# Selections from Muḥammadan Traditions/Chapter 8

VIII
THE BOOK OF THE EXCELLENCIES OF THE QURʾÁN
It is related from ʿOthmán that, 'The Apostle of God said, "The best of you is he who learns the Qurʾán and teaches it."—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Saʿíduʾl-Khudri that Usaid bin Ḥuḍair said, 'On a certain night when he was reading Súratuʾl Baqara, and his horse was tethered near him, behold! the horse wheeled round. Then he became silent, and it also became steady. Then he read (again), and it wheeled round. Then he became silent, and it ceased wheeling round. He again read, and the horse wheeled round as before. Then he turned away, and his son Yaḥyá was near it, and he feared that it would injure him. And when he moved the child away he raised his head to the heavens, and behold! something like a cloud and in it objects resembling lamps. And when the morning came he informed the Prophet. He replied, "Read, O Ibn Ḥuḍair, read of Ibn Ḥuḍair." He replied, "I feared, O Apostle of God, that it would tread on Yaḥyá who was near it, and I moved near to him, and raised my head to the heavens, and behold! something resembling a cloud, in which were objects like lamps, and I went out in order that I should not see them." He replied, "And dost thou know what that was?" He said, "No." He said, "Those were angels which came near at the sound of thy voice, and if thou hadst continued to read, they would have remained until the morning, and men would have seen them. They would not have remained hidden."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Umámah that he said, 'I heard the Prophet say, "Read the Qurʾán, for verily it will come on the day of resurrection as an intercessor for those who read it. Read the two bright chapters: chapter Baqara and chapter Áli ʿImrán, for verily they will come on the day of resurrection as if they were clouds, or two canopies or two flocks of birds in ranks arguing on behalf of those who read them. Read chapter ​Baqara, because memorising it is a blessing, and neglecting it a grief. The slothful cannot memorise it."'—Muslim.
It is related from Ubai bin Kaʿb that, 'The Apostle of God said, "O Abú Al Mandhar, dost thou know which verse from the Book of God most High which is with thee is the greatest?" I said, "God and His Apostle know best." He said, "O Abú Al Mandhar, dost thou know which verse from the Book of God which is with thee is greatest?" I said, "God, there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting."' Ubai said, 'And he struck me on my breast and said, "O Abú Al Mandhar, may knowledge be welcome to thee."'—Muslim.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that he said, 'Whilst Gabriel was sitting near the Prophet he heard a sound above him, and raised his head. And Gabriel said, "This is a door of heaven which has been opened to-day. It was never opened before to-day." And an angel came down from it. And he said, "This is an angel who has come down to the earth. He never came down except to-day." Then he saluted him and said, "Be glad in the two lights which have been given thee, and which were not given to any Prophet before thee, namely the chapter opening the Book and the last sections of Súratuʾl Baqara. Thou wilt never recite a single letter from them without being given (its reward.)"'—Muslim.
It is related from Abúʾl-Dardái that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Is any one of you unable to recite one third of the Qurʾán in one night?" They replied, "How can he recite one third of the Qurʾán?" He said, "Say, 'He is Lord alone.' It will equal one third of the Qurʾán."—Muslim.
It is related from Anas that a man said, 'O Apostle of God, I love this chapter (beginning with the words) "Say, He is God alone." He replied, "Verily thy love for it will take thee to paradise."—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Verily he in whose heart there is nothing of the Qurʾán is like a deserted house."'—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from Abú Saʿíd that, 'The Apostle of God ​said, "The Blessed and most High Lord says, 'He whom (the reciting of) the Qurʾán diverts from the remembrance of me and from praying to me, I will give him better than what I give those who pray. And the superiority of the Word of God over other words is like the superiority of God over His creation.'"'—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from Al Hárithuʾl-Aʿwar that he said, 'I passed into the mosque, and behold the people were engaging in conversation; so I went in to ʿAlí and informed him. He said, "Have they done so?" I said, "Yes." He replied, "Verily I heard the Apostle of God, say, 'Beware! for there will be strife.'" I said, "O Apostle of God, what is the way out of such strife?" He replied, "The Word of God in which is the history of what happened before you, and information of what will come after you, and a command concerning the things which are amongst you. It is a separator between (true and false). It is not a vain utterance. He who is proud and abandons it, God will break him in pieces, and he who desires guidance apart from it, God will lead him astray. And it is the strong rope of God, and it is a wise admonition, and it is a straight road, and it is that by which men do not go astray, and by which the tongue does not become entangled. And the wise do not become satiated thereby. It does not become worn out by much repetition, and its wonders do not cease. It is a Book which, when the genii heard it, they said, 'Verily we have heard a wonderful Qurʾán. It guides to the straight path, and we have believed in it.' Whoever speaks by it will speak the truth, and whoever acts according to it will be rewarded, and he who judges by it will judge justly, and whoever invites men to it, will himself be guided to the straight path."'—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from ʿUqbah bin ʿÁmir that he said, 'I heard the Apostle of God say, "If the Qurʾán were placed in a leathern skin and cast into the fire, it would not be burned."—Al Dárimi.
It is related from ʿAlí that, 'The Apostle of God said, "He who reads the Qurʾán and remembers it, and makes lawful the lawful in it, and considers unlawful what is unlawful in it, God will bring him into paradise, and will accept his ​intercession for ten people of his household, for each of whom the fire was fitting."'—Aḥmad, At Tirmidhí, Ibn Májah.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said to Ubai bin Kaʿb, "How dost thou recite in prayer?" Then he recited the "Mother of the Qurʾán " (viz. Súratuʾl-Fátiḥa). The Apostle of God said, "By Him in whose hands is my life, there has not been sent down in the Taurát, or the Gospel, or the Psalms, or in the Furqán the like of it. Verily it is the seven (verses) twice repeated, and the great Qurʾán which was given to me."'—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Learn the Qurʾán and recite it, for verily the likeness of the Qurʾán for him who learns and recites it, and stands up for it, is like that of a leathern bag filled with musk which diffuses its scent in every place. And the likeness of him who learns it, and goes to sleep, although it is in his heart, is like that of a bag of musk with its mouth tied."'—At Tirmidhí, An Nasái.
It is related from An Nuʿmán bin Bashír that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Verily God wrote a book two thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and sent down two verses from it with which He ended Súratuʾl-Baqara. Satan approaches near to that house in which they are not recited for three nights."'—At Tirmidhí, Al Dárimi.
It is related from Anas that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qurʾán is (the chapter entitled) Yá Sín. And he who recites the chapter Yá Sín, God will, for its recital, write down for him (the reward) for reading the whole Qurʾán ten times."'—At Tirmidhí, Al Dárimi.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás and Anas bin Málik that, 'The Apostle of God said, "(The chapter beginning), 'When the earth shall quake', equals one half of the Qurʾán, and (the chapter beginning), 'Say, He is God alone', equals one third of the Qurʾán, and (that beginning), 'Say, O unbelievers', equals one fourth of the Qurʾán."'—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from Anas that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Whoever recites two hundred times every day (the chapter ​beginning with the words), 'Say, He is God alone,' the sins of fifty years will be erased from him, unless he has a debt."'—At Tirmidhí, Al Dárimi.
It is related from ʿUqbah bin ʿÁmir that he said, 'Whilst I was going with the Apostle of God between Al Hajfah and Al Abwái, behold! there overtook us a wind of deep darkness, and the Apostle of God began to seek protection by (reciting the two chapters beginning) "I take refuge with the Lord of the daybreak," and "I take refuge with the Lord of men." And he said, "O ʿUqbah, seek protection by reciting these two chapters, for no one has ever sought protection by anything like these."'—Abú Dáud.
It is related from ʿÁyesha that, 'The Prophet said, "Verily the recitation of the Qurʾán in prayer is better than its recitation at other times, and the recitation of the Qurʾán at other times than the time of prayer is better than repeating the praises of God and saying, 'God is great.' And repeating the praises of God is better than alms, and alms are better than fasting, and fasting is a protection from the fire."'
On the Recitation of the Qurʾán.
It is related from Ibn Masʿúd that, 'The Apostle of God said, "It is a bad thing for any one of you to say, 'I have forgotten such-and-such a verse.' Rather say, 'I have been caused to forget it.' Remember the Qurʾán, because it is quicker in leaving the hearts of men than a quadruped."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn ʿOmar that, 'The Prophet said "The likeness of one who owns (that is memorizes) the Qurʾán is like that of the owner of the camel which is tied up. If he pays attention, to it, he will retain it; but if he frees it, it will go away."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Qatádah that he said, 'Anas was asked what the recital of the Prophet was like (when reciting the Qurʿán). He replied, "It was drawn out." After that he recited, "In the name of the Merciful, the Compassionate," and he lengthened the words, "In the name of" and, "the Merciful " and, "the Compassionate."'—Al Bukhárí.
​It is related from Anas that, 'The Apostle of God said to Ubai bin Kaʿb, "Verily God has commanded me to recite the Qurʾán to thee." He replied, "Did God mention me by name?" He said, "Yes." He replied, "Then I have been mentioned by the Lord of the worlds!" He said, "Yes." Then Kaʿb's eyes flowed with tears.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn ʿOmar that, 'The Apostle of God forbade travelling with the Qurʾán towards the land of an enemy.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.—And in another tradition by Muslim it runs, 'Do not travel with the Qurʾán, for I cannot protect it from being taken by the enemy.'
It is related from Abú Saʿíduʾl-Khudri that he said, 'I sat in a company of the feeble amongst those who had fled from Mecca to Madína, and some of them were covering others on account of nakedness. And a reciter was reciting the Qurʾán to us, when, behold! the Apostle of God came and stood beside us. And when the Apostle of God stood, the reciter became silent. And the Prophet saluted and then asked, "What were you doing?" We replied, "We were listening to the Book of God." He said, "Praise be to God, who has appointed amongst my followers a people with whom I am commanded to make my soul patient."' Abú Saʿíd said, 'Then he sat in our midst in order to make himself our equal. After that he beckoned with his hand, (Sit) thus! Then they sat in a circle, and their faces were visible to him. Then he said, "Rejoice, O poor and needy emigrants, for the perfect light on the day of resurrection. You will enter paradise before the rich men by half a day, which is equal to five hundred years."'—Abú Dáud.
It is related from Hudhaifah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Recite the Qurʾán in the dialect and tone of the Arabs, and beware of the tones of lovers and the tones of the people of the two Books; for there will come after me a people who will repeat the Qurʾán in the tones of singing and wailing. It will not go further than their throats. Their hearts and the hearts of those whose dignity excites their admiration will be involved in faction."'—Al Baihaqi.
It is related from Ṭáus that he said, 'The Prophet was asked, "What man has the best voice for the Qurʾán, and is the ​best in reciting it?" He replied, "He who, when thou hearest him recite, appears to fear God." Ṭáus said, 'Ṭalq was such an one.'—Al Dárimi.
On the Various Readings of the Qurʾán
It is related from ʿOmar binuʾl-Khaṭṭáb that he said, 'I heard Hishám bin Ḥakím bin Ḥizám recite Súratuʾl-Furqán in a different way from which I recited it, and from which the Apostle of God taught me to recite it. And I wished to hasten upon him, but I gave him respite until he had completed the recital. After that I bound him with his cloak and took him to the Apostle of God and said, "O Apostle of God, verily I heard this man recite Súratuʾl-Furqán in a different manner from that in which thou taughtest me to recite it." The Apostle of God replied, "Let him go." (Then he said to him) "Recite." Then he recited in the way in which I had heard him recite. Then the Apostle of God said, "Thus it was sent down." After that he said to me, "Do thou recite!" Then I recited. And he said, "Thus it was sent down. Verily this Qurʾán was sent down in seven readings. Recite in whichever of them is easy for you."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn Masʿúd that he said, 'I heard a man reciting the Qurʾán, and I heard the Prophet reciting differently from it. Then I brought him to the Prophet and informed him. And I perceived in his face signs of displeasure. Then he said, "Both of you are right, therefore do not contradict each other; for verily those who were before you differed and were destroyed."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ubai bin Kaʿb that he said, 'I was in a mosque, and there entered a man to pray. And he recited in a reading of which I disapproved. After that there entered another man, and he recited in a reading different from that of his companion. And when we had finished the prayers we all went in together to the Apostle of God, and I said, "Verily this man recited in a reading of which I disapproved; and this other came in and recited in a reading different from that of his companion." Then the Prophet commanded them both, and they recited. And he commended the reading of both of them. Then there entered my mind a desire to accuse of falsehood ​such as had not existed when I was in ignorance (of Islám). Then, when the Apostle of God saw what had come to me, he struck me on my breast, at which I broke out into perspiration, as if I were looking at God from fear. Then he said to me, "O Ubai, (orders) were sent to me that I should recite the Qurʾán in one reading. Then I took the matter to God that it might be made easy for my followers. Then (orders) were sent back to me a second time, 'Recite it in two readings.' Then I took the matter back to God that it might be made easy for my followers, and (orders) were sent back to me a third time, 'Recite it in seven readings. For thee (O Muḥammad) is every reply which I have sent thee at the request thou didst make.' Then I said, 'O God, forgive my people; O God, forgive my people.' And I delayed a third request for the day when the whole world, even to Abraham, would long for me"'—Muslim.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Gabriel taught me to recite in one reading, but I referred the matter back to him and continued asking him to increase it, and he continued to increase it for me until it ended up in seven readings." Ibn Shiháb said, "I was informed that those seven readings were one in substance. They did not differ in the matter of lawful and unlawful."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ubai bin Kaʿb that he said, 'The Apostle of God met Gabriel and said, "O Gabriel, verily I have been sent to a people who are ignorant. Amongst them are old women and old men, and boys and girls, and men who have never read a book." He replied, "O Muhammad, verily the Qurʾán has been sent down in seven readings."'—At Tirmidhí.
It is related from ʿIbn Abbás that he said, 'The Apostle of God did not know the divisions of the chapters (of the Qurʾán) until there descended upon him the words "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate."'—Abú Dáud.
It is related from Alqamah that he said, 'We were in Homs, and Ibn Masʿúd recited the chapter entitled "Joseph." And a certain man said, "It was not sent down in this manner." Then ʿAbduʾlláh said, "By God! I certainly recited it in the time of the Apostle of God, and he said, 'Thou hast ​recited well.'" And whilst the man was speaking to Ibn Masʿûd, behold the latter discerned the smell of wine upon him, and he said, "Dost thou drink wine, and falsify the Book!" Then he beat him to the utmost limits of the law.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Zaid bin Thábit that he said, 'Abú Bakr sent to me at the time of the battle of the people of Yamámah, and behold ʿOmar binuʾl-Khaṭṭáb was with him. Abú Bakr said, "Verily ʿOmar came to me and said, 'Verily the slaughter amongst the reciters of the Qurʾán was very severe on the day (of the battle) of Yamámah, and I fear that if the slaughter of reciters in the (surrounding) countries be severe, much will go from the Qurʾán. I am therefore of opinion that thou shouldst order the collection of the Qurʾán.' I said to ʿOmar, 'How canst thou do a thing which the Apostle of God did not do?' ʿOmar said, 'By God! this is good.' And ʿOmar continued repeating it to me until God opened my mind to (understand) that, and I became of the same opinion about it as ʿOmar."' Zaid said, 'Abú Bakr said to me, "Verily thou art a young man and wise, and we do not suspect thee, and thou wert in the habit of writing down the revelations for the Apostle of God. Therefore do thou search out the Qurʾán and collect it together." Then by God! if they had imposed upon me the task of removing one of the mountains, it would not have been more difficult for me than what he ordered me regarding the collection of the Qurʾán. I said, "How canst thou do a thing which the Apostle of God never did?" He replied, "By God! it is good." And Abú Bakr continued repeating it to me until God opened my mind to understand that which he had opened Abú Bakr's and ʿOmar's minds to understand. Then I sought out the Qurʾán and collected it together from leaves of dates and white stones and the breasts of men until I found the last part of Súratuʾt-Tauba with Abú Khazaimahuʾl-Anṣári. I found it with none else beside him. (It was this) "There hath come to you an Apostle from amongst yourselves," up to the end of the chapter. And the written pages remained with Abú Bakr until God caused him to die, after that (they remained) with ʿOmar during his lifetime. Then (they remained) with Ḥafṣa the daughter of ʿOmar.'—Al Bukhárí.
​It is related from Anas bin Malik that, ʿḤudhaifa binuʾl-Yamán came to ʿOthmán; and he had been fighting with the people of Syria in the conquest of Armenia and Adharbíján with the people of ʿIráq. And their differences in reciting (the Qurʾán) had made Ḥudhaifa afraid, and he said to ʿOthmán, "O Commander of the faithful, assist this people before they differ in the Book, as do the Jews and Christians." Then ʿOthmán sent to Ḥafṣa saying, "Send to us the written pages. We will copy them into a number of copies, and then return them to thee." Then Ḥafṣa sent them to ʿOthmán, and he commanded Zaid bin Thábit and Abduʾlláh binuʾl- Zubair and Saʿíd binuʾl-ʿÁṣ and Abduʾlláh binuʾl-Ḥárith bin Ḥishám, and they copied them into a number of copies. And ʿOthmán said to the three who were of the tribe of the Quraish, "When you three and Zaid bin Thábit differ in anything from the Qurʾán, then write it in the tongue of the Quraish, for it only came down in their tongue." Then they did so until, when they had copied the written pages into a number of copies, ʿOthmán returned the pages to Ḥafṣa. And he sent into all regions with a copy of that which they had copied. And he gave orders with respect to all other written pages or complete copies of the Qurʾán that they should be burnt. Ibn Shiháb said, "Khárijah bin Zaid bin Thábit informed me that he heard Zaid bin Thábit say, 'I lost a verse from (the chapter entitled) Al Aḥzáb when we copied the Book, and which I used to hear the Apostle of God recite. Then we sought for it and found it with Khuzaimah bin Thábituʾl-Anṣári, namely, "Of the believers there are men who remain true to the covenant which they make with God." Then we placed it in its chapter in the Book.'"'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that he said, 'I said to ʿOthmán, "What incited thee to give thine attention to Súratuʾl-Anfál—and it was one of the twice-sent—and to Súratuʾl-Barát, and to join them together? And thou didst not write the words 'In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate' (between them). And thou didst place them amongst the seven long chapters. What incited thee to that?" ʿOthmán replied, "A time used to come to the Apostle of God when many ​chapters descended upon him: and when anything used to descend upon him, he would call some of those who used to write (his revelations) and would say, 'Place these verses in the chapter in which such-and-such things are mentioned.' And when the verses descended upon him, he used to say, 'Place these verses in the chapter in which such-and-such things are mentioned.' And Súratuʾl-Anfál was amongst the first chapters which were sent down at Madína, and Súratuʾl-Barát was one of the last of the Qurʾán to come down. And the subject-matter of the one was the same as the subject-matter of the other. And the Apostle of God was taken, and he never pointed out to us whether the one was a part of the other. And for that reason I joined them together, but did not write the words, 'In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate.' And I placed it amongst the seven long chapters."'—At Tirmidhí, Aḥmad, Abú Dáud.
* ↑ Súratuʾl-Baqara (ii) 256.
* ↑ That is, repeat the chapter of the Qurʾán beginning with these words, viz. Súratuʾl-Ikhláṣ (cxii).
* ↑ Chapter xxxvi.
* ↑ Chapter xcix.
* ↑ Chapter cxii.
* ↑ Chapter cix.
* ↑ Chapter cxiii.
* ↑ Chapter cxiv.
* ↑ Súratuʾl-Aḥzáb (xxxiii) 23.