The Command to recite the Qur'an and to patiently keep Company with the Believers


Commanding His Messenger to recite His Holy Book and convey it to mankind, Allah says,

﴿áÇó ãõÈóÏøöáó áößóáöãóÜÊöåö﴾

(None can change His Words,) meaning, no one can alter them, distort them or misinterpret them.

﴿æóáóä ÊóÌöÏó ãöä Ïõæäöåö ãõáúÊóÍóÏðÇ﴾

(and none will you find as a refuge other than Him.) It was reported that Mujahid said, "A shelter,'' and that Qatadah said, "A helper or supporter.'' Ibn Jarir said: "Allah is saying, `if you O Muhammad, do not recite what is revealed to you of the Book of your Lord, then you will have no refuge from Allah.''' As Allah says:

﴿íóÜÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáÑøóÓõæáõ ÈóáøöÛú ãó ÃõäÒöáó Åöáóíúßó ãöä ÑøóÈøößó æóÅöä áøóãú ÊóÝúÚóáú ÝóãóÇ ÈóáøóÛúÊó ÑöÓóÇáóÊóåõ æóÇááøóåõ íóÚúÕöãõßó ãöäó ÇáäøóÇÓö﴾

(O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allah will protect you from mankind.)﴿5:67﴾

﴿Åöäøó ÇáøóÐöì ÝóÑóÖó Úóáóíúßó ÇáúÞõÑúÁóÇäó áóÑóÂÏøõßó Åöáóì ãóÚóÇÏò﴾

(Verily, He Who has given you the Qur'an, will surely bring you back to the place of return.) ﴿28:85﴾ meaning, `He will call you to account for the duty of conveying the Message which He entrusted you with. '

﴿æóÇÕúÈöÑú äóÝúÓóßó ãóÚó ÇáøóÐöíäó íóÏúÚõæäó ÑóÈøóåõã ÈöÇáúÛóÏóÇÉö æóÇáúÚóÔöìøö íõÑöíÏõæäó æóÌúåóåõ﴾

(And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His Face;) meaning, sit with those who remember Allah, who say "La Ilaha Illallah'', who praise Him, glorify Him, declare His greatness and call on Him, morning and evening, all the servants of Allah, whether rich or poor, strong or weak. It was said that this was revealed about the nobles of Quraysh when they asked the Prophet to sit with them on his own, and not to bring his weak Companions with him, such as Bilal, `Ammar, Suhayb, Khabbab and Ibn Mas`ud. They wanted him to sit with them on his own, but Allah forbade him from doing that, and said,

﴿æóáÇó ÊóØúÑõÏö ÇáøóÐöíäó íóÏúÚõæäó ÑóÈøóåõãú ÈöÇáúÛóÏóÇÉö æóÇáúÚóÔöìøö﴾

(And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon.) Allah commanded him to patiently content himself with sitting with those people (the weak believers), and said:

﴿æóÇÕúÈöÑú äóÝúÓóßó ãóÚó ÇáøóÐöíäó íóÏúÚõæäó ÑóÈøóåõã ÈöÇáúÛóÏóÇÉö æóÇáúÚóÔöìøö﴾

(And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon...) Imam Muslim recorded in his Sahih that Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas who said: "There was a group of six of us with the Prophet . The idolators said, `Tell these people to leave so they will not offend us.' There was myself, Ibn Mas`ud, a man from Hudayl, Bilal and two other men whose names I have forgotten. Allah's Messenger thought to himself about whatever Allah willed he should think about, then Allah revealed:

﴿æóáÇó ÊóØúÑõÏö ÇáøóÐöíäó íóÏúÚõæäó ÑóÈøóåõãú ÈöÇáúÛóÏóÇÉö æóÇáúÚóÔöìøö íõÑöíÏõæäó æóÌúåóåõ﴾

(And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon.) Only Muslim reported this; excluding Al-Bukhari.

﴿æóáÇó ÊóÚúÏõ ÚóíúäóÇßó Úóäúåõãú ÊõÑöíÏõ ÒöíäóÉó ÇáúÍóíóæÉö ÇáÏøõäúíóÇ﴾

(and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world;) Ibn `Abbas said, `(this means) do not favor others over them, meaning do not seek the people of nobility and wealth instead of them.'

﴿æóáÇó ÊõØöÚú ãóäú ÃóÛúÝóáúäóÇ ÞóáúÈóåõ Úóä ÐößúÑöäóÇ﴾

(and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance) means, those who are distracted by this world from being committed to the religion and from worshipping their Lord.

﴿æóßóÇäó ÃóãúÑõåõ ÝõÑõØðÇ﴾

(and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.) means, his actions and deeds are a foolish waste of time. Do not obey him or admire his way or envy what he has. As Allah says elsewhere:

﴿æóáÇó ÊóãõÏøóäøó Úóíúäóíúßó Åöáóì ãóÇ ãóÊøóÚúäóÇ Èöåö ÃóÒúæóÌÇð ãøöäúåõãú ÒóåúÑóÉó ÇáúÍóíóæÉö ÇáÏøõäúíóÇ áöäóÝúÊöäóåõãú Ýöíåö æóÑöÒúÞõ ÑóÈøößó ÎóíúÑñ æóÃóÈúÞóì ﴾

(And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them, the splendor of the life of this world, that We may test them thereby. But the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting.) ﴿20:131﴾

﴿æóÞõáö ÇáúÍóÞøõ ãöä ÑøóÈøößõãú Ýóãóä ÔóÂÁó ÝóáúíõÄúãöä æóãóä ÔóÂÁó ÝóáúíóßúÝõÑú ÅöäøóÇ ÃóÚúÊóÏúäóÇ áöáÙøóÇáöãöíäó äóÇÑðÇ ÃóÍóÇØó Èöåöãú ÓõÑóÇÏöÞõåóÇ æóÅöä íóÓúÊóÛöíËõæÇú íõÛóÇËõæÇú ÈöãóÂÁò ßóÇáúãõåúáö íóÔúæöì ÇáúæÌõæåó ÈöÆúÓó ÇáÔøóÑóÇÈõ æóÓóÂÁóÊú ãõÑúÊóÝóÞðÇ ﴾

(29. And say: "The truth is from your Lord.'' Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. Verily, We have prepared for the wrongdoers, a Fire whose walls will be surrounding them. And if they ask for drink, they will be granted water like Al-Muhl, that will scald their faces. Terrible is the drink, and an evil Murtafaq!)


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