Sayings of the Salaf » Quran

The House in which the Quran is Recited

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:05:05 +0000

It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

The house in which the Qur’ân is not recited is like a derelict house that has no one to maintain it.

It is also reported that he said:

Verily the emptiest of houses are those that are empty of the Book of Allâh.

It is reported that Abû Hurayrah – Allâh be pleased with him – used to say about the house in which the Qur’ân is recited:

It becomes spacious for its inhabitants, the good of it becomes plentiful, the angels come to it and the devils leave it. And the house in which the Qur’ân is not recited becomes cramped for its inhabitants, has little good in it, and the devils come to it.

Ibn Abî Shaybah, Al-Musannaf articles 30645, 30647 and 30650.

Don’t ask the Polytheists

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:41:32 +0000

Abdullâh b. ‘Abbâs – Allâh be pleased with them – said:

O Muslims, how can you ask the People of the Book [about their scripture] when the Book of Allâh that was revealed to your Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – is the most recent news of Allâh; you recite it complete and unaltered? Allâh has informed you that they replaced what Allâh wrote and changed the Book with their hands and said ‘This is from Allâh,’ to purchase with it a measly price (Quran 2:79). Does not the knowledge that has come to you forbid you from asking them? By Allâh, we have not seen a single man among them asking you about what was revealed to you.

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh hadith 2685, Chapter on not asking the Polytheists for testimonies or anything else. He also records it in other chapters.

How the Salaf studied the Quran

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:39:29 +0000

Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

When a man amongst us learned ten verses [of the Quran], he would not move on [to the next verses] until he had understood their meanings and how to act by them.

Al-Tabarî, Al-Tafsîr 1:80. Shaykh Ahmad Shâkir graded its chain of transmission sahîh.

Abû ‘Abd Al-Rahmân Al-Sulamî said:

Those who used to teach us the Quran (the Companions) told us that they used to learn the Quran from the Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him; when they had learnt ten verses they would not move on until they put into practice what was in them. So we learnt knowledge and deeds (implementation) together.

Ibid. Shaykh Ahmad Shâkir graded its chain of transmission sahîh also.

Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:23:32 +0000

It is reported that Ibrâhîm b. Adham (d162H) – Allâh have mercy on him – once passed through the market of Basrah. People gathered around him and asked:

O Abû Ishâq, Allâh the Exalted says in his Book. ‘Call on me, I will answer your prayers’, but we have been calling on Him for a long time and He does not answer our prayers. [Ibrâhîm] replied, “O people of Basrah, your hearts have died in respect to ten things: First, you know Allâh but you do not give Him His rights; second, you have read Allâh’s Book but you do not act by it; third, you claim to love Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – yet you abandon his Sunnah; fourth, you claim to be enemies to Shaytân but you conform to [his ways]; fifth, you say you love Paradise yet you do not work for it; sixth, you say you fear The Fire yet you put yourselves closer to it [by sinning]; seventh, you say death is true but you do not prepare for it; eighth, you busy yourselves with the faults of others and disregard your own; ninth, you consume the favors of your Lord but are not grateful for them; and tenth, you bury your dead but take no lesson from them.”

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ’ 8: 15, 16.

No poverty after Paradise and no wealth in the Fire

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:39:59 +0000

It is reported that Jundub b. ‘Abdillâh Al-Bajalî – Allah be pleased with him – was once asked for advice and instruction. He said:

I advise you to fear Allâh and obey Him (taqwâ) and I advise you to adhere to the Quran, for it is a light in the dark night and a guidance during the day, so implement it no matter how much struggle and poverty you have to face. If a calamity befalls you, put your wealth forward to protect your religion, and if the calamity continues, put forward your wealth and your life to save your religion [but never risk your religion], for the ruined is he whose religion is ruined, and the looted is he whose religion is taken. And know that there is no poverty after Paradise, and no riches after the Fire.

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` 3:174.