What Are the Rights of the Quran upon a Person?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

What are the rights of the Quran upon a person?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

Undoubtedly, the Holy Quran is the eternal miracle of Islam, which only becomes more deeply rooted in miraculousness as scientific progress advances. It was revealed by Allah to our Messenger Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) to lead people out of darkness into light and guide them to the straight path.

The Quran is what is written in the mushafs, beginning with the Basmala in Surat Fatiha and ending with Surat Nas, and it is the same as what is inscribed in the Preserved Tablet, about which Allah (Most High) says:

“In fact, this is a glorious Quran, (recorded) in a Preserved Tablet.” [Quran, 85:21-22],

In the Preserved Record, as He (Most High) says, “(…) that this is truly a noble Quran, in a well-preserved Record, touched by none except the purified (angels).” [Quran, 56:77-79],

In the Honored Scrolls, as Allah Most High says, “But no! This (revelation) is truly a reminder. So let whoever wills be mindful of it. It is (written) on pages held in honor—highly esteemed, purified—by the hands of angel-scribes, honorable and virtuous.” [Quran, 80:11-16]

It is the book regarding which the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), as narrated by Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (Allah be pleased with him), said, “The example of the one who recites the Quran is like that of a citron; its taste is sweet, and its scent is pleasant. And the one who does not recite the Quran is like a date; its taste is sweet, but it has no scent. The example of a wicked person who recites the Quran is like basil; its scent is pleasant, but its taste is bitter. And the example of a wicked person who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth; its taste is bitter, and it has no scent.” [Bukhari]

The virtues of the Quran are numerous, indeed too many to count or enumerate… How could it not be, when it is the book whose wonders never cease? Thus, those who hold Allah’s words in great esteem are keen to mention the etiquettes and rights toward this noble book.

Rights of the Quran

Among the rights of the Quran upon a person are:

Word of Allah Most High

Among its rights are to believe that it is the word of Allah (Most High), revealed to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) as revelation, and that it is not created like the speech of creation, affirming the saying of Allah (Most High):

“(They prayed to Allah,) ‘Our Lord! We believe in Your revelations and follow the messenger, so count us among those who bear witness.’” [Quran, 3:53]

Proper Etiquette

Among the rights of the Quran upon a person is to observe proper etiquette when reciting it, which includes:

It is recommended that the reciter is in a state of ritual purity.

The reciter should be in a dignified and serene posture during recitation, venerating the state they are in, contemplative and humble; so the recitation brings about its effect in opening the heart and enlightening the heart, as Allah (Most High) says, “(This is) a blessed Book which We have revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ so that they may contemplate its verses, and people of reason may be mindful.” [Quran, 38:29]

Aiding in contemplation and humility is repeating the verse being recited. Indeed, the Chosen One (Allah bless him and give him peace) repeated a verse until morning, which is the saying of Allah (Most High), “If You punish them, they belong to You after all. But if You forgive them, You are surely the Almighty, All-Wise.” [Quran, 5:118; Ahmad]

Reciting the Quran melodiously, as Allah (Most High) says, “And recite the Quran (properly) in a measured way.” [Quran, 73:4]

The minimum requirement for measured recitation includes articulating each letter clearly without allowing them to blend into each other and without compromising the rules of Tajwid as mentioned in the books of Tajwid, such as paying attention to the exit points of letters, their characteristics, and giving each letter its due right…

Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) said, “To recite al-Baqara and Ali-‘Imran in a melodious and contemplative manner is more beloved to me than reciting them hastily.”

Note: Melodious recitation is recommended not just for contemplation, but also for non-Arabic speakers who do not understand the meanings of the Quran.

They should recite in a measured and serene manner, as this is closer to veneration and respect and has a greater impact on the heart than rapid and careless recitation. [Ghazali, Ihya’]

Beautifying the voice with the Quran, for beautiful speech becomes even more beautiful and majestic with a beautiful voice, and beautifying the voice with the Quran is a sunna agreed upon by the scholars of the Companions and those who followed them in goodness, as the Chosen One (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Beautify the Quran with your voices.” [Ahmad]

And he also said: “He is not one of us who does not chant the Quran.” [Bukhari]

Note: There is no harm in reading the Quran with known tunes, provided that the rules of recitation mentioned by the scholars of Tajwid are adhered to so that the tunes do not overpower the rules, resulting in the distortion of the Quran by stretching the letters and other prohibited actions warned against by the scholars of recitation.

Revering the Speaker (Most High), for when the reciter commences the recitation, they should bear in mind the greatness of the Speaker (Most High) and know that what they are reading is not the speech of humans; for this reverence, Ikrima Ibn Abi Jahl would faint when he spread the mushaf, saying: “It is the speech of my Lord, it is the speech of my Lord.” [Ghazali, Ihya’]

Engaging the heart and abandoning self-talk. This means being fully devoted to it during its recitation, with one’s concern directed solely towards it. It was asked of someone: When you read the Quran, do you talk to yourself about something? He said: “Is there anything dearer to me than the Quran that I should occupy myself with it?!”

Contemplation

Among the rights of the Quran is its contemplation, which leads to adherence. It was narrated from our master ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him), who said, “There is no good in worship without understanding, nor in reading without contemplation.” [Ibid.]

Adherence is the fruit of contemplation, without which the Quran’s objectives cannot be achieved. Contemplation is the essence of religiosity and devotion. How beautiful it is for the reader to contemplate the words of Allah (Most High), “Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not take others as guardians besides Him. How seldom are you mindful!” [Quran, 7:3]

And to ponder over the words of Allah, “Indeed, that is My Path—perfectly straight. So follow it and do not follow other ways, for they will lead you away from His Way. This is what He has commanded you, so perhaps you will be conscious (of Allah).” [Quran, 6:153]

And to reflect upon the words of Allah, “Say, (O Prophet,) ‘If you (sincerely) love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’” [Quran, 3:31]

And to consider the words of Allah Most High, “And follow the way of those who turn to Me (in devotion).” [Quran, 31:15]

Stick By It

Fourthly, not to abandon it, as abandoning the Quran includes not believing in it, not acting according to it, not reading it, and not contemplating it. People have different habits regarding the frequency of their recitation; some may complete the Quran once every day and night, some twice, and some even three times, while others may complete it once a month…

This varies according to the individuals, their conditions, and how much they contemplate what they read. One of the righteous people said: I have a completion every Friday, and a completion every month, and a completion every year, and I have had a completion for thirty years that I have not yet finished. This is according to the degrees of his contemplation and examination.

And this man also said: “I have set myself in the position of those who work daily, weekly, monthly, and annually.” [Ghazali, Ihya’]

Care

We should take care to print the Quran free from alteration and distortion and honor it by not reading it in impure places like bathrooms.

Reverence

Treating it with the reverence it deserves, and not diverting it from its purpose, such as limiting its recitation to the deceased or in condolence gatherings at the time of death; for this is not what the Quran was revealed for, as Allah (Most High) says:

“(This is) a blessed Book which We have revealed to you (O Prophet) so that they may contemplate its verses, and people of reason may be mindful.”[Quran, 38:29]

He also said, “This is) a Book which We have revealed to you (O Prophet) so that you may lead people out of darkness and into light, by the Will of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. [Quran, 14:1]

Cautious

Being cautious about speaking on the interpretation of the Quran without knowledge, as speaking about the meanings of the Quran based merely on opinion is forbidden and leads one to attribute falsehood to Allah (Most High), which is among the greatest of sins. Allah (Most High) said:

“Do not follow what you have no (sure) knowledge of. Indeed, all will be called to account for (their) hearing, sight, and intellect.” [Quran, 17:36]

Apply

Acting upon it and applying its judgments, making it the criterion in people’s religious and worldly affairs; for indeed, Allah revealed the Book with truth and balance so that people may act with justice and judge among people in what they differ, “And judge between them (O Prophet) by what Allah has revealed.” [Quran, 5:49]

Study

Studying it as it deserves to be studied, understanding it based on the principles of its interpretation, defending it against the misinterpretations of the distorters, the bias of the prejudiced in understanding its meanings, and the doubters in its authenticity, call, and legislation.

Attention

The rights of the Quran upon Muslims include paying the utmost attention to appreciating the beauty in its eloquence and the miracle of its expression, reflecting on its parables, stories, and admonitions, and delving into its pearls, for it is the Book whose wonders never cease.

Following its Guidance

It is the right of the Quran on every Muslim to shape their life and behavior according to its guidance, to adhere to its rulings in every detail of their life, and to embody them in conduct that lives, and in a character and humanity that elevate them above all the standards of the world.

Love

It is the right of the Quran to instill its love in our children and families.

Calling to Allah

It is the right of the Quran on every Muslim to convey the call of faith in it to the world in compliance with the duty and acting upon the obligation of calling to Allah that comes with the Book of Allah, which the Quran has placed upon Muslims in general and the Arabs in particular, granting them honor, dignity, and respect in the world. Allah (Most High) said:

“Surely this (Quran) is a glory for you and your people. And you will (all) be questioned (about it).” [Quran, 43:44]

And the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Convey from me, even if it is only one verse.” [Ahmad]

Reminder

To remind our kin, those far and all people at large with it, for the perfection of the grace of the Quran is to gift its fruits, and to remind with its verses those who are distant from it as those who are near; as the Chosen One (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The best among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” [Bukhari]

He also said, “Envy is not justified except in two cases: a man whom Allah has taught the Quran and he recites it during the hours of the night and the hours of the day, and his neighbor hears him and says, ‘Would that I were given what he has been given, and did what he does.’” [Ibid.]

Helping Others

Among the rights of the Quran upon individuals is to provide Islamic books and programs related to the Quran, either for free or at a nominal cost, available to everyone interested in learning the Quran and its rulings. The so-called copyright or intellectual property rights should be waived when it concerns the Book of Allah, or the cost should only cover the expenses incurred in preparing these programs and applications, for Allah (Most High) says:

“You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah.” [Quran, 3:110]

For His Sake

Among the rights of the Quran upon an individual is that whoever Allah has blessed with the knowledge of the Quran’s recitation rules or its readings should impart what Allah has taught him without expecting any compensation, and should not charge for teaching the Quran unless in dire need. The people of the Quran are like a tree whose goodness is not limited to itself; its fruit is for the people, and its shade is for the people, just like the preserver of the Quran and its reciter when conveying Allah’s proof to His servants.

May Allah have mercy on Imam Al-Busiri when he says:

الله أكبر إنَّ دينَ محمدٍ … وكتابَهُ أقوى وأقومُ قيلا
طلعت به شمسُ الهداية للورى … وأبى لها وصفُ الكمال أُفولا
والحقُّ أبلجُ في شريعته التي … جمعت فروعًا للهدى وأُصولا
لا تذكروا الكتْبَ السوالفَ عنده … طلعَ الصباحُ فأطفئوا القنديلا

Allah is Greatest, indeed the religion of Muhammad… And His Book are stronger and more upright in speech
With it arose the sun of guidance for humanity… And its description of perfection refused to set
And the truth is clear in His Shari‘a, which… Gathered branches for guidance and fundamentals
Do not mention the old books beside it… Dawn has arisen, so extinguish the candle.

Conclusion

I conclude with a question asked of a scholar: Which verse is suitable to be a title for the entire Quran so that if it were written on the back of the Mushaf, it would serve as a complete definition of it, encompassing all the universal meanings found within, just as major books are defined by short sentences? The scholar’s answer was the words of Allah (Most High):

“This (Quran) is a (sufficient) message for humanity so that they may take it as a warning and know that there is only One God, and so that people of reason may be mindful.” [Quran, 14:52]

Note: For further details on the aforementioned points, one can refer to the following sources:

Nur al-Din ‘Itr’s Ulum al-Quran on page 289;
Al-Muqaddimat al-Assasiyya fi ‘Ulum al-Quran on page 487;
Mawsu‘at Mahasin al-Islam wa Radd al-Shubuhat al-Li’am by Sulayman Dari‘ [Volume 1, page 173]

Ending Supplications

We ask Allah the Great, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, by His beautiful names and sublime attributes, to enliven our hearts with the Quran, and to make us from the people of the Quran.

O Allah, we ask You to elevate our mention with the Quran, to guide our stray with it, to unite our ranks with it, to firm our hearts with it, and to expand our chests with it.

O Allah, we ask for the love of the Quran, to act upon it, to call to it, and to remain steadfast upon this until we meet You, so it may be an argument for us, not against us.

O Allah, guide us to recite it as it should be recited, to understand it as it should be understood, to act upon it as it should be acted upon, and to serve its call as You love and are pleased. Indeed, You are the Guardian of that and the One capable of it, Amin.

Our final supplication is that all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and may Allah send blessings upon our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and upon his Family and Companions.

And Allah (Most High) knows best.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa