Reading the Holy Quran with Elocution and Attractive Tone of Voice

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ رَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا[1] قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص بَيِّنْهُ تِبْيَاناً[2] وَ لَا تَهُذَّهُ هَذَّ الشِّعْرِ وَ لَا تَنْثُرْهُ نَثْرَ الرَّمْلِ وَ لَكِنْ أَفْزِعُوا قُلُوبَكُمُ الْقَاسِيَةَ[3] وَ لَا يَكُنْ هَمُّ أَحَدِكُمْ آخِرَ السُّورَةِ.

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Read the Holy Quran in a distinct elocution (tartil ). . . .’ (73:4) The Imam said: ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.) has said, 'It is to pronounce clearly and distinctively. Do not rush it like poems or scatter li

إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ نَزَلَ بِالْحُزْنِ فَاقْرَءُوهُ بِالْحُزْنِ.

“The Holy Quran has come down with sadness, thus, you should read it with sadness.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ بِأَلْحَانِ الْعَرَبِ وَ أَصْوَاتِهَا وَ إِيَّاكُمْ وَ لُحُونَ أَهْلِ الْفِسْقِ‌[4] وَ أَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَجِي‌ءُ مِنْ بَعْدِي أَقْوَامٌ يُرَجِّعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْجِيعَ الْغِنَاءِ وَ النَّوْحِ وَ الرَّهْبَانِيَّةِ لَا يَجُوزُ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ قُلُوبُهُمْ مَقْلُوبَةٌ وَ قُلُوبُ مَنْ يُعْجِبُهُ شَأْنُهُمْ‌[5].

3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ibrahim al-Ahmar from ‘Abd Allah ibn Hammad from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Read the Holy Quran with Arabic accent and voice. You must not read it with the accent of the sinful people who commit major sins. After me there will come

ذَكَرْتُ الصَّوْتَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ ع كَانَ يَقْرَأُ فَرُبَّمَا مَرَّ بِهِ الْمَارُّ فَصَعِقَ مِنْ حُسْنِ صَوْتِهِ وَ إِنَّ الْإِمَامَ لَوْ أَظْهَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئاً لَمَا احْتَمَلَهُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حُسْنِهِ قُلْتُ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ وَ يَرْفَعُ صَوْتَهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص كَانَ يُحَمِّلُ النَّاسَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ مَا يُطِيقُونَ

“Once accents and voices were mentioned before abu al- Hassan (a.s.) and he said, ‘Once Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) was reading and someone passing by suffered a shock due to the beauty of his voice. If the Imam were to manifest such reading people could not bear its beauty.’ I (the narrator) then said, ‘The Messenger of

أَعْرِبِ الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ عَرَبِيٌ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Read the Holy Quran with clarity; it is Arabic.’”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَوْحَى إِلَى مُوسَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ ع إِذَا وَقَفْتَ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ فَقِفْ مَوْقِفَ الذَّلِيلِ الْفَقِيرِ وَ إِذَا قَرَأْتَ التَّوْرَاةَ فَأَسْمِعْنِيهَا بِصَوْتٍ حَزِينٍ.

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ali ibn Ma’bad from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent revelation to Moses son of ‘Imran, peace be upon him, ‘Whenever you stand before me, do so like

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَمْ يُعْطَ أُمَّتِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلَاثٍ الْجَمَالِ وَ الصَّوْتِ الْحَسَنِ وَ الْحِفْظِ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘What my followers have received is no less than three things: Beauty, attractive voice and memorization. ’”

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ إِنَّ مِنْ أَجْمَلِ الْجَمَالِ الشَّعْرَ الْحَسَنَ وَ نَغْمَةَ الصَّوْتِ الْحَسَنِ‌[3].

“The Holy Prophet has said, ‘The most beautiful thing in beauty is beautiful hair and the attractive tone of voice.’”

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ لِكُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ حِلْيَةٌ وَ حِلْيَةُ الْقُرْآنِ الصَّوْتُ الْحَسَنُ.

“The Holy Prophet has said, ‘For everything there is an ornament, the ornament of (reading) the Holy Quran is attractive tone of voice.’”

مَا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ نَبِيّاً إِلَّا حَسَنَ الصَّوْتِ.

“Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, never sent a messenger who did not have attractive voice.”

كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ص أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ صَوْتاً بِالْقُرْآنِ وَ كَانَ السَّقَّاءُونَ يَمُرُّونَ فَيَقِفُونَ بِبَابِهِ يَسْمَعُونَ قِرَاءَتَهُ وَ كَانَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ صَوْتاً.

“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) was the best among the people for his attractive voice in reading the Holy Quran. The water carrier would stop in front of his door to listen to his reading and abu Ja’far (a.s.) was the best among the people for his attractive voice.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يُكْرَهُ أَنْ يُقْرَأَ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ بِنَفَسٍ وَاحِدٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘It is undesirable ( makruh ) to read Chapter 112 in one breath.”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع إِذَا قَرَأْتُ الْقُرْآنَ فَرَفَعْتُ بِهِ صَوْتِي جَاءَنِي الشَّيْطَانُ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا تُرَائِي بِهَذَا أَهْلَكَ وَ النَّاسَ قَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ اقْرَأْ قِرَاءَةً مَا بَيْنَ الْقِرَاءَتَيْنِ تُسْمِعُ أَهْلَكَ وَ رَجِّعْ بِالْقُرْآنِ صَوْتَكَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يُحِبُّ الصَّوْتَ الْحَسَنَ يُرَجَّعُ فِيهِ تَرْجِيعاً.

“Once I said to abu Ja’far (a.s.) ‘When I read the Holy Quran, I raise my voice. Satan comes and says, “You are only showing this off to people and your family.’” The Imam said, ‘O abu Muhammad, read in a middle of the way reading, so your family may hear. Give turns to your voice in reading the Holy Quran; Allah, the