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.
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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.
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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 one-
third 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.
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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).

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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” [al-
Ghaashiyah 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 well-
versed 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)” [al-
Hijr 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." [al-
Hijr 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] "Ta-
Seen [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 al-
Qaari’ 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 Mus-
haf, 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 al-
Khaleel 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 al-
Mughaffal. 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 il-
Maftooh (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). ‘Abd-
Allaah 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 ‘Abd-
Allaah 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 al-
Akhdar, has written an essay entitled Takbeer al-Khatam bayna al-Qurraa’ wa’l-
Muhadditheen, 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 al-
Sab’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 al-
Duha, 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