All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, who revealed the Criterion to His servant so that he may be a warner to the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the one whose character was the Qur’an, making him a radiant lamp by Allah's will. To proceed...
How noble is your rank, O bearer of the Qur’an! And how great is your treasure! You have every right to take pride in it among people, a pride that does not stem from arrogance or conceit, but from acknowledging Allah's favor upon you for choosing you to carry His words and the beacons of His light. Who can equal you in virtue? And who can match you in excellence? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself testified to this, saying, “The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur’an.”
This honor was recognized by Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When the wealth of Iraq came, a servant of Umar was counting the many camels and saying, “This is indeed from Allah’s bounty and mercy.” Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “You lied. This is not what Allah refers to in His words: “Say, 'In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy—in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate” (Yunus: 58). The scholars of tafsir said: 'The bounty of Allah' is Islam, and 'His mercy' is the Qur’an. So how can the treasures of the earth, which worldly people gather and fight over, compare to the great treasure of the Qur’an?!
Indeed, the Qur’an alone is what deserves to be rejoiced over, as per the Qur’an itself, and nothing else. Everything besides the Qur’an is fleeting, while the Book of Allah remains a treasure for you in your life and after your death. One of the honors Allah has bestowed upon you is making you a teacher of His Book, with rewards that cannot be fathomed or imagined. Consider with me the beauty of the glad tidings and the great reward announced by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): “Whoever teaches a verse from the Qur’an will have its reward as long as it is recited.”
Think with me! How many times will the one you taught the Qur’an recite the verses you taught him? And with every letter he utters, Allah will grant you the same reward as him, without diminishing his reward in the least. You may be lying tomorrow in your grave, yet your stream of good deeds continues to flow, and your record of good deeds remains open, not folded. Imagine the angels recording what your students recite from the verses, and what they connect with in their prayers. This great honor is a magnificent blessing, so have we given thanks for it? For every honor comes with responsibility, and just as Allah has placed none above you when He made you a bearer of His Book, so too should you give thanks in a way that surpasses everyone. What are your duties? What are the signs of your gratitude? And what are the indications of your thankfulness to your Lord?
1. Sincerity and renewing your intention.
2. Understanding.
3. Contemplation.
4. Acting upon the Qur’an.
5. Conveying its message.
6. Judging by it.
7. Seeking healing through it.
8. Using it as evidence.
9. Reverence.
10. Teaching its recitation to others.
Today, the bearers of the Qur’an are not the ones who act upon it the most, nor are they the best guides through their conduct, nor are they the ones who embody its morals the best. This is a great flaw and a fundamental reason for the calamity of the Ummah. What could be more dangerous than the fact that those entrusted with its constitution are the first to betray it and neglect it? So what will be the state of others?
The Qur’an is likely to be a witness against these people, not for them. A frightening hadith strikes the ears of the bearers of the Qur’an, serving as a warning cry and a call for caution: “The majority of the hypocrites in my Ummah are its reciters.”
And what caused this hypocrisy other than their failure to recognize their duties, being deluded by the praise of people instead of monitoring their deeds and examining their hearts? Satan invaded them unawares, turning the greatest gifts and blessings into the cause of their greatest afflictions!
So seek refuge in Allah from this fate, O bearer of the Qur’an, O memorizer of the verses.
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