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WELCOME TO |
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MADRASA AL-HIDAYA |
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MUSLIM SCHOOL OF RIGHT GUIDANCE |
Bismillāh ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm
MANBA‘ AL-IMDĀD: A FOUNTAIN OF HELP
A Compendium of the talks of:
AL-HABĪB AHMAD MASH-HŪR BIN TĀHĀ AL-HADDĀD
Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Compiled by his grandson:
As-Sayyid Muhammad bin Mustafā Bū Numay
Rahmatullāhi ‘alayh
DARS 60: THE WISDOM IN THE ARRANGEMENT
OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE QUR’AN
In the words of my master, my grandfather, may Allah spread his benefit, when he explained about the virtues of the Qur’an and the urge towards it and its recitation. He said, may Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) be pleased with him.
All praise is for Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) for singularly favouring us with the Qur’an. All Praise is for Allah Who made the Qur’an our Book. All Praise is for Allah Who made us among those who recite it as is its right of recitation, InshaAllah (if Allah Wills). The meditation on the meanings of the Qur’an or the words of the Qur’an cannot be counted. How can it be counted when it has combined everything? Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) says in it:
We have not left out anything in this Book. (6:38)
And our Lord, the Glorified and the Exalted, made the Qur’an to benefit mankind in all the ways. So its recitation is beneficial, and pondering on its meanings is beneficial, and to obtain healing with it is beneficial, and to find out the knowledge in it is beneficial. And in this way, how many are the benefits in it?
O the reciters! O the ones who recite the Qur’an and understand the Qur’an. Think about the chapters of the Qur’an. In it are lengthy chapters like Surah al-Baqarah, and Surah Āl-‘Imran, and Surah an-Nisā’, and Surah al-Mā’idah. After that are the middle-sized chapters like Subhana, and Kaaf Haa Yaa ‘Ayn Saad, and the Hawaameem (those that begin with Haa Meem), and the Tawaaseem (those that begin with Taa Seen Meem). Then are the smaller chapters from ‘Amma till its end. What is the great wisdom in this amazing arrangement? The wisdom is that Allah gave each one from the Qur’an his measure and share. So the one who is immersed in the Qur’an recites the lengthy chapters, while the weak one who is unable to recite the lengthy chapters recites the smaller ones. And the one who has not recited the (whole) Qur’an recites the small chapters that are preferred.
Another wisdom in the arrangement of the Qur’an in this way is that it is a mercy for the people, as the people are capable of memorizing the smaller chapters. The wisdom is that you can (at least) recite a whole chapter even if it small, and especially for those who have not recited the (whole) Qur’an like the beginners, and the blind. An example of this is (the chapter which begins with the verse) Qul Huwallahu Ahad: Say (O Prophet, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam)! He is Allah, the One. (112:1) And it is easy for him to memorize it. This is the wisdom. Make (some of) the chapters small for the illiterate who have not recited the (whole) Qur’an.
There are those among them who have not recited the (whole) Qur’an who do not recite the chapters correctly but they know that it is such and such a chapter. It has been narrated about al-Habib Ahmad bin Hasan al-‘Attas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:
We were in Makkah with our shaykh As-Sayyid Ahmad Zayni Dahlan, when a Bedouin Arab in Ihram, West African in appearance, entered and recited:
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
Qul Huwallahu AhadIn the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Say (O Prophet, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam)! He is Allah, the One. (112:1)After that he did not recite anything correctly.
So all the students stood up and said that he is so ignorant that he does not even know (the chapter) Qul Huwallahu Ahad.
So As-Sayyid Ahmad Zayni Dahlan said: He is an ignorant person who does not know but he came with Bismillah, and Bismillah is sufficient according to Sayyiduna ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and it is enriched with (Surah) al-Fatiha.
So the Qur’an O brethren, is a blessing from Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) for us. And I mentioned to you the wisdom in having short chapters. How many of us have memorized from Surah ad-Duha to the end of the Qur’an? And in it are the preferred chapters like Qul Huwallahu Ahad. Whoever recites it three times, it is as if he has recited the whole Qur’an. It is a mercy of Allah for His servants who are weak, the elderly and those who are slow to learn. How many are the struggling who do not understand a thing from the Qur’an but they have memorized a chapter or two?
One of my companions here in Mombasa said: I do not know how to recite the Qur’an, nor has my family learned it but I heard that whoever recites (the chapter) Qul Huwallahu Ahad three times, it is as if he has recited the whole Qur’an. So every day, I recite Qul Huwallahu Ahad a thousand times. So I said to him: “May Allah bless you with it, Insha Allahu Ta‘ala”. O Lord, Who Guide through Your Grace!