This chapter gathers the Prophet's words on the place of the Qur'an in a believer's life: reading it, learning it, teaching it, and carrying it in the heart. The reports describe the Qur'an as a friend that speaks up for the one who lived by it, and as a light that lifts people who hold to it.
Across these hadith you will see that the reward is open to everyone, the fluent reciter and the one who struggles over the words alike. The thread is simple: stay close to the Book, give it your nights and days, and let it shape who you are.
Hadith 991
Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
عن أبي أمامة رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: " اقرءوا القرآن فإنه يأتي يوم القيامة شفيعًا لأصحابه" ((رواه مسلم)).
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Read the Qur'an, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection." [Muslim].
In plain words
Keep company with the Qur'an in this life, because on the Day of Resurrection it will speak up on behalf of those who read and lived by it.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 991 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 1
Hadith 992
An-Nawwas bin Sam'an (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن النواس بن سمعان رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: "يؤتى يوم القيامة بالقرآن وأهله الذين كانو يعملون به في الدنيا تقدمه سورة البقرة وآل عمران تحاجان عن صاحبهما " ((رواه مسلم)).
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "The Qur'an and its people who applied it, will be brought on the Day of Resurrection preceded with Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al-'Imran arguing on behalf of those who applied them." [Muslim].
In plain words
The Qur'an, and especially these two surahs, will come forward for the people who actually put their reading into practice, pleading their case before Allah.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 992 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 2
Hadith 993
'Uthman bin 'Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
- وعن عثمان بن عفان رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلمه" ((رواه البخاري)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it." [Al-Bukhari].
In plain words
The most excellent path is not only to learn the Qur'an for yourself but to pass it on, so others can carry it too.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 993 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 3
Hadith 994
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "الذي يقرأ القرآن وهو ماهر به مع السفرة الكرام البررة، والذي يقرأ القرآن ويتتعتع فيه وهو عليه شاق له أجران" ((متفق عليه)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur'an will be with the honourable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur'an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have two rewards." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
The skilled reciter is in honoured company, and the one who reads haltingly yet keeps trying his best earns a double reward, so the struggle itself is valued.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 994 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 4
Hadith 995
Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي موسى الأشعري رضي الله عنه: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "مثل المؤمن الذي يقرأ القرآن مثل الأترجة: ريحها طيب، وطعمها طيب، ومثل المؤمن الذي لا يقرأ القرآن كمثل التمرة: لا ريح لها وطعمها حلو، ومثل المنافق الذي يقرأ القرآن كمثل الريحانة: ريحها طيب وطعمها مر، ومثل المنافق الذي لايقرأ القرآن كمثل الحنظلة: ليس له ريح وطعمها مر" ((متفق عليه)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The believer who recites the Qur'an is like a citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is delicious. A believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date-fruit which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste. The hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like basil whose fragrance is so sweet, but its taste is bitter. The hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like a colocynth which has no fragrance and its taste is bitter." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
A simple picture of four kinds of people, showing that reciting the Qur'an adds a sweet fragrance to a life, while sincerity is what makes the inner taste good rather than bitter.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 995 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 5
Hadith 996
'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه: أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : " إن الله يرفع بهذا الكتاب أقوامًا ويضع به آخرين" ((رواه مسلم)).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Allah elevates some people with this Qur'an and abases others." [Muslim].
In plain words
The Qur'an lifts up those who take it to heart and live by it, while it can lower those who turn away from it or misuse it.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 996 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 6
Hadith 997
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما: عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال :" لا حسد إلا في اثنتين: رجل آتاه الله القرآن، فهو يقوم به آناء الليل وآناء النهار، ورجل آتاه الله مالا، فهو ينفقه آناء الليل وآناء النهارِ" ((متفق عليه)). (1) .
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Envy is justified in regard to two types of persons only: a man whom Allah has given knowledge of the Qur'an, and so he recites it during the night and during the day; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and so he spends from it during the night and during the day." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
There are two things worth wishing you had: a person given the Qur'an who recites it day and night, and a person given wealth who keeps giving from it. The envy here is wanting that same good, not resenting them.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 997 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 7
Hadith 998
Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن البراء بن عازب رضي الله عنهما قال: كان رجل يقرأ سورة الكهف، وعنده فرس مربوط بشطنين فتغشته سحابة فجعلت تدنو، وجعل فرسه ينفر منها. فلما أصبح أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فذكر له ذلك فقال : " تلك السكينة تنزلت للقرآن" ((متفق عليه)) .
A man was reciting Surat Al-Kahf, and a horse was tied with two ropes beside him. As he was reciting, a cloud overshadowed him, and as it began to come nearer and nearer, the horse began to trample voilently. The man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the morning and mentioned the incident to him. He (ﷺ) said, "That was tranquillity which descended as a result of the recitation of the Qur'an." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
The calm that settled over the man as he recited was a peace sent down because of the Qur'an, showing the tranquillity that can come with sincere recitation.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 998 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 8
Hadith 999
Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "من قرأ حرفًا من كتاب الله فله حسنة، والحسنة بعشر أمثالها لا أقول: ألم حرف، ولكن ألف حرف، ولام حرف، وميم حرف" ((راوه الترمذي وقال: حديث حسن صحيح)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter." [At- Tirmidhi].
In plain words
Every single letter you recite from Allah's Book counts as a good deed, and each good deed is multiplied at least ten times over, so even small amounts of reading add up greatly.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 999 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 9
Hadith 1000
Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "إن الذي ليس في جوفه شيء من القرآن كالبيت الخرب" . ((رواه الترمذي وقال: حديث حسن صحيح)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who does not memorize any part from the Qur'an he is like the ruined house.'' [At-Tirmidhi].
In plain words
A heart with no portion of the Qur'an in it is compared to an empty, ruined house, encouraging us to keep at least some of it living within us.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1000 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 10
Hadith 1001
'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهماعن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "يقال لصاحب القرآن: اقرأ وارتقِ ورتل كما كنت ترتل في الدنيا، فإن منزلتك عند آخر آية تقرؤها" . ((رواه أبو داود والترمذي وقال: حديث حسن صحيح)).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The one who was devoted to the Qur'an will be told on the Day of Resurrection: 'Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite."' [Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi].
In plain words
The one devoted to the Qur'an will be invited to keep reciting and rising in rank, reaching as high as the amount he carried, so what you learn now shapes your standing later.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1001 In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 11