Status of the Hafiz- Part 2

Let us take a look at further aspects that separate those who are doing hifz from the rest of the youth. When everyone else is asleep during the early parts of the morning, that hifz student is already out of the house, in the path of knowledge. Then there is the actual reward of reading the Quran. For every single letter that is recited the recitor will receive a reward, and due to the large amount of recitation done by a student of the Quran, one can only imagine the rewards he/she will receive. A further benefit that a hafiz receives is the knowledge he receives while spending time in the company of his ustaad. This time is more valuable than other act which our youth indulge in today. It is also mentioned in a narration that on the day of qiyaamah, amongst those who will be granted shade beneath the Arsh of Allah will be a person who looked after his youth, and don’t you think that a child who spent his youth in the memorisation of the Quran has “looked after his youth”?

However it is not only the duty of a hafiz to fulfil the responsibilities of Quran, but that is the responsibility of the entire community. Today the Quran is been neglected by a large number of Muslims, and by neglected I don’t mean that they just don’t read Quran, but the Quran can be neglected on many fronts e.g.
1)    Not listening to the Quran
2)    Not reading the Quran (with proper tajweed)
3)    Not relying on Quran and not increasing one's imaan through it
4)    Not taking out time to reflect on the Quran and its teaching
5)    Not implementing Quraanic injunctions and not inculcating its teachings in our lives

With all this said I would like to discuss a matter of personal concern. I want to know where is the respect for the Quran, the people of Quran and the Ulumah disappeared to?

It is sad to see that people get so worked up when they hear of disrespect to the Quran in the USA etc. yet the disrespect the Quran itself and the people of Quran around them. I not saying don’t get angry, but is it not the same Quran that is being burnt there, and the Quran memorised by a hafiz the same? Most definitely it is, so how can you be so hypocritical on one side and get angry about the abuse to to Quran, while on the other hand you abuse a person who has that same Quran in his heart. A sad yet common practice among many today is to try and take out the faults of these scholars. By doing this they try to justify their own faults and some even go to the extent of overlooking their own faults, and focusing on the faults of the scholars. Firstly it is not a quality of a Muslim to look for faults in others and publicise them, secondly people should look within themselves first before looking at the faults of others, and lastly we all make mistakes even the learned, but this is not a reason for other people to justify their faults.

 

One must remember that just because an Aalim made a mistake it does not mean that you can do the same. The scholars are special servants of Allah and should be respected at all times.

Disrespect towards the learned is a sign of qiyaamah as narrated in this Hadith:

Muhammad (SAW) made Du’aa to Allah Taa’la by saying, ‘O Allah (Taa’la) let Me not be alive and may you (O Sahaabah!) also not be alive at such a time when the Aalim will not be followed and when no respect will be shown to the wise-learned ones. The people of that time will have hearts like the kuffaar and their tongues will be eloquently sweet like the tongue of the Arabs.”

 

The problem is that we do not truly appreciate the true value and blessing in Quran, we do not appreciate our Huffaz and scholars. Go to parts of the world where Quran is not as easily available, and countries where Huffaz are few in number then you will see true respect for the book of Allah. Through personal experience I can tell you that. In my travels to a foreign land, I was sitting in the back of taxi, and when the passenger in the front heard I was a hafiz, he stopped the car and made me sit in front. When I questioned him about this, he said how can his back face the Quran. This is true respect and love for Quran. How fortunate are we that we have Huffaz who can perform the taraweeh salaah. Go and ask people in parts of the world where there is no Huffaz what they won’t give just to have one night of taraweeh.  I know of incidents where in Saudi Arabia, the holiest lands on earth, the local people were eating with some South Africans, and they eat on the floor, and when they heard one of the South Africans was a hafiz, they actually refused to let him sit with them, but they gave him a chair to raise him of the ground so as not to be on the same level as the rest of them. This is the true respect and love that one should have for the words of Allah and those who have memorised it.

 

In conclusion, to those who Allah has blessed with the gift of the Quran take care of this gift. Live and die by Quran and be exemplary examples for others to follow. To those becoming hafiz, remember that this is a blessed task you have undertaken, you were chosen by Allah for the task of preserving the Quran. Becoming a hafiz is and should be the greatest aspiration for youth. Turn to Allah for help and ask him for guidance. Never give up as the rewards are endless and unimaginable.

To those who are not hafiz, respect those who are and learn from them. Spend time in the company of the pious and fulfil your quraanic duties. Make dua that Allah guides the Huffaz of today, and help them in their task. Take the duas of the pious, and remember it is never too late to start memorising the Quran.

A pious person one said, “One who carries the Quran, is carrying the banner of Islam”

ZAKARIYYA KAKA