Ilm al-Qur'an
Knowledge of the Qur'an and its Teaching
کتاب العلم
قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ هٰذَا الْقُرْاٰنَ يَهْدِىْ لِلَّتِى هِىَ اَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ الَّذِيْنَ يَعْمَلُوْنَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ اَنَّ لَهُمْ اَجْرًا كَبِيْرًا - (سورة بنى اسرائيل - آيت ٩)
Allah Almighty said: "Indeed, this Quran guides to that which is most upright and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward." (Surah Bani Israel - Ayat 9)
Vocabulary: يَهْدِىْ; it guides, it shows. - لِلَّتِى; originally لِ اَلَّتِى. To that thing. - اَقْوَمُ; is upright, is straight. - يُبَشِّرُ; gives glad tidings, gives good news. - It should be clear that when the Torah and Injeel were revealed, they were undoubtedly true. Now there has been excess. - After a few days, alterations occur in them. - Undoubtedly the Torah and Injeel which are before us, due to reductions and additions, they have become unreliable. The Quran Sharif is Mutawatir and the Torah and Injeel which are before us, are not even proven by Ahad narration. - Look at all the Torah and Injeel in them, how many verses of "Qal Allah" are there? Books of Seerah are with us, the current Torah and Injeel are historical books exactly like them. - They say there are Ten Commandments in the Torah. - It is possible that they are the sayings of God. - Proving them definitively is extremely difficult. - This is not the place for a detailed discussion on the Torah and Injeel, otherwise I would have shown all those places which are not worthy of prophets. -
Translation: Allah Almighty says: Undoubtedly this Quran guides to the straight path and gives glad tidings to the believers who do good deeds that there is a great reward for them.
قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالَى: وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ - (سورة البقرة - آيت ٩١)
Allah Almighty said: "And it is the truth, confirming what is with them." (Surah Al-Baqarah - Ayat 91)
Vocabulary: مُصَدِّقًا; truthful, one who verifies. - لِّمَا; for that thing, of that thing. - مَعَهُمْ; is with them, is along with them. -
Translation: And Allah Almighty says that the Quran is the truth. It verifies those (heavenly books) which are with them. -
فَضْلُ الْقُرْاٰنِ عَلٰى سَائِرِ الْكَلَامِ كَفَضْلِ الرَّحْمٰنِ عَلٰى سَائِرِ خَلْقِهِ - (ع فى معجم هب ابى هريرة - کنز میں بھی ہے)
Vocabulary: سَائِرِ; total, all, complete, remaining. - كَ; like. - هب implies the narration in Shu'ab-ul-Iman of Bayhaqi. - مُعْجَمَةٌ; is the name of a book of Hadith. - مُعْجَمُ صَغِيْرٌ and مُعْجَمُ كَبِيْرٌ. -
Translation: The superiority of the Quran over all other books is like the superiority of God over all His creation. (This Hadith is also in Mu'jam Bayhaqi and on page 129 of Kanz al-'Ummal, which is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA))
کتاب العلم
عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْقُرْاٰنِ فَاتَّخِذُوْهُ إِمَامًا وَ قَائِدًا فَإِنَّهُ كَلَامُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ الَّذِىْ هُوَ مِنْهُ وَإِلَيْهِ يَعُوْدُ اٰمِنُوْا بِمُتَشَابِهِه وَاعْتَبِرُوْا بِاَمْثَالِهِ - (ابن شَاھین فی السنة و ابن مردویہ عن علّیؓ - كنز ص ١٢٩)
Vocabulary: عَلَيْكُمْ; is obligatory upon you. - قَائِدٌ; the one who leads the blind by holding their hand. - يَعُوْدُ; returns. - مُتَشَابِهٌ; verses of the Quran whose understanding is difficult and multiple meanings apply. - وَاعْتَبِرُوْا; derive a lesson. -
Translation: O people! Following the Quran is obligatory upon you, so make it your leader and guide because this is the word of the Lord of the Worlds. It emanated from Him and it returns to Him. Allah alone is the beginning and Allah alone is the end. Therefore, bring Iman on the Mutashabihat and derive a lesson from its examples. (This Hadith was narrated by Ibn Shaheen in Al-Sunnah and Ibn Mardawayh from Hazrat Ali (RA). It is on page 129 of Kanz al-'Ummal)
Gentlemen! The verses of the Quran are of two types. Muhkam, meaning clear, plain. Mutashabih, whose understanding is difficult. For example, يَدُ اللّٰهِ فَوْقَ اَيْدِيْهِمْ; the hand of God is upon their hands. Understanding the meaning of God's hand is difficult. (1) Some people say that we do not know the meaning of the word "Yad". We bring Iman on this word. (2) Some people say that the meaning of Yad is hand, we know it but we do not know what the hand of God is like. (3) Some people say that "Yad" means the attribute of God that has disposal over others. (4) Some people say that in Alam-e-Mithal an exemplary hand appears. (5) Someone's saying is that the test of the ignorant is through knowledge and the test of the scholars is through lack of knowledge. God Almighty sees whether this heart accepts (the literal meaning) or brings the meaning of this verse to Allah and leaves it to His Messenger.
A gentleman asked me the meaning of إِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوٰى. I have seen in Alam-e-Mithal that there is a golden throne, but since we are bound by apparent matters and وَاعْتَبِرُوْا بِاَمْثَالِهِ, therefore I said that settling on the throne means gaining supreme authority. I take the meaning of settling on the throne, taking the seat, according to my own understanding. This is my interpretation.
خِيَارُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْاٰنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ - (ه عن سعدؓ کنز ص ١٢٩)
Vocabulary: خِيَارٌ plural of خَيْرٌ. Good people or good work. -
Translation: The best among you are those who learn the Quran themselves and teach others. (ه implies Ibn Majah. Meaning on page 129 of Kanz al-'Ummal this Hadith is recorded which is derived from Ibn Majah)
إِنَّ اللّٰهَ تَعَالَى يَرْفَعُ بِهٰذَا الْكِتَابِ اَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِيْنَ - (م ه عن عمر كنّز - ص١٢٩)
Vocabulary: يَضَعُ; He degrades. - م ه implies Muslim and Ibn Majah. -
Translation: Undoubtedly Allah Almighty due to this Quran grants high status to many nations because of their firm conviction on it.
کتاب العلم
and humilitates and disgraces others because of it (due to rejecting it). (This Hadith is recorded on page 129 of Kanz, which is narrated from Hazrat Umar (RA). This Hadith is also in Sahih Muslim and Ibn Majah has also written it).
إِذَا اَحَبَّ اَحَدُكُمْ اَنْ يُحَدِّثَ رَبَّهُ فَلْيَقْرَءِ الْقُرْاٰنَ - (خط فر عن انس كنز ص ١٢٨)
Vocabulary: إِذَا; when, at the time. - اَحَبَّ; he wished, but due to إِذَا the meaning will be of wishing. - يُحَدِّثَ; that he talks. - حَدِيْثٌ; talk. -
Translation: When a person wants to converse with God, wants to talk with Him, then he should read the Quran. ("خط" indicates Khatib who is Jami' Hadith. - "فر" Daylami has written this Hadith in Musnad Al-Firdaws. - It is on page 128 of Kanz).
اَعْطُوْا اَعْيُنَكُمْ حَظَّهَا مِنَ الْعِبَادَةِ - اَلنَّظَرَ فِى الْمُصْحَفِ وَالتَّفَكُّرَ فِيْهِ وَالْإِعْتِبَارَ عِنْدَ عَجَائِبِهِ - (الحکیم حب عن ابی سعید کنز ص ١٢٨)
Vocabulary: اَعْطُوْا; you give. - حَظَّ; share. - اَعْيُنٌ plural of عَيْنٌ; eye. -
Translation: Give your eyes their share of worship! (What is it?) To look at the Quran, to reflect upon it. To take a lesson from its wonders. (This Hadith is on page 128 of Kanz and was narrated by Abu Sa'id)
اَلْقُرْاٰنُ هُوَ النُّوْرُ الْمُبِيْنُ وَالذِّكْرُ الْحَكِيْمُ وَالصِّرَاطُ الْمُسْتَقِيْمُ - (هب عن رجل ص ١٣٠)
Translation: What is the Quran? It is a clear (evident) light. It is a wise remembrance and a straight path. (This Hadith is from a man, meaning narrated by a Companion. - هب implies Bayhaqi has written it in Shu'ab-ul-Iman)
اَنَّ الْقُرْاٰنَ مَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ فِيْهِ مِسْكٌ قَدْ رَبَطْتَّ فَاهُ فَإِنْ فَتَحْتَهُ فَاحَ رِيْحُ الْمِسْكِ وَإِنْ تَرَكْتَهُ كَانَ مِسْكًا مَوْضُوْعًا مِثْلُ الْقُرْاٰنِ إِنْ قَرَأْتَهُ وَإِلَّا فَهُوَ فِىْ صَدْرِكَ - (الحكيم عن عثمان كنز ص ١٣٠)
Vocabulary: جِرَابٌ; a pouch. - رَبَطَ يَرْبِطُ رَبْطًا; to tie. - رِبَاطٌ; cord. - فِى originally فَمٌ meaning mouth. - مَوْضُوْعًا; placed. - فَاحَ; spread, smelled fragrant. - صَدْرٌ; chest. -
Translation: The example of the Quran is like a box (pouch) in which there is musk and you have closed its mouth. If you open it, the fragrance of musk will spread and if you leave it, it will be kept (like) a box of musk. This is the example of the Quran that when you read it (otherwise it is a light in your chest). (This is on page 130 of Kanz, which is narrated from Hazrat Uthman (RA))
کتاب العلم
عَنْ جُنْدَبٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "مَنْ قَالَ فِى الْقُرْاٰنِ بِرَأْيِهِ فَاَصَابَ فَقَدْ اَخْطَأَ" - (رواہ الترمذی و ابوداؤد - مشکوٰۃ)
Translation: Hazrat Jundub narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, whoever spoke regarding the Quran with his own opinion without any reason, even if he spoke the truth, he made a mistake, he erred. - (This Hadith is in Mishkat with reference to Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood)
To understand the Quran Sharif, there must be some source. What is the source of understanding the Quran? Sometimes one verse explains another verse. Sometimes the meaning of the Quran is understood from Hadith. Sometimes the meaning of the Quran is derived from the idiom of the Arabs. Without a source, what is gained by making guesses from the heart? This is what has been stopped.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "اَلْمِرَاءُ فِي الْقُرْاٰنِ كُفْرٌ" - (رواہ احمد)
Vocabulary: مِرَاءٌ; to quarrel. - مَرْءٌ; man, its feminine is مَرْءَةٌ. -
Translation: Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: Quarreling regarding the Quran is Kufr. (Narrated by Ahmad)
Gentlemen! Regarding the Quran, some ignorant people have always quarreled. Someone says that the Quran is created, it is a creation, and someone says that it is not a creation. Over this issue, many Imams were killed for saying that the Quran is a creation. Especially Hazrat Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (RH) bore a lot of hardship. Caliph Mu'tasim Billah (Abbasid Caliph) kept beating the Imam saying call the Quran a creation. The Imam used to say, the Word of God is the attribute of God. God is also eternal and His attribute is also eternal. Therefore, the Quran cannot be a creation.
Gentlemen! Listen carefully, I read a poem of Imru' al-Qais.
قِفَانَبْكِ مِنْ ذِكْرٰی حَبِيْبٍ وَّ مَنْزِلِ بِسِقْطِ اللِّوٰی بَيْنَ الدَّخُوْلِ فَحَوْمَلِ
Is this poem of today or of the era of Imru' al-Qais? - It is of today. My tongue is of today, my voice is of today but the poem is of the era of Imru' al-Qais. Our reading is created, a creation. Our tongue is created. Our writing is created, created. Ink is created, pen is created, paper is created but the Word of God, the Quran, is eternal. Being created in appearance does not necessitate the essence being created. In the end, how was this Fitna suppressed? The teacher of Abu Dawood was also arrested. At that time the Caliph was "Mutawakkil". Abu Dawood's teacher asked, "Was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ aware of this issue or not whether the Quran is created? If he was aware and Hazrat ﷺ has taught it, then state the narration. If he didn't give the teaching then knowing it is not necessary. When knowing is not necessary then answering is also not necessary." Mutawakkil immediately ordered that indeed discussing such unnecessary issues is not necessary, therefore in the future this debate is ended. Regarding this issue "Creation of the Quran" see the treatise of the humble one "Hikmat-e-Islamia" in which the debate has been clarified.