Starting & Stopping One’s Reading at Appropriate Places: al-Nawawi

In his famous handbook to the Qur’anic sciences, al-Nawawi included the following chapter:

ينبغي للقارئ إذا ابتدأ من وسط السورة أو وقف على غير آخرها أن يبتدئ من أول الكلام المرتبط بعضه ببعض، وأن يقف على الكلام المرتبط، ولا يتقيد بالأعشار والأجزاء؛ فإنها قد تكون في وسط الكلام المرتبط، كالجزء الذي في قوله تعالى: وما أبرئ نفسي وفي قوله تعالى: فما كان جواب قومه [ ص: 116 ] وقوله تعالى: ومن يقنت منكن لله ورسوله وفي قوله تعالى: وما أنـزلنا على قومه من بعده من جند من السماء وفي قوله تعالى: إليه يرد علم الساعة وفي قوله تعالى: وبدا لهم سيئات وفي قوله: قال فما خطبكم أيها المرسلون . ـ

When starting from the middle of a surah or coming to a stop before the end of a surah, the one reciting should start from the beginning of a passage whose contents are tied together and stop at the end of a complete passage rather than strictly sticking to grouping of ten ayaat or the juz’ divisions which might occur in the middle of a passage.

Take for example the juz’ that begins:

وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي

And I do not acquit myself [12:53 – beginning of juz’ 13]

or

فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ

But the answer of his people was only … [27:56 – beginning of juz’ 20]

The Virtue of Reciting from the Mushaf: Ibn Kathir

In the introduction to his famous book of tafsir, al-haafidh Ismaa’eel ibn Kathir included the following discussion on the virtue of reading the Qur’an directly from the mushaf:

لذي صرح به كثيرون من العلماء أن قراءة القرآن من المصحف أفضل ؛ لأنه يشتمل على التلاوة والنظر في المصحف وهو عبادة ، كما صرح به غير واحد من السلف ، وكرهوا أن يمضي على الرجل يوم لا ينظر في مصحفه ، واستدلوا على فضيلة التلاوة في المصحف بما رواه الإمام العلم [ ص: 69 ] أبو عبيد في كتاب فضائل القرآن حيث قال : ـ

The position which many of the scholars have explicitly stated is that reciting the Qur’an from the mushaf is better [than reciting it from memory]. That is because reciting from the mushaf involves both recitation and looking at the mushaf, which is itself an act of worship as more than one of the salaf have directly stated. And the salaf used to dislike for a day to pass by without a person looking in his mushaf.

I will attempt to demonstrate the virtue of reciting from the mushaf with what the great scholar Abu ‘Ubayd transmitted in his book Fadhaa’il al-Qur’an where he said:

حدثنا نعيم بن حماد ، عن بقية بن الوليد ، عن معاوية بن يحيى ، عن سليم بن مسلم ، عن عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن ، عن بعض أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : فضل قراءة القرآن نظرا على من يقرؤه ظهرا ، كفضل الفريضة على النافلة وهذا الإسناد ضعيف فإن معاوية بن يحيى هو الصدفي أو الأطرابلسي ، وأيهما كان فهو ضعيف . ـ

… one of the sahabah said that the Prophet said:

The virtue of reciting the Qur’an while looking at it compared to someone who recites it from his memory is like the virtue of an obligatory deed over an optional one.

This chain of narration is weak due to a narrator.

وقال الثوري عن عاصم ، عن زر ، عن ابن مسعود قال : أديموا النظر في المصحف . ـ

al-Thawri transmitted from ‘Aasim who transmitted from Zurr that ibn Mas’ood said, “Make it a routine to look in the mushaf.”

وقال حماد بن سلمة ، عن علي بن زيد ، عن يوسف بن ماهك ، عن ابن عباس ، عن عمر : أنه كان إذا دخل بيته نشر المصحف فقرأ فيه . ـ

… ibn ‘Abbaas narrated that when ‘Umar would enter his house, he would open up the mushaf and recite from it.”

Questions Regarding the Recitation of ibn Mas’ood: ibn Hajr and al-Nawawi

Imam al-Bukhari included the following narration in his Saheeh, in his chapter on tafsir of the Qur’an:

 حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ قَدِمَ أَصْحَابُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ فَطَلَبَهُمْ فَوَجَدَهُمْ فَقَالَ أَيُّكُمْ يَقْرَأُ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ كُلُّنَا‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَيُّكُمْ يَحْفَظُ وَأَشَارُوا إِلَى عَلْقَمَةَ‏.‏ قَالَ كَيْفَ سَمِعْتَهُ يَقْرَأُ ‏{‏وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى‏}‏‏.‏ قَالَ عَلْقَمَةُ ‏{‏وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى‏}‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرَأُ هَكَذَا، وَهَؤُلاَءِ يُرِيدُونِي عَلَى أَنْ أَقْرَأَ ‏{‏وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالأُنْثَى‏}‏ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أُتَابِعُهُمْ‏.‏

al-A’mash narrated that some of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood’s students came to see Abu al-Darda’ who had also been looking for them. When Abu al-Darda’ found them he said, “Which of you recites according to the qiraa’ah of ‘Abdullah?” and al-A’mash said, “All of us.” He replied, “Then which of you have memorized it?” so al-A’mash pointed to ‘Alqamah. Abu al-Darda’ asked, “How did you hear him recite

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ

By the night when it covers [92:1]

‘Alqamah said:

‏وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى

By the male and the female [compare to 92:3]

Abu al-Darda’ said, “I testify that I heard the Prophet reciting it like that, but these people want me to recite it as:

وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَىٰ

And by He who created the male and the female [92:3]

but I swear by Allah that I will not follow them.

Similar narrations can also be found in the collections of Muslim and al-Tirmidhi.

Commenting on this in his explanation of Saheeh al-Bukhari, al-haafidh ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani wrote:

قوله‏:‏ ‏(‏وهؤلاء‏)‏ أي أهل الشام ‏(‏يريدونني على أن أقرأ وما خلق الذكر والأنثى، والله لا أتابعهم‏)‏ هذا أبين من الرواية التي قبلها حيث قال ‏”‏ وهؤلاء يأبون علي ‏”‏ ثم هذه القراءة لم تنقل إلا عمن ذكر هنا، ومن عداهم قرءوا ‏”‏ وما خلق الذكر والأنثى ‏”‏ وعليها استقر الأمر مع قوة إسناد ذلك إلى أبي الدرداء ومن ذكر معه، ولعل هذا مما نسخت تلاوته ولم يبلغ النسخ أبا الدرداء ومن ذكر معه‏.‏ ـ

Regarding his statement, “but these people” – i.e. the people of Syria – “want me to recite ‘and by He who created the male and the female’, but I swear by Allah that I will not follow them.” This is even more clear than the previous narration in which he said, “but these people reject me doing so.”

Surahs that the Prophet Used To Recite Together: al-Nawawi

Imam Muslim included the following narration in his Saheeh in the midst of a number of hadith narrations related to the prayers:

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ نَهِيكُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ كَيْفَ تَقْرَأُ هَذَا الْحَرْفَ أَلِفًا تَجِدُهُ أَمْ يَاءً مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ أَوْ مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ يَاسِنٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَكُلَّ الْقُرْآنِ قَدْ أَحْصَيْتَ غَيْرَ هَذَا قَالَ إِنِّي لأَقْرَأُ الْمُفَصَّلَ فِي رَكْعَةٍ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ هَذًّا كَهَذِّ الشِّعْرِ إِنَّ أَقْوَامًا يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا وَقَعَ فِي الْقَلْبِ فَرَسَخَ فِيهِ نَفَعَ إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الصَّلاَةِ الرُّكُوعُ وَالسُّجُودُ إِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ النَّظَائِرَ الَّتِي كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرُنُ بَيْنَهُنَّ سُورَتَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَدَخَلَ عَلْقَمَةُ فِي إِثْرِهِ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ

A man named Nuhayk ibn Sinan came to ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood and said, “Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, how do you recite this letter – as an alif of a yaa’? Is it

مِّن مَّاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ

… of unstagnant water … [47:15]

or is it

مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ يَاسِنٍ

… of un-stagnating water … [compare to 47:15]”

Ibn Mas’ood replied, “And you have memorized the entire Qur’an except for this?” He replied, “I recite all of the Mufassal surahs in a single raka’ah.” Ibn Mas’ood said, “Rushing through it like poets rush. There are some people who recite the Qur’an but it does not pass beyond their throats. But if it were to reach the heart and take hold within it, then it would have an effect. The best parts of the prayer are the rukoo’ and the sujood. I am well-acquainted with the pairs of similar surahs that Allah’s Messenger used to recite together in a single raka’ah.” Then ibn Mas’ood stood up to leave and ‘Alqamah followed behind him.

[Saheeh Muslim #822]

In his famous explanation of Saheeh Muslim, Imam al-Nawawi wrote the following commentary on this hadith:

قوله للذي سأل ابن مسعود عن آسن : ( كل القرآن قد أحصيت غير هذا الحرف ) هذا محمول على أنه فهم منه أنه غير مسترشد في سؤاله ، إذ لو كان مسترشدا لوجب جوابه وهذا ليس بجواب . ـ

Ibn Mas’ood response of “And you have memorized the entire Qur’an except for this?” to the man who asked about the wording of the ayah could be interpreted as ibn Mas’ood sensing that this person wasn’t asking in good faith. For if the person had legitimately wanted an answer to that question, he would have pressed for an answer rather than the non-answer that he received.

Praise for Tafsir al-Tabari from Great Scholars of the Past

In his handbook to the Qur’anic sciences, Jalal al-Deen al-Suyooti concluded an overview of the famous scholars of tafsir of the past and their books by writing the following high praise for the great mufassir, Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (died 310AH/932CE) and his famous book of tafsir commonly referred to as Tafsir al-Tabari or Tafsir ibn Jarir:

فِإِنْ قُلْتَ : فَأَيُّ التَّفَاسِيرِ تُرْشِدُ إِلَيْهِ وَتَأْمُرُ النَّاظِرَ أَنْ يُعَوِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ؟ قُلْتُ : تَفْسِيرُ الْإِمَامِ أَبِي جَعْفَرِ بْنِ جَرِيرٍ الطَّبَرِيِّ الَّذِي أَجْمَعَ الْعُلَمَاءُ الْمُعْتَبَرُونَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُؤَلَّفْ فِي التَّفْسِيرِ مِثْلُهُ . قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ فِي تَهْذِيبِهِ : كِتَابُ ابْنِ جَرِيرٍ فِي التَّفْسِيرِ لَمْ يُصَنِّفْ أَحَدٌ مِثْلَهُ .ـ

If one were to ask, “Which book of tafsir would you recommend for someone looking for something to rely on?” then I would say: the Tafsir of the Imam Abu Ja’far ibn Jarir al-Tabari. All the scholars worth any consideration agree that there hasn’t been anything else like it written in the field of tafsir.

al-Nawawi said in al-Tahdheeb, “The Tafsir of ibn Jarir – no one has authored anything like it.”

[al-Itqan 2/476]

al-Suyooti highlighted one of the reasons for the great merit of ibn Jarir and his tafsir earlier in the same discussion when he wrote:

Reflecting on the Wonders of Allah’s Creation: Sheikh Faisal Aal Mubarak

In his brief explanation of al-Nawawi’s Riyadh al-Saliheen, Sheikh Faisal Aal Mubarak provided the following valuable comments about a recurring theme in the Qur’an:

باب التفكير في عظيم مخلوقات الله تَعَالَى وفناء الدنيا وأهوال الآخرة وسائر أمورهما وتقصيرنفس وتهذيبها وحملها عَلَى الاستقامة

Chapter: Reflecting on the Wonders of Allah’s Creation, the Passing Nature of this Worldly Life, the Terrors of the Hereafter and other related matters. Also, Recognizing One’s Own Deficiencies, Removing Them and Motivating Oneself to Be Upright

التفكر في المخلوقات: كالعرش، والكرسي، والسماء والأرض يدل على كمال الخالق وعظمته. ـ

Reflecting on the Wonders of Allah’s Creation – such as the ‘Arsh – the Throne, the Kursi – the Footstool, the sky and the earth. All of these things point to the grandeur and complete perfection of the Creator.

وفي الحديث: «ما السماء والأرض، وما بينهما في العرش إلا كحلقة أُلْقيتْ في فلاة من الأرض» ، وقد قال الله تعالى: {وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالأَرْضُ جَمِيعاً قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالسَّماوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ} [الزمر (67) ] .” ـ

There is a hadith:

The heavens and the earth in comparison to the kursi are like a plate of armor in the midst of a desert, and the kursi in comparison to the Throne is itself like a plate of armor in the midst of a desert.

And Allah said:

وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالأَرْضُ جَمِيعاً قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالسَّماوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal, while He will take the entire earth within His grip on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens will be folded in His right hand. Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him. [39:67]

والتفكُّر في فناء الدنيا: يبعثه على الزهد فيها، والإِقبال على الآخرة. ـ

Reflecting on the Passing Nature of this Worldly Life – this promotes more self-restraint when it comes to pursuing the pleasures of this worldly life, instead turning one’s attention to the hereafter.

A Brief Discussion of Sabr in the Qur’an: Sheikh Faisal Aal Mubarak

In many of the chapters in Riyadh al-Saliheen, Imam al-Nawawi would begin with some relevant ayaat before listing the hadith narrations he had selected. Sheikh Faisal Aal Mubarak added some valuable commentary of these ayaat in his explanation of Riyadh al-Saliheen. The original text from al-Nawawi will be in blue, and the commentary will be in black:

باب الصبر

Chapter on Sabr [Steadfast Patience]

قال الله تعالى : {يا أيها الذين آمنوا اصبروا وصابروا} ((آل عمران : 200) ـ

Allah said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا

O you who believe, persevere and endure … [3:200]

الصبر ثلاثة أنواع : صبر على طاعة الله ، وصبر عن محارم الله ، وصبر على أقدار الله وقد أمر الله تعالى بالصبر على ذلك كله . ـ

There are three types of sabr:

Sabr in obedience to Allah

Sabr against the prohibitions of Allah

Sabr in the face of the divine decrees of Allah

and Allah has commanded us to have sabr in all of these things.

When Repentance Will No Longer Be Accepted: Sheikh Faisal Aal Mubarak

Since it was authored by Imam Abu Zakariyyah Yahya al-Nawawi (d. 676Ah/1277CE), the book Riyadh al-Saliheen has been a hadith collection in constant circulation among the Muslims due the great benefits that it contains. As a result, numerous explanations have been given and written for this book. One such explanation was that of sheikh Faisal Aal Mubarak (d. 1376Ah/1957CE). Like his explanations of many other essential works, sheikh Faisal’s commentary here is very direct and selective. We have marked the original text of Riyah al-Saliheen in blue, and sheikh Faisal’s commentary is in black:

ـ 17 – وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله ﷺ : ” من تاب قبل أن تطلع الشمس من مغربها تاب الله عليه” . ((رواه مسلم)) . ـ

17. On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, he said that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said:

Whoever turns in repentance before the sun rises from the west, Allah will turn in to him in forgiveness.

Reported by Muslim.

قبول التوبة مستمر ما دام باب مفتوحا ، فإذ إغلق لم تقبل . قال الله تعالى : [يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ لَا يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِن قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًا] (الانعام 158) يعني إذا طلعت الشمس من مغربا لم ينفع الكافر إيمانه ولا العاصي توبته . ـ

The acceptance of repentance is ongoing as long as the door of repentance is open, but when that door is closed it will not be accepted.

Allah said:

The Different Frequencies of Completing the Qur’an

Sheikh Muhammad Moosaa Aal Nasr, one of the salafi scholars of recent times who specialized in the qiraa’aat and Qur’anic sciences, compiled the following beneficial discussion on how often one should complete a reading of the entire Qur’an. Sheikh Muhammad Moosaa was also a long-term student of sheikh al-Albani and limited himself to only using authentic hadith narrations throughout this chapter:

مراتب ختم القرآن

The Different Frequencies of Completing the Qur’an

قال الله تعالى : (فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ) [المزمل 20] .  ـ

Allah said:

فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ

So recite whatever of it is easy for you of the Qur’an [73:20]

عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال : قال رسول الله (إقرأ القرآن في أربعين) . ـ

Ibn ‘Umar said: Allah’s Messenger said, “Complete the Qur’an in 40 days.”

وعن سعد ابن المنذر أن رسول الله قال : (إقرأ القرآن في ثلاث إن استطعت) . ـ

Sa’d ibn al-Mundhir relayed that Allah’s Messenger said, “Complete the Qur’an in three days if you can.”

و عن عبد الله ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما : أن رسول الله قال : (لم يفقه من قرأ القرآن في أقل من ثلاث) .  ـ

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar relayed that Allah’s Messenger said, “Whoever completes the Qur’an in less than three days has not understood it.”

وله شاهد صحيح من حديث عبد الله ابن مسعود عند سعيد بن منصور: (اقرؤوا القرآن في السبع ، ولا تقرؤوه في أقل من ثلاث) . ـ

And in the hadith collection of Sa’eed ibn Mansoor there is an authentic support for this in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood, “Complete the Qur’an in seven days, and do not complete it in less than three days.”

“Allah commanded me to recite to you”: Sharh al-Nawawi

It is reported in both al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Qatadah that Anas ibn Malik said:

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لأُبَىٍّ ‏”‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَقْرَأَ عَلَيْكَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ آللَّهُ سَمَّانِي لَكَ قَالَ ‏”‏ اللَّهُ سَمَّاكَ لِي ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ أُبَىٌّ يَبْكِي ‏.‏

The Prophet said to Ubay, “Allah has commanded me to recite to you.” Ubay said, “Did Allah mention me by name to you?” The Prophet replied, “Allah mentioned you by name to me.” Anas said: That caused Ubay to cry.

[Muslim #799]

And in the narration of al-Bukhari, there is an addition to the end of the hadith from one of the subnarrators:

قَالَ قَتَادَةُ فَأُنْبِئْتُ أَنَّهُ قَرَأَ عَلَيْهِ ‏{‏لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ‏}

Qatadah said: I was told that the Prophet recited surah al-Bayyinah (97) to him.

[al-Bukhari #4960]

In his commentary on Saheeh Muslim, Imam Abu Zakariyyah Yahya al-Nawawi mentioned the following commentary on this hadith:

وفي الحديث فوائد كثيرة . منها : استحباب قراءة القرآن على الحذاق فيه وأهل العلم به والفضل ، وإن كان القارئ أفضل من المقروء عليه ، ومنها : المنقبة الشريفة لأبي بقراءة النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – عليه ، ولا يعلم أحد من الناس شاركه في هذا ، ومنها : منقبة أخرى له بذكر الله تعالى له ، ونصه عليه في هذه المنزلة الرفيعة ، ومنها : البكاء للسرور والفرح مما يبشر الإنسان به ويعطاه من معالي الأمور . ـ

There are a number of benefits to be found in this hadith.

One benefit is the encouragement to recite the Qur’an to someone who is skilled in it, a person of knowledge and virtue. That is the case even if the one reciting is more virtuous than the one to whom he is reciting.