forgetting from the memory and not remembering it
anymore;
2) and it also means: not acting upon the instructions
mentioned in it.
The following are the explanations given by Shaikh Ibn
Baaz and Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمهم
الله:
In his Sharh of Riyaadh al-Saaliheen, Shaikh Ibn
al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
The author (Imaam al-Nawawee) رحمه الله mentioned in his book Riyaadh
al-Saaliheen:
Chapter: The
Command to keep on reciting the Qur’aan and being careful not to allow oneself
to forget it.
Meaning: If Allaah تعالى bestows upon you the favor to memorize the
Qur’aan, then you should keep refreshing your knowledge because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave the similitude
of the Qur’aan as being like a camel which is tied. So if a person keeps
refreshing it the knowledge of the Qur’aan, then he will keep it, but if he relaxes
the grip, it will run away and will be lost. This is what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم pointed out in the
Hadeeth of Abu Moosaa al-Ash`aree رضي
الله عنه when he said:
تعاهدوا هذا القرآن فوالذي نفس محمد بيده لهو أشد تفلتا من الإبل في
عقلها
“Keep refreshing your
knowledge of the Qur’aan, for, by Him in Whose Hand my life is, Qur’aan runs
away (is forgotten) faster than camels that are released from their tying
ropes.” [Bukhaaree 5033, Muslim 1727]
Therefore it is necessary for one to take out time to
recite the Qur’aan daily. For example, one daily recites one Juzz so he is able
to complete the recitation of the whole Qur’aan in a month; or he recites two
Juzz daily so he is able to complete it in fifteen days; or three Juzz daily so
that he can complete it every ten days or nine day or he can complete it every
three days, he keeps reciting so that he does not forget it.
And there are (many) Ahaadeeth which warn - the one who
is negligent - against forgetting the Qur’aan. But as for the one who forgot in
accordance with the natural (tendency of man and not out of negligence), then this
does not harm him. But the one who became negligent and heedless about it,
after Allaah تعالى had bestowed upon him
the favor to memorize the Qur’aan, then it is feared for him the punishment. So
you, O my brother! If Allaah تعالى favors you with (the
memorization of) the Qur’aan, then keep on reciting it repeatedly, and also
implement its teachings because when one acts upon some instructions, then it
helps in memorizing and retaining it (in memory).
This is why some of the scholars have confined knowledge
with acting upon it (i.e. knowledge should be accompanied with actions). For
verily, acting upon the knowledge (you have) will (help you) retain it (in
memory). So if a person does so, then he will remember it and will not forget
it, but if he is negligent, he will lose it. And the one who is reciting the
Qur’aan should recite it with contemplation and slowly and it is not allowed
for him to rush, speeding so fast that some of the letters are dropped. If he
drops some of the letters, then he has changed the Speech of Allaah and
displaced it from its right place. A speed in which the words are not dropped
then there is no problem in that. And Allaah is the One who grants success.
[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (4/657-658)]
•۩۞۩•
A suggestion about
reducing the syllabus of the Qur’aan
Q: Your
Eminence Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez ibn `Abdullaah ibn Baaz,
As-salaamu `alaykum warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh
We submit to your Eminence a suggestion about reducing
the amount of Qur’aan to be memorized in Umm al-Qura University. This does not
mean that we dislike memorizing the Qur’aan; but there are two reasons for this
suggestion:
First, it was reported on the authority of Abu
Moosaa رضي الله عنه that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Keep
refreshing your knowledge of the Qur’aan, for I swear by Him in Whose Hand is
the life of Muhammad that it is more liable to escape (be forgotten) than
camels which are hobbled.” (Agreed
upon by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim) The greater the amount to be memorized, the
easier the student will forget it due to the hard conditions of life that make
him review only part of the syllabus. In fact, a Muslim is keen to save himself
from the punishment that Allaah assigned to those who memorize Aayaats (Qur’aanic
verse) and forget them.
Second, Muslims are burdened with troubles of life
and its immense expenses, and to memorize the Qur’aan they need peace of mind
that can hardly be found with these troubles and expenses.
Therefore, we would like your Eminence to help your
students and fulfill their desire to reduce the amount of the Qur’aan required
to be memorized to two Juz’ (a 30th of the Qur’aan) and replace the last two
hours with the subject of Usul-ul-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence) or
Sirah (the Prophet). May Allaah reward you with the best!
We implore Allaah to protect you and bless your lifetime.
A: Wa `alaykum As-salaamu warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh:
We appreciate your concern about the Book of Allaah, but
we do not agree with you on your suggestion. We wish that plans of the
University are good and blessed and that they bring good results - In shaa-Allaah
(if Allaah wills).
The punishment you mentioned is not assigned to a person
who forgets the Aayaats; rather, it is assigned to a person who no longer
applies or acts upon the Qur’aan. Every Muslim may forget some parts of the
Qur’aan that he memorized, even the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. In some Ahaadeeth, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “May Allaah
show mercy to so and so; he has reminded me of such and such a verse which I
had forgotten.” [1] He صلى الله عليه وسلم also
said: “I
am a human being like you and liable to forget like you.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forgot several times during Salaah.
May Allaah guide us all to do what pleases Him! As-salaamu
`alaykum warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh.
[Majmoo` Fataawa (6/202-203)]
[1] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2655, 5037, 5038, 5042, 6335)
and Saheeh Muslim (1720, 1721)
[2] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (401) and Saheeh Muslim (1177,
1178, 1179)
•۩۞۩•
The ruling on a person who
memorized the Qur’aan then forgot it
Q: Is a person
considered sinful if he memorizes the Qur’aan then forgets it due to being busy
with worldly affairs?
A: The correct view is that a person is not
considered sinful for doing so. However, every Muslim has to care for reviewing
the parts of the Qur’aan that they memorize in order not to forget them. This
is to act upon the Hadeeth of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in which he said: “Keep on
reciting the Qur’aan, for, by Him in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the
Qur’aan runs away (is forgotten) faster than camels that are released from
their tying ropes.” It is worth
mentioning that the greatest attention has to be paid to contemplating the
meanings of the Qur’aan and acting upon them. Verily, the Qur’aan is a proof
for those who apply it and is against those who do not as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “... And the Qur’aan is a proof on your behalf or against
you...” [1].
[Majmoo` Fataawa (24/368)]
[1] Saheeh Muslim (432). The complete Hadeeth is as
follows:
Abu Maalik al-Ash`aree رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Liliaah
(Praise be to Allaah) fills the scale, and Subhaan Allaah (Glory be to Allaah)
and al-Hamdu Liliaah (Praise be to Allaah) fill up what is between the heavens
and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one’s faith) and
endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur’aan is a proof on your behalf or
against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby
setting themselves free or destroying themselves.”
•۩۞۩•
Q: I had
memorized equivalent to 10 Juzz from al-Qur’aan al-Kareem and from the last 3
years, I forgot all what I had memorized except for a few part because of my
education. Is there upon me any sin and am I included in the saying of Allaah تعالى:
﴿قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ
أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ﴾
{(Allaah) will say: “Like
this, Our Aayaat came unto you, but you forgot them, and so this Day, you will
be forgotten (neglected).”} [Surah Taahaa (20): 126]?
Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله
said: You do not included in this
verse because the saying of Allaah تعالى:
{Like this, Our Aayaat came unto you, but you forgot
them}, the intended meaning is abandoning to act upon it; that you
did not live by it nor did you find any problem in opposing it. This is the
meaning of forgot in this verse. In this verse, the word “forget” is of the
meaning: “abandoning”, as Allaah تعالى
said elsewhere:
﴿نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ﴾
{They have forgotten (disobeyed)
Allaah, so He has forgotten (neglected) them.} [Surah Tawbah (9): 67]
Here the (second) word forgotten is with the meaning: “neglect”,
“abandon”, for the Lord عز وجل does not forget. [1] (Generally) the word “forget” is the opposite of “remember”.
But still, the one whom Allaah تعالى blessed with memorizing the complete Qur’aan
should not be negligent to the extent that he forgets it, rather he should take
care of it and should revise it because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had commanded to do so when he said: “Keep refreshing your knowledge of the Qur’aan, for I
swear by Him in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad that it is more liable to
escape (be forgotten) than camels which are hobbled.”
So if you can now, and I hope you can, repeat (and rememorize),
for revision is easy. So seek Allaah’s refuge and return back to the Qur’aan
and rememorize what you have forgotten. I beseech Allaah that He تعالى makes it easy for you
and make you memorize what you have forgotten.
[Fataawa Noorun `alaa al-Darb al-`Uthaymeen
(5/2)]
[1] Allaah تعالى
says:
﴿لَّا يَضِلُّ رَبِّي وَلَا
يَنسَى﴾
{My Lord neither errs nor forgets.} [Surah
Taahaa (20): 52]
He تعالى also said:
﴿وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا﴾
{and your Lord is never forgetful} [Surah Maryam
(19): 64]
•۩۞۩•
3. REASONS FOR FORGETFULNESS
AND ITS CURE
Q: What is the cure for forgetfulness? Be it the Qur’aan
or for other Shar`ee knowledge.
Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله
said: The cure for forgetfulness
is revision; meaning the person revises what he has memorized as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had commanded to keep
refreshing the knowledge of the Qur’aan when he said: “Keep refreshing your knowledge of the Qur’aan, for, by
Him in Whose Hand my life is, Qur’aan runs away (is forgotten) faster than
camels that are released from their tying ropes”. So the person
should revise what he has memorized, he should daily recite it so that he does
not forget. Forgetfulness is a human instinct, meaning, there are some people
who have the characteristic of not forgetting. There are those who are quick to
memorize and very slow to forget; then there are those who are quick to
memorize and quick to forget; then there are those who are slow to memorize but
quick to forget.
People differ in this regards, they can be divided into
four groups in regards to the speed of memorization and forgetfulness. Forgetfulness
can also be for other reasons, other than the human instinct, among them is
Sins. Sins are the reason for forgetfulness as well. Allaah تعالى said:
﴿فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ
لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ
وَنَسُوا حَظّاً مِمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ﴾
{So because of their
breach of their covenant, We cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard. They
change the words from their (right) places and have forgotten a portion of that
of which they were reminded.} [Surah al-Maaidah (5): 13]
Imaam al-Shaafi`ee رحمه الله said in one of his poems:
I complained to Wakee`
about my bad memory…
So he directed me towards
abandoning sins.
And said: Know that the knowledge is a Noor (light)…
And Allaah تعالى
does not give this Noor to a sinner. [1]
So if sins are the reason, then the cure for it is that
one should turn away from the sins and repents, and turns towards Allaah and
obeys the commands that which He تعالى
has enjoined.
And as for preoccupying oneself with things that have no
benefit in them, then this is from “al-Lagw” (evil, false and dirty talks). The
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
said: “he who believes in Allaah and the Last
Day, let him speak good or remain silent”. [Saheehain]
So preoccupying oneself with things that are not beneficial
is also a reason for forgetfulness because (everyday) (new) information keeps on
accumulating in a person and he may forget some of it and remember some.
[Fataawa Noorun `alaa al-Darb al-`Uthaymeen
(23/2)]
[1] Al-Jawaab al-Kaafee of Ibn al-Qayyim (1/52) with the
word “Fadhl” (blessing/favor) instead of “Noor”. Another narration:
Al-Dhahaak رحمه
الله said: “No person memorizes the
Qur’aan and then forgets it except due to the sins that he has committed.”
Then he recited:
﴿وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ
مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ﴾
{And whatever misfortune
befalls you, it is because what your hands have earned} [Surah
Shoora (42): 30]
He then said: “And what
calamity is greater than forgetting the Qur’aan?!”
[Al-Jaami` al-Ahkaam al-Qur’aan (16/30)]
•۩۞۩•
4. Weak
Hadeeth
Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه said that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The rewards
for my Ummah were displayed before me, even (the reward for) the dust that a
man comes out of the Masjid with. The sins of my Ummah were displayed before
me, and I have not seen a sin worse than a Surah or Aayah of the Qur’aan which
a man learned and then forgot.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2916) and Sunan Abu
Dawood (461) and graded as “Dha`eef” by Shaikh
al-Albaanee]
No comments:
Post a Comment