The
Meaning of Tilaawah (Recitation) of the Holy Qur'aan
Bismillah
hir Rehman nir Rahim
Reciting
the Qur'aan, as it is understood by our Noble and Pious Predecessors, means
to act upon it and to follow it and to adhere to the lawful and abandon the
unlawful - and not merely recite it with one's tongue.
Ibn
Katheer (rh)
said in his Tafseer Qur'an il-Adheem, regarding the saying of Allaah:
"Those
to whom We have given the Book recite it as it truly should be recited, they are
the ones who (truly) believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it, then they are
the losers."[1]
"Qataadah
said: "They
are the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)."
Umar
ibn al-Khattaab (radiallaahu anhu)
said:
"When he comes across the mentioning of Paradise, he asks Allaah for
Paradise and when he comes across the mentioning of the Fire, he seeks
refuge in Allaah from the Fire."
Ibn
Mas'ood (radiallaahu anhu)
said: "By
Him in Whose Hand is my soul, verily its truthful recitation is that a person
treats as lawful what is lawful therein, treats as unlawful what is unlawful
therein, that he recites it just as Allaah had revealed it, that he does not
give its words other than their proper meanings and does not give an
interpretation to any part of it which is not its proper interpretation."
Al-Hasan
al-Basree (rh) said:
"They
act according to and upon its clear and manifest verses (whose meanings are
clear and apparent) and they believe in its allegorical verses (whose meanings
are unclear) and they entrust whatever is difficult for them (to know) to its
Knower."
Ibn
Abbaas (radiallaahu anhu)
said regarding "as
it truly should be recited...":
"They
follow it as it truly should be followed.[2]" And
then he recited the verse: And
by the Moon when it
follows it (the Sun)[3].
He said: "Follows
it."
Ibn
Mas'ood (radiallaahu anhu)
said about the same verse: "They
follow it as it truly should be followed."
Umar
ibn al-Khattaab
(radiallaahu anhu) said: "They
are the ones who when they pass by a verse mentioning
mercy, they ask for it from Allaah and when they pass by a verse
mentioning punishment, they seek refuge from it."
And
His saying:
"They
are the ones who (truly) believe in it": is a description of the ones 'to
whom We have given the Book' and who "..recite it as it (truly) should
be recited.."[4]"
So
dear reader, the meaning of reciting the Book of Allaah (Tilaawah) is to
memorise it, to recite it as it was revealed to the Messenger (sallallaahu
alaihi wasallam), to study it and to follow it, acting upon its clear and
explicit verses (following its orders and refraining from its prohibition), to
believe in its allegorical verses avoiding false interpretations of such verses
and to submit the knowledge of their meanings to their Knower in truth, Allaah
the Exalted.
If
you do that then you are guaranteed Paradise as Ibn Abbaas (radiallaahu anhu)
has said: "Allaah
guarantees the one who reads the Qur'aan and acts upon whatever is contained
within it that he will not go astray in this life and will not be wretched in
the Hereafter."
NOTES
:
1
Soorah Baqarah 2:121
2 "Yattabi'oonahu haqqa ittibaa'ihi" So the meaning of Tilaawah in
this verse as Ibn Abbaas and Ibn Mas'ood explain is Ittibaa'
3 Soorah Shams 91:2
4 Tafseer Ibn Katheer (1/168-169)
Source:
How
to Memorise the Qur'aan (ITI Publications)
You
Can Also Read:
§
Giving
Priority to the Quraan
§
Tips
for Memorizing the Qur’an
§
Towards
Understanding the Qur’an
§
Arabic-
The Key to Understanding the Qur’an
§
How
Do You Benefit From the Qur'aan
§
Reviving
Our Faith Through the Qur’an
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam_peace_and_understanding/