Quran and the Sunnah

The Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said: “The one who recites the Qur’an and the one who listens to it have an equal share in the reward.”
"A seeker is not a seeker until he is able to find in the Quran everything that he desires."

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “I have left two things among you, as long as you hold fast to them, you will never go astray. They are the Book of Allah (Quran) and the Sunnah of His Messenger”

The Quran is the ocean where from the jewels of knowledge and the treasures of understanding are extracted. Any believer who is grants the way to understand it, his Opening (fathu; Victory in a general sense. The same word can be used for the conquest of a city, the dispelling of hardships, achievement of success in any Endeavour, and the unveiling of the Eye of the heart so that it begins to perceive the Unseen; it is usually in this latter sense that the term is used in Sufi texts), becomes permanent, his light complete, his knowledge vast, and he never tires of reading it night and day, for he found therein his goal and his purpose. This is the quality of the sincere seeker.

The Qur'an challenges the reader to think about its message, ponder its meaning, and accept it with understanding rather than blind faith.  As you read, feel free to ask for clarification from knowledgeable Muslims.

. Four Suras dating from a period prior to Hegira refer to the writing down of the Quran before the Prophet left Mecca in 622 (Surah 80, verses 11 to 16):

  
           By no means! Indeed it is a message of instruction
          Therefore whoever wills, should remember
          On leaves held in honor Exalted, purified in the hands of scribes Noble and pious.

"The sources all agree in stating that whenever a fragment of the Quran was revealed, the Prophet called one of his literate companions and dictated it to him, indicating at the same time the exact position of the new fragment in the fabric of what had already been received... Descriptions note that Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked the scribe to reread to him what had been dictated so that he could correct any deficiencies...

Another famous story tells how every year in the month of Ramadan, the Prophet would recite the whole of the Quran (so far revealed) to Gabriel..., that in the Ramadan preceding Muhammad's death, Gabriel had made him recite it twice... It is known how since the Prophet's time, Muslims acquired the habit of keeping vigil during Ramadan, and of reciting the whole of the Quran in addition to the usual prayers expected of them. Several sources add that Muhammad's scribe Zaid was present at this final bringing-together of the texts. Elsewhere, numerous other personalities are mentioned as well."

Extremely diverse materials were used for this first record; parchment leather, wooden tablet, camel's scapula, soft stone for inscriptions, etc.

At the same time however, Muhammad (peace be upon him) recommended the faithful to learn the Quran by heart. They did this for a part if not all of the text recited during prayers. Thus there was .Hafizun. Who knew the whole of the Quran by heart and spread it abroad. The method of doubly preserving the text both in writing and by memorization proved to be extremely precious.

It is logical that one wanting to learn about a faith would start by reading its most holy text. For some, however, the Qur'an can be difficult to sit down and read from cover to cover. The revelation was given over a period of decades, and each verse has a particular scriptural and historical context. The themes of the Qur'an are interwoven among the chapters, and the book is not in chronological order.

The following was the first Revelation (Surah 96, verses 1 to 5):

  
      Read: In the name of thy Lord who created,
  
      Who created man from something which clings
  
      Read! Thy Lord is the most Noble
  
      Who taught by the pen
  
      Who taught man what he did not know
(When the Revelation of this Surah was made, forty-two or forty-five others had been written and were kept by Muslims in Mecca (out of a total of 114):

You must have a wird (any repeated devotional act), of the Mighty Book to be read every day. The least you should do is read one Juz' (one thirtieth of the Quran' an), so that you complete it once month, and the most is to complete to every three days.

Surah Al Rahman (55)

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:’ everything has a bride, and the bride of the Qur’an is Surah Al Rahman’

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘What an excellent treasure Surah Al Imran is to the pauper when he recites it in prayer during the last part of the night’ Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:’ Allah’s most magnificent name, which when used to implore Him, He responds, is found in three Suras. Al Baqara, Al Imran and Taha’

Be careful to read those Suras and verses which are recommended in the Sunna at particular times ; for examples al-Sajdahs; The Prostration [ 32 ], al-Mulk; The kingdom [67 ], al-Waqi' a; The Event [ 56 ], and the last two verses of al-Baqara; the Heifer [2], every night before going to sleep. Al-Dukhaan ;( The Smoke [44],): on Sunday and Thursday evenings, and al-Kahf; The Cave [18], on Thursday night and Friday. Read if you can, the Seven Saving Ones every night they are; al-Sajadah ,YA-SIN[ 36 ], al-Dukhaan [ 44 ], al-Waqiah [ 56 ], al-Hasher [ 59 ], al-Mulk [67 ], And Insaan; Man[ 76 ].for their merit is great. Also morning and evening the first few verses of Surat al-Hadid; The Iron [ 57 ], the last few verses of Surat al-Hasher; The Gathering [59], Sura Ikhlas[112], three times and the two refuge-taking Suras al-Falaq & al-Nas [114,113] three times each; similarly, al-Ikhlas and he last two Suras of the Quran' an together with the al-Kursi verse; The Foot stool [ 2:255 ], and Surat al-Kafirun;The Disbelieves [109], immediately before going to sleep, making these the last thing that you utter.

And Allah Ta’aala says the truth, and He guides to the way.
Know that great merit attaches to reciting the Quran' an, and an influence in illuminating the heart. The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: " The best of my nation's devotions is the recitation of the Quran' an". And Ali may Allah ennoble hid face, has said:" The one who recites the Qur'an while standing in prayer receives one hundred rewards for each letter; the one who recites it outside the prayer but in a state of ritual purity receives twenty-five rewards for each letter; and the one who recites it without ritual purity receives ten rewards for each letter."

Beware of concentrating, while reciting, on reciting a large amount to the exclusion of reflection and correct recitation. You must reflect and comprehend while you recite; slow, melodious recitation will assist you in this. Feel in your heart the Magnitude of the Speaker ( Transcendent and Exalted is He!) and that you are before Him, reciting His Book to Him, in which He addresses His commands, prohibitions, counsels and exhortations to you. When reading verses on unification and glorification are full of reverence and awe, when reading verses of promises and threats be full of hopeful expectation and apprehension, and when reading the commands and prohibitions be thankful, acknowledge your shortcomings, ask for forgiveness and determine to show ardor.

In Islam, the learning process is never complete.  As you grow in understanding of the Muslim faith, you may come across more questions, or more topics you want to study.  The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his followers to "seek knowledge, even unto China" -- i.e. pursue your study to the farthest reaches of the earth.

  
I pray Allah SWT make our efforts sincere and keep us all on the straight path...........

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