What Are the Virtues of Memorizing the Quran?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

What are the virtues of memorizing the Quran?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

The Honor and Status of the Quran

There is no doubt that the honor of the Quran is immense, and the status of its memorizer is unparalleled. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said about it:

“The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” [Bukhari]

Praiseworthy Envy

Memorizing the Quran and learning its rulings are among the reasons for praiseworthy envy, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“There is no envy except in two cases: a man whom Allah has taught the Quran, so he recites it during the night and day, and his neighbor hears him and says, ‘I wish I had what he has been given, so I could do what he does’; and a man whom Allah has given wealth, so he spends it in the cause of truth, and someone says, ‘I wish I had what he has been given, so I could do what he does.’” [Ibid.]

The memorizer of the Quran is one of the two who are not envied except for their virtues.

Divine Honor for the Memorizer

It is enough for the memorizer of the Quran to have the honor mentioned by Allah (Most High):

“Then We granted the Book to those We have chosen from Our servants.” [Quran, 35:32]

“But this (Quran) is (a set of) clear revelations (preserved) in the hearts of those gifted with knowledge.” [Quran, 29:49]

Elevation in This World and the Hereafter

Memorizing the Quran elevates its memorizer in both this world and the Hereafter. ‘Amir Ibn Wathila reported:

“Nafi‘ Ibn ‘Abd al-Harith met ‘Umar in ‘Usfan, and ‘Umar had appointed him over Mecca. He said: ‘Whom have you appointed over the people of the valley?’ He said: ‘Ibn Abza.’

‘Umar said: ‘Who is Ibn Abza?’ He said: ‘One of our freed slaves.’ ‘Umar said: ‘You have appointed a freed slave over them?’ He said: ‘Indeed, he is a reciter of the Book of Allah, the Exalted, and knowledgeable in the obligations.’ ‘Umar said: ‘Indeed, your Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said: ‘Allah raises some people by this Book and brings down others by it.’” [Muslim]

The Quran as an Intercessor and the Status of Its Memorizers

The Quran intercedes for its bearer on the Day of Resurrection, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Recite the Quran, for it will come as an intercessor for its companions on the Day of Resurrection.” [Ibid.]

Abdullah Ibn Burayda narrated from his father, who said: I was sitting with the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) when I heard him say:

“Learn Surat al-Baqara, for taking it is a blessing and leaving it is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot counter it.” He then remained silent for a while and then said: “Learn Surat al-Baqara and Ali-Imran, for they are two lights, and they will shade their companions on the Day of Resurrection, as if they were two clouds or two shades or two flocks of birds in ranks. The Quran will meet its companion on the Day of Resurrection when his grave is opened, as a pale man. It will say to him, ‘Do you recognize me?’

He will say, ‘I do not recognize you.’ It will say, ‘I am your companion, the Quran, which kept you thirsty during the hot days and kept you awake at night. Every trader is behind his trade, and today you are behind all trades.’ He will be given the kingdom in his right hand and eternal life in his left hand, and a crown of dignity will be placed on his head. His parents will be dressed in two garments that the people of the world could never afford. They will say, ‘Why were we dressed with this?’

It will be said, ‘Because your child learned the Quran.’ Then it will be said to him, ‘Recite and ascend through the levels and rooms of Paradise.’ He will continue to ascend as long as he recites, whether it is slowly or quickly.” [Ahmad]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said:

“Indeed, part of honoring Allah is to honor an elderly Muslim, one who carries the Quran without exceeding its limits or neglecting it, and to honor a just ruler.” [Abu Dawud]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) clarified the status of the memorizer of the Quran by stating that they are the most deserving to lead the people in prayer. He said:

“The people should be led in prayer by the one who recites the Book of Allah most among them…” [Muslim]

The Prophet’s stance on the martyrs of the Battle of Uhud also illustrates the status of the memorizer of the Quran. He said:

“Wrap them in their bloodstained garments.” He then began to bury them in their graves and said: “Put those who have memorized more of the Quran first.” [Ahmad]

Furthermore, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) compared the body of the memorizer of the Quran, who has the Quran in their heart, to a skin that fire does not touch or approach. He said:

“If the Quran were placed in a skin and then thrown into the fire, it would not burn.” [Ibid.]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) also described the state of the people of the Quran on the Day of Resurrection:

“The Quran will come on the Day of Resurrection and say: ‘O Lord, adorn him,’ so he will be given a crown of dignity to wear. It will say: ‘O Lord, increase him,’ so he will be given a garment of dignity to wear. It will then say: ‘O Lord, be pleased with him,’ so Allah will be pleased with him. It will be said to him: ‘Recite and ascend, and for every verse you recite, you will gain one more reward.’” [Tirmidhi]

Summary

The Quran is the greatest gift that Allah (Most High) has bestowed upon His servants. It brings life to the hearts and happiness to the souls in this world and the Hereafter. Through the Quran, Allah opened blind eyes, deaf ears, and sealed hearts. He guided people from misguidance, enlightened them from blindness, and brought them out from darkness into light. O Allah, make us among its bearers and defenders of its principles, and make us among its people. Amin.

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.