Question:

I do not understand the concept of Hifz – the Arabic memorisation of Quran by young children who themselves do not choose to memorise the word of God but are forced to do so by their parents/religious mentors. What is the significance of this in today’s world of technology where Quran need not be saved in Human minds any more.

Also I hear that a Hafiz takes 8 family members to Jannah. How is this possible when each human is responsible for his own deeds and will be justified in isolation accordingly?

Also I hear that if a Hafiz stops revising the Quran and begins to forget it, then its a big sin. But how is it fair when he/she was only a child at the time this burden was put on him/her and how they must carry it for a lifetime?

I would like to know why people quote the above as religious orders and what is the source of such ‘understanding’.

Fizza

Answer:

Salaam Sister

Many thanks for your query. Regarding the origin of memorizing of the Quran, it was a circumstantial necessity; at the time of prophet Muhammad pbuh most people were illiterate, the only way Arabs of that time could preserve their genealogies, histories and poetry was memorizing them; this led to memorising of the Quran. Even after copies of the Qur’an were available, the tradition of memorizing has continued and these people are held in high esteem.

Majority if not all of those who memorize the Quran, do so with the aim and objective of also learning the Quran and then become teachers for those who want to learn to recite and understand the Quran. According to a famous Hadith:

When done with purity of intention and veracity, it is a source of immense blessings for that person.

I agree to an extent with you that if Qur’an was revealed in the 21st century, we would possibly not have or need hifiz Qur’an to protect the Qur’an. However, we will still have hufaz of Qur’an who would memorize Qur’an, and learn, and teach it to others. I agree that children who are made to attend religious madrassas and schools and are made to memorize Qur’an, do so to fulfil their parents wishes, dreams and aspirations and do not choose themselves, and perhaps it is not fair upon them.

The reference regarding taking family members to Jannah is from the following ahadith:

“Whoever reads the Quran and memorises it, while he regards what it makes lawful as lawful and its unlawful as forbidden (i.e. he practises according to it), Allah will admit him into Jannah and will accept his intercession on behalf of ten such persons of his family who were doomed to the fire of Hell”.

(Sunan ibney Majah – the first book – number 216. This hadeeth is also reported by Imam Ahmad in Musnad)

The two points that arise from these ahadith are that in both the quoted ahadith memorizing the Qur’an is not the only requirement but practicing upon it is also mentioned. Secondly, the view of Quran on intercession is as follows:

We have not tested the reliability of these ahadith from the narrators point of view, but assuming they are reliable from that aspect, then we could explain the ahadith in the light of the Qur’anic verses. Allah may choose a selected group of people allowed to intercede, which may include hufaz who would not only be hufaz but also worthy Muslims, allowed to say only what Allah allowed them to say. Allah’s justice and fairness may chose 10 people who were apparently heading for Hell fire; the hadith mentions 10 people from the family of a Hafiz, it does not state that they would be 10 people of the interceder’s choice and preference. For them, Allah may have chosen Mercy and forgiveness as an outcome of his ultimate justice anyway, however, He may then allow such a hafiz to intercede and accept his intercession as a reason for their salvation.

As for your query that would it be a sin if a hafiz stops revising and forgets the Qur’an, we notice that our intellectual abilities begin to decline with age; thus even naturally, our ability to retain information declines, with time. People can develop memory loss as they grow older. Allah has given us mental abilities and if due to their natural decline we cannot remember then it cannot be considered a sin. Allah is the most just and fair and will only hold us accountable for intentional mistakes. It is our understanding that even without above, if a hafiz becomes lazy and stops revising, it cannot be considered a sin. Memorising Qur’an is an optional blessing and not an obligatory act; nowhere in the Qur’an or Sunnah is there any evidence to support the view that if the hafiz stopped revising and forgot its text, he would be punished.

Lastly, Islamic Shariah is derived from Qur’an and Sunnah of the prophet Muhammad pbuh. Outside these sources, people have used isolated reports and ahadith to form religious orders. If these orders contradict Qur’an or Sunnah, then they cannot be considered authentic, divine or religious. The view of Qur’an will be the final absolute authority on the issue.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to e-mail them to us.

Best regards

UIUK team

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