15 points of benefit By Fawaz ibn Ali al-Madkhali
Translated
by Abbas Abu Yahya
‘An
important question, what is your intention when you read the noble Qur’aan?
Fron
Ameer-ul-Mu’mineen Abu Hafs Umar bin Al-Khattab, who said: I heard the
Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam- say:
إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ
بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى
‘Indeed
actions are but by intentions and every man shall have that which he intended.’
Collected
by Bukhari and Muslim
Having
a great regard for intentions was the transactions of the hearts of the
Companions – Radhi Allaahu anhum – and those who about Allaah and the
scholars who raise the people. Indeed they would perform one action and they
would have many intentions for that action, so that they could gain great
rewards for themselves with every intention.
Ibn
Katheer – rahimahullaah- said:
النية أبلغ من العمل
‘The
intention is more profound than the action. [1]
Here
are some of the intentions which are good to have when reading the Noble
Qur’aan:
1 - By reading the Qur’aan we ask Allaah that the Qur’aan intercedes
for us.
The
saying of the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam -:
إقرأوا القرآن فإنه يأتي
يوم القيامة شفيعا لأصحابه
‘Read
the Qur’aan since indeed it will come on the Day of Judgement interceding for
its companions.’
Collected
by Muslim
2 - We
make the intention so we gain increase in good reward.
The
Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam - said:
من قرأ حرفا من كتاب الله
فله به حسنة والحسنة بعشر أمثاله
‘Whoever
read a letter from the Book of Allaah, then he will receive a reward for it and
every good reward is multiplied by ten the like of it.’[2]
3 - We
regard reading the Qur’aan as a rescue from the Fire.
The
Messenger of Allaah said:
لو جمع القرآن في أهاب لم
يحرقه الله بالنار
‘If
the Qur’aan is gathered in a leather skin covering[3] then Allaah will
not burn it with fire.’
Authenticated
by Albaani[4]
4 - We
regard reading the Qur’aan as a foundation for the heart.
The
Messenger of Allaah – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
الرجل الذي ليس في جوفه
شئ من القرآن كالبيت الخرب
“A
man who does not have in his inside anything from the Qur’aan is like a house
that has no furnishing.’
Collected
by Tirmidhi[5]
5 - We
regard reading the Qur’aan with the intention of acting upon every Ayaah
we read so that we can acquire
the highest levels in Paradise.
The
Messenger of Allaah – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – said:
يقال لقارئ القرآن اقرأ
وارق ورتل كما كنت ترتل في الدنيا فإن منزلتك عند آخر آية تقرأها
‘It
will be said to the recitor of the Qur’aan, read and ascend [in Paradise] and
recite like you used to recite in the Dunyaa, since indeed your place
will be at the last Ayaah which you read.’
Collected
by Abu Dawood & Tirmidhi[6]
6 - We
regard reciting the Qur’aan as a
cure for the sicknesses of our hearts and illnesses of our bodies and a means
of mercy descending upon us.
Allaah
Ta’ala said:
وننزل من القرآن ما هو
شفاء ورحمة
《And We send down from the Qur’aan that which is a healing and
mercy》 [Israa:
82]
7 - We
regard reading the Qur’aan as a
means for tranquility for our hearts. Due to the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:
((ألا بذكر الله تطمئن
القلوب))
《Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.》 [Rad:
28]
8 - We
regard reading the Qur’aan as a means of reviving our hearts, and Noor
to our sight and distances our sadness and disappearance of our grief so the
Qur’aan is like the season of spring for the believer just like a heavy
rain pour is like the season of spring for the land.
Like
the Prophet - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – said in his Dua’:
‘…that
You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and light of heart and keep away from
me my sadness, and that my grief goes away.’ Saheeh.[7]
9 - We
regard reading the Qur’aan as a means for guidance.
Allaah
Ta’ala said:
((ذلك الكتاب لا ريب فيه
هدى للمتقين))
《This is the Book (the Qur’aan), whereof there is no doubt, a
guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun [the pious and righteous]》 [Baqara: 2]
In
the Hadeeth Qudsi:
"ياعبادي كلكم ضال إلا من
هديته فاستهدوني أهدكم"
‘O
My worshippers all of you are astray except for the one whom I have
guided, so seek guidance from Me and I will guide you.’
[Collected
by Muslim]
10 - We
read the Qur’aan with the
intention that we die while following the Qur’aan. Just like when Allaah
Ta’ala granted Uthmaan –Radhi Allaahu anhu – martyrdom while he
was reading the Qur’aan.
Ibn
Katheer –rahimahullaah- said:
“Whoever
lives according to something then he dies upon that and whoever dies upon
something then he will be resurrected upon that…based upon the
saying of Allaah Ta’ala:
((أم حسب اللذين اجترحوا
السيئات أن نجعلهم كالذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات سواء محياهم ومماتهم ساء مايحكمون))
《Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them
equal with those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah) and do righteous good
deeds, in their present life and after their death? Worst is the judgement that
they make.》[Jatheeya: 21]
11 - We
read the Qur’aan with the intention of hoping for a closeness to our Lord
with love for His Great Speech.
As is in the Hadeeth:
"إنك مع من أحببت"
‘Indeed
you will be with whom you loved’
[Collected by Muslim]
12 - We
regard reading the Qur’aan as a
great means for the increase of Eemaan. This is due to the saying of Allaah
Ta’ala:
((وإذا ما أنزلت سورة فمنهم
من يقول أيكم زادته هذه إيمانا فأما اللذين آمنوا فزادتهم إيمانا وهم يستبشرون))
《And whenever there comes down a Surah (chapter from the
Qur’aan), some of them (hypocrites) say: ”Which of you has had his Faith
increased by it?” As for those who believe, it has increased their Faith, and they
rejoice.》 [Tawbah: 124]
13 - From
our intentions of reading the Qur’aan is that indeed we want to increase our
knowledge about our Lord and knowing about Him by which we can increase
our humility and neediness of Him so that we can seek assistance from Him
in every single moment of ours.
14 - From
intentions for reading Qur’aan is that we hope by reading it we acquire a great
excellence which is that it will be a means for Allaah Ta’ala to choose us to
be from His people and those special to Him due to the saying of the
beloved Messenger:
إن لله أهلين من الناس
‘Indeed
Allaah has a certain people from among the people.’
They
asked: ’who are they O Messenger of Allaah?’
He
answered:
"هم أهل القرآن ، أهل الله
وخاصته"
“They
are the people of the Qur’aan, the people of Allaah and those special to
Him.”
Authenticated
by Albaani[8]
15 - From
the greatest of intentions and most important of them and at the forefront of
them is that we worship Allaah Ta’ala by reading the Qur’aan.
This
is due to the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:
((ورتل القرآن ترتيلا))
《and recite the Qur’aan (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and
) style》[Muzamil: 4]
After
all what has preceded, have you ever asked yourself what is your intention
while you read the Noble Qur’aan.
Taken from: http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=144989%5D
[1] T.N. From
Hileeyat al-Awaleeyah 3/70
[2] T.N. The
complete hadeeth is:
From
Ibn Mas’ood who said that the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa
sallam- said:
من قرأ حرفا من كتاب الله
فله به حسنة و الحسنة بعشر أمثالها لا أقول : { ألم } حرف و لكن : ألف حرف و لام
حرف و ميم حرف
“Whoever
read a letter from the Book of Allaah then he will receive a reward for it and
every good reward is multiplied by ten the like of it, I do not say that ‘Alif,
Laam, Meem’ is a letter but Alif is a letter, and Laam is a
letter and Meem is a letter.
[Collected
by Bukhari in Tareekh,Tirmidhi, Hakim & authenticated by Albaani in
Saheehah no. 3327, ’Saheeh al-Jamia’ no. 11415 & Saheeh Targheeb no.
1416]
[3] T.N. Some of the people of Knowledge have
explained this to mean a person who memorises the Qur’aan and is
attached to reciting it.And Allaah knows best.
[4] T.N. The Hadeeth is
narrated from Ismat ibn Malik, & declared Hasan by Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jamia’ no. 9397
[5] T.N.Shaykh Albaani
declared this hadeeth to be weak in ‘al-Mishkat’ No. 2135 & ’Da’eef
al-Jamia’ No. 1524. Albaani also said:..meaning: had not memorized anything of
the Qur’aan and I spoke about the hadeeth in al-Mishkat no. 2135 which
indicates that it is Da’eef.’ (Riyadh as-Saliheen no.
388)
[6] T.N. Collected in Saheeh Targheeb No. 1426 & Albaani
declared it Hasan Saheeh & in Saheeh al-Jamia.
[7] T.N. The complete
hadeeth is: ’Allaah does not afflict a slave with grief nor sadness, except
that if the slave says:
“O
Allaah indeed I am Your slave, and the son of Your slave, and the son of
Your female slave, my forelock is in Your Hand, Your command over me is
forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask of You with
all Your names, which belong to You, which You have named Yourself with, or
which You have taught someone from Your creation or revealed it in Your
Book or that which You have taken unto Your self with the knowledge of the
unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and light
of my breast and keep away from me my sadness, and that my grief goes
away - then Allaah takes away his grief and sadness and replaces it with
happiness.”
The
narrator said: It was said: O Messenger of Allaah should we not learn it?
He
answered: Of course, it is necessary for the one who hears it, that he
learns it. (From ‘Silsilah Saheehah: 199)
[8] T.N. Albaani
declared the Isnad to be Saheeh in Saheeh Ibn Majah No. 179 & Saheeh
al-Jamia No. 2165.
~
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