In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Gracious

Notes for the Online Halaqa, Ramadân 1429 (part two)Topics covered in the first session:
• The meaning of ‘nasîhah’ in the hadith ‘religion is nasîhah’, especially as related to the Qurân.
• The ‘excellence of the Qurân and its people’ taken from Ihya and from Forty Hadith on the Excellence of the All-Clarifying Illuminating Qurân by Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari.
• The first five of the ‘outward etiquettes of reading the Qurân with reference to Etiquette with The Qurân by Imam al-Nawawi.
• Today, we will complete the reading of the Hadith on the Excellence of the All-Clarifying Illuminating Qurân; continue with the outward actions and look at the inward actions of reading the Qurân.
• The remaining outward actions are:
 Weeping
 Giving each verse its due
 Making ‘istiâdha’ (seeking of refuge) at the beginning of the recitation
 Reading aloud
 Beautifying of ones’ recitation

Weeping
Imam al-Nawawi says:
It is an attribute of those with profound knowledge of God (‘ârifîn) and a distinguishing feature of God’s devotees. God Most High said, They fall down upon their faces weeping, and it increases them in humility (17:109).

Many hadiths and accounts from the Righteous Forebears have been related concerning this. Among them is from the Prophet himself, upon him be peace: ‘Read the Quran and weep. If you do not weep, cause yourself to weep.’

‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb, may Allah be pleased with him, prayed the Morning Prayer in congregation and read Surat Yusuf (12). He wept until his tears flowed over his collarbone. In another version (of the report), it was in the Nightfall Prayer, affirming that this happened repeatedly, and in one version he wept until people in the rows behind him heard his weeping.

Abû Rajâ said, ‘I saw Ibn ‘Abbas and below his eyes were tracks wet from tears.’ Abû Sâlih said, ‘A group of people from Yemen came to Abû Bakr al-Siddîq, may Allah be pleased with him, and began reciting the Quran and they wept. Abû Bakr al-Siddîq, may Allah be pleased with him, said ‘This is how we were. Hishâm said, ‘I sometimes heart Muhammad ibn Sirîn’s crying at night while I was praying.
The accounts concerning this are innumerable. What we have just alluded to suffices. And God knows best.

Imâm Abû Hâmid al-Ghazâli said, ‘Weeping is recommended while reciting (the Quran) or witnessing (its recitation). He said, ‘The way to achieve this is by bringing sadness to mind by pondering the threats and warnings, the covenants and agreements that it contains, and then contemplating one’s shortcomings with their regard. If this does not bring to mind sadness and weeping, as it does with elite worshippers, then one should weep from the lack of it, since it is among the greatest calamities’
[Etiquette with The Qurân by Imam al-Nawawi p45]

Fulfilling the rights of specific verses of the Qurân
These include prostrating when you read or hear a verse of prostration. The rules of this type of prostration are found in the books of jurisprudence. They are also detailed in Etiquette with The Qurân along with a list of all the verses requiring prostration.
Other rights of the Qurân are to supplicate for the Heaven when it is mentioned, to seek protection from the Fire when it is mentioned, to make istighfâr (seek forgiveness) when told to in any particular verse and to say ‘subhanallah’ (transcendent is He) when verses describing the marvels of creation are read.

Al-Istiâdha
Among the specific rights of the Qurân is to seek protection before reciting it and to supplicate after it.

Reading aloud
There are several evidences stressing the merit of reading the Qurân silently and others of reading it aloud. These apparent contradictions are reconciled by al-Ghazâli when he points out that ‘silent recitation is furthest from ostentation and humility and is most appropriate for one who fears them in himself. However, if he does not fear them and he is not likely to disturb someone else who might be praying then reciting aloud is better as it requires more actions, its benefit is connected to others and the good is therefore compounded and preferred to that which is confined (to oneself), it wakens the heart of the reciter and concentrates his aspiration on contemplation and focuses his hearing on it; it repels sleep and energizes him towards (more) recitation and reduces his laziness and because he should hope through his recitation for the waking of the sleeping one and hence be the means of his revival and because a lazy, neglectful one may be energised by his energy and thereby desire to serve (Allah).’

Beautifying one’s recitation
Al-Ghazâli quotes a number of hadîth, some of which are included in previous classes and also the stories of Sâlim the freed slave of Abû Hudhaifa and Abdulllah ibn Masûd who were both excellent reciters of the Qurân and praised by the Messenger, upon him be peace, for their recitation.

The ‘inner actions’ involved in reciting the Qurân
There are ten inward adâb. They are:
1. Understanding where the Qurân originates
2. Veneration (ta’dhîm)
3. Presence of heart
4. Reflection (tadabur)
5. Striving to understand (tafahum)
6. Removal of barriers to understanding
7. Personalising the message (takhsîs)
8. Feeling the effect of the Quran (ta’athur)
9. Rising (taraqî)
10. Recognition of not having any part in the blessing (tabarra)

May Allah grant us understanding of these actions and the ability to practice them and fulfil the rights of the Qurân. Āmin.