What are our duties toward the Quran?

What are our duties toward the Quran?

* As a Muslim, our first duty toward the Quran is to approve that the truths it contains are right. Then come the other duties like reading it, understanding its meaning, practicing its orders, making its high principles prevail in our life as an individual and community.

* It is fard al-ayn for every Muslim to memorize one part from the Quran so that his prayer will be valid. It is wajib to memorize one more chapter along with the chapter al-Fatiha. (Thus, he will have fulfilled the fard, too).

It is fard al-kifaya to memorize the whole Quran. That is, if some Muslims memorize the whole Quran, the other Muslims will be freed from the responsibility of memorizing the whole Quran. However, if there is nobody who has memorized the whole Quran left, all Muslims will be responsible.

* It is more virtuous to read the Quran by looking at the text of it except while performing prayers because both the eyes and the tongue are involved in it. It is also more appropriate for contemplation. When one reads the Quran by heart, only the tongue is involved. It is mustahab to read the Quran by turning toward the direction of the Qiblah, with clean clothes and by sitting properly.

* It is mustahab to start reading the Quran by uttering Audhu-Basmala.

* It is fard to touch the Quran being in the state of wudu (having ablution). One cannot touch the Quran if he is not in the state of wudu.

* It is regarded a good deed by majority of the scholars to read the whole Quran in a month. There are some who prefer to finish reading it in a year, in 40 days, in week, too. However, it is not regarded appropriate to read the whole Quran in less than three days because one cannot think about its meaning while reading it fast and it is possible to make pronunciation mistakes.

* It is fard al-kifaya to listen to the Quran. If there are some people who listen to the Quran in a place, meeting, etc, the others will be freed of the responsibility. However, it is not a suitable act to read the Quran aloud near people who are involved in doing other things.

* It is more virtuous to read the Quran than to be engaged in nafilah worshipping; and to read the Quran aloud than to read it silently.

* A person can read the Quran while walking or working. However, his work should not cause him to read it heedlessly.

On the contrary, the Quran he reads should free him of heedlessness.

* Supplication, glorification and sending salawat to the (pbuh) when it is makrooh (abominable) to perform prayers are more virtuous than reading the Quran then.

* It is mustahab to recite the Quran with a nice voice and tajwid (proper pronunciation). The Prophet said the following in a hadith: “Adorn and beautify the Quran with your voice.”

* It is not permissible to recite the Quran like a song, contrary to tajwid. Reciting it by changing the words and distorting the meaning is forbidden.

* If a person learns to read the Quran and forgets it, he is regarded to have committed a sin.

* Reading the Quran, making others read the Quran and to teach people how to read the Quran are all virtuous (rewarding) deeds.

* Although some scholars regard it permissible to get money in return for teaching how to read the Quran, it is necessary to avoid adopting to teach reading the Quran as a way of making one’s living. It is regarded permissible to receive a certain salary for teaching how to read the Quran.

* The Quran copies that are torn and very old should not be burn. They should be covered in a clean piece of cloth and buried or put away in a place where there is no dust. (from Tatarhâniye)

* The following is stated about the virtues of reading the Quran in the hadiths:

"The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it, like a citron which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of a believer who does not recite the Qur'an but acts on it, is like a date which tastes good but has no smell. And the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like a sweet basil which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth which tastes bitter and has a bad smell."

“One of the most virtuous worshipping of my ummah is to read the Quran by looking at the text of it.”

“When a person finishes reading the whole Quran, 10 thousand angels ask forgiveness for him during the prayer of khatm al-Quran.”

“Make your eyes take pleasure from worshipping, too. You can do it by reading the Quran looking at its text, by contemplating it and by drawing lessons from the truths in it.”

“Increase reading the Quran in your houses. If the Quran is not read in a house, the goodness of that house decreases and the evil of it increases. The people living there will have financial difficulties...”

“Read the Quran and understand what it prohibits. If your reading does not prevent you from committing what it prohibits, you are not regarded to have read and understood it.”

“The fasting and the Quran will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgment. The fasting will say:

– O my Lord! I prevented him from eating and lustful things during the day. Accept my intercession for him.

The Quran will say:

– O my Lord! I prevented him from sleeping at night. Accept my intercession for him.

Their intercession is accepted.”

“If a group of people come together in one of the houses of Allah, read the book of Allah and try to understand the meaning of it, Allah sends down sakinah (tranquility) to them. Mercy covers them and angels surround them; Allah tells those who are near him about them.”

“The huffaz (those who have memorized the whole Quran) of the Quran are the chiefs of Paradise.”