How to be People of the Quran
Allah Almighty has said in Surat al Qamar that He has made the dhikr of the Quran easy:
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ ١٧
عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ: إِنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ دِينٌ فَانْظُرُوا عَمَّنْ تَأْخُذُونَ دِينَكُمْ. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ
And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there anyone who will be mindful? (54:17)
Dhikr means different things – it can mean to be recited or to be memorised or learned. This is one the characteristics of the Quran. It is unlike any other book, although the previous books were revelations from Allah Almighty, (apart from the additions and inserts and corruptions that happened to them over time), Allah Almighty did not say He made those easy to memorise. The Quran has this feature – it is easy to memorise and learn.
Double reward for those who struggle
Having said this, non-Arabs will say it is not easy to recite, particularly some of the letters, such as ‘ayn’, which is tricky for non-Arabs. The good news is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
`A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Quran will be with the honourable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Quran and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward.” (Agreed Upon)
I had a student once who used to calculate how many letters she had recited and then calculated her reward. If you are struggling do not be put off by the difficulties, the multiple rewards are there to incentivise you. Therefore, if you are struggling, don’t be put off.
Fix your letters
You do not have to be Abdul Basit or Mishary bin Rashid, but you should recite the Quran properly. As a minimum you need to fix your Surat al Fatihah and your letters. Make it your target to improve your recitation. Start tajweed classes with a properly qualified teacher and have a lesson every week. By next Ramadan you will see the difference.
When I was learning tajweed, I used to have a lesson every day, after Fajr salah to master the Quran which is Allah’s Word. Nothing is better than Allah’s Words!
The fact is that we have to make an effort and take lessons in reciting the Quran properly (tajweed) and honour His Words.
Do not assume that Arabs know how to recite the Quran properly. A lay person cannot just open the Quran and recite it properly. Many Arabs do not recite the Quran with the correct pronunciation unless they have been taught tajweed. There are non-Arab reciters from all over the world who recite better than Arab reciters.
Be determined
Allah has promised that He will make it easy for you, so don’t be defeatist and keep telling yourself you can’t do it. Say ‘I will make it with Allah’s help.’ You need to do three things:
- Make the intention that you want to improve your recitation.
- Put in the effort
- Be determined
You will not believe how much it enhances your life when you recite properly – your salah will be better and your reflections on the Quran will be more inspired.
The more you learn the Quran, the more Allah will open your heart and eyes to see the truth and implement it in your life. The barakah will envelop your family and your life. Every letter you recite will earn you ten rewards from Allah. (Every letter, not every word!)
Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said the people of the Quran are the special people of Allah:
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ” إِنَّ لِلَّهِ أَهْلِينَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ” . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ هُمْ قَالَ ” هُمْ أَهْلُ الْقُرْآنِ أَهْلُ اللَّهِ وَخَاصَّتُهُ ” . رواه ابن ماجه.
‘Allah has His own people among mankind.’ They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, who are they?’ He said: ‘The people of the Qur’an, the people of Allah and those who are closest to Him.’ (Ibn Majah)
Put in your efforts, be determined and do not waste time on social media. Recite the Quran properly and memorise the Quran.
We ask Allah to make us people of the Quran.
Shaykh Haytham Tamim – Ramadan Night 22
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Shaykh Haytham Tamim
Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.
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