بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد
The life under the shade of the Qur’aan is a great favor and bounty from Allaah, which adds blessings in a person's age and purifies his soul, which delights and comforts the heart and guides it, and is soothing to the ears.
And which favor - upon this weak slave (man) - is greater than that his Lord ﷻ is speaking to him through this Qur’aan. Ibn Mas`ood رضي الله عنه and other scholars of the Salaf said: ❝When you hear Allaah تعالى saying in the Qur’aan:
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ﴾
[Tafseer Ibn
Katheer (1/200)]
The Qur’aan is a Favor, Mercy, and a Reminder, as Allaah تعالى said:
﴿قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ
فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴾
{Say: “In the Bounty of Allaah, and His Mercy; - therein let them rejoice.” That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.}
[Surah Yunus
(10: 58]
Some of the exegetes have said: “The Bounty of Allaah is al-Islaam, and His Mercy is al-Qur’aan”
[Tafseer al-Tabaaree
(15/106)]
This is a
magnificent Book, a grand Miracle for the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ, as the Prophet ﷺ
had said: ❝There was no Prophet among
the Prophets but was given miracles because of which people believed, but what
I have given is the Divine Inspiration which Allaah revealed to me. So, I hope
that my followers will be more than those of any other Prophet on the Day of
Resurrection.❞
[Saheeh
al-Bukhaaree (4981, 7274) and Saheeh Muslim (239)]
Qur’aan is the
way of life, it is the message of Islaam in which there is sufficiency,
admonition, guidance, healing, and mercy.
As for sufficiency, Allaah تعالى said:
﴿وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِي هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ
لِلنَّاسِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ ۚ وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ أَكْثَرَ شَيْءٍ جَدَلًا﴾
{And indeed, We have put forth every kind of example in this Qur’aan, for (the benefit of) mankind. But man is ever more quarrelsome than anything.}
[Surah
al-Kahf (18): 54]
As for admonition, Allaah تعالى said:
﴿وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا وَصَرَّفْنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْوَعِيدِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ أَوْ يُحْدِثُ لَهُمْ ذِكْرًا﴾
{And thus, We have sent it
down as a Qur’aan in Arabic, and have explained therein in detail the warnings,
so that they may fear Allaah, or that it may cause them to (learn) a lesson
from it}
[Surah
Taha (20): 113]
As for guidance, Allaah تعالى said:
﴿ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ
هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾
{This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allaah}
[Surah
al-Baqarah (2): 2]
As for healing and mercy, Allaah تعالى said:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
{O mankind! There has come
to you good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur’aan, ordering all that is good
and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance,
doubt, hypocrisy, and differences, etc.) in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy
(explaining lawful and unlawful things, etc.) for the believers.}
[Surah
Yunus (10): 57]
﴿وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا﴾
{And We send down from the
Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it does
not increase the Dhaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) except in loss.}
[Surah al-Israa (17): 82]
People are on a different
level with regards to the Qur’aan, and this is affirmed in the Qur’aan, and in
the incidents which have been recorded in the books of history, and the
accounts which have spread through the books of biographies.
The effect of the Qur’aan on the Mushrikeen:
Narrated Jubair bin Mut`im رضي الله عنه: (Before I became Muslim) I heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting Surat al-Toor in the Maghrib prayer, and when he ﷺ reached the Aayah:
﴿أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ
الْخَالِقُونَ * أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ
ۚ بَل لَّا يُوقِنُونَ * أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمْ
هُمُ الْمُصَيْطِرُونَ﴾
{Were they created by nothing, Or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the Heavens and the Earth? Nay, but they have no firm belief! Or do they own the treasures of Your Lord? Or have they been given the authority to do as they like} my heart was about to fly (when I realized this firm argument).
[Saheeh
al-Bukhaaree (4854), the Aayah is from Surah al-Toor (52): 35-37)]
Jubair bin
Mut`im went to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ
after the battle of Badr to ransom the captured idolaters. At that time, he was
still an idolater. Hearing the Prophet ﷺ
recite this Aayah was one of the reasons that he later embraced Islaam.
[Tafseer Ibn
Katheer]
And there are other incidents where the staunch enemies of Islaam like al-Waleed Ibn al-Mugheerah, `Utbah Ibn Rabee`ah, Abu Jahl would listen to the Qur’aan and it had a soothing and a charming effect on them, and they had realized that this was not the speech of a magician, or a poet, or a soothsayer. [See chapter 33 from Saheeh al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah]
Abu Jahl, Abu
Sufyaan, and al-Akhnas Ibn Shareeq would go out in the darkness of the night to
the Prophet’s house to listen to the Qur’aan and would leave before dawn so
that no one could recognize them.
The effect of
the Qur’aan on the Prophet ﷺ:
Even though the Qur’aan was sent down to the Prophet ﷺ, yet he loved to listen to it from others. He ﷺ said to Ibn Mas`ood: ❝Recite (the Qur’aan) to me.❞ I said: “O Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ shall I recite (the Qur’aan) to you while it has been revealed to you?” He ﷺ said: ❝Yes.❞ So I recited Surah al-Nisaa’, but when I recited the Aayah:
﴿فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ
بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَىٰ هَٰؤُلَاءِ شَهِيدًا﴾
{How (will it be) then when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people.} He ﷺ said: ❝Enough (for now)❞. I looked at him and behold! His eyes were overflowing with tears.
[Saheeh
al-Bukhaaree (4582, 5050, 5055) and Saheeh Muslim (800); The Aayah is from
Surah al-Nisaa’ (4): 41]
The effect of the Qur’aan on the Believers:
﴿إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ﴾
{The believers are only
those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Aayaat
(this Qur’aan) are recited unto them, they (i.e., the Aayaat) increase their
Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone)}
[Surah al-Anfaal
(8): 2]
The effect of the Qur’aan on the hearts of the Christians:
﴿وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَى
الرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ
الْحَقِّ ۖ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ﴾
[Surah
al-Maaidah (5): 83]
The effect of the Qur’aan on the Jinn:
﴿وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوا أَنصِتُوا ۖ فَلَمَّا قُضِيَ وَلَّوْا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِم مُّنذِرِينَ * قَالُوا يَا قَوْمَنَا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَابًا أُنزِلَ مِن بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ وَإِلَىٰ طَرِيقٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ يَا قَوْمَنَا أَجِيبُوا دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ وَآمِنُوا بِهِ يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُجِرْكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ * وَمَن لَّا يُجِبْ دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ بِمُعْجِزٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ﴾
{And (remember) when We
sent towards you (Muhammad ﷺ) Nafran (three to ten persons) of the Jinns,
(quietly) listening to the Qur’aan when they stood in the presence thereof,
they said: “Listen in silence!” And when it was finished, they returned to
their people, as warners. They said: “O our people! Verily! We have heard a
Book (this Qur’aan) sent down after Moosaa, confirming what came before it, it
guides to the truth and to a Straight Path (i.e., Islaam). O our people!
Respond (with obedience) to Allaah’s Caller (i.e., Allaah’s Messenger Muhammad ﷺ), and believe in him
(i.e., believe in that which Muhammad ﷺ has brought from Allaah and
follow him). He (Allaah) will forgive you of your sins and will save you from a
painful torment (i.e., Hellfire). And whosoever does not respond to Allaah’s
Caller, he cannot escape on earth, and there will be no Auliyaa’ (protectors)
for him besides Allaah (from Allaah’s Punishment). Those are in manifest error.}
[Surah al-Ahqaaf
(46): 30-32]
So, do you see
anything better than this Qur’aan to guide the people and to comfort their
hearts?!
The effect of the Qur’aan on the Angels:
Usaid Ibn Hudair
رضي الله عنه narrated that while he was reciting Suras
al-Baqarah 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 reciting 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
(what he had seen before in the sky). The next morning he informed the Prophet ﷺ who said: ❝Recite, O Ibn Hudair!
Recite, O Ibn Hudair!❞ Ibn Hudair replied: “O Allaah’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 in it, so I went out but could not see it (anymore).” The
Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Do you know what that was?❞ Ibn Hudair
replied: “No.” The Prophet ﷺ
said: ❝Those were the Angles who
had drawn near to listen to your voice, and if you had continued reciting, the
people would have seen them in the morning and they would not have concealed
themselves from them.❞
[Saheeh
al-Bukhaaree (5018) and Saheeh Muslim (796)]
We have read how the Speech of Allaah affects the living creature, and Allaah informs us about the mountains:
﴿لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
{Had We sent down this Qur’aan
on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending
asunder by the fear of Allaah. Such are the parables which We put forward to
mankind that they may reflect.}
[Surah al-Hashr
(59): 21]
Had we been conscious and comprehended the message of the Qur’aan, our hearts would have melted, and we would have been humble upon its recitation, {Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.}
O slaves of Allaah! This Qur’aan which is with us, it is the same Qur’aan which was with those before us, from the Companions and those who came after them, and those who followed them upon righteousness. The Qur’aan has not changed, and it will never change, rather, it is the recipients that have changed; it is the hearts that have become hard and rigid.
﴿أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا﴾
{Then do they not reflect
upon the Qur’aan, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?}
[Surah Muhammad (47): 24]
And for every lock, there is a key. Allaah has made keys for such locks, and they are:
1) The first key
is: Knowing about the One who spoke these words and sent it down upon His
Messenger – Allaah, the One, the Supreme, the Lord of everything that exists,
the One who gives life and causes death, the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the
Most Strong. Honoring His Words is like honoring Him. Every speech,
irrespective of how great it is, will always be beneath the Words of Allaah,
yet we are fascinated by falsehood, misguidance, and idle talks (music, singing).
2) The second key to this lock is: realizing the blessings of the Qur’aan:
﴿كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ﴾
{(This is) a Book (the Qur’aan)
which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its
Aayaat, and that men of understanding may remember.}
[Surah Saad (38): 29]
The effects of this blessing can be seen in a person’s life, family, society, the blessings in this world, and the Hereafter. Rather, a person’s happiness and prosperity in this world, and success in the Hereafter are related to the proportion of Qur’aan he reads and implements every day. The more he recites, the more comfort he will find in his heart. As Allaah تعالى said to Aadam عليه السلام:
﴿فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَىٰ * وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ﴾
{Then if there comes to you
guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray nor
fall into distress and misery. But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e.
neither believes in this Qur’aan nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him
is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection.}
[Surah Taha (20): 123-124]
When we abandon
the Qur’aan, we are punished with misguidance, misery, hardship, etc., in this
world, and humiliation and severe punishment in the Hereafter.
3) The third key
is to shun sins: For sins harden the hearts and causes a black spot on the
heart. The more sins a person commits, the bigger this spot grows till it engulfs
the whole heart, which deprives the person of softness, mercy, fear of Allaah,
and makes the person negligent, stubborn, cruel, violent, arrogant, etc.
4) The fourth key is: to supplicate to Allaah earnestly to open these locks from our hearts and make us comprehend the teachings of the Qur’aan and to act upon them. As the Prophet ﷺ taught us while seeking relief from anxiety and sorrow:
أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي
❝…that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.❞
[Musnad Ahmad (3712), al-Haakim (1/509), Ibn Hibbaan (2372) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh Ahmad Shaakir, and also by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (199)]
The recitation of the Qur’aan, listening to it, doing Adhkaar, give life to the negligent heart like how rain gives life to the dead earth.
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