how to memorise the

Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“So verily the Arabic language is from the religion so knowing it is Fard Waajib for indeed understanding the Book and the Sunnah is Waajib and they are not understood except by understanding the arabic language and that which is needed to fulfill an obligation is itself an obligation. So you have from it that which is waajib upon each individual and you have that which is waajib alal kifaayah.”

Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“It is known that Arabic is Fard Alal Kifaayah and the salaf used to discipline their children for making grammatical mistakes ….”

Al-Fataawa Vol. 32, Pg. 252

Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“And likewise for indeed Allaah revealed his book in the Arabic language and he made his messenger convey this from him in the Book and Sunnah (Hikmah) in the Arabic language….So knowing the language becomes part of the religion and due to speaking with it (The Arabic language) it becomes easier for the people of this Deen to understand the religion of Allaah, to implement the religious ceremonies and easier to imitate the First generations from the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar in all of their affairs.

Iqtidaa Siraatil Mustaqeem 1/406

Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee said”

“The language which Allaah favored was the Arabic language as he revealed his noble book in this (Arabic) and he made this the language of the seal of the prophets Muhammed. And that is why we say that it is befitting for everyone who has the ability to learn Arabic that they learn it as it is the best language.”

Iqtidaa Siraatil Mustaqeem 1/464

Source: al-Fawaaid by Ibn al-Qayyim, Taken from spubs

Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said in al-Fawaa’id:

Allaah the Exalted said:

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ

Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful. (Qaaf 50:37)

When you desire benefit from the Qur’’aan, then bring your heart together during its recitation, listen heedfully and have the presence of the one who is being addressed and spoken to, since it is a speech from Him, the Sublime, to you, upon the tongue of His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam).

This is because the best and most complete effectis suspended between the following:

1. that which produces the required effect,

2. a place which receives this effect,

3. the condition which is necessary to receive such an effect and

4. the absence of that which prevents this effect from being obtained.

This verse has included all of the above with the most concise and clear of wording, which is most direct in expounding the intended meaning.

His speech: (Verily, therein is indeed a reminder…) is an indication of what has preceded from the beginning of Soorah Qaaf to the present and this constitutes that which produces the desired effect.

And His speech: (…for him who has a heart…) this is the place which receives the effect and what is desired by it is: a living heart which understands from Allaah, just as the Exalted has said:

وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنبَغِي لَهُ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْآنٌ مُّبِينٌ

لِيُنذِرَ مَن كَانَ حَيًّا وَيَحِقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

It is but a Reminder and a Manifest, Clear Qur’’aan, that he (Muhammad) may give warning to him who is alive (i.e. the healthy and live heart of the believer.) (Yaa Seen 36:69-70)

And His speech: (…or who gives ear…) the one who directs his listening and the perceptive faculty of his hearing to what is being said to him, and this is the condition of benefitting and receiving the desired effect from the words (that one hears).

And His speech: (…while he is heedful) meaning his heart is present and witnessing, not absent and unmindful.

Ibn Qutaibah said: “Listen to the Book of Allaah, while your heart and understanding are present, not while you are unmindful and forgetful.”

And this is an indication of that which prevents the desired effect [from the Book of Allaah] from being obtained and that is the forgetfulness and absence of the heart from understanding what is being said to it, looking at it with care and pondering slowly and carefully over it.

So when that which produces the effect and that is the Book of Allaah; a place which receives the effect and that is the heart; the necessary condition, which is paying attention; the absence of that which prevents the effect and that is the hearts occupation and distraction away from the meaning of the speech and its turning way to something else are all present, then the effect will be obtained and realised and that is benefiting from the Qur’a’an and its remembrance.

Warning From Abandoning the Qur’aan

Edited from the work of Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zeeno

Allaah the Most High says:

And the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) will say: “O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’aan (neither listened to it, nor acted on its laws and orders). (Al-Furqaan 25:30)

So Allaah informs us about His Messenger and Prophet Muhammad, that he said: {My Lord my people have abandoned – acting or listening – to the Qur’aan.} and that is because the idol-worshippers did not pay attention nor listen to the Qur’aan, as Allaah says: {The ones who disbelieved said do not listen to this Qur’aan but make noise so that you may overcome it.}

Thus when the Qur’aan was being read to them they would make noise and futile speech so that they would not hear the Qur’aan. However, this is from the ways of abandoning the Qur’aan. Likewise not having faith and trust in it is also from the ways of abandoning the Qur’aan. Not pondering over it, nor trying to understand it, not acting by it, not obeying its orders and refraining from what it forbids, turning to something other than it – whether poetry, opinions or music, amusement, or other forms of speech and taking a path that is derived from other than the Qur’aan are all from the ways of abandoning the Qur’aan.

We ask Allaah – the Beneficent Provider, the One who has Power to do what He wills – to distance us from that which He dislikes and to use us in that which He is pleased with, from memorising, understanding the Qur’aan and establishing that which it necessitates – throughout the day and night – in a manner that He loves and likes for indeed He is the Most Beneficent, and Bestower.

Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullaah, explains this verse by saying:

There are various types of ‘abandonment’ of the Qur’aan:

1) To abandon listening to it and believing in it.
2) To abandon acting upon it, and ignoring its lawful and prohibited ordinances (Halaal and haraam), even if one believes in it and recites it.
3) To abandon judging by it, and resorting to it as a judge when there are differences in the essence of the religion or other matters.
4) To abandon pondering over it, and understanding it, and seeking the explanation of it.
5) To abandon using it as a cure in all types of diseases of the heart, and instead to seek to cure these diseases by other means.

And all of these categories are included in the statement of Allaah,

‘And the Messenger (will) say: “0 My Lord, indeed my people took this Qur’aan as something worthy of being abandoned!’’ [25:30]

even though some of these types of abandonment are worse than others.