'On the Excellence of reciting the Qur'an'

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Prophetic Guidance Regarding the Excellence of Reciting the Qur'an

by Imam Nawawi
Translated by Ustadha Ayesha Bewley

"991. Abu Umama said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Recite the Qur'an. It will appear on the Day of Rising as an intercessor for its people.'" [Muslim]

992. an-Nawwas ibn Sam'an said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'On the Day of Rising the Qur'an will be brought with the people who used to act by it in this world, preceded by Surat al-Baqara (2) and Ali 'Imran (3), arguing on behalf of those who knew them.'" [Muslim]

993. 'Uthman reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best of you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it." [al-Bukhari]

994. 'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Someone who recites the Qur'an and is fluent in it, is with the noble pious angels. Someone who recites the Qur'an and stammers in it has two rewards as it is difficult for him." [Agreed upon]

995. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The metaphor of a believer who recites the Qur'an is that of a citron - its scent is fragrant and its taste is good. The metaphor of a believer who does not recite the Qur'an is that of a date - it has no scent but its taste is sweet. The metaphor of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is that of basil - its scent is fragrant but its taste is bitter. The metaphor of a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is that of colocynth - it has no scent and its taste is bitter." [Agreed upon]

996. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "By this Book Allah elevates some people and abases others." [Muslim]

997. Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You can only have envy for two things: for a man to whom Allah has given the Qur'an and he gets up and recites it throughout the night, and for a man to whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it throughout the night and the day." [Agreed upon]

998. Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib said, "A man was reciting Surat al-Kahf (18) and he had a horse with him tethered by two ropes. Then a cloud came over him and began to draw near and his horse began to shy away from it. In the morning he went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and mentioned that to him and he said, 'That was the Sakina which descended on account of the Qur'an.'" [Agreed upon]

999. Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever recites a letter of the Book of Allah earns a good deed, and each good deed is worth ten like it. I do not say that 'Alif-lam-mim' is one letter, but that alif is a letter, lam is a letter, mim is a letter." [at-Tirmidhi]

1000. Ibn 'Abbas stated that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A person who has nothing of the Qur'an inside him is like a ruined house." [at-Tirmidhi]

1001. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "It will be said to those who know the Qur'an, 'Recite and ascend. Recite slowly as you did in the world below. Your station will be at the last verse you recite.'" [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi]"

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