In the second section of “Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'” book about At-Tabi'in
(successors), narrates that a man from Persia said: “I and a group of my people were captured by the Mujahideen, and soon we became slaves to a group of Muslims in Basra. Not long after, we believed in Allah and became committed His Book. Some of us paid taxes to our owners, and some served them; I was one of those who served. We used to complete the recitation of the Quran once every night, but it became difficult for us, so we started reciting it every two nights, but that too became difficult. Then we began completing it every three nights, but still, it was hard. So, we met some of the Companions and complained to them. They said: ‘Complete it once every Friday,’ so we followed their advice, and it became easy for us.”

One Friday, this man performed wudu’ and then asked his mistress owner, Umayya, the wife of Abu Rabaah, for permission to leave. She was a wise and composed woman. She asked him, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To the mosque.” She said, “Let us go together.” They went together to the mosque, and he did not know what she intended. When the mosque was full and the Imam ascended the pulpit, she said, “O Muslims, bear witness that I have freed my slave in the hope of Allah's reward, seeking His forgiveness and pleasure. No one has any claim over him except what is righteous. O Allah, I reserve him with You for a day when neither wealth nor sons will avail.”

Holding on to the Quran purifies the heart and protects it from whims and deviations.

This man was Abu Al-Aliyah, Rafi’ ibn Mehran, one of the prominent Tabi'in, who once visited Ibn Abbas while he was the governor of Basra. Ibn Abbas warmly welcomed him, honored him, and seated him to his right on his couch. There were a group of Quraysh leaders in the gathering who began to murmur among themselves, saying, “Did you see how Ibn Abbas placed this slave on his couch?” Sensing their murmuring, Ibn Abbas turned to them and said, “Indeed, this knowledge elevates the noble and seats the slave on couches.”

When Abu Al-Aliyah wanted to set out for jihad in the cause of Allah, he experienced severe pain in his leg. The doctor told him, “You have flesh-eating disease, and your leg must be amputated.” He gave his permission. When the doctor brought the saws to cut through the bone, he asked, “Do you want me to give you a dose of anesthetic so that you do not feel the pain?” Abu Al-Aliyah replied, “There is something better than that. Bring me someone who recites the Quran well, and let him recite as much of it as he can. When you see my face redden, my pupils widen, and my gaze fixed on the sky, do what you need to do.” They followed his instructions, and his leg was amputated. When he regained consciousness, the doctor asked, “It seems you did not feel the pain of the cut and the amputation?” He replied, “The coolness of Allah's love and the sweetness of what I heard from His Book distracted me from the heat of the saws.” ⁽¹⁾ This is one of the most remarkable examples by Islamic civilization on nurturing preachers to hold on to the Quran.

So, why was Islamic civilization very keen on this?

First: Responding to Allah's command and achieving His love

Allah commanded adherence to the Quran, saying: “So adhere to that which is revealed to you. Indeed, you are on a straight path.” (Az-Zukhruf: 43) Whoever holds to it has responded to his Lord's command, which is a sign of his love for Allah. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, “Whoever wishes to know if he loves Allah, let him test himself with the Quran. If he loves the Quran, then he loves Allah, for the Quran is the word of Allah.” Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said, “You will not reach the pinnacle of this matter until nothing is dearer to you than Allah. Whoever loves the Quran loves Allah the Almighty.” ⁽²⁾ Therefore, one of the greatest means to attain Allah's love is to recite the Quran with reflection.

Second: Protection from falling into misguidance

Holding on to the Quran purifies the heart and protects it from whims. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I have left two matters with you. As long as you hold to them, you will not go the wrong way. They are the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Prophet.” ⁽³⁾ Ibn Taymiyyah said, “When a person reads the Quran and reflects upon it, it becomes one of his strongest deterrents against sins.” ⁽⁴⁾

Third: Ensuring the softness of hearts

The Quran softens hearts and protects them from hardness and harshness. Wahib ibn Al-Ward said, “We have found nothing that softens hearts more and brings about righteousness more than the recitation of the Quran for those who reflect upon it.” ⁽⁵⁾

Fourth: Preservation of the intellect

The Quran preserves the intellect of its reciters and makes them more intelligent and wiser. Abdul-Malik ibn Umair said, “The most intelligent people are those who recite the Quran.” ⁽⁶⁾ Ibn Rajab said, “Whoever memorizes the Quran is granted the enjoyment of their intellect.” ⁽⁷⁾

Fifth: Excellence in knowledge

Ibn Mas'ud said, “If you want knowledge, recite the Quran with reflection, for it contains the knowledge of the first and the last.” ⁽⁸⁾ Ka'b said, “Stick to the Quran, for it is the understanding of the intellect, the light of wisdom, and the springs of knowledge. It is the most recent of the books by the Most Merciful.” ⁽⁹⁾ This indicates that memorizing the Quran is the greatest aid in learning all other sciences. This is why Muslims in Islamic civilization were keen to teach their children the Quran, prioritizing it above all else. Muhammad ibn Al-Fadl said, “I heard my grandfather say, 'I asked my father for permission to go to Qutaybah, and he said: 'First, memorize the Quran, and then I will give you permission.' So I memorized the Quran, and he said: 'Stay until you complete it.' When we celebrated, he gave me permission.” ⁽¹⁰⁾

Memorizing the Quran is the children’s greatest aid in learning all other sciences.

Sixth: Fulfillment of needs and ease in matters

Ibrahim ibn Abdul-Wahid advised Al-Diya' Al-Maqdisi when he wanted to travel for knowledge, saying, “Increase your recitation of the Quran and do not neglect it, for the more you recite, the easier it will be for you to attain what you seek.” He said, “I saw that and experienced it many times; the more I recited, the easier it was for me to listen to and write hadiths, and when I didn't recite, it was not as easy.” ⁽¹¹⁾

Seventh: Abundance of goodness and blessings

Holding fast to the Quran brings goodness in this world and the Hereafter. Abu Hurairah said, “The house in which the Quran is recited expands for its inhabitants, goodness increases in it, angels are present, and devils depart. The house in which the Quran is not recited becomes narrow for its inhabitants, goodness decreases, angels leave, and devils are present.” ⁽¹²⁾

If Islamic civilization took care of preparing preachers to hold fast to the Quran, what were the most important means that educators relied on to achieve this?

First: Emphasis on memorizing the Quran and preparing supportive means

Muslims in Islamic civilization were keen on memorizing the Quran and ensuring their children memorized it. Ibn Khaldun said, “Know that teaching children the Quran is one of the symbols of the religion, practiced by the people of the faith. They followed this practice in all their cities because of the firm establishment of faith and its beliefs due to the ayahs of the Quran and the texts of the hadiths.” ⁽¹³⁾ Abu Mansur Al-Baghdadi used to sit to teach the Book of Allah, and a large number of Quran reciters graduated under his instruction. He was seen after his death saying, “Allah has forgiven me because of my teaching of Surah Al-Fatihah to children.” ⁽¹⁴⁾

Muslims in Islamic civilization adopted a mandatory Quran memorization system, known as “Al-Kuttab.” It is said that the first to gather children for Quran memorization was Umar ibn Al-Khattab, who appointed Amer ibn Abdullah Al-Khuza'i to oversee their teaching and provided for him from the public treasury. Among them were both slow and quick learners, so he ordered that for the slow learners, it should be written on a tablet, and the quick learners should be taught orally without writing. ⁽¹⁵⁾ Sahl ibn Abdullah Al-Tustari said, “My family sent me to the Kuttab, and they made an agreement with the teacher that I should go to him for an hour to learn and then return. I went to the Kuttab, learned the Quran, and memorized it at the age of six or seven.” ⁽¹⁶⁾

Second: Frequent recitation of the Quran

Preachers in Islamic civilization set the best examples in frequent recitation of the Quran, seeking reward and inspiration from its lessons. When death approached Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash, his sister wept. He said to her, “Why are you weeping? Look at that corner; your brother has completed the Quran in it eighteen thousand times.” ⁽¹⁷⁾ Urwah ibn Zubayr used to read a quarter of the Quran every day by looking at the mushaf and spend the night standing in prayer with it. ⁽¹⁸⁾ Malik ibn Dinar's sister was asked, “What occupied Malik at his home?” She replied, “The recitation of the Quran.” ⁽¹⁹⁾

Holding firmly to the Quran leads the Ummah to places of goodness and guidance.

Third: Connecting Memorization of the Quran with Acting Upon It:

Abu Abdur-Rahman al-Sulami said: “Those who taught us the Quran, like Uthman ibn Affan, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, and others, told us that when they learned ten ayahs from the Prophet (peace be upon him), they would not move on to the next until they had learned what was in them in terms of knowledge and action. They said: 'We learned the Quran, knowledge, and action all together.'” ⁽²⁰⁾ The Companions and those who followed them linked memorization with action, as al-Bayhaqi reported from Ibn Umar: “Faith would be given to one of us before the Quran. Then a surah from the Quran would be revealed, and we would learn what was permissible and prohibited in it, and what we should stop to pounder upon within it.” ⁽²¹⁾

Fourth: Judging All Aspects of Life by the Quran:

Allah has commanded this in His saying: “It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair.” (Al-Ahzab: 36) The Preachers have taken the Quran as their constitution. A man said to Ubayy ibn Ka'b: “Advise me.” He replied: “Take the Book of Allah as your leader, and be content with it as a judge and arbitrator.” ⁽²²⁾

Holding firmly to the Quran contributes to leading the Islamic Ummah to places of goodness and guidance and lifting it from weakness and humiliation. How much the Ummah needs to return to the Book of Allah, in which lies its honor and dignity. Allah says, “We have certainly sent down to you a Book in which is your mention. Then will you not reason?” (Al-Anbiya: 10) And He also says, “So adhere to that which is revealed to you. Indeed, you are on a straight path. And indeed, it is a remembrance for you and your people, and you [all] are going to be questioned.” (Az-Zukhruf: 43-44)

-------------------------------------------------------------

1. Siyar A'lam al-Nubala': Al-Dhahabi (4/207), and Suwar min Hayat al-Tabiin: Abdul Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha, p. 443.
2. Al-Rasa'il: Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (3/329).
3. Al-Muwatta: (2/899).
4. Majmu' al-Fatawa: (20/123).
5. Hilyat al-Awliya: (8/142).
6. Encyclopedia of Ibn Abi al-Dunya: (7/571).
7. Majmu' Rasa'il Ibn Rajab: (3/100).
8. Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din: (1/273).
9. Hilyat al-Awliya: (5/376).
10. Tadhkirat al-Huffaz: 209.
11. Dhail Tabaqat al-Hanabila: (3/205).
12. Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din: (1/274).
13. Introduction of Ibn Khaldun: (2/1038).
14. Siyar A'lam al-Nubala': (19/224).
15. Al-Fawakih al-Dawani: (1/30).
16. Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din: (3/74).
17. Siyar A'lam al-Nubala: (7/446).
18. The History of Dimashq: (40/259).
19. Siyar A'lam al-Nubala: (7/186).
20. Tafsir al-Tabari: (1/80).
21. Al-Sunan al-Kubra: (3/170).
22. Hilyat al-Awliya: (1/253).

Read the Article in Arabic