[This article was previously published in the monthly Ishraq (India), May 2022. It is now being republished with additions, in view of the blessed month of Ramadan.]
A study of the life of the Messenger of God (PBUH) shows that the Quran was his character and his living example: “The character of the Messenger of God (PBUH) was the Quran.” (Musnad Ahmad, 25813). That is, the morals of the Messenger of God (PBUH) were in exact accordance with the guidance of the Quran. The Quran became the criterion for his likes and dislikes and for his speech and actions. In other words, he was not merely a qari (reciter), but a living Quran.
According to the Prophetic model, the qari is one who, under the guidance of the Book of God, becomes a walking embodiment of it. This is why in the Prophetic era, those who merely recited the Quran with correct pronunciation and beautiful melody were not regarded as qurra. At that time, a qari meant a person who possessed knowledge of both the words and meanings of the Quran, and who lived by its boundaries.
Accordingly, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH), in his book Fadail al-Quran (Chapter:
The Real Meaning of Qari
“The Reciters Among the Companions of the Messenger of God”), explains the word al-qurra as follows:
أي الذين اشتهروا بحفظ القرآن والتصدي لتعليمه وهذا اللفظ كان في عُرْفِ السَّلَفِ أيضاً لِمَنْ تفقه في القرآن
“Those who were known for memorizing the Quran and dedicating themselves to its teaching. And this word was also used by the early generations for someone who had deep understanding (tafaqquh) of the Quran.” (Fath al-Bari, 9/60)
Thus, calling someone a qari merely on account of their recitation with tajwid and melody— while disregarding the understanding and practice of the Quran—is an invented notion. It was completely foreign during the life of the Messenger and his companions.
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi (d. 1176 AH), while discussing the obsession with tajwid and recitation in place of deep understanding of the Quran (tafaqquh), considers this a later misguidance. In his book Izalat al-Khafa, he devotes a section to this phenomenon and cites several prophetic sayings as criticism. For instance:
It is narrated from Jabir b. Abdullah that:
“We were reading the Quran. Among us were non-Arabs and Bedouins. The Messenger of God (PBUH) came to us. During the conversation, he said: ‘Recite—it is all good. But soon people will come who will perfect its letters like an arrow is straightened. Their purpose will be to hasten through it, not to gain deep understanding.’” (Abu Dawud, 830; Izalat al-Khafa, 1/203)
Highlighting the harm of excessive focus on tajwid and recitation, Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505 AH) writes in Ihya Ulum al-Din:
وحجب الفهم أربعة: أولها أن يكونَ الْهَمْ مُنْصَرِفًا إِلَى تَحْقِيقِ الْحُرُوفِ بإخراجها من مَخَارِجِهَا، وَبَذَا يَتَوَلَّى حِفْظُهُ شَيْطَانٌ وَكِلَ بِالْقُرَّاءِ لِيَصْرِ فَهُمْ عَنْ فَهْمِ مَعَانِي كَلَامِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وجل، فلا يزال يَحْمِلُهم على ترديدِ الحَرْفِ يُخَيِّلُ إِلَيْهِمْ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ مَخْرَجِهِ فَهَذَا يَكُونُ تَأْمُلُهُ مَقْصُورًا عَلَى مَخَارِجِ الْحُرُوفِ فَأَنَّى تَنْكَشِفُ لَهُ الْمَعَانِي؟ وَأَعْظَمُ ضُحْكَةٍ لِلشَّيْطَانِ مَنْ كَأَن مُطِيعًا لِمِثْلِ هذا التلبيس
“There are four barriers to understanding the Quran. The first is that one’s attention becomes fully consumed by perfecting pronunciation from the correct articulation points. This task is overseen by a devil assigned to such reciters, to divert them from understanding the meanings of God’s speech. He keeps compelling them to repeat letters, making them feel as if they haven’t articulated them properly. When a person’s entire focus is restricted to pronunciation, how can he access meaning? The person who falls for this deception becomes a laughing stock for the devil.” (Ihya, 1/669)
The Desired Recitation of the Quran
Melodious recitation or a beautiful voice is certainly not undesirable. In fact, it is recommended. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
In various narrations and reports, a statement from the Prophet (PBUH) is found in these words:
زَيَّنُوا القرآن بأصواتكم
“Beautify the Quran with your voices.” (Abu Dawud, 1468)
However, the kind of melodious recitation desired by God and His Messenger is not artificial. It is the kind in which the personality of the reciter is reflected—where melody is nurtured by the blood of the heart and liver, not merely the manipulation of pronunciation or exaggerated elongation. The tone must carry the soul of the one who is reciting.
Thus, the famous successor Taus b. Kaysan (d. 106 AH) reported:
“It was asked of the Messenger of God (PBUH), who has the best voice and recitation? He replied: ‘The one whom, when you hear him recite, you feel that he fears God.’” (Sunan al- Darimi, No. 3490)
These are the scholars and qurra regarding whom it has been said:
إِنَّهُم إِذا رُؤوا، ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ
“When they are seen, God is remembered.” (Takhreej al-Musnad, No. 27599)
Taghanni with the Quran
ليس منا من لم يتغن بالقرآن
“The one who does not recite the Holy Qur’an melodiously, is not one of us.” (Bukhari, No. 7527)
This saying has commonly been understood to refer to melodious recitation. However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that it refers not only to recitation in a pleasant voice, but to a profound intellectual and practical connection with the Quran.
The correct interpretation is the one attributed to the successor Sufyan b. Uyaynah. According to him, this istighna (being enriched) refers to a specific kind of spiritual sufficiency—that is, being independent of all other sources in matters of guidance, relying solely on the Quran (wa-annahu yastaghni bihi an ghayrihi min al-kutub).
Regarding this narration, Hafiz Ibn Hajar writes:
فيكون معنى الحديث : الحَثُ على ملازمة القرآن وأن لا يتعدى إلى غيره
“The meaning of the hadith is to urge deep attachment and complete commitment to the Quran, such that one does not turn to anything else in its place.” (Fath al-Bari, “Chapter: One who does not recite the Quran melodiously.)”
This is why in the era of the Prophet and his companions, the term qari or alim was not used for someone merely known for beautiful recitation. Aishah (RA) stated:
من أخذ السَّبْعَ الأَوَّلَ مِنَ القرآن فهو حَبْرٌ
“Whoever learns the first seven surahs of the Quran (from al-Baqarah to al-Araf) is a habr (great scholar) of the Quran.” (Takhreej al-Musnad, 24531)
al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH) said:
وأهل القرآن : هم الذين يتلونه حق تلاوته، وهم العاملون بما فيه، وإن لمْ يَحْفَظُوهُ عَنْ ظَهْرِ قلب
“The true people of the Quran are those who recite it with full right and act upon it—even if they have not memorized it completely.” (Kitab al-Zuhd, Ibn al-Mubarak, 274)
He also said:
إن أولى الناس بهذا القرآن من اتبعه، وإن لم يكن يقرؤه
“The one most entitled to be associated with the Quran is the one who follows it, even if he does not recite it like the qurra.” (Fadail al-Quran, Abu Ubayd, 136)
Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH) writes:
وأما من حفظه ولم يعمل بما فيه، فليس من أهله، وإن أقام حروفه إقامة السهم .
“As for the one who memorizes it but does not act upon it-he is not among its true people, even if he recites its letters with precision like a straightened arrow.” (Zad al-Maad, 1/328)
The Qualities of a True Reciter and the “Companion of the Quran”
صاحب القرآن : هو الذي يقرءه ويعمل به، وليس الذي يقرءه فقط، دُونَ أَن يَعْمَلَ به
“The Companion of the Quran is one who recites it and acts upon it-not one who merely recites it without acting upon it.” (Sharh Abi Dawud, Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad, 3/177)
قارنه حَقَّ قراءته، بتلاوته وتدبر معناه
“The true reciter is the one who recites with reflection and contemplation of meaning.” (Fayd al-Qadir, al-Munawi, 2/505)
In truth, those who are merely reciters of the words without embodying them are exactly as al-Hasan al-Basri described:
حفظوا حروفَه وضَيْعُوا حدوده
“They preserved its letters but lost its limits.” (Tafsir al-Nasafi, 4/38)
He further said:
حتى إن أحدهم ليقول: قرأت القرآن كله. وما يرى له القرآن في خُلُق، ولا عمل
“A man may claim, ‘I have recited the entire Quran, but nothing of the Quran appears in his character or actions.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 4/43)
Abdullah b. Amr b. al-As (RA) said:
اقرأ القرآنَ مَا نَهَاك عنه، فإذا لمْ يَنْهَكَ، فَلَسْتَ تَقْرَؤُهُ
“Read the Quran in such a way that it stops you from disobedience. If it does not stop you, then you have not truly read it.” (Tabarani, 14543; Musnad al-Shihab, 392)
The qurra among the companions used to learn ten verses from the Prophet (PBUH), and would not proceed until they had fully understood and acted upon them:
كان الرجل منا إذا تَعَلَّمَ عَشَرَ آيَاتٍ لَمْ يُجاوِزُهن. حتى يعرف معانيهن والعمل بهن
“A man from among us would not go beyond ten verses until he had understood their meanings and implemented them.”(Tabaqat Ibn Sad, 6/172; Siyar Alam al-Nubala, al-Dhahabi, 4/269)
Anas h. Malik (RA) said:
يخرج قوم في آخر الزمان، يقرؤون القرآن، لا يُجاوِز تراقيهم
“Near the end of times, people will recite the Quran, but it will not go beyond their throats.” (Sahih al-Jami, 8054)
Suhayh b. Sinan al-Rumi (RA) said
ما آمن بالقرآن مَنِ اسْتَحَلَّ مَحارِمَه
“He who considers lawful what the Quran has prohibited has not believed in it.” (Takhreej Mishkat al-Masabik, Ihn Hajar, 2/397)
Abu al-Darda (RA), advising a Hafiz of the Quran, said:
إنما جمع القرآنَ مَنْ سَمِعَ له وأطاع
“Only he has truly preserved the Quran who has listened to it and obeyed it.” (Fadail al-Quran, Abu Uhayd. 133)
Abdullah b. Umar (RA) said:
كان الفاضل من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في صدر هذه الأمة لا يحفظ من القرآن إلا السورة من القرآن ونحوها ، ورزقوا العمل بالقرآن، وإن آخر هذه الأمة يقرؤون القرآن منهم الصَّبِيُّ والأعمى، ولا يُرْزَقُونَ العَمَلَ به
“In the early part of this ummah, even the most virtuous of the Prophet’s companions memorized only a surah or so, yet they were granted the ability to act upon it. In contrast, the people of the later generations will recite the Quran in abundance even children and the blind among them-but they will be deprived of the ability to act on it.” (Muqaddimah al-Jami li-Ahkam al-Quran, al-Qurtubi, 1/39)
Abdullah b. Masud (RTA) said:
إنا صعب علينا حفظ ألفاظ القرآن. وسهل علينا العمل به. وإن مَنْ بَعْدَنا يَسْهُلُ عليهم . حفظ القرآن ويضعبُ عليهم العمل به
“For us (the companions), memorizing the words of the Quran was difficult, but acting upon it was easy. For those who come after us, memorizing it will be easy, but acting on it will be difficult.” (Muqaddimah al-Jami li Ahkam al-Quran, al-Qurtubi, 1/40)
Ali b. Abi talib (RA) said in a lengthy narration:
…. و لايدع القرآن رغبةً عنه إلى ما سواه … ألا. لأخير في قراءة ليس فيها تدبر .
“A true reciter and jurist is one who does not turn away from the Quran in favor of anything else… Know that there is no good in recitation that lacks reflection.” (Jami Bayan al-Ilm, Ibn Abd al-Barr, 2/811)
Imran b. Husayn (RA) said:
مَنْ قَرأ القرآن فليسأَلِ اللَّهَ بِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ سَيَجِينُ أقوام يقرؤون القرآن، وَيَسْأَلُون به الناس
“Whoever learns the Quran should ask God by it (Le., turn to God with it), for soon there will come people who will recite the Quran but will seek worldly gain through it.” (Tirmidhi, No.2917)
The successor Sufyan h. Uyaynah (d. 198 AH) said
“Whoever is given knowledge of the Quran, yet turns his guze toward things that the Quran diminishes in value, has opposed the Quran.” He then recited
وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةً الْحَيُوةِ الدُّنْيا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيْهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَابْقَى –
“And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to some groups of them-the splendor of the worldly life through which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting.” (Quran, 20:131]
Al-Hasan al-Basri said:
… ما هؤلاء بِالْقُرَاءِ، وَلَا الْعَلمَاءِ، وَلَا الْحُكَمَاءِ، وَلَا الورعة لاكثر الله في النَّاسِ مِنْ هؤلاء
“Those who pronounce the Quran properly but neglect its boundaries and obligations are not truly the reciters of the Quran. By God, they are neither its reciters, nor its scholars, nor its wise ones, nor its pious believers. May God not increase the number of such reciters among us.”
(Fadail al-Quran, Abu Bakr Jafar b. Muhammad al-Firyahi, 177)
Abdullah b. Masud (RA) also said:
ينبغي لحامل القرآن أن يُعْرَفَ بليله إذا الناس تأثمون، وبنهاره إذا النَّاسُ مُفْطِرُون، وبوَرَعِهِ إِذا النَّاسُ يَخْلِطُون، وبتواضعه إذا النَّاسُ يَخْتَالُونَ، وَبِحُزْنَه إِذا النَّاسُ يَفْرَحُونَ، وَبِبُكَائِهِ إِذا النَّاسُ يضحكون، وبِصَمْتِه إِذا النَّاسُ يَخُوضُونَ
“The bearer of the Quran should be recognized by his night when people sleep, his fasting by day when others eat, his cautious conduct when others are heedless, his humility when others act arrogantly, his sorrow when others rejoice, his weeping when others laugh, and his silence when others engage in vain talk.” (Kitab al-Zubd, Ahmad b. Hanbal, 162; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayhah, 36734)
Conclusion
These teachings make it clear that a true reciter of the Quran is not one who only recites its words, but one who becomes, in his speech and actions, a living Quran.
Today, we are passing through the darkest age of trials and tribulations. In such a time, the only way to safeguard ourselves is to firmly hold on to the Book of God. As reported, when Ali b. Abi talib (RA) heard mention of the abundance of trials, he asked the Prophet (PBUH):
…. فَمَا المَخْرج منها يارسول الله؟ قال: كتاب الله
“What is the way out of them, O Messenger of God?” The Prophet (PBUH) replied: “The Book of God.” (Musnad al-Bazzar. 772)
We conclude with another prophetic counsel that emphasizes this truth. Acconling in several narrations, the Prophet (PBUH) gave emphatic advice to Hudhayfah b. al-Yaman (RA) three times:
يا حذيفة، عليك بكتاب الله، فَتَعَلَّمُه وَاتَّبِع ما فيه خيرًا لك
“O Hudhayfah, hold fast to the Book of God. Learn it well and follow its teachings for that will be better for you.” (Ibn Hibban, 117)
Apart from reflection and recitation, calling to it and acting upon it, and deep love and following of the true
Al-Quran, Muhammad the Messenger of God (PBUH), there is no other path to guidance and salvation left for us, The Quran is the luminous lamp whose light alone can lead us out of this forest of confusion and darkness and guide us upon the straight and clear path of God.
Whoever seeks gualance from anyone or anything besides the Quran will find only misguidance and deviation-not the true path of the Lord of the worlds. The Prophet (PBUH) himself expressed this reality in these prophetic worde
مَنِ ابْتَغِيَ الهُدَى مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، أَضلهُ اللهُ
“Whoever seeks guidance from anything other than it (the Quran), God will misguide him.” (Tirmidhi, No. 2906)