By Sheikh Saleh ibn Muhammad Al Talib – 20 Shaban 1437
His Eminence Sheikh Saleh ibn Muhammad Al Talib –May Allah protect him– delivered this Friday Khutbah titled “The Effect of the Holy Qur’an on Hearts” in which he talked about the effect that the Holy Qur’an has on hearts, pointing out its impact on the polytheists when they heard it and how the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ felt upon reciting it and hearing it recited. He also showed its effect on the Prophet’s Companions and others, such as the Jinn and the angels, and concluded with mentioning some Hadiths about the merit of reciting the Holy Qur’an and that of those who have learned it.
Praise be to Allah! “All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, Who has sent down to His slave (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) the Book (the Qur’ân), and has not placed therein any crookedness. (He has made it) Straight to give warning (to the disbelievers) of a severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allâh Islâmic Monotheism), who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a fair reward (i.e. Paradise)” [Al-Kahf: 1-2]. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger. May Allah send His Salat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy), Peace and Blessing upon him, his family and all his Companions!
Now then,
The best speech is Allah’s Book, and the best guidance is Muhammad’s – May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him! The worst of all things are the novelties (in religion), and every novelty is a Bid’ah (unlawful innovation in religion) and every bid’ah is misguidance.
“O You who Believe! Fear Allâh and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what you do” [Al-Hashr: 18]
I exhort you to observe taqwa (fear of disobeying Allah) so that you may succeed. Do as many good deeds as you possibly can because you will soon be leaving (this world to the next).
“Whosoever does a good deed, it is for his ownself, and whosoever does evil, it is against (his own self). Then to your Lord you will be made to return” [Al-Jathiyah: 15]
Mention Allah Almighty when you are in prosperity, and He will mention you when you are in adversity. If you mention death, count yourself as one of the dead, and if your soul tempted you to covet some of its joys, look at the consequences.
O Servants of Allah!
Living under the auspices of the Qur’an is a divine grace experienced only by the one who was given it. It is a grace that blesses and purifies life, guides the heart and makes it happy. What greater grace is there for a poor servant other than that of being spoken to by the Lord –May He be extolled– through this Qur’an?
“Is it not sufficient for them that We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’ân) which is recited to them? Verily, herein is mercy and a reminder (or an admonition) for a people who believe” [Al-Ankaboot: 51]
It is indeed a bounty, mercy and remembrance:
“Say: “In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur’ân); -therein let them rejoice.” That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.” [Yunus: 58]
Exegetes (of the Holy Qur’an) say that Allah’s bounty is Islam and His mercy is the Qur’an:
“Say: “In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur’ân); -therein let them rejoice.” That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.” [Yunus: 58]
The soul should be filled with joy owing to the Qur’an, and happiness and pleasure should be shining on the faces, extended to homes and societies. It is the joy of this Qur’an and of this bounty for which Allah has praised Himself before His praising servants could praise Him:
“All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, Who has sent down to His slave (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) the Book (the Qur’ân), and has not placed therein any crookedness.).”” [Al-Kahf: 1]
This great book sent to this Muhammadan Ummah is indeed a way of life. It is the Message of Islam conveyed by the proselytizer and the preacher by which they can move people’s hearts. It is the tongue of the khatib (preacher) on his pulpit. It carries enough preaching and guidance. Sciences are honoured by approximating this Qur’an.
O Muslims!
People have had certain positions with the Qur’an that have been proven by the Qur’an itself. There have been events recorded by history and stories circulated showing the effect of the Qur’an on souls:
“Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. It (the Qur’an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of the Allâh’s existing Books [the Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allâh] and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe.” [Yusuf: 111]
Ibn Is-haq and others narrated the story of Utbah ibn Rabi’ah which says that when Quraish knew that Islam was spreading, they selected their best men to go and talk to the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him! So when Abu al-Walid Utbah ibn Rabi’ah came to the Prophet and talked to him for a long time, the Prophet listened to him attentively.
When he was through, the Prophet asked him: “Have you said all you have to say, Aba Al-Walid?” “Yes, I have,” he answered. Then the Prophet recited to him the beginning of Surat Fussilat: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful:
“HâMîm. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings.]. A revelation from Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. A Book whereof the Verses are explained in detail; A Qur’ân in Arabic for people who know. Giving glad tidings [of Paradise to the one who believes in the Oneness of Allâh (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism) and fears Allâh much (abstains from all kinds of sins and evil deeds) and loves Allâh much (performing all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], and warning (of punishment in the Hell Fire to the one who disbelieves in the Oneness of Allâh), but most of them turn away, so they listen not” [Fussilat: 1-4]
The Prophet continued reciting and Utbah was listening to him with his hand behind his back, until the Prophet reached the verse:
“But if they turn away, then say (O Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam): “I have warned you of a Sâ’iqah (a destructive awful cry, torment, hit, a thunderbolt) like the Sâ’iqah which overtook ‘Ad and Thamûd (people).”” [Fussilat: 13]
Utbah put his hand on the Prophet’s mouth and begged him in the name of Allah and kinship to stop.
Other versions (of the same story) narrate that Utbah returned to his people who said to each other: “We swear that Abu al-Walid returned to you with a different face!” When he sat with them, they asked him to tell them what happened. “I swear to Allah that I heard something like never before in my life,” he said. “I swear to Allah that it is not magic, poetry or divination. O, Quraish! Obey me and count it as a favour to me. Let the man have his own way. I swear to Allah that what I heard will have a great impact. If the Arabs put an end to him, you would get rid of him through someone else. Should he prevail, then his triumph and his glory would be yours too; this would make you the happiest of all,” he concluded. “He must have cast a spell on you, Aba al-Walid, with his tongue,” they said to him. “That’s what I think of him, so do what you like,” he replied.
O Servants of Allah!
When the polytheists saw the magnificent effect the Qur’an had on people, and how people converted to Islam when they heard its divine verses, they advised each other not to listen to the Qur’an:
“And those who disbelieve say: “Listen not to this Qur’ân, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome.”” [Fussilat: 26]
The polytheists used to enjoy listening to the Qur’an when the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ recited it. Abu Sufian, Abu Jahl and other Qurashi dignitaries used to sneak surreptitiously at night to the house of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ just to listen to the Qur’an.
One night, Abu Sufian ibn Harb, Abu Jahl and al-Akhnas ibn Shuraiq al-Thaqafi went out to listen to the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ reciting the Qur’an in his prayers at home. Each took his place around the house of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him! None of them knew about his companion’s presence there. They spent the night listening to the Qur’an.
What a night it was! The night the polytheists spent listening to the Holy Qur’an being recited by the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him! Soon it was daybreak, so they dispersed only to meet on their way back (to their homes). They started blaming one another and agreed not to do it again. “If some idiots saw you, they would suspect that you are up to something,” they said. So they agreed not to do it again and went their way.
The following night, each one returned to his former place to listen to the Qur’an and did exactly what he did the previous night. They kept coming for three nights. [The story was narrated by ibn Is-haq and others with an authentic chain of narration]
Quoted by al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Jubair ibn Mut’im ibn ‘Adiy –May Allah be pleased with him‒ said: “I came to the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒as member of the Badr prisoners-of-war delegation, and heard him recite (surat) Al-Toor at Maghreb prayer. When he reached “Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no firm Belief. Or are with them the treasures of your Lord? Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like?” [Al-Toor: 35-37], I felt that my heart was about to get out of it place.
Some versions other than that in Sahih go thus: “I felt distressed by his way of reciting,” or “I felt as if my heart cracked.” But in the Sahih, we read: “That was the first sign that belief started to be instilled in my heart.” Nonetheless, he ‒May Allah be pleased with him‒ did not embrace Islam until after the Hudaibiyah Peace Treaty and the Conquest of Makkah.
Further proof of the wonderful effect of the Qur’an comes from a story narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih quoting Qutbah ibn Malik –May Allah be pleased with him! He said: “I performed my prayer, and the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒was leading the prayers and he recited: “Qâf1. By the Glorious Qur’ân.” [Qaf: 1] until he reached “And tall date-palms, with ranged clusters.” [Qaf: 10]. He said: “I started repeating it and lost track of what he said after that.”
O Servants of Allah!
Prophet Muhammad ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ to whom the Qur’an was revealed liked to listen to it recited by someone else. He told ibn Mas’ud –May Allah be please with him: “Read me the Qur’an,” and he started to read from the beginning of Surat Al-Nisa’. When he reached “How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) as a witness against these people?” [Al-Nisa’: 41], he said: “Enough now!” When ibn Mas’ud looked at him, he saw tears flowing from his eyes.
Abdullah ibn Amru ibn Al-As –May Allah be pleased with both of them‒ reported that the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ recited what Allah ‒Glorified be He‒ said about Ibrahim (Abraham) ‒Peace be upon him: “”O my Lord! They have indeed led astray many among mankind. But whoso follows me, he verily is of me.” [Ibrahim: 36] and about Issa (Jesus) ‒Peace be upon him: “”If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the AllMighty, the AllWise”” [Al-Maidah: 118]. Then, he raised his hands and said: “O Allah! My Ummah, my Ummah!” and he started to cry. Allah ‒Glorified be He‒ said: “O Jibreel! Go to Muhammad –and Your Lord knows best– and ask him: “Why are you crying?” Jibreel came to the Prophet and asked him, and the Prophet answered him. Allah ‒Glorified be He‒ said: “O Jibreel! Go to Muhammad and tell him: ‘We are going to keep you happy with your Ummah and We will never let you down!” [Narrated by Imam Muslim]
O Servants of Allah!
Before emigration to Madinah, the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ dispatched Mus’ab ibn Umair –May Allah be pleased with him– there to teach and guide people. He stayed with As’ad ibn Zurarah. He invited him to Islam and recited the Qur’an to him, and the latter embraced Islam. People heard of Mus’ab, and Sa’d ibn Mu’ath, the master of the Aws tribe, came to see him wearing his pair of cuirasses with the intent to kill him. As’ad ibn Zurarah told him: “Cousin! Listen to him first. If you hear something evil, disprove it, and if you hear something righteous respond to him!”
“What does he say?” Sa’d asked. Mus’ab then recited: “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful: “HâMîm2. By the manifest Book (that makes things clear, i.e. this Qur’ân). We verily, have made it a Qur’ân in Arabic, that you may be able to understand (its meanings and its admonitions). And Verily, it (this Qur’ân) is in the Mother of the Book (i.e. Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz), before Us, indeed Exalted, full of Wisdom. Shall We then (warn you not and) take away the Reminder (this Qur’ân) from you, because you are a people Musrifûn.” [Al-Zukhuf 1-5]. These are only the first verses of Surat Al-Zukhruf. Sa’d ibn Mu’ath then embraced Islam and became a magnanimous mujahid for whose death the Divine Throne shook!
Biographers narrate that Sa’d returned to his people and said: “You will never talk to me until you believe in Allah and His Messenger. We swear to Allah that when the evening fell, no man or woman from the House of Bani Abd Al-Ash-hal (a big branch from the Aws tribe) was but a Muslim.”
Remember Omar (ibn al-Khattab) –May Allah be pleased with him– who would always heed Allah’s hudood3, admonish people with the Qur’an and reminds them of Allah through it: Ibn Abi Hatim and others narrated that a courageous man from Sham used to visit Omar ibn al-Khataab ‒May Allah be pleased with him! Omar missed him and said: “what did so and so do?” They said: “O Commander of the Faithful! He gave in to drinking.” Omar called his scribe and said: “Write down: ‘from Omar ibn al-Khataab to so and so. Peace be upon you. Now then, I praise Allah to you. There is no deity but Him, alone with no associate, the Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment, the Owner of abundance. There is no deity but Him; to Him is the destination.’”4
Then Omar said to his companions: Supplicate that your brother accepts this wholeheartedly, and that Allah may accept his repentance. When the man received Omar’s letter, he started to read it repeatedly saying: “(The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment.) He warned me against his punishment and promised to forgive my sins.” The man continued to repeat this verse to himself crying. Then, he totally gave up drinking sincerely and for good. When Omar ‒May Allah be pleased with him‒ heard this news, he said: “Do likewise. When you see that your brother has committed a wrongdoing, correct him, guide him, and supplicate Allah to accept his repentance. But don’t be assistants of Satan against him.”
O Believers!
The Qur’an had also its effect on the hearts of Christian priests:
And when they (who call themselves Christians) listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognised. They say: “Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses. [Al-Ma’dah: 83]
Even more, the most notorious of disobedient Jinn, who used to eavesdrop (in heaven) before its revelation, were affected by it:
Say (O Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam): “It has been revealed to me that a group (from three to ten in number) of jinns listened (to this Qur’ân). They said: ‘Verily! We have heard a wonderful Recital (this Qur’ân)! (1) ‘It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allâh). [Al-Jinn: 1-2]
The Jinn came down to the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ while he was reading the Qur’an under a palm tree. When they heard it, they said: “Listen to it!” They were nine Jinns. Then, Allah ‒Glorified be He‒ revealed the following verses:
And (remember) when We sent towards you (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) Nafran (three to ten persons) of the jinns, (quietly) listening to the Qur’ân, when they stood in the presence thereof, they said: “Listen in silence!” And when it was finished, they returned to their people, as warners. (29) They said: “O our people! Verily! We have heard a Book (this Qur’ân) sent down after Mûsa (Moses), confirming what came before it, it guides to the truth and to a Straight Path (i.e. Islâm). (30) O our people! Respond (with obedience) to Allâh’s Caller (i.e. Allâh’s Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), and believe in him (i.e. believe in that which Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has brought from Allâh and follow him). He (Allâh) will forgive you of your sins, and will save you from a painful torment (i.e. Hell-fire)(31). And whosoever does not respond to Allâh’s Caller, he cannot escape on earth, and there will be no Auliyâ’ (protectors) for him besides Allâh (from Allâh’s Punishment). Those are in manifest error. [Al-Ahqaf: 29-32]
Have you ever read anything better than these words!?
If this was this is the Jinn’s manner of speaking about the Qur’an, the Angels too have their own manner about it. In the two “Sahih” books (by Bukhari and Muslim), Osaid ibn Hudhair ‒May Allah be pleased with him‒ said that while he was reading the Holy Qur’an (surat al-Baqarah) at night and his mare tied close to him, the mare suddenly moved around. So he stopped and the mare calmed down. Then, he resumed reading, and again, it moved around, so he stopped, and it calmed down. Then, he resumed reading, and again it moved around. So, he stopped reading for he was afraid that the mare would hurt his son Yahia who was close by. The next morning, he told the story to the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him. So the Prophet said to him: “Read, O Ibn Hudhair!” He replied: “I was afraid ‒O Messenger of Allah‒ that the horse would tread on Yahia who was close to it. I looked up to the sky and saw something like a cloud with things like lanterns. I went out to see them. The Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ said: “Do you know what those were?” He replied: “No.” the Prophet said: “Those were the angels; they came down closer to hear your voice. Had you continued to read, the people would have been able to see them in the morning without them concealing themselves.”
Such are the news of the Jinn and the angels. As for the mountains, this is what Allah told us about them:
Had We sent down this Qur’ân on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allâh. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. [Al-Hashr: 21]
Had the hearts had real hearts and consciousness, and the Qur’an were revealed to them, then they would have been cleft out of fear of Allah:
Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect [Al-Hashr: 21]
May Allah bless us with the Great Qur’an and guide us to His straight path! Having said this, I ask Allah the Almighty to forgive you and me!
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