The Virtue of the Holy Quran and Our Duty Towards It

Dr.mohamed noredeen

Praise be to Allah, Who revealed the Book to His servant, eliminated all doubt and ambiguity from it, deposited marvelous and astonishing knowledge within it, and made it a guidance for mankind and clear proofs in the most eloquent language and lucid discourse. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partner, the Lord of all lords. And I bear witness that our master Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family, and his companions until the Day of Return.

To proceed: Verily, among the greatest clear proofs and miraculous signs with which Allah supported His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the Holy Quran. It is the protective shield, the everlasting blessing, the conclusive proof, and the irrefutable evidence. It is the source of guidance and the path to ultimate bliss. From it, rulings are deduced, and through it, the lawful (Halal) is distinguished from the prohibited (Haram).

Allah the Almighty revealed it as a comprehensive methodology for His servants to govern their lives, regulate their behavior, and practically apply it in all their affairs. He embedded within it an educational and spiritual approach that leads whoever follows it to happiness in both worlds. Every bliss attained in this life and the Hereafter is rooted in seeking guidance from it and following its tenets. Allah the Almighty states regarding it:

﴿يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ﴾

"By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path." [Surah Al-Ma'idah: 16]

Our Lord (Glorified and Exalted be He) revealed the Holy Quran as a mercy to the worlds, a proof against all creation, and an everlasting miracle for the master of the first and the last generations. Allah magnified its status, elevated its authority, and weighed mankind by its scale. Whomever elevates the Quran, Allah elevates him, and whomever discards it, Allah humbles him. The Prophet ﷺ stated:

"إن الله يرفع بهذا الكتاب أقواما ويضع به آخرين"

"Verily, Allah elevates nations by this Book and debases others by it." [Sahih Muslim: 817, narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab]

The Prophetic Merits of Quranic Recitation

Our Lord has urged us to recite what is easy for us from its text, stating:

﴿فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ﴾

"So recite what is easy from the Quran." [Surah Al-Muzzammil: 20]

The Prophet ﷺ also strongly encouraged its persistent recitation, saying:

"اقرءوا القرآن فإنه يأتي يوم القيامة شفيعا لأصحابه"

"Recite the Quran, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection as an intercessor for its companions." [Sahih Muslim: 804, narrated by Abu Umamah al-Bahili]

Conversely, a heart devoid of the Holy Quran is described as a spiritually desolate and deprived vessel. The Prophet ﷺ declared:

"إن الذي ليس في جوفه شيء من القرآن كالبيت الخَرِب"

"Verily, he who has nothing of the Quran in his heart is like a ruined house." [Jami' at-Tirmidhi: 2913, graded as Hasan Sahih]

To further demonstrate the immense reward of reading this divine text, the Prophet ﷺ promised multiplied blessings for every single letter pronounced, stating:

"من قرأ حرفا من كتاب الله فله به حسنة، والحسنة بعشر أمثالها، لا أقول (الم) حرف، ولكن ألف حرف، ولام حرف، وميم حرف"

"Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will receive one reward, and a good deed is rewarded tenfold. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter." [Jami' at-Tirmidhi: 2910, graded as Hasan Sahih]

These are merely a few highlights of the virtues of the Holy Quran, which are far too vast to be counted.

What is Our Crucial Duty Towards the Holy Quran?

Our obligation toward the Book of Allah is immense. In this discourse, we will highlight three primary elements that define this duty:

First: Consistent Safeguarding and Regular Review

Among the most critical rights the Quran holds over us is its continuous safeguarding and review (Ta'ahud), preventing its slip from memory or complete forgetfulness. The Prophet ﷺ commanded us to remain attached to its text and set forth an eloquent parable to emphasize this urgency, stating:

"تعاهَدُوا هذا القرآن، فوالذي نفسُ محمدٍ بيده لهو أشدُّ تفلُّتا من الإبل في عُقُلِهَا"

"Keep refreshing your knowledge of the Quran, for by Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, it slips away more easily than camels do from their binding ropes." [Sahih Muslim: 791, narrated by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari]

He ﷺ also explained:

"إنما مَثَل صاحبِ القرآنِ كمَثَل صاحب الإبل المعقَّلَة، إن عاهد عليها أمسكَهَا وإن أطلقها ذهَبَتْ"

"The parable of the companion of the Quran is like the companion of a tied camel. If he looks after it, he keeps it, but if he lets it loose, it goes away." [Sahih Al-Bukhari: 5031]

Commenting on this reality, the great scholar Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated in Fath al-Bari (9/79): "As long as consistent review is maintained, memorization is preserved, just as a camel is safeguarded as long as it is tied with a binding rope. Camels were specifically mentioned because they are among the domestic animals quickest to flee, and reclaiming them once they run wild is exceptionally difficult."

Likewise, Ibn Abd al-Barr wrote in Al-Istidhkar (2/487): "This prophetic tradition strongly urges the diligent study and review of the Quran, absolute consistency in its recitation, and issues a stern warning against forgetting it after having successfully memorized it."

Therefore, every Muslim should establish a fixed daily Quranic portion (Wird). Just as a human body cannot survive without physical food or drink, the human soul requires its indispensable daily spiritual nourishment: the Holy Quran.

Regrettably, many individuals spend hours scrolling through social media networks, staying up all night enthusiastically attached to platforms like Facebook. Why then does the Book of Allah not receive equal dedication and care? It is unbecoming for a Muslim to memorize the speech of Allah and then neglect it until it is forgotten. Among the primary tools that solidify retention are repetitive review, understanding the classical exegesis (Tafsir) and causes of revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul), and standing in prayer reciting what you have memorized, particularly during the Night Prayer (Qiyam al-Layl).

Second: Mastering and Teaching the Quran

It is an institutional duty upon the Muslim community to learn and teach the Holy Quran—its proper articulation (Tilawah), practical application of Tajweed rules, classical exegesis (Tafsir), and its miraculous nature (I'jaz). This path of knowledge is highly accessible. Most people dedicate immense effort to mastering foreign languages like English or French, so why should it be deemed difficult to learn the Quran when it was revealed in the clear Arabic tongue?

Why should the speech of your Creator feel complex to your mind, when Allah explicitly states:

﴿وَلَقَد يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ﴾

"And We have certainly made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?" [Surah Al-Qamar: 17]

You must actively learn the Quran and pass its knowledge to others to attain the highest rank of human excellence, as the Prophet ﷺ declared:

"خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلَّمه"

"The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it." [Sahih Al-Bukhari: 5027]

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar explained in Fath al-Bari (9/76): "Undoubtedly, the person who combines learning the Quran with teaching it perfects both himself and others. He merges personal benefit with transitive benefit to the community, and for this reason, he attains the absolute highest virtue."

To instill this profound love within the hearts of his Companions, the Prophet ﷺ illustrated the immense value of Quranic study using a vivid, worldly comparison. Uqbah ibn Amir narrated: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out while we were sitting on the porch (Al-Suffah) and asked:

"أيكم يحب أن يغدوَ كلَّ يوم إلى بطحانَ أو إلى العقيق، فيأتي منه بناقتين كَوْمَاوين في غير إثم ولا قطع رحم؟"

'Which of you would like to go out every morning to the valley of Buthan or Al-Aqiq and bring back two large-humped she-camels without committing a sin or severing family ties?' We replied: 'O Messenger of Allah, we would love that!' He ﷺ then said: 'Does not one of you go out to the mosque and learn or recite two verses from the Book of Allah, the Majestic and Exalted? That is better for him than two she-camels, and three verses are better for him than three, and four verses are better for him than four, and similarly better than their equivalent number of camels.'" [Sahih Muslim: 803]

Knowing this, who could willingly turn away from such boundless divine generosity and immense reward?

Third: Practical Implementation of Quranic Tenets

This represents the ultimate and most critical duty towards the Holy Quran: to actively practice everything contained within it, and to embody its moral framework, following the perfect example of the Prophet ﷺ, whose entire character was a living embodiment of the Quran.

Imam Al-Shatibi wrote in Al-I'tisam (2/854): "His character was explicitly described as the Quran because he made the divine revelation the absolute judge over himself. Thus, his knowledge and actions became completely aligned with it. The revelation was the commanding and guiding voice, and he ﷺ was fully submissive, responding to its call and abiding strictly by its boundaries. This unique characteristic was among the greatest proofs of his absolute truthfulness in what he brought to humanity."

The righteous predecessor Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad stated: "The Quran was revealed only to be practiced, yet people took its mere recitation as their sole work." When he was asked, "How does one practically act upon it?" He replied: "By deeming its lawful matters as permissible, treating its prohibited matters as forbidden, implementing its commands, avoiding its prohibitions, and pausing in deep reflection before its marvels." [Iqtida' al-Ilm al-Amal by Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, p. 76]

Therefore, the true "People of the Quran" (Ahl al-Quran)—may Allah make us among them—are those who deeply comprehend its meanings and apply its laws to their daily lives, not merely those who meticulously pronounce its letters while discarding its boundaries.

We must wholeheartedly turn to the Book of our Lord to drink from its pure spring and illuminate our path through life's darknesses, ensuring we are never among those who abandon or turn away from its light.

The Eloquent Arabic Poetic Praise

Behold the beauty of the Arabic poetry honoring the keepers of the divine text:

أَكْــرِمْ بقــومٍ أَكْرَمُـــوا القُرآنـــا ... وَهَبُـوا لَــهُ الأرواحَ والأَبْـدَانــا قـومٌ قـد اختــارَ الإلــهُ قلوبَهُــمْ ... لِتَصِيرَ مِنْ غَرْسِ الهُـدى بُسْتَانـا زُرِعَتْ حُروفُ النورِ بينَ شِفَاهِهِمْ ... فَتَضَوَّعَتْ مِسْكًـا يَفِيـضُ بَيَانَـا رَفَعُوا كِتابَ اللهِ فـوقَ رُؤوسِهِــمْ ... لِيَكُونَ نُـورًا في الظــلامِ فَكَانــا سُبحانَ مَنْ وَهَبَ الأُجورَ لأهْلِهَـا ... وَهَدى القُلُوبَ وَعَلَّـمَ الإنسانـا

How honorable are the people who honored the Quran, And willingly dedicated to it their souls and bodies! They are a people whose hearts God chose, To become a flourishing garden planted with true guidance. The letters of light were sown between their lips, Diffusing like musk overflowing with eloquent clarity. They raised the Book of Allah high above their heads, So it would become a light in the pitch-black darkness, and so it was! Glory be to Him Who granted rewards to those who earned them, Guided the hearts, and taught man what he did not know.

Conclusion

We ask Allah the Almighty to make the Magnificent Quran the spring of our hearts, the light of our chests, and the remover of our worries and sorrows. May He bless us with its correct recitation throughout the hours of the night and the ends of the day in a manner that pleases Him. And our final supplication is: All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

Written by: Dr. Muhammad Fadl Nour El-Din Lecturer of Tafsir and Quranic Sciences at the Faculty of Usul al-Din, Al-Azhar University PhD in Tafsir and Holy Quranic Sciences with First-Class Honors Licensed in the Ten Minor Recitations via the Shatibiyyah and Durrah Routes

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Prophet Muhammad compare the companion of the Quran to an owner of tethered camels?

He explained that if the owner keeps them tied, he guards them, but if he releases them, they escape, just as the Quran slips away without regular revision.

What is the virtue of combining both learning and teaching the Holy Quran?

The person who learns and teaches the Quran achieves ultimate perfection for themselves and others, combining both personal benefit and extending it to the community.

How did scholars define the practical implementation and acting upon the Quran?

Scholars defined it as making its Halal permissible, forbidding its Haram, obeying its commands, avoiding its prohibitions, and deeply contemplating its wonders.