iMuslimah Reminders: Virtues of the Qur'an

Asalamualaikum wahrehmatullah wahbarakatuhu

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Wa'alaikum asalam wahrehmatullah.

When the wind blows....

SubhanAllah....so as todays been really windy and much has been happening, I thought i'd share a few ayaahs, hadith thoughts and pictures to serve as a reminder inshaAllah.

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A'Hadith

Narrated 'Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet), I never saw Allah's Apostle laughing loudly enough to enable me to see his uvula, but he used to smile only. And whenever he saw clouds or winds, signs of deep concern would appear on his face. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! When people see clouds they usually feel happy, hoping that it would rain, while I see that when you see clouds, one could notice signs of dissatisfaction on your face." He said, "O 'Aisha! What is the guarantee for me that there will be no punishment in it, since some people were punished with a wind? Verily, some people saw (received) the punishment, but (while seeing the cloud) they said, 'This cloud will give us rain.' "
(Sahih Bukhari)

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties.) And an impious wicked person is like a pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah cuts (uproots) it suddenly when He wishes."
(Sahih Bukhari)

Narrated Ata: 'Aisha said If the Prophet saw a cloud In the sky, he would walk to and fro in agitation, go out and come in, and the color of his face would change, and if it rained, he would feel relaxed." So 'Aisha knew that state of his. So the Prophet said, I don't know (am afraid), it may be similar to what happened to some people referred to in the Holy Quran in the following Verse: -- "Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said, 'This is a cloud bringing us rain!' Nay, but, it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened a wind wherein is severe torment." (46.24)

(Sahih Bukhari)

Narrated Abdullah: The Prophet used to recite: 'Is there any that remember? And a furious wind (plucking out men) as if they were uprooted stems of palm trees, then how terrible was My punishment and My warnings!' (54.20-21)

(Sahih Bukhari)

Quran Ayah's on Wind

Is not He (better than your gods) Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His Mercy (rain)? Is there any ilah (god) with Allah? High Exalted be Allah above all that they associate as partners (to Him)!

( سورة النمل , An-Naml, Chapter #27, Verse #63)

So We sent upon them furious wind in days of evil omen (for them) that We might give them a taste of disgracing torment in this present worldly life, but surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing, and they will never be helped.

( سورة فصلت , Fussilat, Chapter #41, Verse #16)

Then, when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said: "This is a cloud bringing us rain!" Nay, but it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened! a wind wherein is a painful torment!

( سورة الأحقاف , Al-Ahqaf, Chapter #46, Verse #24)

Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allah), will not send against you a violent whirlwind? Then you shall know how (terrible) has been My Warning?

( سورة الملك , Al-Mulk, Chapter #67, Verse #17)

Today

Pictures outside my house where a hundred year old tree fell and narrowly missed a car...and of the hole it left as it ripped up the tarmac of the road, and of other disasters within 1 mile of where i live.

So this just got me thinking really....how easily we forget the power of Allah, how we don't really remember the warnings of the final hour....how easily something can be here one minute and gone the next. Yes we all see it on tv, the tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and worse...but how many of us actually take heed to the fact that nothing happens without the will of Allah.

How many of us remember that we are here now, but may stop breathing within seconds or minutes? And similar to this, we may leave a temporary hole in the dunya, but when the dust covers our bodies and we are buried 6ft under....how is anything we did on the dunya really going to benefit us unless we remember our true purpose now???

Then when you see just a few of the pictures of "damage" to the places we live ....how many of us can REALLY imagine how the dunya will be when the final hour strikes???

Can we even comprehend that scale of catastrophe???

Let this remind you as it has reminded me....so that we can take heed before it really is too late inshaAllah.

Virtues of the Quran

“The best of you is he who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.”

[al-Bukhari]

“Will not any of you go to the masjid and learn or read two verses from the Book of Allah `azza wa jall? (For) that is better for him than two she-camels, and three (verses) are better for him than three (she-camels), and four (verses) are better for him than four (she-camels). And the number (of verses read in total) are better than the same number of camels.”

[Muslim]

“There is no envy (acceptable) except in two (cases): a person whom Allah has given the Qur’an and recites it throughout the night and throughout the day. And a person whom Allah has given wealth, that he gives out throughout the night and throghout the day.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e. his recitation), and the hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is (considered as) a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter.”

[At-Tirmidhi, Ad-Darimi]

“He who is skillful in reciting the Qur’an is with the unveiled, honorable, and pious (i.e. Hur al `Ain). And he who stutters when reading the Qur’an, (and its recitation) is difficult upon him, will receive two rewards.”

[Al-Bukhari]

“Verily he who has nothing of the Qur’an in his heart, is like a house (which has been) destroyed.”

[At-Tirmidhi]

“Read the Qur’an. For verily it will come forth on the Day of Resurrection as an intercessor for its readers.”

[Muslim]

“The Qur’an is an intercessor (which by Allah’s permission) intercedes, and an opponent (which is) truthful. He who appoints it as his leader, (then it) will lead him to Paradise. And he who puts it behind him, (then it) will lead him to the Fire.”

[Ibn Hibban, Al-Bayhaqi, At-Tabarani, Sahih]

“Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for the slave on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: ‘O My Rabb! I prevented him from food and desires, so accept my intercession for him.’ And the Qur’an will say: ‘I prevented him from sleep during the night, so accept my intercession for him.’ He (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘And they will (be allowed to) intercede.’”

[Ahmad, at-Tabarani, Al-Hakim, Sahih]

“Maintain learning the Qur’an, by heart for verily it is greater in escaping from the chests of men than camels from their reins.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

“Verily Allah raises nations by this book (the Qur’an) and puts down (i.e. destroys) others by it.”

[Muslim]

10 steps to memorising the Quran

Memorising the Quran is a great virtuous deed. It will intercede for the one who memorises it and will also act as prevention for one to enter Hell-Fire. According to ahadith, it is also narrated that Allah will never put a person in Hell-Fire who has any part of the Quran in his heart. The 'Golden Age', as described by the classical scholars is between the ages 5 to 23 years. Definitely the golden age is the best time to memorise the Quran as it is the peak of a person's memory. This age factor is a great bonus and aid for those wishing to memorise the Quran and should be utilised by the person immediately.

Below are 10 simple steps a person needs to practice in order to memorise the Quran fast and effectively:

1. Al-Ikhlas - Sincerity The first step to ease the memorisation of the Quran is sincerity. The person must memorise the Quran for the sake of reward and to please Allah. Not to show off, aim to impress others or in order to get a Job (e.g. as Imaam of the Masjid).

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2. Correct the pronunciation and recitation Another factor that will help a person memorise the Quran is to correct the pronunciation and recitation of the Quran. This can be achieved by listening to a Qari whose style of recitation you like and makes you feel connected to the Quran.

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3. Specify how many verses you want to memorise on a daily basis For example, commit yourself to memorise 3, 5, 10, 20 verses per day. If you give yourself a target to memorise 3 verses per day, read the three verses you have memorised along with the new three verses you are trying to memorise e.g. If you memorise 3 verses on one day, the next day you should memorise another 3 verses and repeat the verses you memorised the day before. Another tactic to memorise the Quran is to keep repeating the verses at any opportunity with tajweed (tune). The tajweed will cause the person to enjoy the tune of recitation thus allowing the person to memorise that verse.

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4. Do not exceed the limit of your day If you have committed yourself to memorising 5 or 10 (for example) verses per day then do not exceed it. Commit yourself to a regular number of verses you wish to memorise everyday and do not change this pattern.

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5. Memorise from only one copy of the Quran This is because in every Qurأan, the layout of the verses is different. If you memorise from one copy you will have a mental picture of the verse in your mind, whereas if you attempt to memorise from many different copies of the Quran, it could lead to confusion and difficulty in memorising the Quran.

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6. Understanding is a mechanism of memorising Understanding the verses will definitely increase memorisation and also khushoo (ritual fear and focus) during salah.

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7. Do not go to another chapter until you finish the chapter you are on Memorising the Quran in chapters is the best way to memorise the Quran as it will be easier to remember where you stopped last.

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8. Do not listen to yourself all the time It is advisable to recite in front of someone who is Hafiz ul Quran (who has memorised the Quran) as this will benefit the hafiz and he will correct him on any mistakes he makes.

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9. Continuity - Always recite to yourself, wherever you are It has been reported the Messenger Muhammad (saw) said that the Quran will run away from the tongue of a person faster than an untied camel. Make sure you are constantly reciting the Quran wherever you are e.g. on the bus, whilst travelling, relaxing at home etc.

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10. Identify the patterns of the verses The Quran is Mutashaabihaat, which means that it has a pattern. Verses often look and sound like each other, which is a great aid to memorising the Qurأan.

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Difficulties in memorising the Quran

For those who have passed the golden age, have disability or any hardship in memorising the Quran, it is advisable to have plenty of honey and black seed, which are natural remedies that aid memorisation as-well as cure sicknesses.