Ilm Fruits

The First Compilation

The Qur'an was first compiled during the lifetime of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه‏), the first khalifa, whose rule lasted from the death of the last messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) for two years.

Why wasn't it compiled during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) himself?

• On-Going Revelation: Revelation was still coming down. If you wrote two verses next to each other, and Allah revealed one in the middle--or an extension to the end of a surah--what then? They didn't have staplers to staple pages into the middle!
• No Need: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) was still alive, and so were his companions, and they were all there with him. What need was there to compile it? The knowledge was there in the community.
• Arrangement was not Finalized: New verses would come down and be added to the middle of surahs. If it's already written in a book, what do you do? How can you fit it in?
• Abrogation: Although abrogated verses are very few, sometimes a verse would be abrogated--so what if it was written down? What do you do with it?

In any case, in Abu Bakr's time, there was a big battle, where 70 huffadh were martyred. After this one battle, 'Umar convinced Abu Bakr--who was hesitant at first--to compile the Qur'an into one book. Prior to this, it was written down in scraps and fragments; and some of it was only memorized, not written down. And 'Umar feared that the unwritten parts would be lost.

So together, they agreed; and they agreed on who would compile the Qur'an--Zayd ibn Thabit (رضي الله عنه‏).

Why Zayd? He was the main scribe of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم), he was a hafidh himself, and he was known was his piety and knowledge of the Qur'an.

What did Zayd say? He was hesitant too, at first--but then he agreed. They all knew the necessity of it. Zayd said, then: "If they had asked me to move a mountain, I would've found that easier then the task they gave me." [Saheeh Bukhari]

Because of the responsibility--the entire Ummah, for all time, is relying on Zayd.

And he compiled it. Despite being a hafidh, he gathered the sahaba. His condition? He would collect verses that two sahaba heard DIRECTLY from the lips of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم)--nothing less.

And he was a hafidh! He knew the WHOLE Qur'an! Still, he made this his criterion.

And so, bit by bit, over eight months, he collected it.

And there it was--the first mushaf, the first fully compiled end-to-end Qur'an.

Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Route 114: Qur'anic Sciences. University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, March 2008.

• Ibn Masood’s Mushaf
• Types of Qira’aat

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Types of Qira’aat

Qira'aat. Recitations. Like other parts of Islam, Qira'aat have been codified--it's a science, just like the science of hadith.

And, just like ahadith, qira'aat have different types. What kind of types? Four types, actually:

1. Saheeh: Authentic qira'aat. To be saheeh, a qira'ah must have an authentic chain of narration back to the Prophet (S), and it must conform with the Uthmanic mushaf. There are ten of these puppies--not seven, as is the common misconception.
2. Shaadh: These qira'aat have an authentic chain of narration back to the Prophet (S), but they don't fit into the Uthmanic mushaf. By consensus of the 'ulama, you cannot recite shaadh qira'aat in salaah. Why are they considered so, if they have an authentic chain? Perhaps because of the importance of the second compilation of the Qur'an. The sahaba made ijmaa, and we have to respect it.
3. Da'eef: weak. These qira'aat don't have an authentic chain of narrators, but a broken chain.
4. Baatil: these are qira'aat that others invented. (Yes, people forge qira'aat, just like they forge ahadith. It's disgusting, I know.)

Which are these ten qira'aat that are authentic? That's another topic for another post!

Oh, and shaadh qira'aat? You can still study them that higher institutions of Islamic learning. A few people study in the faculty of Qur'an and memorize all ten qira'aat--and fewer still study the four shaadh.

Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Route 114: Qur'anic Sciences. University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, March 2008.

• The People of the Ditch (4): The Boy and the Beast
• Burnt Food: An Opportunity
• Where do you Stand with Allah?
• Three Acceptable Types of Lies
• Light of Guidance

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Five Minute Dawa Speech

If you live in a western society, such as Canada, America, England, and so on, be aware that some scholars have said that, for people living in these societies, da'wa is fard 'ayn--an obligation on each and every Muslim. But don't be scared--because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: "By Allah, if Allah were to guide one man through you, it would be better for you than a red camel." [Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim] Better then a shiny red Ferrari!

And, in these societies, what do people think of Muslims? By and far, they think we're backward, oppressed, terrorists. Many of them know less about Islam then what you'd learn at one halaqah.

So what can you do about it? Be prepared. Prepare a five minute basic da'wa speech, and practice it.

Why? Because whether you go to school, work, to the mall, to the restaurant, you'll engage with non-Muslims.

And they'll ask you questions. Questions like why you grow a beard, wear the hijab, don't shake hands with women, pray five times a day, eat with your right hand. All kinds of questions.

And if they do, this is your golden opportunity to explain about Islam! And you should explain tawheed, because all of Islam springs from that. And some of these people, this might be the only chance they have to learn about Islam. Take advantage of that, and explain it to them!

Your da'wa speech should go something like this:

"Well, let me tell you about Islam. We're the purest monotheistic religion. We believe in one God, who sent many Prophets, from Abraham and Moses and Jesus to Muhammad, the last. Our book is called the Qur'an ..."

Add to it, remove to it, as necessary. If they're asking a fiqh question, you might want to mention that Allah is the law-maker, and that everything the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said or did, we take as proof--because Allah authorized him, when He said:

Translation: O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result. [Surah An-Nisaa, verse 59]

THEN you can dive into the specific details of their question--but keep it brief, and conclude it with something tawheed based.

Why is this important? In a couple of minutes, you've likely given them more knowledge of Islam than they've learned in years. You gave them the core--tawheed, belief in Allah, and following the Prophet--and also answered their question. Who can argue with that!

And don't feel bad if they ignore your speech and focus on their question. That's natural. But don't worry--they heard, and the knowledge is there, lurking in their minds, until Allah makes them remember.

What other things are important to put into (or leave out of) the five-minute da'wa speech? What are some of your experiences with this? Post them in the comments insha'Allah and share the 'ilm!

• A Minute at a Time
• The Definition of The Qur’an
• Who Can Recite a Third of the Qur’an Tonight?
• Genesis
• Wear Islam Responsibly

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Route 114: Qur’anic Sciences

Route 114: Qur'anic Sciences is an AlMaghrib Institute course taught by Yasir Qadhi.

The science of the Qur'an: one of the sciences that reaches out into and forms a foundation for almost every other Islamic science. Topics include: the definition of the Qur'an, the rewards of the Qur'an, the blessings of the Qur'an, the origin of the Qur'an, the recitation of the Qur'an (tajweed); the science of qira'at; ahruf; the science of tafseer; wahiy (revelation); Mecci and Madani verses; the arrangement of surahs and ayahs; abrogation; the miraculous nature of the Qur'an; translation; memorization.

What a list! And Uloom-ul-Qur'an touches on all these fields, many of which are sub-fields (specializations) of Uloom-ul-Qur'an! Almost anything you want to know about the Qur'an is here! So hit up the links below, and learn all about this beautiful, much-neglected book of our times: The Qur'an.

• AlMaghrib
• Ibn Masood's Mushaf
• QMajd Issue 2: Route 114
• Route 114: Qur'anic Sciences
• The Definition of The Qur'an
• The First Compilation
• Types of Qira'aat

• Qur'an

Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Route 114: Qur’anic Sciences. University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, March 2008.

• QMajd Issue 2: Route 114
• AlMaghrib
• Types of Qira’aat
• The Definition of The Qur’an
• The First Compilation

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The Definition of The Qur’an

So what exactly is the Qur'an?

Scholars define the Qur'an as this: The Arabic speech of Allah that was revealed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) both in word and in meaning. It is collected between the two covers of the mushaaf, was narrated in mutawaatir chains, and is a challenge to humankind.

We can learn five important things about the Qur'an from this definition.

1. The Arabic speech of Allah: The Qur'an is the speech of Allah, in Arabic. This means that anything that's not Arabic isn't the Qur'an. You can't pray in English, in French, in Swahili, in Urdu--it has to be in Arabic.
2. Revealed to the Prophet: We know that Allah revealed many revelations--including the Injeel and the Tawrah and the Zabur. Those are also revelation of Allah--but they're not the Qur'an. Only what Allah revealed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is Qur'an.
3. Revealed in Word and Meaning: Not Only is the meaning of the Qur'an the same as what Allah meant; but the words themselves are also from Allah. (Unlike Hadith Qudsi, where the meaning is from Allah, and the words are from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم))
4. Collected between Two Covers: Hadith Qudsi is also the speech of Allah, but it's not Qur'an. Similarly, there are verses that used to be in the Qur'an, but aren't anymore--even though they were once! These are the abrogated verses, and they're not considered Qur'an anymore, even though we still know what some of those revelations were.
5. Mutawaatir: The Qur'an was related in a mutawaatir fashion--so many narrators narrated it, at every single step in the chain of narration, that it's impossible that they all lied or made a mistake.
6. A Challenge to Humankind: The Qur'an is an ongoing challenge to the human race--create a book, a surah, a verse like it; but nay, we will NEVER be able to. Allah Himself says so.

One other important part of the definition of the Qur'an is that Allah promised that He will protect it, until the end of time--and that promise doesn't apply to anything else (such as the sunnah, or the Hadith Qudsi).

And you thought you knew the Qur'an!

May Allah allow us all to become saahibul-Qur'an, Companions of the Qur'an, those whom Allah will give the highest level of jannah (ameen)!

Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Route 114: Qur'anic Sciences. University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, March 2008.

• Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah
• Route 114: Qur’anic Sciences
• The Pen is Lifted From Three
• Sofa Fard, Bucket-Seat Fard
• The Qur’an on Battle Tactics

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Comfortable?

Bismillah

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, "How can I feel comfort while the angel responsible for The Trumpet has placed The Trumpet to his mouth and lowered his forehead, awaiting when he will be commanded (by Allah to blow in it)?"

They said, "O Allah's Messenger, what should we say?''

He said, "Say: Allah is sufficient for us, and He is Al-Wakeel (the best disposer of affairs); We have placed our trust in Allah." (hasbunAllaha wa ni'mal Wakeel, 'ala Allahi tawakalnaa)

The Companions repeated this invocation, saying, "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is Al-Wakeel (the best disposer of affairs); We have placed our trust in Allah." [Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Saheeh according to Shaykh Albani]

Another example of this du'aa is the last ayah of Surah Tawbah:

Transliteration: HasbiyAllahu, la ilaha il Huwa, 'alayhi tawakaltu, wa Huwa Rabb al-'arsh al-'atheem.

Translation: Allah is sufficient for me. I have placed my trust in Him, He is the Lord of the Majestic Throne. [Surah Tawbah, verse 129]

What is the significance of saying this du'a from surah Tawbah?

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, "Allah will grant whoever recites this seven times in the morning and evening whatever he desires from this world or the next." [Saheeh, Sunan Abee Dawood]

• Umm Sulaym and the Death of her Son
• The Parable of Spouses and Garments

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The Assassination of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab

'Umar ibn Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه‏) was the second khalifa, and one of the ten companions promised Jannah in their lifetimes.

'Umar (رضي الله عنه‏) used to be a soldier--one of the best. But when he became the khalifah, the other companions refused to let him fight--he disagreed with them, but in the end, he stayed back in Medinah while the battles waged. Yet he always made one du'a, publicly and privately, throughout his khilafah: "Allahumma ruziqniy shahaadah," "O Allah, provide me with martyrdom."

People told him he was crazy--he was the Khalifah, of all people, and in a city full of Muslims! And, being the Khalifa, they didn't allow him to fight. But Subhanallah, Allah knew his sincerity, and answered his du'a.

While he was in Medina, there was a Majuwsi (fire-worshiper) who was a slave, a man by the name of Abu Lu' Lu'. Abu Lu' Lu' was an expert blacksmith, and a slave, captured during the conquest of Nahawand. He was in Medina, making things for the Muslims. His slave-master, though--a Muslim--would take a lot of his earnings.

So knowing the reputation of 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه‏) for justice, he went to 'Umar and told him: "Ask my master to reduce what he's taking from me."

And 'Umar (رضي الله عنه‏) told him: "be patient."

Now, Abu Lu' Lu' got mad--furious! And he went away furious.

Meanwhile, 'Umar (رضي الله عنه‏) went to Abu Lu' Lu's master, and told him to reduce what he was taking from Abu Lu' Lu', which he agreed.

Unknown, Abu Lu' Lu' stewed in his rage. Being a master blacksmith, he crafted a knife--a special knife, made of two curving blades, made out of stone. He bought poison, and soaked his knife in it. He asked the person he bought the poison from, "if I cut someone with this, is there any chance they will survive?" and the person said "no."

Now, at that time, 'Umar (رضي الله عنه‏) would lead salaah in the masjid. And this was well-known. So one day, at Fajr, Abu Lu' Lu' snuck into the masjid. After salaah started, while 'Umar was praying, he jumped out and stabbed him.

One companion narrates, that 'Umar said: "The dog has eaten 'Umar."

Abu Lu' Lu' turned to make his escape; but the Muslims prayed so close to each other, he couldn't escape--so he stabbed his way out. He killed several companions (almost a dozen), until one of them threw a cloth on top of him and tackled him to the floor. He then commited suicide.

Now, imagine: Fajr in the masjid, ,and the Khalifa is lying on the floor in a pool of blood. One narration says that even then, at that time, 'Umar said "finish the salaah, finish the salaah"--because sunrise was coming. Subhanallah, priorities!

They knew 'Umar (رضي الله عنه‏) was going to die--he would eat food, and it would come out of his wounds. And when he realized who stabbed him, he said, why did the man stab him? He had gone to ask Abu Lu' Lu's slave master to lower his wages.

He sent a messenger to 'Aishah (رضي الله عنها‏). Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه‏) and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) were buried in the Prophet's house, and there was space for one more grave. So he sent a messenger to 'Aisha, and told him to ask her if he could have that spot.

'Aishah (رضي الله عنها‏) narrates: "I was thinking of saving that spot for myself, but ..." and she gave it to him. When the messenger returned, 'Umar (رضي الله عنه‏) told him "go again, and this time, tell her 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab is asking, not Ameer al-Mu'mineen." Subhanallah! Even at the time of his death, he was worried that he was using his position to get gains for himself.

So the messenger went back, and 'Aishah (رضي الله عنها‏) said "yes, give it to him."

So he died (رضي الله عنه‏), and they buried him with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه‏).

And so, in the most unexpected time and place--the Khalifa praying Fajr in the masjid, surrounded by Muslims--Allah answered 'Umar's (رضي الله عنه‏) du'a and made him shaheed.

As for the people who provided Abu Lu' Lu' the poison, they resurfaced during the murder of 'Uthmaan ...

Muhammad Alshareef. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Conquest: History of the Khulafa. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2005.

• Four Empowering Beliefs from ibn Al-Khattab
• Pain Brings Change
• ‘Umar and the Eloquent Woman
• When you Choose a Leader, Someone ALWAYS Disagrees
• Az-Zubayr and Yarmuk: The Man Worth 1000 Fighters

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