Approach the Quran
Intellectual and Devotional Duties of the People of the Qur'an
In his well-known Tajsir, Al-Qurutbi said: The People of the Qur'an should dedicate their endeavors for the sake of Allah and be consistent in reading the Glorious Qur'an by night and day, in Prayer and in other conditions so that they may never forget it.
In this context, ibn `Urnar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"The example of the person who learns the Quran by heart is like the owner of tied camels. U he keeps them tied, he will control them, but if he releases them, they will run away. "[1]
In the narration of Muslim, however, it is added,
"If the one who learns the Quran by heart awakens to read the Quran by day and night, he will remember it; whereas if he does not awaken (to recite it), he will forget it. "
The person who memorizes the Glorious Qur'an should be deeply grateful to Allah and always remember Him. He should put his trust in Him and seek help and protection from his Lord, Allah. He should, furthermore, bear in mind the inevitability of death and prepare himself for it.
People of the Qur'an should be afraid of committing sins, long for the forgiveness of their Lord, and think good of Him.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
"None of you should court death except hoping good from Allah [2]
They should get themselves well-acquainted with the people of their time and be aware of their rulers. They should concern themselves with salvation and exert themselves to the utmost to Attain it. Consciousness of Allah and adherence to His commands and prohibitions should be their distinctive characteristics.
Here, we may recall the saying of ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him), "The one who learns the Qur'an by heart should be distinguished by his (Prayer and recitation at) night While people sleep, his (earnest) work while people laugh, his silence while people indulge (in nonsense), and his consciousness (of Allah) while people are conceited."
People of the Quran should steer clear of doubtful matters, and be tolerant, forbearing, and sober-minded. They should be humble and avoid pride, conceit, and useless argumentation. Furthermore, they should not wrong others. They should offer men their favors, and accompany righteous people who will help them do good.
It is the duty of the people of the Qur'an to get themselves well-acquainted with the rules, teachings, and meanings of the Qur'an so as to act accordingly. They should distinguish the Makki revelation from the Madani [3] revelation in order to know what was revealed in the beginning of Islam and what was revealed later, and to know the Nasikh (later revelation that abrogated earlier Qur'anic verses) and the Mansukh (the verses that were abrogated) in the Qur'an
[1] Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
[2] Reported by Muslim.
[3] Makki revelation means the Qur'anic verses that were revealed in Makkah while the Madani revelation means the verses that were revealed in Madinah. The majority of scholars hold the opinion that the Makki revelation refers to what was revealed before the Hijra of the Prophet Muhammad to Madinah while the Madani revelation refers to what was revealed after the Hijra. (Trans.)