It was narrated on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: In the year of Tabook, the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), addressed the people, while supporting his back against a date-palm, saying:
Should I not tell you about the best of people and the worst of people? The best of people is a man who strives in the cause of Allah on the back of his horse, on the back of his camel, or on his feet till death comes to him. Among the worst of people is a wicked man who reads the Book of Allah (the Qur’an) and is inattentive to it. [Ahmad, An-Nasa’i and Al-Hakim who renders it authentic]
The best of people are those who fight in the cause of Allah and who continue to do so till death approaches them; whereas the worst of people is the wicked man who reads the Qur’an and acts upon nothing thereof. The wicked person is he who commits sins, be he a Muslim or a non-Muslim. It includes, in our time, the orientalists and their disciples who follow their method from among the Muslims and evil scholars, as will be shown later in the three Hadiths (Prophet’s saying) to come. According to a scholar, one may recite the Qur’an and curse himself unknowingly.
He may read (what means): {Unquestionably, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.} [Qur’an 11:18] and he is one of the wrongdoers. He also may recite (what means): {Let us … supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us].} [Qur’an 3:61] and he is one of those liars.
According to Abu Sulayman Ad-Darani, may Allah have mercy upon him, the angels of Hell come to the holders of the Qur’an who disobey Allah Almighty before they come to the idolaters.
One of the predecessors said: “One may start reciting a Qur’anic surah (chapter), thereupon the angels keep invoking Allah’s blessing upon him till he ends it; and one may start reciting a Qur’anic surah, thereupon the angels keep invoking Allah’s curse upon him till he ends it.” When asked how this takes place he said: “If he makes lawful what is lawful in it and makes unlawful what is unlawful in it, they will invoke Allah’s blessing upon him, otherwise they will invoke Allah’s curse upon him.”
It is narrated on the authority of Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “We, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, were given faith before the Qur’an; and after us, there will be a people who will be given the Qur’an before faith: they will establish it in letter and neglect its limits and rights, saying: ‘We recite the Qur’an: who could recite better than us? We know (the Qur’an): Who has knowledge better than us?’” That will be their share. According to another narration, “Those will be the worst of people.” [Ibn Majah]
According to Qatadah, may Allah have mercy upon him, no one sits with this Qur’an (i.e. recites it) but that he will leave it either with increase or decrease (in success or loss). In confirmation, Allah the Almighty Says (what means): {And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.} [Qur’an 17:82]
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:
The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: There will appear among you a people (who will be engaged in religious service, so much that) you will look down upon your prayer, fasting and deeds, compared with theirs. They will recite the Qur’an, though it will not go beyond their collar-bones (because they will have practically no belief). They will deviate from the religion as an arrow goes out through the game, whereupon the archer would examine the arrowhead but see nothing, look at the bow but see nothing, and look at the feathers but see nothing. Finally he would look at the arrow shaft and doubt whether he could find anything. [At-Tirmithi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah and An-Nasa’i]
To deviate from the religion is to take only what agrees with one’s inclination and abandon everything else. That is, they will abandon the religion as fast as the arrow goes out of the game.
According to the narration of Muslim, Abu Dawood and An-Nasa’i:
Towards the end of time there will appear some young, foolish people who will use (in their claim) the best speech of all people (the Qur’an). They will recite the Qur’an, though it will not go beyond their collar-bones. They will abandon Islam as an arrow goes out through the game. So, wherever you meet them, kill them, for he who kills them shall receive a reward on the Day of Resurrection.
This applies to him who is endowed with extensive knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence but has no faith, like the Orientalists and their disciples: they speak pleasant words characterised by scientific accuracy, objectivity and the desire to reach the fact. But they hide in its folds feelings of resentment towards Islam and the inexorable attempt to slander and ruin it with malicious ways.
It also applies to the religious innovators who follow their inclinations. They have corrupt ideas they like to prove by taking from the religion what agrees with their opinions and leaving the rest of it. In order to do so, they gather the information which supports their inclinations and religious innovations; thereby, they appear, in the eyes of the simple and naive people, as investigating, accurate scholars, whose speech is convincing and conclusions valid.
Mu‘ath ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “There will be, after you, fitnah (turmoil), in which wealth will become abundant, and the Qur’an will be opened (i.e. become in circulation among people), so much so, that it will be recited by the faithful believer and the hypocrite, the man and woman, the old and the young, and the slave and the free one; and one will be about to say: ‘What is the matter with the people that they do not follow me, even though I recite the Qur’an: they seem not to follow me until I innovate for them something other than it.
So, beware of innovations, for they are falsehood; and be warned of the deviation of the wise, for the devil may say the word of falsehood on the tongue of the wise; and a hypocrite may say a word of truth.’” They asked: “What makes us know that the wise person is saying the word of falsehood and the hypocrite is saying the word of truth?” He said: “Nay! Avoid the wise man’s words which you disapprove of and which are questioned by people, but let not this dissuade you from him, for perchance he may retract and follow the truth once he hears it, for there is light on the truth.” [Abu Dawood]
* It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), said:
No envy is (acceptable) but in two cases: a man whom Allah has endowed with the (memorisation and knowledge of the) Qur’an with which he stands (and acts upon) at the approaches of night and day; and a man on whom Allah has bestowed wealth which he spends (in His cause) at the approaches of night and day. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The hateful envy is to hope that the favour given to another should vanish, whereas the praiseworthy envy is to aspire to have the like of what is given to the envied person as regards knowledge and wealth.
To stand with the Qur’an at the approaches of the night is to recite and learn it and worship Allah with it; and this is likely to happen in secret, far from the people’s eyes. To do so at the approaches of the day is to act upon it publicly in front of the people in compliance with the command of Allah, and in the hope of being an example for others to follow and receiving the reward of anyone following him.
The Hadith gives preference, in mention, to the superiority of him who is given the Qur’an and acts upon it over him who is given wealth and spends it (in Allah’s cause), which points out the superiority of knowledge over charity. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Kumayl ibn Ziyad ibn Nuhayl (one of the Taabi‘is d. 82AH), “O Kumayl! knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you whereas you guard wealth. Knowledge is a ruler whereas wealth is ruled. Wealth decreases by charity whereas knowledge increases by spending (i.e. by teaching it).” The decrease of wealth here refers to the apparent reduction which seems to the people, but with Allah it increases and multiplies.
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, clarified this meaning when he said, as narrated on the authority of Abu Kabshah al-Anmari, may Allah be pleased with him:
The world is for four kinds of people: One upon whom Allah Almighty has bestowed wealth and knowledge, so he fears his Lord in respect to them, maintains kinship ties and acknowledges the rights of Allah on him [and fulfils them]; this type is in the best of ranks. One upon whom Allah Almighty has conferred knowledge but not wealth, and he is sincere in his intention and says: “Had I possessed wealth, I would have done like so-and-so.” If that is his intention, their rewards are the same. (He aspires to have the like of this good person in order to do like him; and he does not hope that what the other has of blessing should vanish) One whom Allah Almighty has given wealth but no knowledge, and he ignorantly flounders with it, does not fear Allah in respect to it, does not maintain kinship ties and does not acknowledge the rights of Allah. Such a person is in the worst rank. One upon whom Allah Almighty has bestowed neither wealth nor knowledge, and he says: “Had I possessed wealth, I would have done like so-and-so.” For his intention, both will be equally sinful. [Ibn Majah and At-Tirmithi, who renders it as good-authentic]
Here, the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, dispraises him because of his desire for sin rather than for a favour like the other. There is no difficulty on him who aspires to have the like of the favour given to another, so long as he does not like that it vanishes from him nor dislikes that it should remain with him. If this favor pertains to the obligatory religious service like faith, prayer and zakah, the competition over it is due: that is to aspire to be like him because if he does not like this, he then will be content with the sin, and that is unlawful. If the favor pertains to such good merits as spending wealth in charity and good things, competition over it is recommended. If it pertains to a permissible form of enjoyment, competition over it is permissible. [Ihya’ ‘Uloom Ad-Deen, grand Imam Al-Ghazali]
It is narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said:
He who recites the Qur’an, it seems as if prophethood has been drawn to him except that he receives no divine revelation; and whoever recites the Qur’an and thinks that somebody has been given better than what he has been given, he will have exalted what Allah has regarded with slightness and regarded with slightness what Allah has exalted. It is not fit for the Qur’an holder to be among those who behave foolishly or be angry or enraged: but he should rather forgive and pardon because of the superiority of the Qur’an. [At-Tabari]
The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was given revelation through a particular text, i.e. the Noble Qur’an, and the Sunnah through the words of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. So, whoever is given the Noble Qur’an has the same which Allah Almighty revealed to His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, in the same text, with difference that he receives no divine revelation. No doubt, the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets: they inherit neither dirham nor dinar, but inherit the knowledge which they act upon and spread among the people.
An aspect of exalting Allah Almighty is to exalt His Book (the Qur’an), and whoever is given much good should thank Allah Almighty for this great favour and feel the magnificence and grandeur of the bounty granted to him by Allah Almighty.
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
It is due on the holder of the Qur’an to be recognised for his (standing at) night when the people are asleep, for his (fasting during the) day when the people are not fasting, for his sadness when the people are rejoicing, for his weeping when the people are laughing, for his silence when the people are engaging in discourse, and for his humble submissiveness when the people are arrogant. The holder of the Qur’an should be compliant and lenient rather than harsh, displeasing in voice like a donkey, a noise-maker, or an obstinate person.”
A righteous man said:
I have learnt that the Qur’an holder will be asked as the Prophets will be asked (i.e. on the Day of Judgment). In the noble Hadith, the Prophet forbade the Qur’an holder to behave foolishly or be angry or enraged, and rather commanded him to adhere to forgiveness and forbearance. That is, to maintain a good moral character and noble manners. Such was the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, as described by ‘A’ishah, the Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, when she said: “His moral character was (an application of the laws and instructions of) the Qur’an.” [Muslim, Ahmad and Abu Dawood]
Since the moral character of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was (an application of) the Qur’an, then, the Qur’an is among us, and it is due on the Qur’an holders to behave according to the manners of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, which are the manners of the Qur’an.
Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/
Dominance of the Qur’an over previous Scriptures
Allah, The Almighty, revealed the Qur’an to be His last, all-embracing Scripture containing the final manifestation of the Divine Law. This necessitates that it has to be safeguarded from the mischievous hands of men and from all corruption. This protection has been a reality from the time the Qur’an was revealed until today and will remain so forever. It contains no additions or deletions. It has reached us by so many chains of transmission that it is impossible for them to have conspired on a lie. It has been recorded and memorised innumerable times.
There has been no change in its text over time, not even in a single letter. Some of those who have committed it to memory cannot speak Arabic; nevertheless, they recite it exactly as it was revealed.
Allah has guaranteed the preservation of the Qur’anic text, as He, the Most Exalted, Says (what means): “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” [Qur’an 15:9]
Allah also Says (what means): “And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” [Qur’an 6: 115]
As for the previous Scriptures, they were for a limited duration of time. Allah gave human beings the responsibility of preserving them, and they lost them through corruption, alteration, and concealment. Allah Says (what means):
“Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted [to Allah] judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that with which they were entrusted of the Scripture of Allah, and they were witnesses thereto.” [Qur’an 5:44]
In the Qur’an, Allah Almighty informs us that the Torah was changed; He Says (what means):
“So woe to those who write the “scripture” with their own hands, then say, “This is from Allah,” in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.” [Qur’an 2:79]
Being the final, all-encompassing and preserved against any change, the Islamic Law abrogated all the previous Scriptures which sustained human interpolations. Abrogation generally takes place with regards to secondary matters of law. As for fundamental principles, like the Oneness of Allah, The Most Exalted, the prohibition of idolatry, and the fundamentals of worship – matters that form the basic call of all the Messengers, may Allah exalt their mention, they are not subject to abrogation.
The Law that came with Prophet ‘Eesa (Jesus), may Allah exalt his mention, abrogated part of the Law that came with Moosa (Moses), may Allah exalt his mention. Relating the words of Prophet ‘Eesa to the Children of Israel, Almighty Allah Says (what means): “And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Torah and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you…” [Qur’an 3:50]
The Islamic Law is lasting, remaining suitable for every place and time, and embracing the goodness of the previous manifestations of the Law. Allah Says (what means): “And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it.” [Qur’an 5:48]
The Qur’an is different from the previous Scriptures in the following respects:
(1) The Qur’an is miraculous and inimitable. Nothing similar to it can be produced by human beings. Allah challenged both humans and jinn to produce the like of the Qur’an, as in the verse (which means): “Say, “If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants.” [Qur’an 17:88]
He, The Almighty, further challenged the disbelievers among the Arabs to produce even one chapter similar to the Qur’anic chapters, Saying (what means): “And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a chapter the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful.” [Qur’an 2:23]
(2) After the Qur’an, no more Scriptures will be revealed by Allah. Just as the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention) is the last Prophet, the Qur’an is the last Scripture.
(3) Allah has taken it upon Himself to protect the Qur’an from alteration, to safeguard it from corruption, and to preserve it from distortion (as stated in the meaning of [Qur’an 15:9] previously quoted. On the other hand, the previous Scriptures suffered alteration and distortion and did not remain in their originally revealed form (as mentioned above in [Qur’an 4:46]).
(4) The Qur’an, for one, confirms early Scriptures and, for another, is a trustworthy witness over them [Qur’an 5:48].
(5) The Qur’an abrogates them, meaning it cancels the rulings of the previous Scriptures and renders them inapplicable. The Law of the old Scriptures is no longer applicable; the previous rulings have been abrogated with the new Law of Islam.
Accordingly, Allah does not accept any religion except Islam as a way to His Pleasure, as He Says (what means):
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [Qur’an 3:85]
Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/
