An Aspect of the Qur'aan's Miraculous Nature

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

For a scripture to qualify as divinely revealed it must be totally accurate in its descriptions of reality: the past, the present and the future. The Qur'aan has many stories about previous prophets and their peoples. Some of these stories have elements in them that can be checked out for their accuracy. One example of the Qur'aan's precision in its historical descriptions is in the story of Prophet Yoosuf (Joseph), who was sold as a slave in Egypt, but rose to become an important official in the government, which made it possible for him to bring his whole family to live there in honor. Most historians agree that the entry of the Children of Israel into Egypt occurred when the northern half of the country was ruled by the Hyksos, Semitic invaders who were the first non-Egyptians to rule that country since the rise of the Old Kingdom. The Qur'aan always calls the Egyptian ruler who confronted Moses by the title of "Pharaoah." Every Egyptian ruler was called by this title starting from the reign of Amenhotep IV in the 14th century BC, but not before that. Yoosuf lived at least two hundred years before Amenhotep IV. The Qur'aan consistently refers to the ruler in Yoosuf's time, as "al-malik," the king:

"The king [al-malik] said, 'Bring him to me." [Soorah Yoosuf (12):50.]

It should be noted that the Bible refers to the ruler of Joseph's time as "Pharaoah," which was an anachronism inserted by the scribes who wrote the books of the Old Testament centuries after Moses.

Bucaille, Maurice, Moses and Pharaoah: The Hebrews in Egypt, p. 176. Tokyo: NTT Mediascope, 1st ed. 1994.

This part of the chapter is based on Dr. Maurice Bucaille's book "Moses and Pharaoah. The Hebrews in Egypt"

Courtesy Of: Islaam.com

Source: kalamullah.com

Rules of meeting each other

In all civilized societies, there have always been some particular forms of greetings, as an expression of respect, affection or formal recognition, upon meeting a person. The Hindus say 'Namaste' or 'Raam Raam’, whilst among the Christians, it is customary to salute with words like 'Good morning' and ‘Good evening’.

Among the Arabs too, before the advent of Islaam, similar forms of salutations were in existence. It is stated in Sunan Aboo Daawood, on the authority of Imraan Ibne Hussein radhiyallahu anhu that he said:

"Before Islaam, we used to say, 'God grant coolness to your eyes' and 'May your morning be happy' while greeting one another. When from the darkness of ignorance we emerged into the light of Islaam, these formulas of salutation were forbidden and, in their place, we were taught to say, Assalaamu' Alaykum (Peace be with you)."

 As a little reflection will show, no better form of salutation is possible as an expression of love, regard and goodwill. It makes excellent and most comprehensive prayer for the occasion, denoting: May Allah bestow peace and security on you. For those who are younger to us in age, it is an expression of kindness and affection, and for the elders, of regard and attention. Moreover, salaam is one of the Excellent Names of Allah. In the Qur'aan, the phrase, Assalaamu' Alayk, has been used, on behalf of Allah, as a mark of favour and esteem for the Divine Apostles. Thus, we read:

Peace be unto Nooh among the people, (37:79); 

Peace be unto Ibraheem, (37:109); 

Peace be unto Moosaa and Haaroon, (37:120);

 Peace be unto Ilyaas, (37:130);

 Peace be unto the Messengers, (37:181);

 and, Peace be on His Slaves whom He hath chosen, (27:59).

The believers too, are commanded in the Qur'aan to make salutation to the Prophet in these words: Assalaamu' Alayka Ayyuhan Nabiyyu (Peace be unto you, O Prophet), and, the Prophet is told that when those who believed in the Divine Revelations came to him, he should say to them:

Peace be unto you! Your Lord has prescribed for Himself mercy. (6:54)

Similarly, in the Hereafter, at the time of entry into Heaven, Believers will be received with these words:

Enter here in peace and security, (15:46);

and peace be unto you because you preserved in patience. Now how excellent is the final home. (13:24)

Anyway, there can be no better greeting than Assalaamu' Alaykum.

If the two Muslims who meet are already acquainted with each other and there exists a bond of friendship, relationship or affection between them, this form of salutation fully signifies the connection, and, on the basis of it, gives an eloquent expression to the sentiments of joy, regard, love and well-wishing.

On the other hand, if they are strangers, it becomes a means of introduction and a declaration of trust and sincerity; or, in other words, one assures the other, through it, that he is a well-wisher and there obtains a spiritual tie between them.

Be that as it may, the teachings of Assalaamu Alaykum and Wa' Alaykum Assalaam as the forms of greeting among the Muslims is a most propitious instruction of the sacred Prophet and a distinctive practice of Islaam.

Importance of Islam

Courtesy of: islaam.org

How the Glorious Qur'aan Was Preserved

In the days of the Noble Prophet  (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)

Since the Noble Qur'aan was not revealed all at once, on the contrary, different verses of it were being revealed as and when appropriate, therefore, it was not possible from the very beginning to write and preserve it in a book form. So, during the initial stage of Islaam, major emphasis was laid on memory as a means of preserving the Noble Qur'aan.

 When wahee (revelation) used to come in the very beginning, the Prophet  (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would tend to repeat its words instantly so that they would be memorized well enough. Thereupon, Allah Almighty directed him through the verses of Soorah Qiyaamah that he need not repeat words in a hurry immediately as revelation came.Allah Almighty would himself endow him with a memory that he will be unable to forget the words of the waheeonce its descent has been completed. So it was that the moment the Qur'aanic verses would come to him, they would be committed to his memory the next moment. Thus, the blessed chest of the Prophet  (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), was the most protected vault of the Noble Qur'aan, in which there was no chance of even some commonmistake, editing or alteration. 

Moreover, as a matter of additional precaution, he used to recite the Qur'aan before angel Jibra'eel alayhis salaamevery year during the month of Ramadhaan; and the year he left this mortal world he completed a cumulative review of Qur'aanic recitation twice with Jibra'eel alayhis salaam.

(Saheeh Bukhaari with Fat'hul Baari)

Again, as it was, he would not restrict his teachings of the Sahaabah (Companions) to just the meaning of the Noble Qur'aan, but had them memorize its words as well. Then, the revered Companions were themselves so enamored with a desire to learn and remember the Noble Qur'aan that everyone of them was anxious to get ahead of the other. There were women who claimed no mahr (dowry) from their husbands except that they would teach the Qur'aan.

Hundreds of Companions, freeing themselves from all other concerns, had devoted their whole lives for this purpose. Not only did they memorize the Qur'aan but also went on repeating it within the nightly prayers. 'When someone migrated from Makkah Mukarramah and came to Madeenah Munawwarah’, says Ubaadah Ibne Saamit radhiyallahu anhu, 'the Prophet  (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would entrust him to one of us Ansaar so that he could teach Qur'aan to the new comer.' The mosque of the Prophet  (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was so filled with voices generated by learners and teachers of the Qur'aan that the noble Prophet  (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had to ask them to lower their voices so that mistakes are not made.

(Manaahilul 'Irfaan)

So, within a fairly short time, there was on hand a large group of the noble Companions who had the Glorious Qur'aan all committed flawlessly to their memory. Included in this group were, in addition to the four guided Khulafaa, persons like Talhah, Sa'd, lbne Mas'ood, Huzayfah Ibne Yamaan, Saalim Mawlaa Aboo Huzayfah, Aboo Hurayrah, Abdullah Ibne Umar, Abdullah Ibne Abbaas, Amr Ibne Aas, Mu'aawiyah, Abdullah Ibne Zubayr, Abdullah Ibne Saa'ib, Aa'ishah, Hafsah, Umme Salamah,  (radhiyallahu anhum).

In short, memorization of the Qur'aan was given more emphasis in early Islaam as this was the only protected and trustworthy method given the conditions of that time. The reason is that the number of people who could read or write was very limited in those days. The means of publishing books, such as printing press, etc., were not there. Therefore, in that situation, if writing was taken to be sufficient, it would have neither been possible to spread the Qur'aan on an extensive scale nor to protect it reliably. In its place, Allah Almighty had blessed the people of Arabia with a memory of such dimensions that thousands of poetic lines would normally rest in the memory of one person after another. Common ordinary villagers would remember by heart their genealogies and those of their families and unbelievably enough - even those of their horses! Therefore, this power of memory was well utilized for the conservation and protection of theNoble Qur'aan and it was through it that the verses and chapters of the Noble Qur'aan reached all over in to the far corners of Arabia.

The Writing of the Wahee.htm

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Intellectual Proofs in the Qur'an

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Dr. Abdul Radhi Muhammad Abdul Mohsen

These are different means used in the Qur'an for intellectual thinking and certain proofs, such as:

A - Qur'anic standard

The intellectual criteria and parables set in the Qur'an to reveal the truth, and the ways to know similarity and difference, the Almighty Allah says:

"Shall We then treat the Muslims like the Mujrimoon [criminals, polytheists, disbelievers etc.]? What is the matter with you? How judge you?" [Qur'an, 68:35-36]

B - The standard of the greater reason

This means to confirm a statement or a quality to something on the basis that it is confirmed to its equal, or when there is a greater reason to do that by analogy, as the Qur'an has proved Resurrection in the following verse:

"And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: "Who will give life to these bones after they are rotten and have become dust?" Say: [O Muhammad] "He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!" [Qur'an, 36:78-79]

The Qur'an also used the standard of the greater reason as regards the divine qualities. It confirms for Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala all the perfection that is possible for man and deems Him far above any defect confirmed for man. When the polytheists said that the Almighty Allah has daughters when at the same time they hated having daughters, the Qur'an says:

"Have you then considered Al-Lat and Al-`Uzza [two idols of the pagan Arabs]? And Manat [another idol of the pagan Arabs], the other third? Is it fo you the males and for Him the females?" [Qur'an, 53:19-21]

The Qur'an also uses this method to prove the Oneness of Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala. Allah says:

"He sets for you a parable from your own selves: Do you have partners among those whom your right hand posses [i.e. your slaves] to share as equals in the wealth We bestowed on you whom you fear as you fear each other....?" [Qur'an, 30:28]

The man among them would not accept to have his slave as equal partner in his wealth, then how can man accept that the created slave be partner to Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, in godship and in the right of worship?

C - Exigency

Whoever knows that something is necessary for the realisation of another uses the result to prove the thing that is necessary. This is clear in the following Qur'anic verse:

"Were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators?" [Qur'an 52:35]

No one of a good natural disposition can allege that things can happen without an author or by themselves.

Courtesy Of: Islaam.com

Source: kalamullah.com

How to Memorise the Noble Quran

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

By Dr. Yahya al-Ghouthani, Jeddah (world leading Quranic recitation authority)

Translated by Abu Muqatil

May Allah hasten his release....ameen

In light of the principles which have passed us by in the previous section, I say to whoever wants to memorize a page from the Noble Quran from any chapter that I hope that you will stay with me so we can read the following steps together at ease paving the way to apply it precisely.

1. [Obtain a good mus-haf ]

Try to obtain a good copy of the Quran whose size is according to your need and never ever replace it so that you will be strong in memorising the parts of the pages and the lines. Themus-haf al-huffaaz (the memorisers’ codex) [i.e. the text of the popular green edition from Madina written by the world famous calligrapher, Ta Ha Uthman] is preferred which starts with the verse at the start of the page and finishes with the last verse, and it is divided up well, whereby the Quran being thirty juz` (parts), every juz` has 20 pages and every page has 25 lines. The King Fahd organization in Medina al-Munawwarah has built a printer for this copy and I advice getting it as it is the most accurate contemporary print.

2. [Set the scene]

Setting the scene for memorization according to the following:-

i. Self-composure - Have the correct intention in mind and a desire for reward from Allah
ii. Wudoo` (ablution) and complete purity - Do not take the easy option of those who give a fatwa (legal edict) for its opposite as that goes against what befits high regard of the Speech of Allah and good manners with it.

iii. [Comfortable setting] - Sitting in a place where you feel at ease, and there is no more sacred place than the mosque.

iv. [Free of distractions] - It is preferred that it is a place without many pictures, carvings, decorations and distractions. The more enclosed the place is - with all due regards to fresh air - the better, compared with open space, trees and gardens. Even if some may differ with me, but I say this based upon experience not from abstract thinking. The atmosphere for light reading is different from the atmosphere for focused memorization, as wide spaces, sceneries and trees distract the mind and focus. Whatever is suitable for light reading is not needed for genuine work and focus, as mentioned in rule 4.

v. Face the Qibla - (direction of prayer towards Mecca) and sit in a state of submission, tranquility and respect.

3. [“Warm up”] Begin the “warm up” process (for want of a better expression). It is the preparation where you read a few pages of the Quran before starting the memorization process, whether from memory or looking.

 Recite nicely, listening to yourself without haste or delay.

This is a fundamental component in preparing the self. You will find many successful memorization teachers do not allow the student to memorize before getting them to revise the previous session and letting the sheikh hear. This is to prepare him psychologically and spiritually for memorization, whilst the student may be totally unaware of the teacher's aim.

4. [Be controlled in recitation]

Beware of your voice’s beauty from distracting you at this point. The sweetness of your tone encompasses you in the atmosphere of chanting. So you start thinking that you’re so-and-so, the famous reciter, then you assume his persona and start to recite with deliberation and perfecting the letters. You repeat it and recite it again like some of the reciters. Perhaps it all goes over the top and you bring out a microphone and recording equipment. Time will pass by whilst you are unaware, and you become like that young man who really wanted to memorize the Quran but every time he sat down to memorize he opened the Quran at 7-rah Y-suf and began to chant it until the time passed him by and he memorized absolutely nothing.

5. [“Feel that urge…”]

About 10-15 minutes of the warm up exercise and personal preparation you will feel a strong desire in yourself to memorize, with that it is possible for you to start with a new page you want to memorize.

6. [Focus]

Here begins an important stage, you really have to doubly focus on the verses. Imagine that your eye is a camera lens, and that you want to film the page with sound and image. Be careful not to shake the camera.

7. [“Action!”]

Open your eyes well. Free your mind from any distraction. Read by looking at the first verse at the top of the page in an audible voice with tajw5d [the correct rules of recitation]. Read correctly with concentration. Lets use an as example His statement, the Most High: 

سيقول السفهاء من الناس ما ولاهم عن قبلتهم التي كانوا عليها قل لله المشرق والمغرب يهدي من يشاء إلى صراط مستقيم

The fools among the people will say, "What has turned them from their prayer direction to which they were used to face in prayer." Say, "To Allah belong both, east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a Straight Way.” [2:142]

Read three or more times until your mind takes it all in, then close your eyes and picture in your mind the places of the words and read them. If you succeed in reading them completely without any mistake, don’t get excited but instead repeat two, three or five times.

8. [Repeat]

Then open your eyes a second time. Read the same verse from the book to confirm the correctness of your memorization. If you are certain that you’ve memorized it correctly, don’t get excited. Instead close your eyes and read another time. With this you have chiseled in your mind an engraving that is impossible to disappear with the permission of Allah, the Most High. Try the steps carefully, you will definitely find this approach sound.

Note: During the process of recall and repetition, be careful not to divert your gaze to the things around you such as written notices distributed upon walls, posters, artwork, or décor. Do not follow a whirling fan. Do not be concerned about the type of furniture or coverings you’re sitting on. Be careful of excessively looking out of the windows, perhaps your eyes will chance upon something that will not please you, or perhaps you will be distracted by the scene of people in the street, or the scene of cars as happens to students during their revision for their exams. One of them stands at the window with the excuse of getting fresh air, then there he takes a census of cars based upon make and model, and in this manner time passes him and is wasted whilst he hasn’t benefited a single thing.

You have no business with these distractions, my brother. You have put yourself forward as someone from the people of the Quran and from its memorizers, and that requires motivation, perseverance, focus and an absence of distractions.

9. [Next verse]

After that move to the verse immediately following it: 

…وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطا

Thus we have made you a middle nation…[2:143]

and begin with the same steps we outlined with the previous verse. If you think the verse is long, then divide it into several parts corresponding to correct and sound stops and normal meanings. Then repeat and repeat many times until it is engraved deeply in your memory.

10. [Connection process]

Begin now with the connection process which I mentioned in the eighth rule of memorization. That is by opening the book and focusing on the last part of the first verse – for example –إلى صراط مستقيم …and read it with an audible voice then connect it quickly without any stop with the first part of the second verse وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطا. Repeat this process many times but no less than five times.

After reading these steps – if you like them – begin implementing them straight away and record in a special notebook the date of beginning memorization. Contact someone you love and trust, and then tell them that you have found a technique in memorizing the Quran that you began applying today, so that you can be someone who guides to good.

One of the benefits of contacting someone like this is that it will be an encouragement for you in memorization and continuation, as it reflects an increased conviction in oneself with what you’ve read.

This is what is confirmed in psychology, if a person does something and he convinces someone else about it, then it is like taking a firm stance without retracting from it and his behavior increases his conviction in what he does.

It is possible to summarize this method in the following steps:-

1.Personal composure

2.Warm up

3.Concentration
4.Repetition
5.Connecting

Result = a strong memorization with the best method.

Source: Kayfa Tahfaz al-Qur`aan al-Kareem (“How to Memorise the Noble Quran”)

Related

  Muhammad AlShareef: Quick Tips to Help in Quran Memorisation

  Helpful Activities to Reinforce Memorisation

Source: kalamullah.com