Mishkat al-Masabih

‘Uthmān reported God’s messenger as saying, “The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur’ān.” Bukhārī transmitted it.

When we were in the Suffa (A kind of verandah at the mosque in Medina where certain poor people lived) God’s mes­senger came out and asked, “Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthān or al-‘Aqīq (Two wādis not far from Medina where camels were sold) and bring two large-humped she-camels without being guilty of sin or severing ties of relationship?” We replied, “Messenger of God, we would all like that.” He said, “Does not one of you go out in the morning to the mosque and teach or recite two verses of God’s Book? 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 so on than their numbers in camels.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abū Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Would one of you like, when he returns to his family, to find there three large, fat pregnant she-camels? When we replied that we would, he said, “Three verses which one of you recites in his prayer are better for him than three large, fat, pregnant she-camels.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Ā’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, “One who is skilled in the Qur’ān is associated with the noble, upright recording angels; and he who falters when reciting the Qur’ān and finds it difficult for him will have a double reward.” (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

a man who, having been given the Qur’ān by God, stands reciting it during the night and during the day; and a man who having been given property by God, spends on others from it during the night and during the day.” (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

Abū Mūsa al-Ash'ari reported God’s messenger as saying, “A be­liever who recites the Qur’ān is like a citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is sweet, a believer who does not recite the Qur’ān is like a date which has no fragrance but has a sweet state, a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’ān is like the colocynth which has no fragrance and has a better taste, and the hypocrite who recites the Qur’ān is like basil whose fragrance is sweet but whose taste is bitter.” A version has, “A believer who recites the Qur’ān and acts according to it is like a citron, and a believer who does not recite the Qur’ān but acts according to it is like a date.” (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

‘Umar b. al Khattāb reported God’s messenger as saying, “By this Book God exalts some peoples and lowers others.” Muslim trans­mitted it.

Abū Sa'īd al-Khudrī told of Usaid b. Hudair saying that one night when he was reciting sūra al-Baqara (Qur’ān, 2) with his mare tied beside him it moved round in a circle, so he stopped reciting and it stopped moving. He resumed his recitation and it went round in a circle, so he stopped reciting and it stopped moving. Once more he recited and the mare moved round in a circle, so he left off reciting, for his son Yahyā was near it and he was afraid it might injure him. When he had moved him back he raised his head to the sky and saw something like a canopy with what seemed to be lamps in it, and when he told the Prophet of it in the morning, he said, “You should have kept on reciting, Ibn Hudair, you should have kept on reciting, Ibn Hudair.” He replied, “I was afraid, messenger of God, that it might trample on Yahyā who was near it, so I went to him, and when I raised my head to the sky and saw something like a canopy with what seemed to be lamps in it, I went out but could not see them.” He asked whether he knew what that was, and when he replied that he did not, he said, “Those were the angles who had drawn near to listen to your voice, and if you had continued reciting the people would have looked at them in the morning and they would not have concealed themselves from them.” (Bukhārī and Muslim, the wording being Bukhārī’s). Muslim has, “They went up into the air” instead of “I went out.”

Al-Barā said that when a man was reciting sūra al-Kahf (Qur’ān,18) with a horse tied with two ropes at his side a cloud overshadowed him, and as it began to come nearer and nearer his horse began to take fright. He went and mentioned that to the Prophet in the morning and he said, “That was the Shechina* which came down by reason of the Qur’ān.” *The word in Arabic is as-sakīna which may be translated calmness; but here it has the article which indicates something more precise. It may therefore here refer to the Jewish idea of the Shechina which indicates a divine visitation, (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

When I was praying in the mosque the Prophet called me and I did not answer him, but I went to him afterwards and explained that I had been praying, whereupon he asked me whether God had not said, “Respond to God and to the messenger when He calls you,” (Qur’ān, 8:24) adding, “Let me teach you the greatest sūra in the Qur’ān before you leave the mosque.” He then took me by the hand, and when we were about to go out I reminded him of saying he would teach me the greatest sūra in the Qur’ān. He said, “It is, ‘Praise be to God, the Lord of the universe’, (Qur'ān,1) which is the seven oft-repeated verses and the mighty Qur’ān’ (Qur’ān, 15:87) which has been brought to me.” Bukhārī transmitted it.

Abū Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not make your houses graveyards*. The devil flies from the house in which sūra al-Baqara is recited.” *A house in which there is no prayer or recitation of the Qur'ān is here intended. The dead cannot engage in these practices, so such a house is likened to a graveyard. Muslim transmitted it.

Abū Umāma said he heard God’s messenger say, “Recite the Qur’ān, for on the day of resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite it. Recite the two shining ones, Baqara and sūra Āl Imrān (Qur’ān, 2 and 3). for on the day of resurrection they will come as two clouds or two shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks* pleading for those who recite them. Recite sūra al-Baqara, for using it produces blessing and abandoning it produces regret, and the slothful are unable to recite it.” *The alternative may indicate that the transmitter was not sure which word was used, “clouds” or "shades”. Muslim transmitted it.

An-Nawwās b. Sam'ān said he heard the Prophet say, “On the day of resurrection the Qur’ān and those who acted according to it will be brought with sūra al-Baqara and Āl ‘Imran preceding them* like two black clouds or canopies with light between them, or as though they were two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for the one who recited them.” * Mirqāt says the pronoun may refer either to the people ahl mentioned, or to the Qur’ān, One may therefore read here either ‘them’ or 'it.' Muslim transmitted it.

God’s messenger asked, “Abul Mundhir (this is Ubayy’s Kunya), do you know which verse of God’s Book that you have is greatest?” I replied, “God and His messenger know best.” He repeated his question and I said, “God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal.” Thereupon he struck me on the breast and said, “May knowledge be pleasant for you, Abul Mundhir!” Muslim transmitted it.

I had been placed in charge of the zakāt of Ramadān by God’s messenger, and when someone came to me and began to take up handfuls of the food, I seized him and told him I was certainly going to take him before God’s messenger. But when he said, “I am needy, have children dependent on me, and my need is great,” I let him go. In the morning the Prophet asked, “What happened to your prisoner last night, Abū Huraira?” and I replied, “Messenger of God, he complained of great need and of having children dependent on him, so I had pity on him and let him go.” He said, “He lied to you, and he will come back.” I realised that he would return because God’s messenger had told me so, and therefore I lay in wait for him. When he came and began to take up handfuls of the food, I seized him and told him I was certainly going to take him before God's messenger; but when he said, “Let me go, for I am needy with children dependent on me, and I shall not return” I had pity on him and let him go. In the morning God’s messenger asked me, “What has happened to your prisoner, Abū Huraira?” and I replied, “Messenger of God, he complained of great need and of having children dependent on him, so I had pity on him and let him go.” He said, “He has certainly lied to you, and he will come back,” so I lay in wait for him, and when he came and took up handfuls of food I seized him and said, “I am certainly going to take you before God’s messenger, for this is the third time you assert you will not return, and then you do.” He said, “If you let me go I will teach you some words by which God will benefit you. When you go to your bed recite the Throne Verse (Qur’ān 2:255), ‘God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal’ to the end of the verse, for a guardian from God will then remain over you and no devil will come near you till the morning.” I therefore let him go, and in the morning God’s messenger asked me, “What has happened to your prisoner?” I replied, “He asserted that he would teach me some words by which God would benefit me.” He said, “He has certainly told you the truth though he is a great liar. Do you know to whom you have been talking for, three nights?” When I replied that I did not, he said, “That was a devil.” Bukhārī transmit­ted it.

Fātihat al-Kitāb (Qur’ān, 1) and the last verses of sūra al-Baqara (Qur’ān, 2). You will not recite a phrase of them without being given the blessing it contains.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abū Mas'ūd reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone recites the two verses at the end of sūra al-Baqara at night they will avert harm from him.” *Or will be enough for him. (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

Abūd Dardā’ reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone learns by heart ten verses at the beginning of sūra al-Kahf (Qur’ān, 18) he will be pro­tected from the dajjal.” Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur’ān in a night?” On being asked how they could recite a third of the Qur’ān he replied. “‘Say, He is God, One’ (Qur’ān, 112) is equivalent to a third of the Qur’ān.” Muslim transmitted it, and Bukhārī transmitted it from Abū Sa'īd.

‘Ā’isha said that the Prophet sent a man in charge of an expedition and he would recite for his companions during their prayer, finishing with “Say, He is God, One.” When they returned they mentioned that to the Prophet, and he told them to ask him why he did that. They asked him and he replied, “Because it is a description of the Com­passionate One, and I like to recite it.” Then the Prophet said, “Tell him that God loves him.” (Bukhārī and Muslim.)