Class 6

‘Quran beyond Ramadan’

When the days of Ramadan leave us, we get a feeling of emptiness. Many of us may have achieved a great deal during the month whilst others may have been disappointed in how they spent their blessed Ramadan days. The passing of Ramadan so quickly usually leaves the hearts of Muslims around the world saddened. But, what is it that truly saddens us? Is it the end of the iftar feasts?  Or perhaps something much more important and frightening. The fear of not being able to maintain as much ibadah and the distractions of life that overwhelm us soon after Eid. The fear of not maintaining a relationship with the Qur’an.

Whilst this may be the case, like in any battle, the soldiers must prepare themselves to win. Our battle in this instance is to maintain a relationship with the Qur’an and continue to build on whatever we have accomplished this Ramadan. Even if it was not as productive as you would have liked, to learn from the mistakes made in Ramadan and kick-start a solid relationship with the Qur’an in the coming months is important.

Abdullah ibn Masud said: “The house in which the Qur’an is not recited is like a derelict (forsaken) house that has no one to maintain it.”

Never let your home become forsaken; so long as you have breath in your lungs, you are able to hold tight to the Qur’an and its teachings. Regardless of whatever deadlines we have, our souls need to be taken care of. We all take time to ensure we smell nice, look good and eat well. So, give your soul as well the food it requires by nourishing it with the Qur’an, and never neglect it. Our bodies are finite entities, so feed the soul that will hold you up when your body is no longer strong. Feed the soul to keep your heart awake.

Quran is the Best Dhikr

The best form of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) is reciting the Qur’an, because it is the words of Allaah. Allah (Exalted be He) orders us to recite it, contemplate it, and act according to it. 

Whoever would like to be among those who remember Allah, should be among those who recite the Book of Allah as it should be recited, reciting it in the mosque, reciting it in his house, reciting it in his workplace, never neglecting the Qur’an; he should not recite it only in the month of Ramadan.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever recites a harf of the Book of Allah will have one hasanah for it, and each hasanah brings a tenfold reward. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is a harf; rather alif is a harf, laam is a harf and meem is a harf.” (At-Tirmidhi, classed as saheeh by Sheikh al-Albaani)

Approximately 321,180 letters x10 rewards = 3,211,800 (or more, as Allah wills)

The Sunnah is for the reader to utter the words and reflect, as Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

• “[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad  ﷺ], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded” [Saad 38:29]
• “Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?” [Muhammad 47:24].

People of Allah

Ibn Maajah (215) and Ahmad (11870) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Verily Allah has His own people among mankind.” They said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ  , who are they? He ﷺ said: “They are the people of the Qur’an, Allah’s own people and those who are closest to Him.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

Al-Minnaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “That is, those who memorise the Qur’an and act in accordance with it are the people of Allah, who are as close to Allah as a person’s family is to him. They are called thus by way of honouring them, just as (the Ka‘bah) is called the House of Allah”.

It is not sufficient for a person just to recite Qur’an in order to be one of the people of the Qur’an, unless he also acts in accordance with it, adheres to its limits and follows its teachings.

The one who wants to be included in the words of the Prophet ﷺ about the people of the Qur’an being Allah’s own people and those who are closest to Him should not complete the Qur’an in more than a month.

Al-Bukhaari (1978) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Read the Qur’an (once) every month….” 

No day should pass without us looking in our Mus-haf and reciting the words of our Lord. So we should have a daily portion that we always read, and the minimum of that should be approximately one juz’ of the Qur’an, although the more we do the better. In addition to that, we should reflect and act upon what those verses contain of morals and manners.

Imam Ahmad narrated in az-Zuhd (p. 128) that ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I do not like any day or night to pass me by without me looking in the Book of Allah – referring to reading from the Mus-haf”.

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The scholars disliked a day to pass without the individual looking in his Mus-haf.”

Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Those who read the Qur’an throughout the year are the people of the Qur’an, who are Allah’s own people and the closest to Him.”

It is better for the individual to have a daily portion that he recites after ‘Isha’, or after Fajr, or after ‘Asr, and so on. If you do that, you will find that the Qur’an will have an impact on you, and you will start to love the words of Allah and find pleasure, sweetness and joy in the Qur’an; at that point you will never become bored of listening to it or of reciting it.

These are the attributes and characteristics of the believer who should be one of the people of the Qur’an, who are Allah’s own people and those who are closest to Him.

MORE VIRTUES OF RECITING THE QUR’AN

There are many virtues and rewards but we enlist some here that are concerning reciting the Quran.

The Prophet ﷺ said,

• “Read the Qur’an, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection.” [Muslim].
• “The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honourable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
• “The believer who recites the Qur’an is like a citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is delicious. A believer who does not recite the Qur’an is like a date-fruit which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste. The hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like a colocynth whose fragrance is so sweet, but its taste is bitter. The hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an is like basil which has no fragrance and its taste is bitter.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
• “Envy is justified in regard to two types of persons only: a man whom Allah has given knowledge of the Qur’an, and so he recites it during the night and during the day; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and so he spends from it during the night and during the day.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
• “He who does not memorize any part from the Qur’an he is like the ruined house.” [At-Tirmidhi].
• “Recite the two bright ones, Soorah al-Baqarah and Soorah Aal-e lmraan, for on the day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds, or two shades or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for those who recite them” [Sahih Muslim]

Also, Al Baraa reported that a man was reciting Sooratul-Kahf and there was a horse tied with two ropes at his side, when a cloud overshadowed him. As it began to come nearer and nearer his horse began to take fright from it. He went and mentioned that to the Prophet ﷺ in the morning, who said: “It was tranquility [as-Sakeenah] which came down at the recitation of the Qur’aan.” (Sahih Bukhari)

SPECIAL VIRTUES OF SOME PARTS OF QURAN

SURAH IKHLAS

Ahmad reported from Abu Saeed al-Khudri that a man said, O Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, I have a neighbour who prays at night and he only ever recites QulhuwaAllaahuahad as if he did not think much of this. The Prophet ﷺ said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it is equivalent to one-third of the Quraan”. (al-Musnad, 10965)

More Hadeeths in Bukhari were also narrated where the Prophet ﷺ said Surah Ikhlas is one third of Quran.

Also the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever recites QulhuwaAllaahuahad ten times, Allaah will build for him a house in Paradise”. (Saheeh al-Jaami al-Sagheer, 6472).

So recite it as many times as you wish, without sticking to a certain number or time or way that is not prescribed by shareeah.

SURAH KAHF

The Prophet ﷺ said:

• “If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal”. (Sahih Muslim)
• “Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on Friday, he will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays.” (al-Haakim; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani) 
  
  
  
  
  

SURAH MULK

The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is a soorah of the Qur’aan containing thirty verses which have interceded for a man until he was forgiven. It is the soorahTabaarakalladhi bi yadihi’l-mulk.”  (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Abu Dawood & Ibn Maajah, classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi and by al-Albaani). 

Another hadeeth which speaks of its virtues was narrated from Jaabir, that the Prophet ﷺ never used to sleep until he had recited Alif-laam-meemtanzeel [al-Sajdah] and Tabaarakalladhi bi yadihi’l-mulk [al-Mulk]. (al-Tirmidhi& Ahmad, classed as sahih by Al-Albaani. 

AYAT AL KURSI

AayatulKursee is the greatest aayah in the Qur’aan. It directs you to the tawheed of Allaah, to exalt Him and praise Him. It mentions descriptions of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. It is the only aayah that contains all of these descriptions in one aayah. It contains five of Allaah’s Names (Allaah, al Hayy, al Qayyoom, al ‘Alee, al ‘Adheem) and over 20 of Allaah’s Attributes. It is also reported that it contains Allaah’s Greatest Name(s).

Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi at the end of every obligatory prayer, nothing but death will prevent him from entering Paradise.” [An-Nasa’i&Tabrani reported it, and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic).

SURAH BAQARAH

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “Do not make your houses into graves, for the Shaytaan flees from a house in which Soorat al-Baqarah is recited.” (Narrated by Muslim).  

Tips to maintain relation with Quran  

Here are 10 tips to help you start, develop and maintain a strong relationship with the book of Allah after Ramadan, no matter how busy you are in sha Allah:

Set your goals

Set a target for yourself. Do you want to complete the entire Qur’an or focus on particular surahs? Is there a portion you want to successfully memorize? Whatever the case may be, setting yourself realistic and measurable goals will help keep you focused to achieve it insha’Allah.

Write it down in your diary, phone or wall – keep it around you before your eyes so you always remember what the goal is. Make it a tangible goal where you can see real progress.

Your goals don’t have to be massive, they can be small. They just need to be consistent.  

Set a time for Qur’an

We can set as many goals as we like, but without being prepared or planning the journey to that destination, it can be extremely difficult. Easy and common way is to do it after any of the 5 daily prayers or with night prayer (Tahajjud). The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two rak‘ahs, will have a reward like that of Hajj and ‘Umrah, complete, complete, complete.” [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, classed as Hasan by Albaani]. 

Or maybe during your commute? Or perhaps before you sleep? It is great if you can but if not, do not panic. Use whatever time you have to do as much as you can. Some days may be busier than others and you may not be able to read whatever portion you had planned for. Hold yourself accountable for this and ensure to catch up with what you have missed on top of the planned activities for the next day.

This is important in ensuring you have a regular habit in place that you try to maintain to attain the goals you have made for that month. Even better, create a post-Ramadan Qur’an group with your friends to help you stay motivated and connected to the Qur’an even when you feel your enthusiasm dipping.

Turn to it when in stress

“Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” 13:28

Adjust your mindset to see the Qur’an as something that you need, that will undoubtedly bring you peace and contentment.

Trick of shaitaan – Procrastinate

We procrastinate with excuses as to why we cannot regularly recite and ponder over the Qur’an.

• You might “lack time” – but you are reading this which means you have time to surf the net! Cut out idle activities or wake up 15 minutes earlier.
• You feel bad because “you don’t understand” what you read – find a Qur’an teacher, read translations and tafsir or start learning Arabic.
• You may think “you’ll do it on the weekend” – give yourself the reality check of life. You may not have tomorrow so do what you need to today!

Remember that Shaytan comes for you when you take a step towards Allah . Now that he’s out after Ramadan, he’ll use all sorts of mental games to stop you from becoming a better version of yourself, and make you come up with a million excuses to delay spending time with the Qur’an. Catch him whenever he gives you an excuse.

Give yourself a reward

The Prophetﷺ said, “[Whoever recites a letter] from Allah’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.” [Jami’ at-Tirmidhi]

Allah has given us innumerable rewards for reading His book, but with any habit in life, rewards make them easier to keep. Think of bad habits for example. The reason they’re so addictive is that they have a short-term immediate reward. It’s what keeps us drawn to them. However, good habits can be as addictive as bad habits. Think about what reward will you give yourself for time spent with the Qur’an. Maybe it’ll be your milestone before you make that new purchase. Maybe your reward will be your favorite meal. It doesn’t matter what it is, but you’ll savor that reward knowing the hard work that you put in for it.

Take time to understand the Qur’an

As well as reciting the Qur’an, make time to read the translation and tafsir. This could be by reading them on your own, or by attending classes at a local masjid or institute. This is really an important part of developing an understanding of the Qur’an; many of us fall out of the habit of reading it because we fail to understand what it is that we are reading.

Implement what you learn

The stories in the Qur’an are full of lessons. Take time to ponder over them and ask yourself how you can implement what you have learned into your life? The Qur’an highlights for us the imperfections we have, whilst giving us the ideas on how to change for the best. Listening to the Qur’an can be healing and soothing, however, the fundamental reason for the verses to be revealed is to guide a person to the straight path. Whatever portion you read, ask yourself how you can change your life based on it. Keep a journal with the points you have learned and how you will work towards developing a personality complementary to the Qur’an. Remember the hadith of Aishah “The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur’an.” [Abu Dawud]

Make Dua

Lastly, but by no means least – always ask Allah to help you in your quest to understand His words. We are unable to achieve anything without Allah granting us the ability to do so. The beauty of this is that Allah can help us achieve that which everyone else thinks we are unable to do.

To conclude

Qur’an is one of the few things that never decreases or takes away from your time. It has so much power to bring you contentment and ease in every part of your life if you welcome it. So let’s make a goal from now to build and strengthen our relationship with His book.

The truth is, any day could be our last and it’s what we invest into the next life that is worth more than anything this life can give.

Whatever is worth having, will not come easy. So especially in the beginning, invest in the Qur’an and stay committed, and after that beginning hurdle of difficulty, the Qur’an will become something that you cannot go without.

Please join our free online certificate course MOST REPEATED AYAAT, to learn to learn about the topics that have been repeated the most in the Quran.

“MOST REPEATED AYAAT” :https://learn-islam.org/most-repeated-ayaat

Note these are not part of the ongoing course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.

May Allah give us the hidayah to be amongst the amongst the people of the Quran hence becoming the people of Allah. May Allah give us the hidayah to recite, memorise, understand, implement and preach the Quran.