The obligations Muslims owe to Quran

3-Tazakkur wa Tadabbur

(Recalling through the Qur�an the fundamental truths intuitively recognized by human nature, and reflecting over its meaning)

We have discussed two of the claims that the Qur�an has upon us:

(i) that we should believe in it and

(ii) that we should recite it.

Now we proceed to explain the third claim it has upon us. It is that we should understand it. Obviously, the Qur�an has been revealed that it may be understood. There would be no sense in believing in it if we do not follow its meanings. Also, how can it serve as a source of guidance for us if we fail to comprehend its message. Mere recitation (i.e., recitation without understanding the meaning of the text) may be excusable in the case of persons who have not been fortunate enough to receive any education, and who are now past the age at which one can do so. Even a clumsy recitation on their part may be acceptable and may win them a reward from Allah (SWT). Similarly, a person who cannot read the Qur�an at all, nor can learn how to do so, may get a reward and blessings from Allah (SWT) even if he just moves his fingers affectionately and reverently along the lines of the Holy Book, believing it to be kalam Allah (the Word of Allah). However, the case of those persons will be quite different who may have devoted a considerable part of their lives to their secular education � who may have acquired a knowledge of different arts and sciences and may have learnt foreign languages besides their own. If these educated persons were to read the Qur�an thoughtlessly and without understanding its meaning, then it is very much possible that, in the sight of Almighty Allah (SWT), they may be considered guilty of dishonoring and ridiculing the Holy Book. For these persons, it is possible that the punishment for ignoring the meaning and message of the Qur�an may exceed the reward for reciting its text. However, if they make a firm resolve to acquire a knowledge of the Qur�an and start earnest efforts in this direction, they may in the meantime continue to read the Qur�an in the way they can. Perhaps, under the circumstances, recitation, mere and simple, may be acceptable from them and may even bring them a reward from Allah (SWT).

As for the comprehension of the Qur�an, it is not a simple affair. It has numerous stages and grades accessible to different persons according to the levels of their thinking. The Holy Qur�an is like an unbounded sea from which a scholar can bring out pearls of knowledge and wisdom according to his natural ability, intellectual equipment, and mental makeup. His efforts to comprehend the Qur�an will be rewarded in proportion to the enthusiasm, time, and labor that he puts into its study and research. At the same time, it will be found that so far as its comprehension is concerned, no person, however intelligent and learned, shall ever feel that he has done justice to the Qur�an even though he may have spent his whole life pouring over its pages and meditating over its meanings. The Holy Prophet (SAW) himself has characterized the Qur�an as a treasure (of knowledge and wisdom) which shall never to exhausted. It is such a source of guidance that man shall ever continue to feel the need of reverting to it and reflecting upon it.

�for this let (all) those strive who want to strive. (Al-Mutaffifin 83:26)

Therefore, let men of courage and determination come forward to undertake the stupendous task of Qur�anic research, fired with the noble ambition of surpassing others in this field.

6. Committing to Memory:

If the Qur�an is to be recited as it was recited by the Holy Prophet (SAW), we have to learn by heart as much of the Holy Book as possible. Unfortunately, the practice of memorizing portions of the Qur�an for long recitations in the post-midnight prayer has almost died out. However, the custom of memorizing the whole Qur�an still exists. Naturally, for this a start has to be made in childhood when the question of understanding the Qur�an does not arise, but even this custom is losing ground. Memorizing the whole Qur�an has unluckily been left to a class of poor and down-trodden people in our society who adopt it as a profession. This was not the case till recent years. In the pre-partition days, the custom of memorizing the entire Qur�an was quite common even among respectable, well-to-do families, and in some cities in undivided India almost every Muslim family had at least one hafiz (i.e., one who has learned the whole Qur�an by heart). In those days, it was considered to be discreditable on the part of a family not to have a hafiz among its members.

No doubt, memorizing the Qur�an is a noble tradition. It is a part of the Divine dispensation for the preservation of the Qur�an and should be maintained with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. However, committing the whole Qur�an to memory is not within the reach of every person. What I wish to stress here is that every one of us should try his utmost to learn maximum portion of the Qur�an by heart so that he may be able to recite it to his Lord, standing before Him in prayer. This is the essential prerequisite for reciting the Book of Allah (SWT) as it ought to be recited and as it was recited by the Holy Prophet (SAW) himself, but it is a pity that we have lost eagerness and fervor for memorizing the Qur�an. Even men of religious learning among us have grown quite negligent in this matter. The condition of even those who lead the congregational prayers in mosques is no better. Most of them seem to have become contented with a few short Surahs they have once committed to memory and go on repeating them in prayers. Surely, it is a sad state of affairs that must be corrected. All of us must develop in our hearts a deep love for the Qur�an, look upon the part of the Holy Book we have memorized as our real and most valuable asset in life, and make a continuous effort at increasing and enhancing it. Thus shall we be able to experience the blissful joy to tarteel and provide for our souls greater and greater amount of sustenance in the best possible form.

2. Daily Recitation:

If we wish to fulfill our obligation of reciting the Qur�an, the second thing we are required to do is to include the recitation of the Qur�an in the daily routine of our life, and each one of us should recite a certain portion of the Holy Book regularly every day. The portion fixed for daily recitation can be different for different people. The maximum portion which has the support of the Holy Prophet (SAW) is one-third of the Qur�an. It means that ten paras should be recited each day so that the recitation of the whole Qur�an may be completed in three days. A minimum portion � and mind you, anything less than this bare minimum could not even be imagined till recent years � could be one para daily, so that the whole Qur�an could be read in a month. In fact, this is the least amount of recitation which should be done every day and an amount less than this would not be worth the name. The middle position between the maximum and minimum is that one should read the whole Qur�an in a week. This, indeed, was the practice followed by the majority of the Companions (RAA) and the same according to a tradition was suggested to Abdullah Ibn Umar (RAA) by the Holy Prophet (SAW). It is for this reason that the Qur�an was divided into seven ahzaab (sections) in the time of the Companions (RAA). The first six of the ahzaab consist of three (excluding Surah Al-Fatiha), five, seven, nine, eleven, and thirteen Surahs respectively, and the seventh called hizb-ul-mufassal consists of the rest of the Holy Book. Every hizb comprises of approximately four paras, which can be recited quite satisfactorily in two hours.

Persons of a devout nature and staunch faith should do this amount of recitation daily. Both the common people and intellectuals must depend upon the regular recitation of the Holy Book for the nourishment of their souls. To the average men it will serve as an admonition or remembrance of Allah (SWT), and to the men of learning and intelligence, as a source of knowledge and food for thought. Even those who ponder over the meaning of the Qur�an day and night, who think deeply over its individual Surahs for years on end, and who pause for long over the subtle points in its text, cannot do without this regular recitation. Indeed, they require its aid all the more in the noble task they have set before themselves. Actually, constant recitation of the Holy Book will help solve many of their problems and will continuously open up new vistas of thought before their minds.

3. Melodious voice:

It is also required for the proper recitation of the Qur�an that a person should read it in the best manner and in the most melodious voice possible. This is necessary because almost every human being is gifted with a love for music and has a natural fondness for sweet and melodious sounds. Islam is a natural region; it does not curb any of our inherent tendencies but diverts them into healthy channels. As we have an instinctive love for the beauty of sight and the beauty of sound, we insist upon a fascinating printing of the Holy Qur�an and its recitation in a soft melodious voice. The Prophet (SAW) has urged us to:

Adorn the Qur�an with your voices. (Narrated by Abu Daud & Nasai)

He has also warned us against our negligence in this matter in the words:

One who does not recite the Qur�an in a melodious voice is not from us! (Narrated by Abu Daud)

and has given us the following tidings as a further inducement for melodious recitation:

Allah (SWT) does not listen to anything so attentively as He listens to the Prophet (SAW) reciting the Qur�an aloud in a sweet voice. (Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Daud, & Nasai)

It often happened that, while going along his way, the Holy Prophet (SAW) heard a Companion (RAA) recite the Qur�an in a sweet-sounding voice. He would stop and stand for a long time listening to the Qur�an being recited and would appreciate it later on. Sometimes, he would ask a Companion (RAA) to recite the Qur�an to him. It is stated in the books of traditions that once he asked Abdullah Ibn Mas�ud (RAA) to recite the Qur�an to him. The latter (much astonished at the request) said: "Messenger of Allah! How can I recite the Qur�an to you, while you are the person to whom it was revealed?" He replied: "I like to hear it being recited by others." Accordingly, Abdullah Ibn Mas�ud (RAA) began to recite, and, as the Holy Prophet (SAW) sat listening, his eyes welled up with tears which could be seen trickling down his cheeks. On another occasion, he heard a Companion (RAA) recite the Qur�an in a melodious voice, which he praised in the words: "You have been granted a share from the musical talent of the sons of Daud (AS)."

Although a person should recite the Qur�an in the most melodious voice he can produce because otherwise the recitation will be far from satisfactory, yet to over-emphasize this aspect of recitation is not without danger. When a melodious recitation is the outcome of mere show or affectation or when one takes to it as a profession, it becomes a serious perversion and a reprehensible practice. We should, therefore, carefully guard against this danger; still we may seek the satisfaction of our love for the beauty of sound in reciting the Qur�an or in hearing it being recited in a melodious voice. Hence, everyone of us should read the Book of Allah (SWT) in as nice a manner and as sweet a voice as it may be possible for him to do.

JazakiAllahu khairan sister, for your response. Its big article. So i shall post it in parts, insha-Allah

2-Tilawat wa Tarteel

(Slow, thoughtful reading of the Qur'an with correct pronunciation)

The Arabic equivalents for "reading" are qir�aat and tilawat. Both these terms have been employed by the Qur�an in connection with the reading of the Qur�an. The term tilawat is used for reading the Holy Book with all the reverence due to it as a sacred scripture, with an open mind fully disposed to imbibing its influence, and with a keen desire to model our lives upon its teaching. It is a term specifically used for the reading of heavenly books. Qir�aat, however, is a general term used for reading any kind of book. This difference in the connotation of these two words as equivalents of "reading" is borne out by their literal meanings; for tilawat means "to follow or walk behind some one," while qir�aat means just "to draw or combine things together."

In the beginning, the word qir�aat was used for learning the Qur�an and acquiring its knowledge, and a qaari was originally a scholar of the Qur�an. As time passed, the term was gradually torn from its original meaning and came to be used for reading the Qur�an with correct pronunciation and modulation according to the rules of tajweed, whereas the word tilawat came to be used as a general term for reading the sacred book with fervor and devotion, for the purpose of seeking guidance and blessings.

Tilawat of the Holy Qur�an is not only an important form of worship but also an effective method of continually refreshing our Iman (faith). The Qur�an is not a book to be understood once and for all. It is a book to be read again and again and to be studied forever, because it provides sustenance to the human soul. As our earthly body is in constant need of food that is obtained from the earth, so too our soul, which is of heavenly origin, constantly needs the help of Divine Revelation for fostering and strengthening itself. If the Qur�an were to be understood once and for all, there would have been no need for the Holy Prophet (SAW) � of all people � to read it again and again. On the contrary, we find from the study of the Qur�an itself that he was commanded to do so. In the earliest days of his prophethood, the Holy Prophet (SAW) was especially instructed to stand for the greater part of the night in prayer before his Lord, reciting the Qur�an in slow, rhythmic tones. In the later stages of his prophetic career, particularly when he was faced with heavy odds and was required to muster up special courage and fortitude to sustain himself, the special instruction he received from his Lord was to recite the Qur�an. In Surah Al-Kahf, he was given the following instructions:

And recite what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord: None can change His Words, and none will you find as a refuge other than Him. (Al-Kahf 18:27)

And again, in Surah Al-Ankaboot a similar instruction was repeated:

Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish regular prayer�. (Al-Ankaboot 29:45)

It follows from the facts stated above that constant and regular study of the Holy Qur�an is essential because it provides food for the soul, because it is a mean of refreshing and reviving faith, and a reliable weapon for surmounting difficulties and obstacles that one encounters in the way of Allah (SWT). The following ayah from Surah Al-Baqarah describes how the lovers of the Qur�an manifested their great regard for this Book:

Those to whom we have delivered the Book recite it as it ought to be recited�. (Al-Baqarah 2:121)