How the Seven Reciters were Chosen: al-Zarkashi

In part of his discussion on the history of the Qiraa’aat (recitations of the Qur’an) in his famous manual of the Qur’anic sciences, Sheikh Badr al-Deen Muhammad al-Zarkashi mentioned the following:

قال مكي : والسبب في اشتهار هؤلاء السبعة دون غيرهم أن عثمان – رضي الله عنه – لما كتب المصاحف ، ووجهها إلى الأمصار ، وكان القراء في العصر الثاني والثالث كثيري العدد ، فأراد الناس أن يقتصروا في العصر الرابع على ما وافق المصحف ، فنظروا إلى إمام مشهور بالفقه ، والأمانة في النقل ، وحسن الدين ، وكمال العلم ، قد طال عمره ، واشتهر أمره ، وأجمع أهل مصر على عدالته ، فأفردوا من كل مصر وجه إليه عثمان مصحفا إماما هذه صفة قراءته على مصحف ذلك المصر ، فكان أبو عمرو من أهل البصرة ، وحمزة وعاصم من أهل الكوفة وسوادها ، والكسائي من العراق ، وابن كثير من أهل مكة ، وابن عامر من أهل الشام ، ونافع من أهل المدينة ، كلهم ممن اشتهرت إمامتهم ، وطال عمرهم في الإقراء ، وارتحل الناس إليهم من البلدان . ـ

Makki [ibn Abi Taalib] said:

The reason that these particular seven recitations became so well-known rather than others is that ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) had the official copies of the Qur’an written and sent to the various cities, and there were many reciters during the second and third centuries, so then in the fourth century the people wanted to restrict the recitation only to what corresponded to the official ‘Uthmani mushaf. So, they looked for leading reciters who were known for their understanding of the religion, their trustworthiness in transmission, having sound religion, well-rounded knowledge, who had reached old age and had been well-known during their lifetimes, and who were held to be upright by all of the people of their respective locations. So, for each city to which ‘Uthman had sent a mushaf they selected one person matching this description whose recitation aligned with the mushaf of that city to serve as an exemplar:

There was

• • • Abu ‘Amr from the people of al-Basra
    • Hamza and ‘Aasim from the people of al-Kufah and its surroundings
    • al-Kisaa’i from ‘Iraq
    • ibn Kathir from the people of Mecca
    • ibn ‘Aamir from the people of greater Syria
    • Naafi’ from the people of al-Madinah

All of them were figures whose role as a leader in the field of recitation was well-known, who had spent a lifetime teaching recitation to others, and a teacher to whom people would travel from their own lands to study under.

Tafsir of Surah al-‘Aadiyaat: al-Tafsir al-Muyassar

The book Al-Tafsir al-Muyassar was written by a group of scholars under the direction of sheikh Saalih Aal al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was designed to be a simple and easy-to-understand tafsir according to the understanding of the salaf. What follows is its brief tafsir of surah al-‘Aadiyaat (100) and translation:

ـ {وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا (1)}
أقسم الله تعالى بالخيل الجاريات في سبيله نحو العدوِّ، حين يظهر صوتها من سرعة عَدْوِها. ولا يجوز للمخلوق أن يقسم إلا بالله، فإن القسم بغير الله شرك. ـ

وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا

By the racers, panting, (1)

Allah the Exalted swears by the horses galloping in His cause towards the enemy, such that their sounds can be heard due to how quickly they are racing.

As a note: it is not allowed for the created beings to swear by anything other than Allah, for swearing by anything besides Allah is shrik.

ـ {فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا (2)}
فالخيل اللاتي تنقدح النار من صلابة حوافرها؛ من شدَّة عَدْوها. ـ

فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا

And the producers of sparks, striking (2)

And by the horses which are producing sparks of fire from the toughness of their hooves, due the how fiercely they are racing forward.

Assorted Qur’an Benefits #51

What follows is a collection of small benefits found in the books of tafsir that were originally published on the Tulayhah social media channels during the second half of July, August and September 2020:

♦ The House in Which Allah’s Book is Recited

Ibn Abi Shaybah dedicated one chapter of his Musannaf to “Houses in which the Qur’an is Recited.” He concluded the chapter with the following narration:

ـ 29440 حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ ، قَالَ : كَانَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ : الْبَيْتُ إِذَا تُلِيَ فِيهِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ اتَّسَعَ بِأَهْلِهِ ، وَكَثُرَ خَيْرُهُ ، وَحَضَرَتْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ، وَخَرَجَتْ مِنْهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ ، وَالْبَيْتُ الَّذِي لَمْ يُتْلَ فِيهِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ ، ضَاقَ بِأَهْلِهِ ، وَقَلَّ خَيْرُهُ ، عَنْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ، وَحَضَرَهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ

… Abu Hurayrah used to say: The house in which Allah’s Book is recited becomes spacious for its inhabitants and its good increases. The angels come to it, and the shayateen leave it. But the house in which Allah’s Book is not recited becomes becomes constricting for its inhabitants and its good is scarce. The angels avoid it, and the shayaateen come to it.

[Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah #29440]

♦ Broken Agreements

Allah addresses Banu Israa’eel in surah al-Baqarah by saying:

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَٰؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَارِهِمْ تَظَاهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِالْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَارَىٰ تُفَادُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ

Then it was you who killed yourselves and expelled a group of you from their homes, working together in sin and aggression against them. But if they came to you as captives, you ransomed them, when it was forbidden for you to expel them! Do you believe in some of the Scripture and disbelieve in other parts? [2:85]

Imam al-Baghawi commented on this by writing:

فكأن الله تعالى أخذ عليهم أربعة عهود: ترك القتال، وترك الإخراج، وترك المظاهرة عليهم مع أعدائهم، وفداء أسراهم، فأعرضوا عن الكل إلا الفداء.ـ

It is as if Allah took four covenants from them: 1) to leave off fighting one another, 2) to leave off expelling one another, 3) to leave off working with their enemies to overpower one another, and 4) to pay the ransom for those who become prisoners of war. However the turned away from all of these agreements except for paying the ransoms.

[Tafsir al-Baghawi 1/118]

The Deeds of the Munafiq: Tafsir al-Baghawi

Allah strikes the following parable in surah al-Baqarah:

أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاءُ فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Would one of you like to have a garden of palm trees and grapevines underneath which rivers flow in which he has every kind of fruit? But then he is afflicted with old age and has weak offspring, and it is hit by a whirlwind containing fire and is burned. Thus does Allah make the signs clear to you so that you might give thought. [2:266]

In his famous book of tafsir, Imam al-Baghawi wrote:

ـ ( له فيها من كل الثمرات وأصابه الكبر وله ذرية ضعفاء ) أولاد صغار ضعاف عجزة ( فأصابها إعصار ) الريح العاصف التي ترتفع إلى السماء كأنها عمود وجمعه أعاصير ( فيه نار فاحترقت ) ـ

لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاءُ

… in which he has from every fruit? But he is afflicted with old age and has weak offspring …

young children who are weak and unable to take care of things

فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ

… and it is hit by a whirlwind …

a strong wind which rises up to the sky as if it were a pillar

فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ

…. containing fire and is burned.

Tafsir of Surah al-Zalzalah: al-Tafsir al-Muyassar

The book Al-Tafsir al-Muyassar was written by a group of scholars under the direction of sheikh Saalih Aal al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was designed to be a simple and easy-to-understand tafsir according to the understanding of the salaf. What follows is its brief tafsir of surah al-Zalzalah (99) and translation:

ـ {إِذَا زُلْزِلَتْ الأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا (1) وَأَخْرَجَتْ الأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا (2) وَقَالَ الإِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا (3)}
إذا رُجَّت الأرض رجًّا شديدًا، وأخرجت ما في بطنها من موتى وكنوز، وتساءل الإنسان فزعًا: ما الذي حدث لها؟ ـ

إِذَا زُلْزِلَتْ الأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا * وَأَخْرَجَتْ الأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا * وَقَالَ الإِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا

When the earth is shaken with its earthquake * And the earth throw out its burdens * And man will say, “what it wrong with it?” (1-3)

When the earth will be shaken with a severe shaking, and it will throw out the dead and the treasures that it contains inside it the dead, and the people will ask one another in fright, “what is happening to it?”

Do Not Let Your Wealth or Children Divert You From the Remembrance of Allah: Tafsir al-Shawkaani

Allah addresses the believers in surah al-Munaafiqoon by saying:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

O you who believe! Let not your wealth nor your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers. [63:9]

Sheikh Muhammad al-Shawkaani commented on this ayah by writing:

لما ذكر سبحانه قبائح المنافقين رجع إلى خطاب المؤمنين مرغبا لهم في ذكره فقال : يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تلهكم أموالكم ولا أولادكم عن ذكر الله فحذرهم عن أخلاق المنافقين الذين ألهتهم أموالهم وأولادهم عن ذكر الله ، ومعنى لا تلهكم لا تشغلكم ، والمراد بالذكر فرائض الإسلام ، قاله الحسن

After mentioning the abhorrent traits of the munaafiqoon, Allah returned to addressing the believers by encouraging them in His remembrance, for He said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ

O you who believe! Let not your wealth nor your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah.

So He was warning them against having the mannerisms of the munaafiqoon, those whose wealth and offspring divert them from the remembrance of Allah.

“Whoever Earns Evil and His Sin Has Encompassed Him”: Tafsir al-Baghawi

Allah says in surah al-Baqarah:

بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

But whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him – those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally. [2:81]

Commenting on this, Imam al-Baghawi wrote:

ـ ( من كسب سيئة ) يعني الشرك ( وأحاطت به خطيئته ) والإحاطة الإحداق بالشيء من جميع نواحيه ، قال ابن عباس وعطاء والضحاك وأبو العالية والربيع وجماعة : هي الشرك يموت عليه ، وقيل : السيئة الكبيرة . والإحاطة به أن يصر عليها فيموت غير تائب ، قاله عكرمة والربيع بن خثيم . ـ

مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً

whoever earns evil …

i.e. commits al-shirk

وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ

… and his sin has encompassed him …

the word “encompassed” means: surrounding something from every side.

Ibn ‘Abbaas, ‘Ataa’, al-Dhahhaak, Abu’l-‘Aliyah, al-Rabee’ and a number of others all said: this is referring to al-shirk that one dies while still committing.

Tafsir of Surah al-Nas: al-Tafsir al-Muyassar

The book Al-Tafsir al-Muyassar was written by a group of scholars under the direction of sheikh Saalih Aal al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was designed to be a simple and easy-to-understand tafsir according to the understanding of the salaf. What follows is its brief tafsir of surah al-Nas (114) and translation:

ـ {قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ (1)}
قل- أيها الرسول: أعوذ وأعتصم برب الناس، القادر وحده على ردِّ شر الوسواس. ـ

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ

Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, (1)

1) Say – O Messenger – : I seek refuge and protection in the Lord of mankind, the only One who can repel the evil of the whisperer.

ـ {مَلِكِ النَّاسِ (2)}
ملك الناس المتصرف في كل شؤونهم، الغنيِّ عنهم. ـ

مَلِكِ النَّاسِ

The King of mankind. (2)

2) The King of mankind who manages all of their affairs and does not depend on them at all.

Was Abu Bakr Compiling the Mushaf a “Good Innovation”?: Muhammad Bazmool

Sheikh Muhammad Bazmool, a professor at Umm al-Qura University in Mecca and current judge of Mecca, once posed and responded to the following question:

سؤال : هل يعتبر جمع أبي بكر رضي الله عنه للمصحف مكتوبا في محل واحد بدعة حسنة؟ ـ

Question: Does Abu Bakr’s compiling the entire Qur’an into a single written collection fall into the category of a “good innovation”?

الجواب : أولا : ليس هناك في الدين بدعة حسنة وبدعة غير حسنة، بل كل بدعة ضلالة. كما قال الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم. ـ

Response: Firstly, in Islam there are not “good innovations” and “bad innovations”. In reality, every innovation is misguidance, just as Allah’s Messenger said.

ثانيا : الذي فعله أبو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه ، هو اتباع لما جاءت الإشارة إليه في القرآن العظيم كما في قوله تعالى: (ذلك الكتاب لا ريب فيه) ، فألإشارة إليه أصالة بأنه كتاب تشير إلى أن ألأصل فيه أن يجمع على هيئة كتاب، وإنما لم يفعل الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم ذلك لمانع منعه منه، وهو انتظار نزول القرآن، الذي استمر معه عليه الصلاة والسلام إلى وفاته. ـ

Secondly, Abu Bakr’s action was in keeping with what the Qur’an alluded to, as is found in Allah’s statement:

Surah al-Anbiyaa’ is the Surah of Dhikr: Ibn Taymiyah

Sheikh al-Islam ibn Taymiyah once wrote:

سورة الأنبياء  سورة الذكر وسورة الأنبياء الذين عليهم نزل الذكر افتتحها بقوله : { ما يأتيهم من ذكر من ربهم محدث } الآية وقوله : { فاسألوا أهل الذكر إن كنتم لا تعلمون } وقوله : { لقد أنزلنا إليكم كتابا فيه ذكركم } وقوله : { هذا ذكر من معي وذكر من قبلي } وقوله : { وذكرا للمتقين } وقوله : { وهذا ذكر مبارك } وقوله : { ولقد كتبنا في الزبور من بعد الذكر } ـ

Surah al-Anbiyaa’ is the surah of dhikr – remembrance of Allah – and the surah of the Prophets to whom that dhikr was revealed. Allah begins the surah by saying:

مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

Whenever a new reminder comes to them from their Lord, they only listen to it while they are at play [21:2]

and He said:

فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

So ask the people of remembrance if you do not know [21:7]

and He said:

لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ

We have certainly sent down a Book to you which contains your reminder [21:10]

and He said: