Excellence of Memorizing the Qur'an

Here are three SaHeeH (Authentic) aHaadeeth about the excellence of memorizing the Qur’aan. The Second hadeeth talks about however many verses of the Qur’aan you memorize you will be raised that much levels in heaven. For example, if you were to memorize 100 verses of the Qur’aan, you will be raised 100 darajaat (pl. daraj) in heaven.  The third hadeeth talks about if you have difficulty in memorizing the Qur’aan, and you still try to memorize it, you will be rewarded two folds. This shows the great mercy of Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى). All of the aHaadeeth go through the same chain of narrators.

Inshaa’Allaah, may Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) allow all of us become a haafidh (protector – a person who has memorized the Qur’aan). Aameen.

Hadeeth #1

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ الْحَافِظُ لِلْقُرْآنِ الْعَامِلُ بِهِ مَعَ السَّفَرَةِ الْكِرَامِ الْبَرَرَةِ

From Al-FuDayl bin Yasaar from Abee `Abd Allaah (عليه السلام) said: “(if a person) Haafidh (memorizes) the Qur’aan and follows it (i.e. the laws), he will be with the honorable angels* who travel (around and writing what has been done)**.”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 2, pg. 603, hadeeth # 2

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is SaHeeH
à Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 12, pg. 485

Explanation of the Hadeeth:

*و الكرام البررة : هم الملائكة المطيعون المطهرون من الذنوب و المآثم

Al-Kiraam Al-Barrarah: They are the obedient angels who are pure from fault and sin”

Source:

1.     Al-TareeHee, Majma` al-BaHrayn, vol. 3, pg. 219

** “السفرة”

هم الملائكة جمع سافر و هو الكاتب لأنه يبين الشي‏ء،

“They are the angels who travel (around) compiling and writing things that are apparent”

Source:

1.     Al-Majlisi, Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 12, pg. 485

Hadeeth #2

وَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص تَعَلَّمُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ صَاحِبَهُ فِي صُورَةِ شَابٍّ جَمِيلٍ شَاحِبِ اللَّوْنِ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ الْقُرْآنُ أَنَا الَّذِي كُنْتُ أَسْهَرْتُ لَيْلَكَ وَ أَظْمَأْتُ هَوَاجِرَكَ وَ أَجْفَفْتُ رِيقَكَ وَ أَسَلْتُ دَمْعَتَكَ أَؤُولُ مَعَكَ حَيْثُمَا أُلْتَ وَ كُلُّ تَاجِرٍ مِنْ وَرَاءِ تِجَارَتِهِ وَ أَنَا الْيَوْمَ لَكَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ تِجَارَةِ كُلِّ تَاجِرٍ وَ سَيَأْتِيكَ كَرَامَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَأَبْشِرْ فَيُؤْتَى بِتَاجٍ فَيُوضَعُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَ يُعْطَى الْأَمَانَ بِيَمِينِهِ وَ الْخُلْدَ فِي الْجِنَانِ بِيَسَارِهِ وَ يُكْسَى حُلَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ لَهُ اقْرَأْ وَ ارْقَهْ فَكُلَّمَا قَرَأَ آيَةً صَعِدَ دَرَجَةً وَ يُكْسَى أَبَوَاهُ حُلَّتَيْنِ إِنْ كَانَا مُؤْمِنَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ لَهُمَا هَذَا لِمَا عَلَّمْتُمَاهُ الْقُرْآنَ

And by (the same) isnaad from Abee `Abd Allaah (عليه السلام) said: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: “Learn the Holy Quran; for verily, on the Day of Judgment it will come to his friends in the form of a most beautiful young person of pale complexion and it will say to him: ‘I am the Quran for which you kept awake so often and endured thirst during the heat of midday, dried up your mouth and let your tears flow. I will be with you whenever you will go. Every trader is after his trade. Today I look after the trade of everyone who had a deal with me. Honor will come to you from Allah (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ) as good news for you and a crown and peace will be placed on his head. And he will be given peace on his right hand and eternal life in paradise in his left hand and he will be dressed with two dresses, then he will be told: ‘Read and climb.’ For each verse that he will read he will elevated one darajah (level) and his parents, if they are of the believers, will each receive two dresses of paradise and they will be told: ‘This is for teaching the Holy Quran to him (your child).’”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 2, pg. 603, hadeeth # 3

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is SaHeeH
à Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 12, pg. 485

Hadeeth #3

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الَّذِي يُعَالِجُ الْقُرْآنَ وَ يَحْفَظُهُ بِمَشَقَّةٍ مِنْهُ وَ قِلَّةِ حِفْظٍ لَهُ أَجْرَانِ

From Al-FuDayl bin Yasaar from Abee `Abd Allaah (عليه السلام) said I heard from him (عليه السلام) say: “Verily, those who handle the Qur’aan and memorize it, but have difficulty with it because of bad memory, for him is double the reward”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 2, pg. 606, hadeeth # 1

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is SaHeeH
à Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 12, pg. 490

Breakdown of the isnaad (chain of narrators):

أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ (aHmad bin Muhammad bin `Eesa) is thiqah (trustworthy) according to:

1.     Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 83, person # 198

2.     Al-Toosi, Al-Fihrist, pg. 61, person # 75

3.     Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 351, person # 5197

4.     Ibn Dawood, Rijaal, pg. 43, person # 127

5.     Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 13, person # 2

ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ (Al-Hasan bin MaHboob) is thiqah (trustworthy) according to:

1.     Al-Toosi, Al-Fihrist, pg. 122, person # 162

2.     Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 334, person # 4978

3.     Ibn Dawood, Rijaal, pg. 116, person # 449

4.     Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 36, person # 1

جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ (Jameel bin SaaliH) is thiqah (trustworthy) according to:

1.     Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 127, person # 329

2.     Ibn Dawood, Rijaal, pg. 92, person # 343

3.     Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 34, person # 2

الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ (Al-FuDayl bin Yasaar) is thiqah (trustworthy) according to:

1.     Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 309, person # 846

2.     Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 143, person # 1545

3.     Ibn Dawood, Rijaal, pg. 274, person # 1184

4.     Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 132, person # 1