Part 5

"I It is a common in our times that you will find some Imams, whether they realize it or not, reciting the Quran as if they are singing a song. They change their pitch and tone and vary their flow in a manner that is similar to the way songs are sung. We ask Allah 3¢ to guide us and them. Bukhaaree (769)

Bukhaaree (5023) and Muslim (792)

Chapter -1 The Manners Of Reciting The Qur’an,.. 37

the Qur’an and beautifying his recitation.)

Imam Ahmad said, “The reciter should beautify his voice with the Qur’an and recite it with a sense of sadness and contemplation.” This saying of Imam Ahmad is also an explanation of the Prophet's saying, ‘Allah has not heard anything similar to His hearing a Prophet chant the Qur’an.”

In another narration, the Prophet # said,

Kay Bs ys oe

“He is not from us who does not chant the Qur‘an.

And in the narration of Al-Barraa Ibn ‘Aazib , the Messenger of Allah # said, “Adorn

“your voices with the Quran.

“Would that you had seen me when I was listening to your recitation last night! You have indeed been given a flute from the flutes of the family of Daawood.’")

Abu Ya’laa related the following addition to the same hadith: Abu Moosa # then answered, “Had I known where you were, I would have indeed adorned my voice for you.”

" This explanation is mentioned by Ibn Katheer: Fadaail Al-Qur’aan

!) Related by Abu Daawood (1469), and Al-Albaanee said, ““sahih.”

"I Related by Abu Daawood (1468), and Al-Albaanee said, “sahih.””

‘1 Related by Muslim (793) and Bukhaaree (5048), and the second part is related by him only.

'5] Refer to Fathul-Baaree (8/711)

Abu Moosa’s hadith proves that it is permissible to assume a beautiful recitation or contrive to beautify one’s recitation; this does not mean, however, that one goes beyond the limits set by the Shariah. One should not exaggerate and elongate to the degree that his recitation takes the form of a melody or a song. Imam Ahmad said that he had a strong aversion to recitation in the style of melodies, saying that doing so is Bid’ah (an innovation). And Shaikh Taqee-ud-Deen said, “Reciting the Quran in a melodious way whereby it resembles the melody of a song is disliked and is an innovation, a ruling that is clearly mentioned by Maalik, Ash-Shaafi’ee, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, and other Imams as well.”

15) Crying When Listening To Or Reciting The Quran

Crying when both listening to and reciting the Quran is related in the Sunnah. As to the latter, ‘Abdullah Ibn Ash-Shukhair 2 said, ‘I went to the Prophet # when he was praying, and from his breast emerged a crying sound like the sound of a container in which water is boiling.”"") And in the same context, ‘Abdullah Ibn Shaddaad said, “I heard the sobbing of ‘Umar , and I was in the last rows. He -& was reciting:

“T only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah” (Qur‘an

As for crying when one listens to the recitation of another, the Messenger of Allah 2 once said to Ibn Mas‘ood #, “Recite [the Quran] to me.’ Ibn ‘Mas’ood # answered, “’I...recite the Qur’an to you, and to you it was revealed?” The Prophet #8 said, ‘“Yes.’” Tbn Mas’ood .% recited ‘The Women Chapter’ until he reached,

"1 Sharhus-Sunnah, by Al-Baghawee (729); the commentator of that compilation said, “At-Tirmidhee related it in Ash-Shamaail; Ahmad, Abu Daawood, and An-Nassaaee related it as well, and its chain is strong.”

Chapter -1 The Manners Of Reciting The Quran... 39

(OE SS BR yh AF oe Oe GSD “How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad #z) as a witness against these people?” (Quran 4:41)

Then, the Prophet # said, SN tes “That is enough for you now.””

Tbn Mas’ood # later related, ‘I then turned to him and saw [tears] flowing from his eyes."

As for people today who scream and weep very loudly, they have abandoned the upright way; but let no one think that I am making a sweeping generalization, for there are both sincere people and insincere people among them. Yet it is amazing to see that some people are prone to affectation, crying rivers of tears when they hear the Imam make supplication in Al-Qunoot, but not crying at all when they hear Allah’s speech being recited. To such people, we point out that the most complete people are those whom Allah 3€ described thus in His Book:

“Allah has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Quran),

its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft-

repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it

(when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart

soften to the remembrance of Allah” (Quran 39:23)

And the most complete of people are those that are upon a condition like that of the Prophet #8, who did not scream or wail, but cried with a sound similar to the sound of pressure that emanates from a pot of boiling water.

One might contend that some of our pious predecessors fainted or died when they listened to or recited the Qur’an. I do not deny that that happened to some from the Taabi’oon and those who came after them; however, it did not occur during the generation of the Companions . And the reason why it happened to some of our pious predecessors is because the message of the Qur’an is strong and their hearts were weak, so when the message was communicated to their hearts, they were not able to take it in. Thus they were truthful in what happened to them, and they are also excused. And of course, one to whom this occurred is indeed of high-ranking, for had his heart not been alive, had he not known the meaning and significance of what he was reciting, he would not have fainted or died. But it is more complete to feel similar emotions yet remain strong and firm, and this was the case for many of our pious predecessors - may Allah be pleased with them all.)

In a related issue, it is recommended to ask a proficient reciter who has a beautiful voice to recite the Qur’an.

This clearly occurred when the Prophet # asked Ibn Mas’ood to recite the Qur’an to him. The Messenger of Allah #¢ said to Ibn Mas’ood ¢,

“Recite [the Quran] to me.’

Ibn ‘Mas’ood 4 answered, “I...recite the Qur’an to you, and to you it was revealed?” The Prophet # said,

“' indeed desire to hear it from other than me.”” And about ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood #&, the Prophet #8 said,

eH pista Le Na Ost as ob A ih Fe OF Ge gn “Whomsoever it pleases to recite the Quran smoothly and

1) Refer'to Al-Aadaab Ash-Shar‘iyyah (2/305)

Chapter -1 The Manners Of Reciting The Qur‘an,.. 41

freshly as it was revealed, then let him recite it upon the recitation of Ibn Umm ‘Abd (‘Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ood 2).’")

The Prophet #8 ordered that the people should take the Qur’an from four Companions .; ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood # was one of them:

el ay pts fryer a BILE be: realy is sit fou tLe of bles os ot hs ‘ “Take the recitation of the Qur’an from four: ‘Abdullah Ibn

Mas‘ood #, Saalim Maulaa Abee Hudhaifah , Ubai Ibn Ka'ab .t, and Mu'aadh Ibn Jabal .t.’"2)

16) As Long As No Harm Results, It Is Recommended To Recite The Quran Out Loud

In his Adhkaar, An-Nawawee mentioned that there are both narrations that extol the virtues of reciting out loud and narrations that extol the virtues of reciting quietly, whereby no one but the reciter hears his recitation. The issue, therefore, requires some explanation. The scholars have said that, by reciting quietly, one is less likely to recite for show; hence, reciting quietly is better for one who fears that he will show off if he reads out loud. Then they said that, in other cases, reciting out loud is better, as long as other worshippers or people that are sleeping or others are not disturbed by one’s recitation. That reciting out loud is better is proven by the fact that it requires more effort and its benefit extends beyond the reciter to those who are listening; furthermore, by reciting out loud, one repels sleep, stimulates mental activeness, and wakes up those who should wake up (those, for example, who are sleeping when it is time for prayer). But if one does read out loud, he should respect those people that are near him - for example, another person who is reciting the Qur’an or someone who is sleeping. He

should not harm them by raising his voice, a ruling that is established by a hadith related by Abu Sa’eed #: The Messenger of Allah # spent the night in the Masjid and heard people reciting out loud; he #¢ removed the barrier that separated him from them and said,

“Lo! Each one of you is privately conversing with his Lord, so do not inflict harm upon one another. And let not some of you raise his voice in recitation over the voices of the others,”

or he # said, ell oe

Note: It is not permissible for women to recite in the presence of men (who are not her Mahram), for the fear of temptation that might result. The Shariah came to block all paths that lead to

what is Haram (forbidden).!

It is also important to note that one must speak and enunciate, moving his tongue and lips, for him to receive the reward for reciting the Qur’an. When one reads the Quran with his eyes without moving his lips, he does not reap the rewards that are specified for one who recites the Qur’an. Shaikh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “It is okay to look at the Qur’an without reciting it, especially if one is trying to contemplate and understand its meanings, but one who does so is not reciting and does not achieve the merits that come with reciting the Quran. One only achieves those merits by enunciating the Qur’an, even if those around him do not hear him. The Prophet #% said,