Qur'an And Its Sciences

What is the secret of the number 7 and its multiples in the Holy Qur’aan and Sunnah? What is the secret of the number 7 in the Qur’aan and hadeeth?. Praise be to Allaah. Undoubtedly the Qur’aan is miraculous, and there are many facets to its miraculous nature, such as linguistic, legislative, and so on. Its challenge to mankind and the jinn to produce something similar to it still stands. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur’aan, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another” [al-Isra’ 17:88]. Ibn al-Qayyim discussed the number 7 in his book Zaad al-Ma’aad fi Huda Khayr al-‘Ibaad (4/90) when he discussed the hadeeth in al-Saheehayn: “The one who eats seven dates of al-‘Aaliyah in the morning will not be harmed that day by poison or witchcraft.” He said: As for specifying the number seven, it has to do with the creation and sahr’i commands of Allaah. Allaah created seven heavens, seven earths and seven days, and man’s creation is completed in seven stages; Allaah has prescribed that His slaves should walk around the Ka’bah seven times (tawaaf) and go back and forth between Safa and Marwah seven times (saa’i), and stone the jamaraat with seven pebbles each, and the takbeeraat of Eid are seven in the first rak’ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Instruct your children to pray when they are seven.” When the boy reaches the age of seven he should be given the choice between his parents according to one report, and according to another report, his father has more right to him than his mother; according to a third report his mother has more right to him. When he was sick, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that water from seven skins be poured on him. Allaah sent the wind against the people of ‘Aad for seven days. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked Allaah to help him by sending upon his people seven (years) like the seven years of Yoosuf – i.e., seven years of famine. Allaah likened the reward of one who gives charity to a grain that produces seven ears, in each of which are one hundred grains. The number of ears of grain seen by the companion of Yoosuf (in the dream) was seven, the number of years for which they were cultivated was seven, and (the reward for charity) is multiplied seven hundred fold or more. Seventy thousand of this ummah will be admitted to Paradise without being brought to account. Then Ibn al-Qayyim commented: Undoubtedly this number has some special qualities that are not shared by other numbers. … Allaah knows best about His wisdom, laws and decree in singling out this number. End quote. Based on this, the correct view is to refrain from indulging in discussion of the reason why this number is singled out for mention, except on the basis of clear, sound evidence. For more information please see the answer to question no. 69741. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A

All Rights Reserved for IslamQA© 1997-2008 : 138.57 Ruling on Musaajalah with Qur’aanic verses (i.e., where a person who has memorized Qur’aan is asked to quote a verse starting with the letter with which another verse ended)

What is the ruling on the musajalah of the Qura’anic verses in order to remember the verses and to fill the time with something of value? It is not meant by it to belittle Allah’s verses. Praise be to Allaah. There is nothing wrong with using means that help one to remember and properly memorize the Holy Qur’aan, such as competitions and testing those who have memorized it, and paying attention to verses that sound similar, rather these are things that are recommended (mustahabb), because they reinforce one’s memorization and help with it. That includes what is called musaajalah, where a verse is recited to the hafiz then he is asked to recite a verse that starts with the letter with which the first verse ended. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A All Rights Reserved for IslamQA© 1997-2008 : 121.41

The meaning of the hadeeth “ ‘Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad” is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan” Answer #4156 item#2 then there is no need to learn the entire quraan or to even read it during ramadaan,etc all you have to do is to read sura Ikhlas.I think you made a mistake.Sura Ikhlas is the substance of 1/3 of the quraan.it is amazing to believe that reading the sura Iklas 3 times will give you the blessing of reading the ENTIRE quraan,then there is no point reading the entire Quraan. Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: there follow some of the ahaadeeth narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which state that Soorat al-Ikhlaas (Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad) is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan. Al-Bukhaari (6643) narrated from Abu Sa’eed that a man heard another man reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad and repeating it. The next morning he came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him about that. The man thought that it was too little, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan.” Muslim (811) narrated from Abu’l-Dardaa’ that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Is any one of you unable to recite one-third of the Qur’aan in one night?” They said, “How could anyone read one-third of the Qur’aan?” He said, “Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan.” Muslim (812) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Gather together, for I will recite to you one-third of the Qur’aan.” So those who could gather together gathered there, then the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and recited Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, then he went in. They said to one another, Perhaps there has been some news from heaven on account of which he has gone inside (the house). Then the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and said, “I told you that I was going to recite to you one-third of the Qur’aan. Verily it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan.” Secondly: The bounty of Allaah is immense, and Allaah has bestowed His bounty upon this ummah and has made up for its short life span by giving it more reward for simple deeds. It is strange that with some people, instead of this motivating them to do more

good, this makes them apathetic and lazy in doing acts of worship, or they feel that this bounty and reward is strange and farfetched. With regard to the meaning of the hadeeth: There is a difference between jaza’ (reward) and ijza’ (what is sufficient). What is making the brother confused is that he does not see the difference between them. Jaza’ means the reward which Allaah gives for obeying Him. Ijza’ means what is sufficient and takes the place of something else. Reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad brings a reward equivalent to reciting one-third of the Qur’aan, but it does not take the place of reading one-third of the Qur’aan. If a person vows – for example – to read one-third of the Qur’aan, it is not sufficient for him to read Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, because it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan in reward, but not in terms of being sufficient or taking the place of reading one-third of the Qur’aan. The same may be said of reciting it three times. If a person recites it three times in his prayer, that does not mean that he does not have to recite al-Faatihah, even though he will be given the reward of reciting the whole Qur’aan. A similar example is the reward given by the Lawgiver to one who offers a single prayer in the Sanctuary of Makkah, and that he will have the reward of one hundred thousand prayers. Does anyone take this divine bounty to means that he does not have to pray for decades because he offered a single prayer in the Haram that is equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers? Rather this has to do with reward; as for what is sufficient, that is another matter altogether. Moreover, none of the scholars has ever said that there is no need for us to read the Qur’aan or that Qul Huwa Allaah Ahad is sufficient and takes the place of that. The correct scholarly view is that this soorah has this great virtue because the Qur’aan deals with three topics: one-third for rulings, one-third for promises and warnings, and onethird for the Divine names and attributes. This soorah combines names and attributes. This is the view of Abu’l-‘Abbaas ibn Surayj, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah stated that it was good in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 17/103. The Muslim cannot do without the two other issues, which are the rulings and the promises and warnings. His knowledge cannot be complete unless he looks at the Book of Allaah as a whole. The one who stops at Soorat al-Ikhlaas cannot know the other two matters. Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah – may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Rewards are of different types, just as wealth is of different types, such as food, drink, clothing, houses, money and so on. If a man possesses one type of wealth, to the value of one thousand dinars, that does not mean that he can do without the other types. Rather if he has wealth in the form of food, he also needs clothing and a place to live, etc. Similarly if it is a type other than money, he still needs other things. If he has nothing but money, he will need all kinds of wealth that are usually needed. In al-Faatihah there are the benefits of praise and du’aa’ which people need, and Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad cannot replace it in that sense. Although its reward is very great, he cannot benefit from it unless he also recites the Opening of the Book (al-Faatihah) in his prayer. Hence if a person recites only Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad in his prayer, without al-Faatihah, his prayer is not valid. Even if he recited the whole of the Qur’aan without al-Faatihah, his prayer would not be valid, because the al-Faatihah refers to the basic needs that people cannot do without. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 17/131. And he said:

The people need the commands, prohibitions and stories that are in the Qur’aan, even though Tawheed is greater than that. Man needs to know what he is enjoined to do and what he is forbidden to do; he need to know what is enjoined upon him and the stories and promises and rewards. These cannot be replaced by anything else, and Tawheed cannot be replaced by these. The stories cannot take the place of the commands and prohibitions, and the commands and prohibitions cannot take the place of the stories. Rather everything that was sent down by Allaah is beneficial and people need it. If a person recites Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, he earns a reward equivalent to the reward of one-third of the Qur’aan, but that does not mean that the reward is of the same kind as that earned by reading the rest of the Qur’aan. Rather he may need the kind of reward that comes from reading the commands and prohibitions and stories, so Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad cannot take the place of all that. And he said: The knowledge that is to be gained by reading the rest of the Qur’aan cannot be gained by reciting this soorah only. So whoever reads the whole Qur’aan is better than one who simply recites this soorah three times in the sense that he earns different kinds of reward, even though the one who recites Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad earns a reward equivalent to that reward, but it is of one type and does not include all the types that a person needs. This is like a man who has three thousand dinars and another who has food, clothing, accommodation and money equivalent to three thousand dinars. The latter has that which will benefit him in all his affairs, whereas the former needs what the latter has, even though what he has is equivalent in value. Similarly, if he has the finest food, equivalent to three thousand dinars in value, he still needs clothing and accommodation, and weapons and tools that will ward off harm from him, and the like, which cannot be done with food alone. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 17/137-139 And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A All Rights Reserved for IslamQA© 1997-2008 : 142.37

Burning pages of the Mus-haf that have become worn out Is it permissible to burn pages of the Mus-haf if one fears that they may be mishandled?. Praise be to Allaah. Yes, if the Mus-haf becomes worn out and there is the fear that it may be mishandled and may reach a state where it cannot be read and benefited from, there is nothing wrong with burning it or burying it in pure earth, because both were done by the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). They buried Mus-hafs and they also burned them, when the Sahaabah united the people upon a single Mus-haf, which was the Mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him), and they burned all other Mus-hafs. If a Mus-haf has reached a state where it cannot be benefited from because it has become worn out, then it should either be buried in a pure place, or be burned. Both were done by the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (1/127). All Rights Reserved for IslamQA© 1997-2008 : 183.09

What is meant by reciting Qur’aan in a melodious voice?. Praise be to Allaah. In the saheeh Sunnah it is encouraged to recite the Qur’aan in a melodious voice, i.e., making the voice beautiful when reciting it. It does not mean that one should recite it as if singing, rather what is meant is that one should make the voice beautiful when reciting. For example the saheeh hadeeth says: “Allaah never listens to anything as He listens to a Prophet with a beautiful voice reciting the Qur’aan out loud” and “He is not one of us who does not recite Qur’aan in a melodious voice when reciting it out loud.” What this means is making the voice beautiful, as stated above. The meaning of the hadeeth quoted above refers to listening in a manner that is befitting to Allaah and it is not like the attributes of His creation, as is the case with all His other attributes. It may be said of His listening that it is like His other attributes, that it is in a manner that is befitting to Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, and there is nothing like unto Him, may He be glorified and exalted. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All Hearer, the All Seer” [al-Shoora 42:11]. Reciting in a melodious tone means reciting out loud and making the voice beautiful and with proper focus, so that the heart is moved, because the aim is to stir the heart with this Qur’aan, so that people will fear Allaah and so that they will find peace and benefit from it. An example of this is the story of Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allaah be pleased with him), when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by him as he was reciting Qur’aan, and he started listening to him and said: “You have been given a beautiful voice like the beautiful voices of the family of Dawood.” When Abu Moosa came, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him about that and Abu Moosa said: If I had known, O Messenger of Allaah, that you were listening, I would have made it very beautiful indeed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not denounce him for that, which indicates that making the voice beautiful and being careful in reciting is something that is required, so that both the reader and the listener will focus properly and will both benefit. End quote. Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) (11/348-350).

Imam repeating some verses that speak of mercy or punishment What is the ruling on the imam repeating some verses that speak of mercy or punishment?. Praise be to Allaah. I do not know of anything wrong with that, because it encourages the people to ponder and focus and benefit. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) repeated the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You, are the All Mighty, the All Wise” [al-Maa'idah 5:118] several times. To sum up: if it is done for a good reason and not for the purpose of showing off, then there is nothing wrong with it, but if he thinks that repeating it may annoy them or result in disturbing sounds such as weeping, then it is better not to do that, so that there will not be any distraction. But if repeating it will only lead to pondering and proper focus on the prayer, then it is all good. End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) (11/343, 344).

Quoting a verse of Qur’aan as a proverb We hear many people using Qur’aanic verses as proverbs and the like, such as the verses (interpretation of the meaning): “Which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger” [alGhaashiyah 88:7] and “Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you out once again” [Ta-Ha 20:55]. That includes Qur’aanic verses which cannot be uttered except for beneficial purposes, not for mockery and making fun, as it is commonly quoted by some people, either verbally or in writing. Is that permissible or not?. Praise be to Allaah. There is nothing wrong with quoting Qur’aanic verses as proverbs, if that is for a valid purpose, such as saying This is something that “will neither nourish nor avail against hunger” or saying “Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you out once again”, if one wants to remind people of their relationship with the earth, from which they were created and to which they will return. If quoting Qur’aan as a proverb is not intended by way of mockery and making fun, there is nothing wrong with it. But if it is done by way of mockery and making fun, as the questioner mentions, then this is regarded as apostasy from Islam, because the one who makes fun of the Qur’aan or of any mention of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has apostatized from Islam, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: “Was it at Allaah , and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger that you were mocking?” 66. Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed” [al-Tawbah 9:65-66] It is essential to venerate and respect the Qur’aan, but that does not mean that one cannot quote it as a proverb in a proper and respectful manner. There is nothing wrong with that, but using it by way of mockery and making fun is apostasy from Islam. And Allaah knows best. Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (1/127).

Verses that are entirely clear (muhkam) and verses that are not entirely clear (mutashaabih) in the Holy Qur’aan What is the meaning of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book; and others not entirely clear…”? What should a person do if he is confused because of something unclear in a verse that is not entirely clear?. Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad ) the Book (this Qur’aan). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkaam (commandments), Al-Faraa’id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudood (laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allaah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord.” And none receive admonition except men of understanding” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:7] What is meant is that the Qur’aan contains verses that are entirely clear and verses that are not entirely clear. The entirely clear verses (muhkam) are those which are clear and concerning which there is no confusion; this applies to most of the verses of the Qur’aan. These verses are the “foundations of the Book”. As for the verses which are not entirely clear (mutashaabih) these are verses which may not be clear to some people, in exclusion to others. The scholars know them but the ignorant do not, and there are some which only Allaah knows. Those who follow the truth refer the verses which are not entirely clear to the verses which are entirely clear, whereas those who follow deviation follow the verses which are not entirely clear, and they use the verses which are not entirely clear to contradict the verses which are entirely clear, for the purpose of creating confusion, distorting and misleading. Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer (2/6): Allaah tells us that in the Qur’aan there are verses which are entirely clear, which are the foundation of the Book, i.e., they are clear in meaning, with no confusion for anyone; and there are other verses which are not entirely clear as to what they mean for many or some people. The one who refers that which is unclear to him to that which is clear, and uses the clear verses to understand what is not clear to him, will be guided. But the one who does the opposite will be misguided. Hence Allaah says: “It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad ) the Book (this Qur’aan). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book” i.e., they are the root to which reference should be made in the event of confusion; “and others not entirely clear” i.e., they could be interpreted in accordance with those that are entirely clear or they could be interpreted in some other way, based on the wording and the way they are written, not according to the meaning. “So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation”, i.e., misguidance, and ignoring the truth in favour of falsehood, “they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof” i.e., they interpret that which is not entirely clear in such a way that allows them to distort it to suit their corrupt aims, because the wording could be interpreted in the way they want. But in the case of the verses which are entirely clear, they have no chance of doing that, so that is clear proof against them. Hence Allaah says: “seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials)” i.e., to misguide their followers and give them the impression that they are using evidence from the Qur’aan to support their bid’ah (innovation). This is evidence against them, not for them. It is similar to when the Christians argue that the Qur’aan says that ‘Eesa (Jesus) is a Spirit from God and His Word that He bestowed upon Maryam (Mary), but they ignore the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “He [‘Eesa (Jesus)] was not more than a slave. We granted Our Favour to him …” [al-Zukhruf 43:59] “Verily, the likeness of ‘Eesa (Jesus) before Allaah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: ‘Be!’ — and he was” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:59]

-- and other clear verses which unambiguously show that he was one of the creatures created by Allaah, and a slave of Allaah, and one of the Messengers of Allaah. And the words “and seeking for its hidden meanings” mean, they distort it as they wish. End quote. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Allaah, may He be blessed and exalted, has divided the Holy Qur’aan into two categories: the verses which are entirely clear and those which are not entirely clear. What is meant by those which are entirely clear is that the meaning is clear and obvious to everyone, like the heavens and earth, stars, mountains, trees, animals and so on. This is entirely clear because there is no ambiguity in its meaning. The verses which are not entirely clear are those of which the meaning is ambiguous or unknown to most people, and is known only to those who are well-versed in knowledge, such as some verses which are general in meaning and do not give details, but they are explained in detail in the Sunnah. An example is the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And perform As-Salaah [prayer]” [al-Baqarah 2:43]. How prayer is to be performed is not known from this verse; all that is known from it is that it is obligatory to perform prayer. But how that is to be done is known from other evidence. The wisdom behind the fact that the Qur'aan was revealed with verses of these two types is that this is a test, because those in whose hearts is deviation will follow that which is not entirely clear and will thus remain confused. But those who are well-versed in knowledge believe in all of it, both that which is not entirely clear and that which is entirely clear; they know that it is from Allaah and that there is no contradiction in it. An example of verses that are not entirely clear are the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “There will then be (left) no Fitnah (excuses or statements or arguments) for them but to say: ‘By Allaah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allaah’” [al-An’aam 6:23]. “On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger (Muhammad) will wish that they were buried in the earth, but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allaah” [al-Nisa’ 4:42] Someone may come along and say that they contradict one another. How can they say “By Allaah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allaah”, then it is said of them that “they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allaah”? They quote the verses against one another in order to confuse people. But those who are wellversed in knowledge say: It is all from Allaah and there is no contradiction in the words of Allaah. They said: The Day of Resurrection will be as long as fifty thousand years, and things will change throughout that Day. The first verse is applicable to one stage and the second verse is applicable to another. End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb. And he also said: As for the people of misguidance and deviance, they followed the verses which are not entirely clear and made them a cause to create doubt and suspicion, so they were misguided and misguided others. They imagined, on the basis of verses that are not entirely clear, something that is not befitting to Allaah or His Book or His Messenger. An example of the first is the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, We give life to the dead” [Yaa-Seen 36:12] and “Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur’aan) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)” [alHijr 15:9] – and other verses in which Allaah attributes something to Himself using the

plural pronoun (We). The Christians followed that which is not entirely clear and claimed a plurality of gods, saying that Allaah is the third of three, and they ignored that which is entirely clear and indicates that Allaah is One. But those who are well-versed in knowledge interpreted the plural pronoun as being in terms of respect for the numerous attributes of Allaah and their greatness. They referred the verses that are not entirely clear to that which is entirely clear (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God — Allaah), Laa Ilaaha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He)” [al-Baqarah 2:163]. So they say to the Christians: The claim you make is because of the confusion that you have, so Allaah has deemed you to be kaafirs (disbelievers) and has rejected your claim when you said that. Listen to the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Surely, disbelievers are those who said: “Allaah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).” But there is no Ilaah (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilaah (God — Allaah)” [al-Maa'idah 5:73] i.e., they disbelieved when they said that God is the third of three. An example of the second is the verses in which Allaah says to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like” [al-Qasas 28:56]. And “And verily, you (O Muhammad) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path (i.e. Allaah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism)” [al-Shoora 42:52]. In these two verses there is an imagined contradiction, so the one who has deviation in his heart may think that they contradict one another, because in the first verse there is a negation and in the second there is an affirmation. So he thinks that there is a contradiction in the Qur’aan. But those who are well-versed in knowledge say that there is no contradiction between these two verses, because what is meant by guidance in the first verse is guidance by means of divine help or inspiration, which no one has control over except Allaah alone; neither the Messenger nor anyone else has any power over that. And what is meant by guidance in the second verse is guidance on the basis of evidence and proof, which may come from Allaah or from others, so it may come from the Messengers and their heirs, meaning the sincere scholars. End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (4/186). These are all examples of relative ambiguity which some people may not be able to understand, but those who are well-versed in knowledge understand it. As for the verses which are not entirely clear and which no one knows except Allaah, these have to do with matters such as the essence and nature of Allaah’s attributes, or the essence of what is with Allaah of the delight of the people of Paradise and the torment for those who disobey Him. All of that is known to no one except Allaah. Secondly: Whoever is confused about any of the verses which are not entirely clear should try to understand it in the light of that which is entirely clear, if he is a scholar who is able to use evidence in order to reach conclusions. Otherwise he should ask the scholars, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “So ask of those who know the Scripture, if you know not” [al-Nahl 16:43]. Whatever the case, let him say (interpretation of the meaning): “We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:7]. Some of the heretics and deviants, in the past and in modern times, tried to seek out everything in the Qur'aan and Sunnah that is not entirely clear (al-mutashaabih), for the purpose of creating confusion and doubt.. But the scholars rose to this challenge and wrote beneficial books which refute these doubts. An example of that is the book which was written by Ibn Qutaybah (may Allaah have mercy on him), entitled Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-Hadeeth; and the book by Shaykh al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) entitled Daf’ Eehaam al-Idtiraab ‘an Aayi’l-Kitaab. Praise be to Allaah, there is no contradiction between the verses of the Qur’aan, or between the Sunnah and the Qur’aan, because it is all from Allaah, and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Do they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully? Had it been from other than Allaah, they would surely, have found therein many a contradiction” [al-Nisa’ 4:82]. We ask Allaah to guide us and you and to grant us all beneficial knowledge and enable us all to do righteous deeds. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A

The Ten Commandments i'm trying to determine if there is anything in the Quran similar to the Ten Commandents in the Old Testament, particularly the line "thou shalt not kill." i have been using search functions on several Quran translation sites to no avail. thank you very much Praise be to Allaah. Thank you for your question, which shows an interest in the Qu’ran. We are happy to answer your question here. There are in the Qur’an certain aayaat (verses) which some scholars call the verses of the Ten Commandments, because they include ten important commandments given by Allaah to mankind. These aayaat are to be found in two passages of the Qur’an. The first is in Soorat al-An’aam, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to al-fawaahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.), whether committed openly or secretly; and kill not anyone whom Allaah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand. And come not near to the orphan’s property, except to improve it, until he (or she) attains the age of full strength; and give full measure and full weight with justice. We burden not any person, but that which he can bear. And whenever you give your word (i.e., judge between men or give evidence, etc.), say the truth even if a near relative is concerned, and fulfil the Covenant of Allaah. This He commands you, that you may remember. And, verily, this (i.e., Allaah’s commandments mentioned in the above two verses) is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become al-muttaqoon (the pious).” [al-An’aam 6:151-153]

The second passage occurs in Soorat al-Israa’, and may be considered as a commentary on the passage quoted above. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one or them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small.’ Your Lord knows best what is in your inner-selves. If you are righteous, then, verily, He is ever Most-Forgiving to those who turn unto Him again and again in obedience, and in repentance. And give to the kindred his due and to the poor and to the wayfarer. But spend not wastefully (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily, spendthrifts are brothers of the shayaateen (devils), and the Shaytaan (Satan) is ever ungrateful to his Lord. And if you turn away from them (kindred, poor, wayfarers, etc. whom We have ordered you to give their rights, but if you have no money at the time they ask you for it) and you are awaiting a mercy from your Lord for which you hope, then, speak unto them a soft kind word (i.e., Allaah will give to me and I will give to you). And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, not stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty. Truly, your Lord enlarges the provision for whom He wills and straitens (for whom He wills). Verily, He is Ever All-Knower, All-Seer of His slaves. And kill not your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Surely the killing of them is a great sin. And come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a faahishah [i.e., anything that transgresses its limits (a great sin)], and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allaah forgives him). And do not kill anyone which Allaah has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed (intentionally with hostility and aggression and not by mistake), We have given his heir the authority [to demand qisaas – Law of Equality in punishment – or to forgive, or to take Diya (blood money)]. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life (i.e., he should not kill except the killer only). Verily, he is helped (by the Islamic law). And come not near to the orphan’s property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength. And fulfil (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be questioned about. And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good (advantageous) and better in the end. And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned by Allaah. And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance. Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth, nor can you attain a stature like that of the mountains in height. All the bad aspects of these (the above mentioned things) are hateful to your Lord. This is part of al-hikmah (wisdom, good manners and high character, etc.) which your Lord has inspired to you (O Muhammad). And set not up with Allaah any other ilaah (god) lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected (from Allaah’s mercy).” [al-Israa’ 17:23-39] Perhaps after enjoying reading these verses, you will have a better idea of the Qur’aan than before, and this will be the beginning of a fundamental change in your life, the start

of your way to Islam. May Allaah guide and help you always. Peace be upon those who follow true guidance.. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

All Rights Reserved for IslamQA© 1997-2008 : 112.94 Writing Qur’aan on mobile phones in something other than the ‘Uthmaani script A computer company is developing an adhkaar program to work on mobile phones. The description of the program is: Displaying some adhkaar, ayaat, and ahadeeth that urge to remember Allah, on the mobile screen. There are some difficulties we face regarding using the ‘Uthmaani script and vowels. The question is: Is it permissible to display few ayaat in a script other than the ‘Uthmaani and not be voweled on the mobile screen to remind of zikr and du’a?. Praise be to Allaah. It is not permissible to write the Mus-haf in anything other than the ‘Uthmaani script that was agreed upon at the time of the Sahaabah. Ashhab said: Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Can the Mus-haf be written in the scripts that the people are used to. He said: No, it should be written as it was written initially. This was narrated by Abu ‘Amr al-Daani in al-Muqni’, then he said: None of the scholars of the ummah disagreed with that. Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is haraam to differ from the script of the Mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan in ya’, waw, alif or any other letter. Al-Bayhaqi said in Shu’ab al-Eeeman: Whoever writes a Mus-haf should adhere to the letters as they are written in these Mus-hafs and not write them differently or change anything that they wrote, for they had more knowledge and were more sincere in heart and in speech, and were more trustworthy than us, so we should not think that we know better than them. And he narrated that Zayd said: Recitation should be done in accordance with the Sunnah. Sulaymaan ibn Dawood al-Haashimi said: This means, do not differ from the people, rather follow the Sunnah. He said: I heard something similar in meaning from Abu ‘Ubayd concerning that, and you see that the reciters never paid any attention to the way the Arabic language is written if that differs from the script of the Mus-haf and adhering to the script of the Mus-haf is one of the established ways that no one has the right to differ from. End quote. See: al-Burhaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan by al-Zarkashi (1/379); al-Itqaan by al-Suyooti (4/146). Al-Suyooti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Itqaan: They are unanimously agreed that it is obligatory to follow the script of the ‘Uthmaani Mus-hafs in [rules of tajweed]. End quote from al-Itqaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan (1/250). All of But when it comes to writing a verse or a few verses, and quoting them in books or magazines, and the like, there is nothing wrong with it, and this is what people do in their books, although it is better to use the script of the Mus-haf whenever possible, and to quote it directly from the Mus-haf. this applies if what is meant is writing the Mus-haf in full.

The ruling on that has been explained in the answer to question no. 97741. Based on that: There is nothing wrong with what you have mentioned about showing some verses on the screens of mobile phones in something other than the ‘Uthmaani script, if it is not possible to show them in the ‘Uthmaani script, but one should take care to make sure than the verses that are written in this manner are those that are usually easy to read, and not subject to mistakes. And one should take care to make sure that they are written correctly so that there will be no errors in reading and publishing them. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A

All Rights Reserved for IslamQA© 1997-2008 : 133.94 Female doctors and nurses wearing a white coat over their clothes Iam a medical student .Alhamdulillah i wear niqab i wear a knee long loose overall (white coat)which is a part of our college uniform and wear a full length abaya when going to market or some other place besides college .Is it necessary to wear abayaa in the presence of knee long coat? . Praise be to Allaah. We have previously explained the main conditions with regard to women’s clothing. Please see the answer to question no. 6991. There is nothing wrong with what you mentioned of wearing a long, loose white coat over your own clothes. Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: What is required of female doctors and others such as nurses and workers is to fear Allaah and wear modest clothing which will not show the shape of their limbs or ‘awrahs, rather it should be moderate clothing that is neither too loose nor too tight, and that will cover them properly in the manner required by sharee’ah and will prevent the causes of fitnah. End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (9/427). And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A

All Rights Reserved for IslamQA© 1997-2008 : 223.99 Who gave the Qur’aan this name? This is my first question to you and it is read as follows: Who was the first person to name our holy book (Qur'an) to be named QUR'AN? I read from a magazine that it was ABUBEKER (R.A.) . But I couldn't believe! In sura al INSAN verse 23 it says, "We brought (down) to you the Qur'an" . Dear brother please give me a clear picture about this. May Allah help you.

Praise be to Allaah; You have answered your own question, as it were, because it is Allaah who gave His Book this name, "Qur’aan." Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan . . ." [al-Baqarah 2:185] "Do they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully . . .?" [al-Nisaa’ 4:82] "So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy . . ." [al-A ‘raaf 7:204] "Verily, Allaah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that their shall be Paradise. They fight in Allaah’s Cause, so they kill (others) and are killed. It is a promise in truth which is binding on Him in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and the Qur’aan . . ." [al-Tawbah 9:111] "And this Qur’aan is not such as could ever be produced by other than Alaah, but it is a confirmation of (the revelation) which was before it, and a full explanation of the Book wherein there is no doubt from the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)" [Yunus 10:37] "Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan in order that you might understand" [Yusuf 12:2] "We relate unto you [Muhammad] the best of stories through Our Revelations unto you, of this Qur’aan. And before this, you were among those who knew nothing about it (the Qur’aan)." [Yusuf 12:3] "And indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven of al-Mathaani (the seven repeatedly recited verses, i.e. Soorat al-Faatihah) and the Grand Qur’aan." [alHijr 15:87] "So when you want to recite the Qur’aan, seek refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan, the outcast (the cursed one)." [al-Nahl 16:98] "Verily, this Qur’aan guides to that which is most just . . ." [al-Israa’ 17:9] "And We send down from the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it increases the zaalimoon (wrongdoers) nothing but loss." [al-Israa’ 17:82] "Say: ‘If mankind and the jinns were together to produce the like of this Qur’aan, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another.’" [al-Israa’ 17:88] "And (it is) a Qur’aan which We have divided )into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages." [al-Israa’ 17:106] "We have not sent down the Qur’aan unto you [O Muhammad] to cause you distress" [Ta-Ha 20:2] "Then High above all be Allaah, the True King. And be not in haste (O Muhammad) with the Qur’aan before its revelation is completed to you, and say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.’" [Ta-Ha 20:114] "TaSeen [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan, and none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings]. These are the Verses of the Qur’aan, and (it is) a Book (that makes things) clear" [al-Naml 27:1] "And verily, you (O Muhammad) are receiving the Qur’aan from the One, All-Wise, All-Knowing." [al-Naml 27:6] "Verily, He Who has given you (O Muhammad) the Qur’aan will surely bring you back to the Ma’aad (place of return, either to Makkah or to Pradise after your death) . . ." [al-Qasas 28:85] "By the Qur’aan, full of wisdom" [Yaa-Seen 36:2] "And indeed, We have made the Qur’aan easy to understand and remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition)?" [al-Qamar 54:40] "That (this) is indeed an honourable recital (the Noble Qur’aan)." [al-Waaqi’ah 56:77] "Had We sent down this Qur’aan on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah . . ." [al-Hashr 59:21] "or a little more; and recite the Qur’aan (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style." [al-Muzzammil 73:4] "Nay! This is a Glorious Qur’aan" [al-Burooj 85:21] Can there be any doubt after reading all these aayaat that it is Allaah - and not Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) or anyone else - Who has given the name "Qur’aan" to the Book which He revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?

In Arabic, the word "Qur’an" comes from the word meaning al-qar’, which means "gathering" and "putting things together." It is so called because it is a collection of all the siwar (plural of surah). It was also suggested that it is so called because it combines the fruits of the previously-revealed books, or because it combines all kinds of knowledge. (See al-Itqaan by al-Suyooti, 1/162-163). Finally, we advise you to check what you read so that you do not get confused by unreliable sources in books and magazines that may cause you to doubt the truth. May Allaah bless you and us with beneficial knowledge and help us to perform righteous deeds. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Mus-haf al-Tajweed with coloured letters I would like to ask about the Mus-haf al-Tajweed that has coloured letters to help the reader pronounce the letters correctly. Are the colours, squares and spaces indicating pauses contained in this Mus-haf regarded as innovations or not?. Praise be to Allaah. After examining the Mus-haf al-Tajweed with coloured letters, it is clear that there is nothing wrong with using these colours, rather it makes it easier to learn tajweed, for those who are not able to learn directly from experts. The Dar al-Ma’rifah (publisher’s) website has published a copy of the approval of the Islamic Research Council in al-Azhar of this Mus-haf in which different colours are used; it also cites the approval of the senior scholar of Qur’aan in Syria, Shaykh Muhammad Kareem Raajih, and the approval of Shaykh Dr. Wahbah al-Zuhayli. This is the text of what it says on the site: With regard to this work of ours, the senior scholar of Qur’aan in Syria, Shaykh Muhammad Kareem Raajih stated on 21 Safar 1412 AH that this work “is acceptable and even it is of no benefit then it does not cause any harm, moreover it serves as a reminder and indication of the rules of tajweed, but it does not do away with the importance of learning tajweed directly from the mouths of the shaykhs.” At the same time, Shaykh alQaari’ Muhiy al-Deen al-Kurdi stated on 18 Safar 1415 AH that “those who away from educational circles and elderly people may benefit from this work, because they cannot learn directly.” Professor Wahbat al-Zuhayli, a member of the Islamic Fiqh Council in Jeddah and the President of the Faculty of Islamic Fiqh and Madhhabs at the University of Damascus stated on 18 Muharram 1415AH: “Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And We have indeed made the Qur’aan easy to understand and remember; then is there any one who will remember (or receive admonition)?’ [al-Qamar 54:17]. This clearly indicates that everything that makes it easy to recite Qur’aan, which we are required in Islam to study it, understand its meanings and act in accordance with what it says, is a must according to sharee’ah for those who study knowledge, fiqh and the tafseer of the Book of Allaah. As reciting the Qur’aan in the manner that is known in the science of tajweed is obligatory, then every means that makes it easy for the reader to learn the rulings on tajweed and follow them when reciting is

something that is permissible according to sharee’ah, whether it is letters printed in one colour or several colours. The good reading is that which imprints the letters in the mind, and this printing of the Holy Qur’aan in different colours makes it easy to read the Qur’aan, and establishes the rulings in the mind, so it is a contemporary means that is to be encouraged and it does not contradict the way in which Qur’aan was traditionally transmitted to us and the traditional way of writing it. May Allaah help Dar al-Ma’rifah with this blessed work. End quote. A copy of the approval of the Islamic Research Council at al-Azhar may be seen by clicking on this link: http://www.dar-al-maarifah.com/ar/azhar.htm There is no way that these colours can be ruled to be an innovation, because the scholars of Qur’aan at the time of the Taabi’een introduced dots and vowels in the Mus-haf and wrote the dots and vowels in red. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The Sahaabah did not write dots and vowels in the Mus-hafs because they were Arabs who did not make mistakes in pronouncing the words, so they did not need the dots. A single word could be read in two ways, with a ya’ or a ta’, such as ya’maloon (‫ )يعملون‬and ta’maloon (‫)تعملون‬, which they would read in only one way because they knew that the other was not correct. But at the time of the Taabi’een, when it become common for people to mispronounce words, some of the Taabi’een added vowels and dots to the Mus-haf, and they wrote them in red. They wrote the fathah as a red dot above the letter, and the kasrah as a red dot below the letter, and the dammah as a red dot before the letter. Then they expanded the red dots and they denoted the shaddah by writing “shadd” and the maddah by writing “madd”. They made the sign for the hamzah look like the letter ‘ayn, because the hamzah is the sister of the ‘ayn. Then they abbreviated them and made the sign for the shaddah look like the main part of the letter seen, and the sign for the maddah an abbreviated sign, as those who keep records may abbreviate numbers etc, and as the scholars of hadeeth abbreviated words such as akhbarana (he informed us) and haddathana (he narrated to us) by writing the first and last part of the word in the forms ana (‫ )أنا‬and thana(‫ )ثنا‬. The scholars disputed as to whether it was makrooh or not to add vowels and dots to the Mus-haf and there are two well known views, both of which were narrated from Ahmad, but there was no dispute concerning the fact that if there are vowels and dots in a Mushaf, they must be respected just as the letters are respected. End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (12/101). Shaykh Dr. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Muhammad al-Mutlaq (may Allaah preserve him) said: The following things were not originally part of the ‘Uthmaani text: 1 – The dots by means of which letters are distinguished, for they were added to the Arabic letters at the time of the Taabi’een. Before that the letters were written without dots. Abu ‘Amr ‘Uthmaan ibn Sa’eed al-Daani (d. 444 AH) said: Chapter on the first ones among the Taabi’een to add dots to the Mus-hafs, and those who regarded it as makrooh and those among the scholars who granted concessions allowing that: the reports we have vary as to who was the first to add dots to the Mus-haf among the Taabi’een, but we think that the first one who did that was Abu’l-Aswad al-Du’ali. We narrated that Ibn Sireen had a Mus-haf to which dots had been added by Yahya ibn Ya’mar, and that Yahya was the first one to add dots to it. [Kitaab al-Naqd, printed alongside al-Maqna’ fi Ma’rifat Arsoom Masaahif Ahl al-Amsaar, p. 129]. 2 – Vowels and tanween – the first one to add them was Abu’l-Aswad al-Du’ali, and they were dots. That was because he wanted to write Arabic in such a way that the people would correct the mistakes that they had started to make in their speech, as that had

become common among the elite and the common folk. So he brought someone to hold the Mus-haf, and he brought ink of a different colour, and he said to the one who was holding the Mus-haf for him: If I open my mouth then put the dot above the letter, and if I stretch my mouth then put the dot beneath the letter, if I purse my lips then put the dot before the letter, and if I follow these letters with ghunnah (i.e., tanween), then put two dots, until I reach the end of the Mus-haf. And it was said that the first one who did that was Nasr ibn ‘Aasim al-Laythi. [Kitaab al-Naqd, printed alongside al-Maqna’ fi Ma’rifat Arsoom Masaahif Ahl al-Amsaar, p. 129]. Then al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad developed that when he invented vowel signs derived from the letters. [al-Itqaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan, p. 219]. 3 – Hamzah, shaddah, rawm and ishmaam. The first one who introduced these was alKhaleel ibn Ahmad al-Faraaheedi. 4 – Signs of tajweed and signs of al-wasl (joining) and al-waqf (pausing). These did not exist in the ‘Uthmaani text, rather they were developed later on in ‘ilm al-tajweed. End quote from Kitaabat al-Qur’aan il-Kareem bi Khatt Braille lil-Makfoofeen, published in Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah (66/337). And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A

When it is obligatory to listen attentively to recitation of the Qur’aan? What is the ruling if we are sitting in a large gathering in which Qur’aan is being read, and my friend and I are sitting apart from the others who are present, and chatting together; If we are in a car or bus, and the driver is listening to Qur’aan or is reciting it, and we are not taking part in what he is reciting, or we are in a room and there is someone there who is praying one of the prayers in which Qur’aan is to be recited out loud, or is reading Qur’aan out loud; Or in any other situation in a place where Qur’aan is being recited and we are not taking part in it, must we listen attentively until the reciter finishes, and does the verse apply to us?. Praise be to Allaah. The scholars differed concerning the ruling on listening attentively to recitation of Qur’aan outside of prayer. There are two opinions: 1 – The first view is that is it obligatory. This is the view of the Hanafis, and some of them regarded it as an individual obligation, whilst others said that it is a communal obligation. They quoted as evidence the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy” [al-A’raaf 7:204] It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (4/86): Listening to recitation of Qur’aan when it is recited outside of prayer is obligatory if there is no legitimate shar’i excuse for not listening. The Hanafis differed with regard to this obligation: is it an individual obligation or a communal obligation? Ibn ‘Aabideen said: The basic principle is that listening to Qur’aan is a communal obligation, because it is establishing its right to be listened to and not ignored, which is

achieved by some listening attentively, as is the case with returning salaams (i.e., it is sufficient for some members of a group to return the greeting). Al-Hamawi narrated that his teacher, the prominent judge Yahya who is better known as Minqaarizaadah, said that listening to the Qur’aan is an individual obligation. Yes, the verse in Soorat al-A’raaf, “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy” was revealed to abrogate the permission to speak during prayer, but what counts is the general meaning of the words, not the specific reason for its revelation, and the general meaning includes recitation of Qur’aan both during prayer and otherwise. End quote. 2 – The second view is that it is mustahabb and recommended. They interpreted the verse in Soorat al-A’raaf as referring to recitation in prayer only. Outside of prayer it is recommended and mustahabb. This is the view of the majority of scholars. Ibn Katheer says in Tafseer al-Qur’aan il-‘Azeem (2/372): ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas concerning the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy” [al-A’raaf 7:204]: i.e., in the obligatory prayer. Something similar was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn alMughaffal. Ibn Jareer said: Humayd ibn Mas’adah told us, Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal told us, al-Jareeri told us, that Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd-Allaah ibn Kurayz said: I saw ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr and ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah talking whilst the storyteller was speaking, and I said: Why don’t you listen to the reminder, lest you be subject to the warning? They looked at me, then they went back to their conversation. I repeated it, and they looked at me, then they went back to their conversation. I said it a third time and they looked at me and said: That is only in prayer: “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy” [al-A’raaf 7:204]. This is how it was narrated by more than one person from Mujaahid. ‘Abd al-Razzaaq narrated from al-Thawri from Layth that Mujaahid said: There is nothing wrong with speaking if a man recites Qur’aan other than in prayer. Something similar was stated by Sa’eed ibn Jubayr, al-Dahhaak, Ibraheem al-Nakha’i, Qataadah, al-Sha’bi, al-Saddi and ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, that what is meant (in the verse) is in prayer. This was the view favoured by Ibn Jareer, that what is meant is listening attentively in prayer and during the khutbah, as it says in the ahaadeeth which enjoin listening attentively behind the imam and during the khutbah. End quote. It seems that this view is the correct one, because in order for a thing to be obligatory, clear evidence is required, otherwise obliging the people to adhere to that will clause undue hardship without any evidence for it. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked, as it says in Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh (no. 197/ question no. 26): There was a group of people travelling by car, and one of them put on a tape of Qur’aan; should they all listen to this tape, and is anyone who speaks whilst the tape is playing sinning thereby? The answer was: Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning this verse: This applies to prayer. He said: They were unanimously agreed that this applies to prayer. Based on this, if I am next to a person who is reciting Qur’aan out loud, but I am reciting tasbeeh and saying laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, then I do not have to listen to him, rather that applies to prayer only.

But I say to the brother who put the tape on: Do not put it on when people are not paying attention, because the least that may said about that is that it is like those of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who disbelieve say: ‘Listen not to this Qur’aan, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome’” [Fussilat 41:26]. If you see that your brothers do not want to listen, and they are busy talking to one another, then do not put the tape on. If you want to listen to it, then there are small headphones that you can put in your ears, and you can listen to it by yourself. End quote. It says in al-Muntaqa fi Fataawa al-Fawzaan (3/question no. 437): Sometimes I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, to prepare food for my husband, and I want to make good use of my time, so I listen to the Holy Qur’aan either on the radio or on tapes. Is this action of mine correct or should I not do that, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy”[al-A’raaf 7:204]? The answer is: There is nothing wrong with listening to the Holy Qur’aan on the radio or on tapes when one is working, and that does not go against the words “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent”, because listening attentively is required as much as one is able to do, and the one who puts on the tape should listen attentively to the Qur’aan as much as he can. End quote. Favouring the view that it is mustahabb does not mean that one may be careless and deliberately fail to listen attentively to the words of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, when they are recited. Keenness to listen attentively should be the basic principle that is established in the life of the Muslim, and he should not do otherwise except in the case of work or need. Al-Nawawi said in al-Tabyaan fi Adaab Hamalat al-Qur’aan (92): Something that attention must be paid to and which should be affirmed is respecting the Qur’aan in cases where some of the negligent may be heedless about it in gatherings where Qur’aan is recited, such as not laughing, chatting or talking during the recitation, except in cases of necessity; obeying the words of Allaah, “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy”; and following the example that was narrated from Ibn Abi Dawood from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), that when the Qur’aan was recited he would not talk until the recitation ended. End quote. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Liqaa’aat al-Baab ilMaftooh (no. 146, question no. 9): It is not good manners to ignore the Book of Allaah when it is being recited, even if it is on a tape.” End quote. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A

Saying takbeer from Soorat al-Duha to Soorat al-Naas Is it permissible to say tahleel (laa ilaaha ill-Allaah) and takbeer (Allaahu akbar) from after Soorat al-Duha until Soorat al-Naas? Is that proven from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or the Sahaabah or Taabi’een?. Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: The scholars differed concerning the ruling on saying takbeer after every soorah from Soorat al-Duha to al-Naas. Imam Ahmad regarded it as mustahabb but the other imams differed with him. There is another report from Imam Ahmad which is in accordance with

the view of the majority. The correct view is that it is not prescribed to say takbeer, and this is not proven in any marfoo’ hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). There is also no saheeh report about this takbeer from any of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), rather it was proven from some of the qurraa’ (reciters) of the people of Makkah. It was narrated that ‘Ikrimah ibn Sulaymaan said: I recited to Ismaa’eel ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Constantine, and when I reached Wa’l-duha (i.e., Soorat al-Duha), he said to me: Say takbeer, say takbeer at the end of every soorah until you complete (the Qur’aan). ‘AbdAllaah ibn Katheer told him that he recited to Mujaahid and he told him to do that, and Mujaahid told him that Ibn ‘Abbaas had told him to do that, and Ibn ‘Abbaas told him that Ubayy ibn Ka’b told him to do that, and Ubayy ibn Ka’b told him that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him to do that. Narrated by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (3/304). This hadeeth is da’eef (weak). Its isnaad includes Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘AbdAllaah ibn Abi Bazzah al-Muqri’. Abu Haatim said: His hadeeth is da’eef (weak) and I will not narrate from him. Al-‘Aqeeli said: His hadeeth is munkar (odd). Al-Dhahabi said: This is a ghareeb (strange) hadeeth, and it is one of the hadeeth of al-Bazzi that were regarded as munkar. Abu Haatim said: This is munkar. And he said: Al-Haakim regarded his hadeeth about takbeer as saheeh, but it is munkar. See: al-Du’afa’ by al-‘Aqeeli (1/127); and Mizaan al-I’tidaal (1/144, 145) and Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’ (12/51), both by Imam al-Dhahabi. Ibn Muflih al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Ahmad regarded it is mustahabb to say takbeer from the beginning of Soorat al-Duha until the end of the Qur’aan. This was mentioned by Ibn Tameem and others, and this is the recitation of the people of Makkah, which al-Bazzi took from Ibn Katheer, and Ibn Katheer took it from Mujaahid, and Mujaahid took it from Ibn ‘Abbaas, and Ibn ‘Abbaas took it from Ubayy ibn Ka’b, and Ubayy ibn Ka’b took it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). A number of them narrated that, including al-Baghawi in his Tafseer, and the reason for that is that the Wahy (revelation) ceased. This is a ghareeb hadeeth, reported by Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Bazzi, who is sound with regard to recitation but da’eef (weak) with regard to hadeeth. Ibn Haatim al-Raazi said: This is a munkar hadeeth. It was also narrated from him – i.e., Imam Ahmad – that there should be no takbeer, as is the view of all reciters. End quote. Al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah (2/295, 296). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about a group who gathered to read the entire Qur’aan (khatmah) and they were reading to ‘Aasim and Abu ‘Amr. When they reached Soorat al-Duha, they did not say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah or Allaahu akbar, until they reached the end of the Qur’aan. Is what they did better or not? Is the hadeeth which is narrated about saying tahleel and takbeer saheeh and mutawaatir, or not? He replied: Praise be to Allaah. Yes, if they recited in accordance with a recitation other than that of Ibn Katheer, their not doing that is better, and is in fact what is prescribed and is Sunnah. These imams of recitation did not say takbeer either at the beginning of the soorahs or at the ends. If it is acceptable to say that Ibn Katheer narrated the takbeer from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), it is acceptable for others to say that these people narrated the omission of that from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) too. It is not possible that the recitation of the majority that was narrated by more people than the recitation of Ibn Katheer omitted

something enjoined by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because those who narrated mutawaatir reports could not have concealed something for which there was good reason to narrate it. The one who accepts that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told the majority of reciters to add an extra takbeer then they disobeyed the command of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and failed to do what he had commanded them to do, deserves to be punished severely as a deterrent to him and others like him. With regard to the takbeer, the one who says that it is part of the Qur’aan has gone astray according to scholarly consensus and must be asked to repent; if he repents, all well and good, otherwise he should be executed. How could the one who does not recite it be denounced for not reciting it? The one who regard a person who does not say this takbeer as an innovator or one who goes against the Sunnah or a sinner, is closer to kufr than Islam and should be punished; indeed if he insists on that after having the proof explained to him, then he should be executed. If we assume [?] that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told some of those who recited it to say takbeer, then at most this indicates that it is permissible or mustahabb. If it were obligatory, the majority of reciters would not have neglected it and the imams of the Muslims would not have agreed that it is not obligatory. But none of the imams narrated that the takbeer is obligatory, rather the most that anyone who reads according to the recitation of Ibn Katheer can say is that it is mustahabb. This is unlike the Basmalah, recitation of which is obligatory according to those who regard it as part of the Qur’aan, but despite that the reciters allow not reciting it if one does not want to use it as a break between one soorah and another. So how could it not be allowed to omit the takbeer, which is not part of the Qur’aan? End quote. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (13/417-419) And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The takbeer that is narrated from Ibn Katheer is not narrated with an isnad from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and no one attributed it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) except al-Bazzi, who thus went against all those who narrated it, as they only narrated it as something optional that was done by some of those who came after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he was the only one who attributed it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). His transmission was regarded as da’eef (weak) by the specialists in hadeeth and biography among the scholars of recitation and hadeeth, as was mentioned by more than one of the scholars. End quote. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (17/130). Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Some of the reciters of Qur’aan separate one soorah from another by saying Allaahu akbar instead of the basmalah. Is that permissible, and is there any evidence for it? He replied: This is contrary to what the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) did, who separated one soorah from another by saying Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem, and it is contrary to the scholarly view that the soorahs of the Qur’aan should not be separated by takbeer throughout the Qur’aan. At the very most, there are some reciters who regard it as mustahabb for a person to say takbeer when he finishes every soorah from al-Duha to the end of the Qur’aan, along with the Basmalah between every two soorahs. But the correct view is that this is not Sunnah, because that was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Based on this, what is prescribed is to separate one soorah from another by saying

the Basmalah, Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem, except in the case of Soorat Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah), as there is no Basmalah between al-Anfaal and it. End quote. Fataawa Islamiyyah (4/48). Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd (may Allaah preserve him) mentions in his Book Bida’ al-Qurraa’ (p. 27) seven things that have to do reading the entire Qur’aan, of which we may mention: Saying takbeer at the end of Soorat al-Duha until the end of Soorat al-Naas, both when praying and otherwise. Then he said: There are no saheeh reports about these seven things from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). Most of that which is narrated about some of them cannot be taken as evidence. The correct view is that none of these things are prescribed in sharee’ah. End quote. The Shaykh of the reciters in al-Madeenah al-Munawwarah, Shaykh Ibraaheem alAkhdar, has written an essay entitled Takbeer al-Khatam bayna al-Qurraa’ wa’lMuhadditheen, at the end of which he says: From the above discussion of the reports, examination of their isnaads and biographies of their narrators, we could not find anything but the report of al-Bazzi – as the scholars said – and it is a report whose isnaad is filled with weak and majrooh narrators, and there is no other report apart from the report of al-Bazzi. This was stated clearly by many scholars of reports, although some of the most famous reciters, such as Ibn Mujaahid in his book alSab’ah, did not narrate the takbeer, and neither did Abu’l-Qaasim al-Hudhali in his book al-Kaamil. This indicates that the report was not proven in their view. And Allaah knows best. A Sunnah cannot be established by means of such a report, rather it is better not to do that, whether it is mentioned in the report of al-Bazzi or the report of anyone else. That is so as to protect the Book of Allaah and to keep out of it anything that is not part of it, whether it is thought to be Sunnah or not. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. End quote. Secondly: Many reasons for this takbeer have been mentioned, the most well known of which is that the Revelation to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ceased for a while, and when it resumed after that, the first thing that was revealed was Soorat alDuha, in which it says (interpretation of the meaning): “Your Lord (O Muhammad ‫صلى ال‬ ‫ )علييه وسلم‬has neither forsaken you nor hates you” [al-Duha 93:3], and he said takbeer in joy at that. Even if this is saheeh, it does not indicate that it is mustahabb to say takbeer as suggested by some scholars of recitation, for several reasons: 1. It does not indicate that takbeer is to be said after every recitation of the soorah. 2. It does not indicate that takbeer is to be said until Soorat al-Naas. 3. The takbeer was said only once, because of the Revelation resuming after it had ceased for a while. 4. The other soorahs do not have the same content as Soorat al-Duha. Moreover, this report does not have any saheeh isnaad, or even any da’eef (weak) one. Imam Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: With regard to saying takbeer after Soorat al-Duha, the reciters said that when the revelation was late in coming to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that went on for a while, then the angel came to him and brought the words (interpretation of the meaning): “By the forenoon (after sunrise). By the night when it darkens (and stands still)” [al-Duha 93:1-2], he said takbeer out of joy and happiness.

But this was not narrated with any isnaad that can be judged to be saheeh or da’eef. And Allaah knows best. Tafseer Ibn Katheer (8/423). And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A