QURANIC TEACHER

                                                                

                                                           QURANIC TEACHER

The Qur'ān (القرآن) is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur'an to be the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind. They also consider the text in its original Arabic, to be the literal word of Allah revealed by the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) to Muhammad over a period of twenty-three years, and view the Qur'an as God's final revelation

           There is great reward in reciting the Arabic, even if one does not understand its meanings, for these are the Words of Allah, and their aural majesty makes hearts submit reverentially. Allah reminds us:“O you who believe! Observe your duty to Allah. And let every soul look to that which it sendeth on before for the morrow. And observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Informed of what you do.And be not you as those who forgot Allah, therefore He caused them to forget their souls. Such are the evil-doers.Not equal are the owners of the Fire and the owners of the Garden. The owners of the Garden, they are the victorious. If We had caused this Qur’an to descend upon a mountain, You  verily hadst seen it humbled, rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such similitudes coin We for mankind that haply they may reflect.He is Allah, than Whom there is no other God, the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible. He is the Beneficent, Merciful. 

              “The one who reads a single letter from the Book of Allah will be rewarded with one good deed. (Know that) A good deed is multiplied ten times over. I do not say Alif Laam Meem is one letter. Verily, Alif is one letter, Laam is one letter, Meem is one letter.”   The Prophet (PBUH) has declared the importance of learning the Qur’an with the above-mentioned statements.The busy and fast lives that we are leading in this age have caused us to postpone learning to read the Qur’an.Since some of us are older, it is not as easy to learn quickly as it was in our childhood years. Sometimes this is a hindrance for us to start up.Even if we want to begin to learn we may have difficulty in finding a tutor in the times that we are available. When tutors are available, we may not always be so…And sometimes some of us may be too shy to learn something from someone at their age.Out of all these factors, we think that there is a need for such a website, therefore this website started from this very necessity.Whatsoever our pretext for not learning Qur’an yet is, we think there is no longer any setback before you. We invite you to experience and enjoy the blessed aura of the Qur’an. We ask from Allah (SWT) to accept our struggle to learn and teach the Qur’an.

                 Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said“The best of you are the ones who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others”   

               We all know from the Quran and the Ahadeeth about the countless rewards and benefits of praying and reciting Quran during the nightly prayers (last one third of the night)As is stated in the hadeeth narrated by ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them both), in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“Whoever recites ten aayaat (verses) in qiyaam will not be recorded as one of the forgetful. Whoever recites a hundred aayaat (verses) in qiyaam will be recorded as one of the devout, and whoever prays a thousand aayaat (verses) in qiyaam will be recorded as one of the muqantareen (those who pile up good deeds).” (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ibn Hibbaan. It is a hasan report. ”Imaam al-Bukhaari used to pray qiyaam and tahajjud at night until the time of suhoor, and he would read between a half and a third of the Quran, and complete it at suhoor every third night. 

                    The rewards of reciting the Quran are many. An authentic hadith in At-Tirmithee states:Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.” So increase your recitation of the Qur’an to gain these merits, and to gain the following merit as well.In another hadeeth, ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, relates that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:“Verily the one who recites the Qur’an beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have TWICE that reward. ”This hadith proves that people who are not well versed in the Arabic languge or have other difficulties in reciting the Quran, get even a higher reward for reciting the Quran in Arabic for their extra effort.

            A Muslim’s status is raised by the Quran – the more he recites, follows its commandments and makes Quran part of his or her life, the more Allah will elevate his or her status in this life and hereafter.Saheeh Muslim mentions a story where some men came to question Umar ibn Al-Khattaab during his khilaafah about the leadership of Makkah, they asked, “Who do you use to govern Makkah?” He said, “Ibn Abzaa.” They asked, “And who is Ibn Abzaa?” Umar replied, “A freed slave from those we freed.” They remarked, “You left a freed slave in charge of the people of the Valley (the noble tribes of the Quraysh)!?!?” So he answered them, “Verily he is a reader of the Book of Allah and is knowledgeable about the obligations of the Muslims. Haven’t you heard the statement of your Messenger: “Verily Allah raises some people by this Book and lowers others by it.” ‘Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:“The best of you are the ones who learn the Qur’an and teach it to other. Do everything you do in order to come close to your Lord in your worship and prayers. Think that each deed may be your last act, each prayer your last prostration, that you may not have another chance. If you do this, it will be another motivation for becoming heedful and also for becoming sincere and truthful. Allah does not accept good deeds done unconsciously and insincerely as readily as deeds done in consciousness and sincerity.

           The Quran is the most widely-read book in the world. The Holy Quran was first communicated on the Laylat al-Qadr during Ramadan, the month of fasting.“In the Cave of Hira the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) appeared and said ‘Read!, to which Muhammad replied ‘I do not know how to read’. The Prophet added “Then the angel caught me forcefully and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore’. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, 'I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, 'Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous"… up to … "that which he knew not." Ramadan is the month when the Muslims intensify their religious life, the apex being the Laylat al-Qadr.The Quran was repeatedly revealed to Prophet Muhammad in different time periods and this revelation process lasted for approximately twenty-three years. It was revealed part by part, ayet by ayet and occasionally as whole chapters. It consists of 114 chapters and more that 6.000 ayets (quotes). The first thirteen years since the revelation of the Quran are known as the Mecca period, whereas the remaining ten years are known as the Medina period of revelation 

                       For example  ,the story about one of sahabah,Zayd Ibn Thabit in learning Quran. Zayd ibn Thabit (زيد بن ثابت ) was the personal scribe of Muhammad and was from the ansar (helpers).[1]When Zayd was 6 years old his father died in the Battle of Bu'ath. Zayd was 13 years old when he asked permission to participate in the Battle of Badr. Since he was younger than 15 years old, Muhammad did not allow him to do so, and sent him back. He then decided to try to win favor with Muhammad by learning the Qur'an. He was later appointed to write letters to non-Muslims and to collect and keep record of the Qur'anic verses. Zayd was among those chosen by Muhammad to write down the verses of the Qur'an. He used to spend most of his time reciting the Qur'an, and continued to learn the Quranic verses as they were recited by Muhammad. Zayd later volunteered to fight when he was 19 years old. This time he was accepted in the ranks of the Muslim army. Zayd's time to fight had come nine years after the establishment of the Muslim community in Medina. Zayd had the role of writing down the Quranic verses that were sent to Muhammad from Allah through the Angel Gabriel. After Muhammad's death, Zayd, who by this time had become an expert in the Qur'an, was assigned the role of authenticating and collecting the oral and textual Quranic revelation into a single bounded volume. This initiative was high on the Caliph Abu Bakr's agenda, especially after the Riddah Wars,and the Battle of Yamamah in particular, in which a large number of Quran memorizers perished. Umar convinced Abu Bakr that the Quran should be collected in one manuscript. During Abu Bakr's reign as caliph, he was given the task of collecting the Quranic verses from all over the muslim communities. Zayd finally accepted the task and, according to him,started locating the Quranic material and collecting it from parchments, scapula, leafstalks of date palms and from the memories of men.When Zayd had completed his task, he left the prepared sheets with Abu Bakr. Before he died, Abu Bakr left the sheets with Umar who in turn left it with his daughter Hafsah. Hafsah, Umm Salamah, and Aishah were wives of Muhammad who memorized the Qur'an. Zayd ibn Thabit thus became one of the foremost authorities on the Quran. Umar ibn al-Khattab once addressed the Muslims and said: "O people, whoever wants to ask about the Quran, let him go to Zayd ibn Thabit." 

                The one who speacilize in recite and teach Quran is Sheikh Mishary Rasheed Al-Afasy. Sheikh Mishary bin Rashid Alafasy (Arabic: الشيخ مشاري بن راشد العفاسي‎; born in Kuwait in September 5, 1976) is a Kuwaiti national, a qari and a Sheikh al-ʿAfāsī studied at the College of the Quran and Islamic Studies at the Islamic University of Madinah ,and specialized in the ten readings and translations of the Quran. He has been certified by a number of scholars of Quran and recited before several renowned Qaris.[1] They include Sheikh Ahmed Abdulaziz Al-Zaiat, Sheikh Ibrahim Ali Shahata Al-Samanodei and Sheikh Abdurarea Radwan.[2]On March 24, 2007 Sheikh Mishary traveled to the United States of America and visited three mosques: Islamic Center of Irvine in California, Islamic Institute of Orange County in California, and the ICD (Islamic Center of Detroit) in Michigan. The audio tapes of his recitations during his visit to America can be found on his website, and also on YouTube or MukminTV. On October 25, 2008, Sheikh Mishary was awarded the first Arab Creativity Oscar by the Arab Creativity Union in Egypt.[3] The event was sponsored by the General Secretary of the League of Arab States Mr. Amr Mousa as a recognition of Sheikh Mishary Alafasy role in promoting Islamic principles and teachings utilizing the modern technology to deliver the peaceful message of Islam. On September 2009, Sheikh Mishary traveled to the ICOI or Islamic Center of Irvine, but had to leave early due to family emergency.There are two Space channels for Sheikh Meshary, The first is Alafasy TV and another more recent channel. During the month of Ramadan, in 2010, Al-Afasy returned to the ICOI to lead the taraweeh prayers.Sheikh Mishary bin Rashid Al-Afasy or Mishary Rashid Ghareeb Mohammed Rashed Al-Afasy is a Kuwaiti international-renowned reciter or Qari. He was born in Kuwait on September 5, 1976 (Sunday 11th of Ramadan 1396 H).Mishary Rashid Al-Afasy undertook his Quran studies at the College of the Holy Quran and his Islamic Studies about “the ten readings and translations of the Holy Quran'’ at the Islamic University of Madinah (Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia).Mishary Al Afasy is now the Imam of Masjid Al-Kabir (Great Mosque) in Kuwait City and leads the Taraweeh prayers of Ramadan in the same Mosque munshid. 

               Besides that, Shaykh Muhiyyudin Ibn Arabi (Allah have mercy on him) ,a famous scholar in teaching Quran was explain about the way to recite Quran in the right way.He told “Make it a habit to read from the Holy Qur'an every day. When you read, hold the holy book with respect.Keep it in your left hand at the level of your chest, and move your right hand along the words you read. Read aloud, but just loud enough that you can hear your own voice.Read without haste, slowly thinking of the meaning of each word. Wish for divine mercy and beneficence when you come to the verses that inspire His mercy. Take warning from the verses of admonition, and when reading them, promise your Lord your determination to act upon His command, repenting, taking refuge in His mercy, seeking salvation. When you read verses describing the praiseworthy qualities of the truly faithful, think of your own qualities. 

                     The Holy Quran is fountain head of entire learning, but there is a striking difference between the Holy Quran and other books The Quran is word of Allah (SWT) and books on various branches of knowledge are human studies of Allah’s creation. These books deal with specific subjects and topics. A book on one discipline is quiet on other disciplines. They are no way comparable with the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran is a treasure of our knowledge and learning that man may need till end of time. All knowledge originates from the Holy Quran. This is the basic truth of Islamic doctrine of knowledge. We need to get out of the darkness of ignorance and move towards the limelight and bright future. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said,“O people I am leaving behind among you the Holy Book (Quran) and the Sunnah (way of Prophet (SAW)), if you follow these in letter and spirit you will never be strayed.” The Holy Quran is the last and final message of Almighty Allah (SWT) through His Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him), which guarantees success for mankind in this world and life hereafter. Allah Almighty has laid down all the laws of valuable knowledge, good deeds and prosperity of the whole mankind in His Book (Quran). In the present era the Muslims are politically, financially, culturally and socially reached the verge of decay and destruction only because they have turned a deaf ear to Holy Quran. The only solution to overcome the miserable plight of Muslim is to resort to the teachings of Holy Quran. It is stated in the Holy Quran“And how will you disbelieve (now) while you are (fortunate) ones to whom the Verses of Allah are recited, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) is (himself) present among you? And whoever holds fast to (the Embrace of) Allah is most surely guided to the straight path. To develop close affinity with Holy Quran and to understand it is the most important need of the hour. When a man starts learning or teaching the Holy Quran, the doors of spiritual satisfaction and solace start opening in his heart. Holy Quran makes the character of its reader unprecedented and exemplary.“And indeed We have made the Qur’an easy for direction and guidance, but is there anyone who will take advice?” Students and teachers of the Holy Quran both have been praised many times in Ahadith (traditions) by the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him).“ The Best amongst you is (he) who learns and teaches the Holy Quran.” It is narrated by Hazrat Abu Zar (RA) that Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) said him:“O Abu Zar! It is better for you to learn a single verse of Holy Quran in the morning rather to pray hundreds of Rakaat (Nafal Prayer)” The Minhaj-ul-Quran is actively involved in da`wa, propagation of true Islamic teachings, reformation of the moral and spiritual affairs of Ummah, revival of Islamic sciences and renaissance of Islam from its very first day. “Call for turning towards the Holy Quran” is one of the main call for achieving these goals.In the nutshell,learning Quran is compulsory to all Muslim in the entire world.In the holy Quran,ALLAH said :”and recite the Quran as it ought to be recited”.We must practice what we read in Quran so that we will become a pious slave of ALLAH.