*It is written in the Hadith: Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir
(Radhiyallaho anho) narrated that Rasulullah (SAW) said,
‘If the Qur’an is
placed in a skin and then put in the fire, it will not get burned.’
All praise is due to Allah Ta’ala alone for the
priceless bounty of the Qur’an-al-Kareem. May our lives be sacrificed for
the Glorious Qur’an. Hence those who have been especially chosen by
Allah Ta’ala as a means to protect and safeguard His pure Book are
extremely fortunate indeed. These special people are the Huffaz (plural of Hafiz). They are a manifestation
of Allah Ta’ala’s Majesty and Power, that Allah Ta’ala showered His mercy
upon them and enabled them to commit the Glorious Qur’an to memory.
Memorising a book as voluminous as the Qur’an-al-Kareem is indeed
a miracle — a miracle of the Qur’an which Allah Ta’ala has made manifest
through His special servants. An indeed these are the most special of his
servants.
Let’s look at the status, position and benefits of
been a hafiz. The wealth and bounties of all the earth put together cannot even
equal to one ayah, yet how fortunate and blessed a hafiz is, as they are able
to memorise the entire Quran, which on its own is a miracle. Another great
benefit is the mere fact that on the day of qiyaamah, when everyone will be in
turmoil, only certain people will be allowed to intercede on the behalf of
others, and among these selected few is the Huffaz. This mere fact is an
indication of the noble and great position that the guardians of the Quran hold
in the court of Allah. They are also amongst the BEST of people, and this is
not me who is saying this brothers and sisters, but the Nabi (saw) himself as
he declared in the following Hadith: "The best among you is he who learns
the Qur’an and teaches it" (Tirmizi).
It also comes in a Hadith that on the day of qiyaamah
the parent of that hafiz will be wearing a crown that will be brighter than the
sun. If this is just the status of the parents, can we imagine the status of the
Huffaz? Other benefits that the hafiz
will receive are narrated in the following Hadith.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Qur’an will come on the
Day of Resurrection and will say, ‘O Lord, adorn him.’ So he will be given a
crown of honor to wear. Then it will say, ‘O Lord, give him more.’ So he will
be given a garment of honor.’ Then it will say, ‘O Lord, be pleased with him.’
So Allah will be pleased with him. Then it will be said to him, ‘Recite and
advance in status, and for each verse you will gain one more hasanah (reward
for good deed).”
To emphasis the status of a hafiz, or a person who has
memorised some portions of the Quran, after the battle of Uhud, when the Nabi
(saw) was burying the martyrs, he would wrap two of them in a single sheet and
then bury them. However one instance the Prophet (saw) asked which of the two
men was more learned in Quran. When he was told which of the two he was, he
said to lower him down first and bury him slightly separately from the other
companion. This mere act shows what great esteem the Prophet (saw) had for the
people of the Quran.
However for me as a hafiz the greatest benefit of
becoming a hafiz lies in this next Hadith; Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) is reported to have said: "Verily Allah Ta’ala has family
members among the people." "Who are is Family?" asked the
Sahaaba (Radhiallahu Anhum). Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:
"The people of the Qur’an. They are the family of Allah and His
special people!"
Subhanallah! What an honour has been bestowed upon the
hafiz. To be a part of the “family” of Allah must be one of the highest
positions that one can attain.
It is recorded that Ali (ra) the fourth khalipha in Islam
once mentioned, “Had it not been for those people who recite Quran and perform
Tahajud, then there would have been a tremor across the earth every morning.”
I now ask the question, “Can there be a greater privilege
than been a hafiz?” I think not.
Just as Allah hand-picked from his creation, special
individuals to be Prophets (as), so too has Allah specifically chosen certain
individuals to become Huffaz. He has chosen these people as guardians of His
word, he has chosen these people to lead the ummah in salaah, he has chosen
these people to be part of His “family”, he has made these people among the
elite few to be granted permission to intercede on behalf of others on the day
of Qiyaamah and the parents of that hafiz will wear a crown as bright as the
sun on the day of Qiyaamah. Do you think that Allah will bestow such a great
honour and privilege on just any person? I don’t think so. The hafiz is most
certainly different from others. Allah has chosen an elite few to look after
such a great amaanah. Blessed are those who Allah has chosen to be the
guardians and protectors of his speech and his book.
It is also important to note that even though Allah
has given the gift of Quran to a few, they have the greatest responsibility, in
looking after it, preserving it and living by it, and always remember that this
gift can be taken away from you at any moment and be given to someone more
deserving.
ZAKARIYYA KAKA
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