Quran

"Alif Laam Raa. A book which we have revealed to you (Muhammad) so that you may lead the people from out of the darkness into the light by their Lord's leave to the path of the All-Mighty, the Praiseworthy." [Qur'an 14:1]

• Introduction 
• The Excellent Qualities of the Holy Quraan

Introduction

The Qur'an ("Qor-Ann") is a Message from Allah to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (swt) to the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (saas). This message was given to the Prophet (saas) in pieces over a period spanning approximately 23 years (610 CE to 622 CE). The Prophet (saas) was 40 years old when the Qur'an began to be revealed to him, and he was 63 when the revelation was completed. The language of the original message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many other languages.

The Qur'an is one leg of two which form the basis of Islam. The second leg is the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas). What makes the Qur'an different from the Sunnah is primarily its form. Unlike the Sunnah, the Qur'an is quite literally the Word of Allah, whereas the Sunnah was inspired by Allah but the wording and actions are the Prophet's. The Qur'an has not been expressed using any human's words. Its wording is letter for letter fixed by no one but Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (saas) was the final Messenger of Allah to humanity, and therefore the Qur'an is the last Message which Allah has sent to us. Its predecessors such as the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels have all been superceded. It is an obligation - and blessing - for all who hear of the Qur'an and Islam to investigate it and evaluate it for themselves. Allah has guaranteed that He will protect the Qur'an from human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all over the world. The Qur'an of today is the same as the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (saas).

The Excellent Qualities of the Holy Quran

By

Imam Muhammed Bin Abdul Wahab

Rendered into English by Muhammed Iqbal Siddique

• Foreword
• The Recitation of the Holy Qur'an and the Virtues of its Knowledge
• The Excellence of the Followers of the Holy Qur'an
• The Obligation to Acquire Knowledge and Reflect upon the Holy Qur’an, and a Warning to the Heedless
• Suspicion of Hypocrisy regarding the Heedless
• The Word of Allah
• Disobedience of the Holy Qur'an
• Recitation of the Holy Qur'an in a Hypocritical Spirit
• Making the Holy Qur'an a Source of Livelihood
• Faithfulness to the Holy Quran
• The Fate of those Who Seek Guidance from other than the Holy Qur'an
• Exaggerated Statement about the Holy Qur’an
• The Mandate of the Holy Prophet in respect of Allegorical Verses
• Admonition to those Who Express their Opinion in the Holy Qur'an without Knowledge
• Disputation about the Quranic Revelations
• The Consequence of Dispute Regarding the Words and Meanings of the Holy Qur'an
• Disperse When Any Difference of Opinion Arise
• The Fate of those Who Turneth Away from the Revelations of Allah
• The Recitation of the Holy Qur’an in Trial

FOREWORD

I must record my sincere thanks to Maulana Ghazanfar for carefully going through the manuscript and making valuable suggestions for improving the rendering.

May Allah accept this humble effort of a worker who is neither a well versed Scholar nor a reputed Writer, and forgive him for the mistakes and shortcomings due to his ignorance and lack of knowledge.

Muhammad Iqbal Siddiqi

The Holy Qur'an says :

''Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks," (58:ll)

In another Verse the Almighty Allah says :

" It is not (possible) for any human being unto whom Allah had given the Scripture and Wisdom and the Prophethood that he should afterwards have said unto mankind: Be slaves of me instead of Allah (what he said was): Be faithful servants of the Lord by virtue of your constant teaching of the Scripture and of your constant study." (3 : 79)

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: "One who is skilled in the Qur'an is associated with the noble, upright recording angels; and he who falters when reciting the Qur'an and finds it difficult for him will have a double reward." Bukhari and Muslim transmitted it.

The following tradition is also reported in Sahih al-Bukhari :

"Hadrat 'Uthman (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying ;The best amongst you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it."

Abu Umama (Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: Recite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite it. Recite the two shinning ones Sura al-Baqarah and Sura Al-i-'Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds or two shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for those who recite them. Recite Sura al-Baqarah, for reciting it produces blessing and abandoning it produces regret, and the slothful are unable to recite it. Muslim transmitted it.

An-Nawwas Ibn Sam'an (Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: On the Day of Resurrection the Qur'an and those who acted according to it will be brought with Sura al-Baqarah and Sura Al-i-'lmran preceding them. The! Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) likened them to three things, which I did not forget afterwards. He (the Holy Prophet) likened them to two clouds or two black canopies with light between them, or like two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for one who recited them. (Muslim)

'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pressed with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying : If anyone recites a letter of the Holy Qur'an, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward. I do not say that A.L.M (alif, laam, mim) are one letter, But alif is a letter lam is a letter and mim is a letter. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a hasan sahih hadith

'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of A1IHh be upon him) said : On the Day of Judgment it will be said to the reciters of the Qur'an "Go on reciting the Qur'an and continue ascending the storeys of Janat (paradise) and in measure you had been reading in worldly life; your final abode will be where you reach at the time of the last ayat (verse) of your recitation." Ahmad and Tirmidhi)

A similar tradition is reported on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) in Musnad of Imam Ahmad but with the following additional words :

"He will go on ascending and for every Verse Allah will exalt him to one step higher in the ranks till he reads the last Verse."

A marfu'' hadith is reported on the authority of Imam Ahmad Buraida (Allah be pleased with him) as follows :

"Obtain the knowledge of Sura al-Baqarah."

And after the above directive similar words are repeated which have been narrated earlier in the preceding pages while describing the virtues of Sura al-Baqarah and Sura Ali-i-'Imran. However this tradition contains the following additional words:

On the Day of Resurrection the Holy Qur'an will appear in the guise of a lean human being and will say, "Do you recognize me?" He will reply, "No, I do not recognize you." The Holy Qur'an will say, "I am your companion, the Holy Qur'an who kept you thirsty in the scorching heat and awake at night. Every trader expects to be benefited from his articles of trade and today you are under the shade of your all kinds of articles of trade. Then he will be given kingship in his right hand and the warrant permission for entry into Paradise in his left hand. He will be made to wear the crown of respect and dignity. His parents will be made to wear two silky robes. The worldly people did not attach any importance to them. They will ask, "Why they have been made to wear this dress?" They will be told that your son obtained knowledge of the Holy Qur'an. Then his son will be asked to start recitation of the Holy Qur'an, and for every Verse (ayat) read by the child, status of the parents will be raised to the next higher grade of the Paradise (janat) till the recitation of the Holy Qur'an is completed.

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said : Those who act upon the Injunctions of the Holy Qur'an are the favorites and friends of Allah. Ahmad and Nisa'i transmitted it.

In another version it is reported: No man must lead another in Prayer where the latter has authority, or sit in his place of honor in his house, without his permission." Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) said : Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had each pair of those killed at the Ghazwa of Uhud wrapped in a single garment and asked which of them knew more of the Holy Qur'an. When one of them was pointed out to him, he had him put first in the side of grave. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Musa Ash'ari (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) as saying: The respect of a Muslim who is of an old age and a follower of the Qur'an leads to the pleasure of Allah provided the follower of the Qur'an is not a transgressor and unfaithful to the Holy Qur'an

The Holy Qur'an says:

"And We place upon their hearts veils lest they should understand it, and in their ears a deafness." (17 :46)

In another verse the Almighty Allah says:

"Lo! the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the deaf, the dumb who have no sense." (8: 22)

Again the Holy Qur'an says:

"But he who turneth away from remembrance of Me, his will be a narrow life, and I shell bring him blind to the assembly on the Day of Resurrection." (20 :124)

Abu Musa Ash'ari (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: The similitude of that guidance and knowledge with which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has sent me is that of rain falling upon the earth. There is a good piece of land which receives the rainfall (eagerly) and as a result of it there is grown in it herbage and grass abundantly. Then there is a land hard and barren which retains water and the people derive benefit from it and they drink it and make the animals drink. Then there is another land which is barren. Neither water is retained in it, nor is the grass grown in it. And that is the similitude of the first one who develops the understanding of the Religion of Allah and it becomes a source of benefit to him with which Allah sent me. (The second one is that) who acquires the knowledge of religion and imparts it to others. (Then the other type is) one does not pay attention to (the revealed knowledge) and thus does not accept guidance of Allah with which I have been sent. Bukhari and Muslim transmitted it.

'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: Be merciful to others and Allah will be merciful to you. Forgive when others wrong thee and Allah will forgive you your sins. There is destruction for a man in whose words and deeds exists contradiction and also for those who persist upon their deeds willfully. Ahmad transmitted it.

The Holy Qur'an says:

"Among them are some who give ear unto thee (Muhammad) till, when they go forth from thy presence." (47 : 16)

In another Verse the Almighty Allah says:

"Already have We urged unto hell many of the jinn and human-kind, having hearts wherewith they understand not." (7:179)

Asma' (Allah be pleased with her) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) as saying: You will be put to trials in your graves and these trials will be like the trials of ad-Dajjal. You will be asked, "What do you know about this man(the Prophet Muhammad (peace end blessings of Allah be upon him). Then the faithful believer will reply, "He is Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Allah's Apostle who had come to us with clear evidences and guidance and so we accepted his teachings and followed him." Then the angels will say to him, "Sleep in peace as we have come to know that you were a faithful believer." On the other hand, a hypocrite of suspicious nature will reply, "I do not know, but I heard the people saying something and so I said it (the same)." Bukhari and Muslim transmitted it.

In another tradition reported by Bara' b. 'Azib, the words are as follows: A believer will reply that he is Allah's Messenger. Both the Angels will say : Yon read Allah's Book, believed in it. Indeed you have spoken the truth.

"And there are amongst them, the unlettered ones who do not know the Book, but vain desires." (2 :71)

The Holy Qur'an says:

"The likeness of those who are entrusted with the Law of Moses, yet apply it not, is as the likeness of the ass carrying books." (62: 5)

Abu Darda' (Allah be pleased with him) reported that we were in the company of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He (the Holy Prophet) looked towards the sky and mentioned a matter saying: "That will be at the time when knowledge departs." Ziad b. Labid Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) asked, "How can knowledge part when we recite the Qur'an and teach it to our children and they will teach it to their children up till the Day of Resurrection?" He (the Holy Prophet) replied, "I am astonished at you, Ziad. I thought you were the most learned man in Medina. Do not these Jews and Christians read the Torah and the Injil (Bible) without knowing a thing about their contents?"" Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib hadith.

'Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that when the following Verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) :

"Lo! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of night and day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water which Allah sendeth down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and (in) the ordinance of the winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth: are signs (of Allah's Sovereignty) for a people who have sense." (2 : 164)

he (the Holy Prophet) said: There is a destruction for a person who recited this Verse but did not ponder over it. Ibn Hibban transmitted it.

The Holy Qur'an says:

"And He misleadeth thereby only miscreants." (2 :26)

Again the Holy Qur'an says:

"Who so judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are disbelievers." (5 :44)

In another Verse the Almighty Allah says :

"Lo ! those who hide aught of the Scripture which Allah hath revealed, and purchase a small gain therewith, they eat into their bellies nothing else than fire."' (2 : 174)

Abu Sa'id al Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying, "There will appear some people among you whose prayer will make you look down upon yours, but they will recite the Qur'an which will not exceed their throats (they will not act on it) and they will go out of Islam as an arrow goes t through the game whereupon the archer would examine the arrowhead but see nothing, and look at the unfeathered arrow but see nothing, and look at the arrowfeathers but see nothing and finally he suspects to find something in the lower part of the arrow." Bukhari and Muslim transmitted if.

Another version is : "they will recite the Holy Qur'an in a melodious tone." 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) declared them the worst type of creatures and said: They will apply the revealed Verses concerning infidels over the Mu'minin (believers).

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: "The man who is questioned about knowledge and hides it (knowingly), shall be bridled with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection."

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: The first person to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favor He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask, "What did you do to show gratitude for it ?" The man will reply, ''I fought for Thy cause till I was martyred." Allah will say, "You lie. You fought that people might call you courageous, and they have done so." Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.

Next a man who has acquired and taught knowledge and read the Qur'an will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favor He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask, "What did you do to show gratitude for it?" The man will reply, "I acquired and taught knowledge and read the Qur'an for Thy sake." Allah will say, "You lie. You acquired knowledge that people might call you learned, and you read the Qur'an that they might call you a reader, and they have done so." Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.

Next a man whom Allah has made affluent and whom He has given all kinds of property will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favor He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask, "What did you do to show gratitude for it ?" The man will reply, ''I have not neglected to give liberally for Thy sake to all the causes approved by Thee for this purpose." Allah will say, "You lie. You did it that people might call you generous, and they have done so." Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) as saying : "Recite the Holy Qur'an to seek the pleasure of Allah before a people will come into existence who will observe formalities in the recitation of Qur'an, make haste and do not recite properly with a pause." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

A similar tradition is reported on the authority Sahl bin Sa'd in Sunan of Abu Dawud. He (Sahl Sa'd) said : Once 'Imran (Allah be pleased with him) happened to pass by a preacher who recited the Holy Qur'an and then begged of the people. 'Imran (Allah be pleased with him) grieved to see this painful sight and recited Inna lillahe wa inna alaihe 'Raji'un (verily we belong to Allah and to Him do we return) and then told that he had heard Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying, "When anyone recite the Holy Qur'an let him ask a reward for it from Allah, for shortly a people will arise who will recite the Qur'an and ask a reward for it from men." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

A lengthy and marfu' hadith is reported on the authority of Samura b. Jundub (Allah be pleased with him). He reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: Last night I saw two men who came to me, took me by the hand and brought me out to a holy land. So we went on till we came to a man who was lying on his back over whom a man was standing with a stone of the size of his hand, or a rock, with which he was pounding his head. When he struck him the stone rolled away and he went after it to get it, and did not return to this man till his head was healed and restored to its former position. He then went back to him and struck him. I asked what this was and they told me that this was a man whom Allah had taught the Holy Qur'an but who had slept at night and neglected it and had not acted according to its teachings in the daytime, so what I had seen would be done to him till the Day of Resurrection.

In another version it is reported: One who obtains the knowledge of the Qur'an and afterwards neglects it; one who passes away the timings of obligatory Prayers in sleep, he will meet the same fate. Bukhari transmitted if.

In Sahih Muslim a tradition is reported on the authority of Abu Musa Ash'ari (Allah be pleased with him) who said to the learned men of Basra: Recite the Holy Qur'an but do not expect too much of it otherwise your hearts will become rusty like the rusty hearts of your predecessors.

'Abdullah bin 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported: When Bani Isra'il began to make great expectations, their hearts became rusty. They invented themselves an agreeable book. The truth became a bone of contention between them and their desires. At last they neglected the Book of Allah.

The Holy Qur'an says :

"And he whose sight is dim to the remembrance of the Beneficent, We assign unto him a devil." (43 :36)

In another Verse the Almighty Allah says:

"And We reveal the Scripture unto thee as an exposition of all things." (16 : 89)

Zaid b. Arqam (Allah be pleased with him) told that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up among them one day at a watering-place called Khumm to address them. He (the Holy Prophet) praised and extolled Allah, gave a warning and a reminder, and then said, "To proceed: You people must understand that I am just human. My Lord's messenger will soon come for me and I shall answer his summons, but I am leaving among you the two important things, the first of which is Allah's Book which contains guidance and light, so study it and follow its commands closely. Then when he had urged attention to Allah Book and commended it he said, "Also my family. I remind you of your duty to Allah to care for my family."

In another version the words are: Allah's Book is Allah's rope; he who follows it has guidance and he who abandons it is in error." Muslim transmitted it.

Sahih Muslim transmitted a tradition on the Authority of Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) who said: Whenever Allah's Apostle used to deliver a sermon he always started it with the following words :

"The best book is Allah's Book and the beat practice is the Sunnah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah he upon him). The worst affairs are innovations and every innovation is misleading."

Sa'id Ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Holy Qur'an was revealed to the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he (the Holy Prophet) recited it regularly for a long time. The Companions requested Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to tell them about it whereupon the Almighty Allah revealed the following Verse :

"Alif Lam Ra. These are Verses of the Scripture that maketh plain." (12: 1)

Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) recited it for a period.

Ibn Abi Hatim reported on the authority of Mas'udi who on the authority of Qasim reported: When the Companions (Allah be pleased with them) felt boredom they requested the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to say something. Whereupon the following Verse was revealed :

"Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements, a Scripture consistent." (39 : 23)

When the Companions again felt weariness they made a similar request to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Almighty Allah revealed the following verse :

"Is not the time ripe for the hearts of those who believe to Allah's reminder." (57:16)

'Ubaid transmitted it on the authority of certain Tabi'in (the followers of the Companions of the Holy Prophet). It proves that whenever the Companions (Allah be pleased with them) sought guidance from Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) through his tradition, he (the Holy Prophet) guided them by the Verses of the Holy Qur'an.

Mu'adh Ibn Jabal (Allah be pleased with him) used to tell the people sharing his company daily: Allah is the Best Judge. The incredulous people were destroyed. Many mischiefs will arise after you. Wealth will be in affluence. The Holy Qur'an will be opened. Believers, hypocrites, women and children will recite It. It is just possible that someone of them might say : "I read the Holy Qur'an." I think that they will not believe me unless and until I innovate a new thing. Avoid innovations because every innovation is misleading. Protect ourselves from the erroneous attitude of the wise. Sometimes even a hypocrite speaks the truth. Accept the right thing wherever you find it. The truth is a beacon light. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Baihaqi reported on the authority of 'Urwa Ibn Zubair that Hadrat 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) decided to record ahadith. The Companions (Allah be pleased With them) objected to it because it was a period of revelation of the Qur'an. Then Hadrat 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) observed Istikhara for a month and afterwards said : "I remember a people before you who wrote books and depended upon them. They neglected the Book of Allah. I will not intermingle Allah's Book with any thing."

'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: May I tell you a practice by which you will become a permanent reciter of the Holy Qur'an. I submitted: "Why not ? O' Messenger of Allah! I always intend to seek piety and virtue." Whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: "Fast the most superior type of fasting (that is the fasting of (Prophet) Dawud (peace be upon him). He was the greatest worshipper. Recite the whole Qur'an in one month's time.'' I said, "But I have power (to do more than that)." Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Then finish the recitation of the whole Qur'an in ten days' time." I said, 'But I have power (to do more than that)." Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Then finish the recitation of Qur'an in seven days, and do not finish it in less than this period." Bukhari transmitted it.

'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ad (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: "Those who exceeded the prescribed limit were destroyed."

There is a marfu' tradition reported by 'Abdur Rahman Ibn Shibli in Musnad of Imam Ahmad. He said: Recite the Holy Qur'an and do not indulge in exaggeration about it; and do not show faithlessness to the Holy Qur'an; and do not make it a source of your livelihood.

Abu Rafi' (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: May I not see any person in such a state of carelessness that whenever any order of mine whether positive or negative is communicated to him, he says: I do not know, we shall follow only that which we find in the Book of Allah. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the following Verse:

"He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations -They are the substance of the Book- and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord ; but only men of understanding really heed.'' (3 : 7)

After reciting this verse he (the Holy Prophet) said: When you see people following allegorical verses, keep yourself aloof from them because the Almighty Allah has ordained to do so.

Hadrat 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said: Going astray of a learned, disputation of a hypocrite on Qur'anic issues and decision of wicked Imams ruin the structure of Islam.

When Subigh asked Hadrat 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) about al-dhariyat and similar other allegorical verses, he admonished him.

1. This is a well-known incident. For details please see Darimi Vol. I, p. 45.

"Say: My Lord forbidden only indecencies, such of them as are apparent and such as are within, and sin and wrongful oppression, and that ye associate with Allah that for which no warrant hath been revealed and that ye tell concerning Allah that which ye know not."

(7 :33)

'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: "Let him who interprets the Qur'an in the light of his own opinion come to his abode in hell." A version has: "Let him who interprets the Qur'an without knowledge come to his abode in hell." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying it is a hasan hadith.

Jundub (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: If anyone interprets the Qur'an in the light of his own opinion and is right, he has erred." Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, saying it is a gharib hadith.

The Holy Qur'an says:

"None argue concerning the revelations of Allah save those who disbelieve." (40 : 4)

In another Verse the Almighty Allah says:

"Lo ! those who find (a cause of) disagreement in the Scripture are in open schism."

(2 : 176)

Abu al-'Aliya says: There is a stern warning to those who dispute about the Qur'anic revelations.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: "Disputation about the Holy Qur'an is infidelity." Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

'Amr b. Shu'aib quoted the authority of his father from his grandfather who said that the

Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard some people disagreeing about the Holy Qur'an and said, "It was just on this account that your predecessors perished: "They set parts of Allah's Book against others, whereas Allah's Book was sent down only to be consistent; so do not use parts of the Holy Qur'an to falsify others. Speak about as much of it as you know, but where you are ignorant entrust it to him who knows." Ahmad and Ibn Maja transmitted if.

The Holy Qur'an says :

"Yet they cease not differing. Save him on whom thy Lord hath mercy. (11 : 118)

In another Verse the Almighty Allah says:

"Mankind were one community and Allah sent (unto them) Prophets as bearers of good tidings and as warners." (2 : 213)

'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard a man who recited a Verse and as I had heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reciting differently I took him to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and told him and noticed that he gave a disapproving look. He (the Holy Prophet) then said, "Both of you are doing it well, so do not disagree, for your predecessors disagreed and perished." Bukhari transmitted it.

'Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported: I went to Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the morning and he heard the voice of two persons who had an argumentation with each other about a Verse. Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to us (and) the (signs) of anger could be seen on his face. He said: Verily, the (peoples) before you were ruined because of their disputation in the Book. (Muslim)

'Amr b. Shu'aib (Allah be pleased with him) reported that we were sitting at the door of the house of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when some of us had an argumentation with each other about a Verse. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard this argumentation, came to (meet) us while we were disputing, and he was enraged, so that his face reddened as though the seeds of the pomegranate were pressed upon his cheeks and he (the Holy Prophet) said, "What! have ye been commanded to use the parts of Allah's Book to falsify others or was I sent to you with this? Some people before you were misled only because they disputed like you. This is not your job. You should act upon what you have been commanded to do and abstain from what you have been commanded to abstain.

According to another version when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out they were disputing over the question of Divine Decree. Tirmidhi transmitted it on the authority of Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) with the following words:

"The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out and we were disputing over the question of Divine Decree."

Tirmidhi has termed it a hasan hadith.

Jundub (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: Recite the Qur'an as long as your hearts agree to do so, and when you feel variance between them (between your hearts and tongues), then get up^1 (and leave its recital for the time being). Bukhari transmitted it.

'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) said: When the ailment of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) became worse, he said, "Bring for me (writing) paper and I will write for you a statement after which you will not go astray." But 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is seriously ill, and we have got Allah's Book with us and that is sufficient for us." But the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) differed about this and there was a hue and cry. On that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to them, "Go away (and leave me alone). It is not right that you should quarrel in front of me." Bukhari and Muslim transmitted it.

Muslim transmitted it on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) who said: They recited the Sura Yusuf. One man spoke as to why these words were not revealed by Allah. He admonished him saying: "Do you falsify the Book of Allah."

1. Reciting of the Qur'an is an act of devotion; it should, therefore, be performed willingly and cheerfully without feeling any boredom upon one's self. No sooner the recital of the Qur'an becomes a burden, one should stop it for the time being and prepare one's self mentally to resume its recital with a cheerful heart--Translator.

The Holy Qur'an says:

"And who doth greater wrong than he who is reminded of the revelation of his Lord, then turneth from them, Lo ! We shall requite the guilty. (32 : 22)

Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Pride is, rejecting the truth and dispising men."

It is reported on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) who said: "It is a major sin that one says to the other to fear from Allah and the other in turn says: Take care of yourself."

Narrated Abu Waqid Laithi (Allah be pleased with him): While Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sitting in the mosque with some people, three men came. Two of them came in front of Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the third one went away. The two persons kept on standing before Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for a while and then one of them found a place in the circle and set there while the other sat behind the gathering, and the third one went away. When Allah's Apostle (peace end blessings of Allah be upon him) finished his preaching, he said, "Shell I tell you about these three persons? One of them be-took himself to Allah, so Allah took him into His grace and mercy and accommodated him, the second felt shy from Allah, so Allah sheltered him in His mercy (and did not punish him), while the third turned his face from Allah and went sway, so Allah turned His face from him likewise. (Bukhari)

Qatada (Allah be pleased with him) while interpreting the following Verse :

"And of mankind is he who payeth for mere pastime of discourse, that he may mislead from Allah's way without knowledge." (31 :6)

says: It is just possible that he did not spend anything in this bargain.

It is enough for a person to go astray that he would give preference to falsehood over the truth.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: Allah has asked me to recite the Holy Qur'an in a clear and distinct manner. In another version it is said: Allah has ordered the sweet-voiced Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to recite the Holy Qur'an in a clear and distinct manner with a loud voice. Bukhari and Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Lubaba (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: He does not belong to us who does not recite the Holy Qur'an in a clear and distinct manner. Abu Dawud transmitted it.