Goal Concerning Qur'aan (Acting upon it, Holding it as our 'Aqidah)

User avatar
Shehzad Sattar
Posts: 1171
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:06 pm

Goal Concerning Qur'aan (Acting upon it, Holding it as our 'Aqidah)

Postby Shehzad Sattar » Thu Oct 20, 2016 11:57 pm

Goal Concerning Qur'aan (Acting upon it, Holding it as our 'Aqidah)

Author: Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan (hafidhahullaah)

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Recite the Qur`aan before there comes a people who will straighten its letters1 just as an arrow is made straight; it will not go beyond their collarbones. They will seek to bring its reward forward, and will not wait for its reward (in the Hereafter)2.”

This hadeeth tells us that what is intended is not merely the recitation of the Qur`aan; rather what is intended is the recitation in order to act upon the Qur`aan; so the recitation is a means, and the goal is to act upon the Noble Qur`aan. The reward is therefore for the person who recites the Qur`aan and then acts upon it.

Allaah (The Mighty & Majestic) said:

“Those who recite the Book of Allaah and who establish the prayer and who spend from that with which We have provided them secretly and openly, having hope in a trade that will never fail. So that He may give them their rewards in full and give them more from His Bounty. Indeed He is One who forgives extensively, One who appreciates and rewards abundantly.” (Soorah Faatir: 29-30)

So Allaah (The Mighty & Majestic) did not stop at the saying:

"Those who recite the Book..."

Rather, He (The Mighty & Majestic) said in addition:

"And who establish the prayer and who spend from that with which We have provided them secretly and openly..."

So along with recitation, there must be action upon [implementation of] the Noble Qur`aan.

A person might recite the Qur`aan for show or to be heard or to be praised, then this will not benefit that person at all. This is also true for those who hire themselves out to recite the Qur`aan at occasions and at parties; and their only occupation is that of being a Qur`aan reciter. Such people are the furthest from those who act upon the Qur`aan - indeed some of them do not even pray!

This phrase - [The Qur`aan] will not go beyond their collarbones) - means that the Qur`aan does not reach their hearts. It is recited upon their tongues in order to achieve some worldly gain, but does not reach their hearts.

Some people use the Qur`aan as an evidence but in an incorrect way, as is done by the Khawaarij. For these misguided people are from those who recite the Qur`aan most out of all the people; however they shoot out from the religion just as the arrow shoots straight through the game animal. These people do not acquire knowledge and understanding of the Qur`aan, nor do they learn the meanings of the Qur`aan in the required manner.

So the three matters the Muslim must try to perform regarding the Qur`aan are:

- The recitation and giving importance to it.
- Acquiring knowledge of the meanings and the explanation and what Allaah meant by His Speech.
- Acting upon the Noble Qur`aan, as is wanted by Allaah the Most High, and holding what is contained in the Qur`aan as 'Aqeedah.

The first two of these categories are means. But the third of three is the true goal.

Footnotes:

1 Meaning they go to great lengths with regard to the recitation, doing so for show and to be heard and to vie with others and for fame. ('Awn ul Ma'bood)

2 Shaykh Badr al Badr (hafidhahullaah) mentioned in his checking of lum'ah that this hadeeth occurs with a number of similar wordings from a hadeeth of Sahl ibn Sa'd, reported by Ahmad, Aboo Daawud (831) and others. There is a weakness in the narration of Aboo Daawud; however there is a witness which strengthens it from the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn 'Abdillaah reported by Ahmad and Aboo Daawud (830) which is saheeh.

Shaykh al Albaanee rahimahullaah declared the hadeeth quoted here by the Imaam rahimahullaah to be hasan saheeh (259 of as-Saheehah).

Source: Put together from the Question and Answer format of Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan's explanation of Lum'atul I'tiqaad, found on www.SalafyInk.com
The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Make things easy and do not make things difficult. Give glad tidings and do not repel people..”

[متفق عليه]

Return to “Quran & its Sciences”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests