Boycotting the Quran
Introduction:
All-praises belong to Allah the Most High, and may the countless peace and blessings of Allah be on His final and last Messenger Muhammad. The Quran is a miracle to mankind and Jinn. It is the most relevant book on the planet that is able to solve any problem. Belief in the Quran is one of the six articles of faith. The Quran is being abandoned as we speak! Muslims aren’t reading it until Ramdhan. Muslims aren’t memorizing Allah’s book! Muslims aren’t taking time out of their schedules to study this book !In fact in many conferences and lectures the Quran isn’t even taught! This topic will outline some basics about boycotting Allah’s speech and the various ways this can happen and is happening today. Allah’s Help is sought.
The definition:
The dictionaries haven’t mentioned the meaning for (boycotting the Quran), but some scholars have defined the description for abandoning the Quran.
Ibn Kathir said : “ Whenever the Quran was read to the Kuffar they used make noise and talk loudly, in order to not hear the words. This is boycotting the Quran. Moreover, not learning Allah’s Book and not memorizing it is a form of staying away from the Quran. Furthermore, to not act by its commands and avoid its prohibitions is a type of boycotting the Quran. Lastly to give another kind of speech importance over the Quran such as; poetry, scholars’ statements, music, idle talk and gossip ,as well as the guidance from anyone else is a type of abandoning the Quran.[1]
Allah’s Speech about boycotting His Book
Allah said: And the Messenger (Muhammad ) will say: “O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’an (neither listened to it, nor acted on its laws and orders).[2]
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) complained to Allah about the actions of the Polytheists towards him and the Quran. They were arrogant and refused to accept Allah’s Speech. What’s more is they refused to believe the Quran was Allah’s Speech, thus they turned away from it and abandoned it despite the fact it is obligatory for them to believe the Quran is Allah’s revelation.[3]
Allah said: But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur’an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.”[4]
Generally speaking the scholars of tasfir view the words “Reminder “in this verse to mean the Quran. This was the legal opinion of Al-Baghawi, Al-Qurtubi, Ar-Razi, Ibn Jawzi, Ibn Al-Qayyim, Ash-Shawkani, As-Sa’di and others.
Prophetic Hadith dispraising Muslims boycotting the Quran
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “[Whoever recites a letter] from Allah’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.”[5]
Imran bin Husain passed by a reciter reciting then he began begging. So he (‘Imran) said: ‘Indeed we are from Allah and to Him shall we return.’ Then he said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: ‘Whoever recites the Qur’an, then let him ask Allah by it. For indeed there will come a people, who will recite the Qur’an, asking from the people because of it.'”[6]
The types of boycotting the Quran.
Regrettably, as Muslims we can quote the speech of a scholar faster than we are able to quote a verse from the book of Allah. Today there are various forms of boycotting Allah’s speech and turning towards speech lesser in value. There are two prevalent types of boycotting practiced today the 1st type is to totally disregard the Book as being revelation and the 2nd is to not read or contemplate over its meanings. Imam As-Suyuti and Ibn Al-Qayyim both detailed the various ways of how the Quran is boycotted.
- To say something about the Quran that is untrue. This is the action of the Kuffar. Allah says: “O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’an (neither listened to it, nor acted on its laws and orders).[7] Al-Qurtubi said: ThePolythesists said the Quran was magic and poetry.
- To reject its guidance. Allah says: ““Listen not to this Qur’an, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome.” [8]
- To not recite it. Ibn Abbass (radi Allahu anhu) said: The person who doesn’t recite the Quran is similar to a destroyed house.[9]
- To forget the Quran after memorizing it. Allah says : (Allah) will say: “Like this, OurAyat came unto you, but you disregarded them (i.e. you left them, did not think deeply in them, and you turned away from them), and so this Day, you will be neglected (in the Hell-fire, away from Allah’s Mercy).”[10]
- To not act by it.
- To not use it a proof in the fundamentals of the religion.
- To not use the Quran to cure the sicknesses of the heart, thus a person relies on other types of remedies apart from the Quran. [11]
The verdict for boycotting the Quran
The verdict for the person boycotting the Quran varies based on the form of boycotting he practices. If the person boycotts the Quran by rejecting its guidance then this is disbelief. If staying away from Quran is related to acting by its guidance then this form of boycott makes the Muslim a sinner. He will either be committing a major or a minor sin due to the way he avoids the Quran. For example if a person abandons reading the Quran and has the ability to do so, then he is like shabby house ready to be knocked down. However if the Muslim doesn’t have the ability to read the Quran , then Allah doesn’t burden a person beyond his capacity. When a person forgets the Quran after learning it due his laziness in reciting it then some scholars consider this to be a major sin and Allah knows best. [12]
The Harms from boycotting the Quran
There are always harms that result from boycotting, and sometimes there are benefits, but when abandoning the Quran there 6 harms for the one performing this action.
The heart if it’s not occupied with the Quran, then Satan takes residence.
- Boycotting the Quran weakens a person’s faith in Allah and in other unseen beliefs.
- Whoever abandons the Quran, doesn’t act by its command and doesn’t avoid its prohibitions.
- Whoever reads the Quran in order to earn money will arrive on the Day of Judgment with no skin on his face.
- Whoever reads the Quran and doesn’t act by it the Quran becomes a proof against him
- Whoever reads the Quran to be seen and known by the people as a reader is a hypocrite.[13]
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Translated and compiled by
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar 1436H©
[1] Tafsir 6/120
[2] [ Al-Furqan 30]
[3] refer to Tafseer As-Sa’di 3/438
[4] [ Ta-Ha 124]
[5] Jami’ At-Tirmithi 2910 . At-Tirmithi graded this hadeeth as bein Hasan Sahih
[6] Jami’ At-Tirmithi 2917 . At-Tirmithi graded this hadeeth as bein Hasan
[7] Al-Furqan 30
[8] Surah Fussilat 26
[9] At-Tabari 9/385
[10] Ta-Ha 126
[11] Ibn Qayyim, Al-Fawa’id 123-124, As-Suyuti,al-Itqan 2/152
[12] Az-Zawajir (157)
[13] Nadharutun Na-eem vol 11/pg 5700