نَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ أَرْبَعَةَ أَرْبَاعٍ رُبُعٌ فِينَا وَ رُبُعٌ فِي عَدُوِّنَا وَ رُبُعٌ سُنَنٌ وَ أَمْثَالٌ وَ رُبُعٌ فَرَائِضُ وَ أَحْكَامٌ.
“The Holy Quran came in four parts: One fourth is about us (Ahl al-Bayt) one fourth about our enemies, one about traditions and axioms and one fourth about obligations and laws.”
أَوَّلُ مَا نَزَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص- بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ وَ آخِرُهُ إِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ[2].
“The first thing that was revealed to the Messenger of Allah was, ‘(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Read in the name of your Lord . . .’ (Chapter 96) and the last thing was, ‘When support comes from Allah. . . (Chapter 110)
سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- شَهْرُ رَمَضانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ وَ إِنَّمَا أُنْزِلَ فِي عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً بَيْنَ أَوَّلِهِ وَ آخِرِهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع نَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ الْمَعْمُورِ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ فِي طُولِ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً ثُمَّ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص نَزَلَتْ صُحُفُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي أَوَّلِ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ ر
“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed, . . .’ (2:185) but there were twenty years between its first and last (words).’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) said, ‘The Holy Quran was revealed in one piece in the
لَا تَتَفَأَّلْ بِالْقُرْآنِ[1].
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘The Holy Quran is not to be used for omens or prophecy.’”
عَرَضْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كِتَاباً فِيهِ قُرْآنٌ مُخَتَّمٌ مُعَشَّرٌ بِالذَّهَبِ[2] وَ كُتِبَ فِي آخِرِهِ سُورَةٌ بِالذَّهَبِ فَأَرَيْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمْ يَعِبْ فِيهِ شَيْئاً إِلَّا كِتَابَةَ الْقُرْآنِ بِالذَّهَبِ وَ قَالَ لَا يُعْجِبُنِي أَنْ يُكْتَبَ الْقُرْآنُ إِلَّا بِالسَّوَادِ كَمَا كُتِبَ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ.
“Once I showed to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) a copy of the Holy Quran decorated with writings of gold in a stamp form and at the end of chapters there were writings with gold. He did not criticize anything in it except the writing of the Holy Quran with gold saying, ‘I do not like the writing of the Holy Quran in anything ex
قَالَ: تَأْخُذُ الْمُصْحَفَ فِي الثُّلُثِ الثَّانِي مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَتَنْشُرُهُ وَ تَضَعُهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ وَ تَقُولُ- اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِكِتَابِكَ الْمُنْزَلِ وَ مَا فِيهِ وَ فِيهِ اسْمُكَ الْأَعْظَمُ الْأَكْبَرُ وَ أَسْمَاؤُكَ الْحُسْنَى وَ مَا يُخَافُ وَ يُرْجَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَنِي مِنْ عُتَقَائِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَ تَدْعُو بِمَا بَدَا لَكَ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ.
“In the last third of the month of Ramadan, you may take a copy of the Holy Quran, open it, place before you and say, ‘O Lord, I plead before You through Your revealed book and through what is in it and in it there is Your greatest, the magnificent name and Your beautiful names, what is feared and what is hoped for, to
لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَبِيعٌ وَ رَبِيعُ الْقُرْآنِ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ.
“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘For everything there is a spring. The spring for the Holy Quran is the month of Ramadan.’”
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الْقُرْآنِ وَ الْفُرْقَانِ أَ هُمَا شَيْئَانِ أَوْ شَيْءٌ وَاحِدٌ فَقَالَ ع الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةُ الْكِتَابِ وَ الْفُرْقَانُ الْمُحْكَمُ الْوَاجِبُ الْعَمَلِ بِهِ.
“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) whether al-Quran and al-Furqan are two different things or one thing? The Imam said, ‘Al-Quran is the name of the whole book and al-Furqan is that much that is clearly understood and is necessary to act accordingly thereby.’”
إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ وَاحِدٌ نَزَلَ مِنْ عِنْدِ وَاحِدٍ وَ لَكِنَّ الِاخْتِلَافَ يَجِيءُ مِنْ قِبَلِ الرُّوَاةِ.
“The Holy Quran is one. It has come from One, however, the differences come from the narrators.”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ نَزَلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَقَالَ كَذَبُوا أَعْدَاءُ اللَّهِ وَ لَكِنَّهُ نَزَلَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ الْوَاحِدِ[1].
The Imam said, ‘They, the enemies of Allah, lie. It was revealed upon one letter from One source.’”
نَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ بِإِيَّاكِ أَعْنِي وَ اسْمَعِي يَا جَارَةُ[1]. - وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: مَعْنَاهُ مَا عَاتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ ص فَهُوَ يَعْنِي بِهِ مَا قَدْ مَضَى فِي الْقُرْآنِ مِثْلُ قَوْلِهِ وَ لَوْ لا أَنْ ثَبَّتْناكَ لَقَدْ كِدْتَ تَرْكَنُ إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْئاً قَلِيلًا[2] عَنَى بِذَلِكَ غَيْرَهُ.
“The Holy Quran was revealed in a manner like, ‘I speak to you, but it is the neighbor who must listen.’” It is narrated, in another Hadith, from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The meaning of ‘I speak to you, but it is the neighbor who must listen’, is that whenever Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ تَنْزِيلِ الْقُرْآنِ قَالَ اقْرَءُوا كَمَا عُلِّمْتُمْ.
“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘How was the Holy Quran revealed?’ The Imam said, ‘Recite as you have been taught.’’’
دَفَعَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع- مُصْحَفاً وَ قَالَ لَا تَنْظُرْ فِيهِ فَفَتَحْتُهُ وَ قَرَأْتُ فِيهِ- لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَوَجَدْتُ فِيهَا اسْمَ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ وَ أَسْمَاءِ آبَائِهِمْ قَالَ فَبَعَثَ إِلَيَّ ابْعَثْ إِلَيَّ بِالْمُصْحَفِ[3].
‘Do not look at it.’ I opened and read in it (Chapter 98) ‘The unbelievers were not . . .’ and I found therein the names of seventy people from Quraysh with their names and the names of their fathers.’ The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) sent a message to me, ‘Send the copy back to me.’”
قَالَ أَبِي ع مَا ضَرَبَ رَجُلٌ الْقُرْآنَ بَعْضَهُ بِبَعْضٍ إِلَّا كَفَرَ.
who said: "My father (a.s) said, “Whoever mixes up the Holy Quran becomes an unbeliever.’”
سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ وَقَعَ مُصْحَفٌ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَوَجَدُوهُ وَ قَدْ ذَهَبَ مَا فِيهِ إِلَّا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ- أَلا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَصِيرُ الْأُمُورُ[1].
“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘A copy of the Holy Quran had fallen in the sea, when they found it all the writing was gone except: ‘ ... is it not the case that all things end up in the presence of Allah. . . .’” (42:53)
قَالَ لِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع اقْرَأْ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ أَقْرَأُ قَالَ مِنَ السُّورَةِ التَّاسِعَةِ قَالَ فَجَعَلْتُ أَلْتَمِسُهَا فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ مِنْ سُورَةِ يُونُسَ قَالَ فَقَرَأْتُ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنى وَ زِيادَةٌ وَ لا يَرْهَقُ وُجُوهَهُمْ قَتَرٌ وَ لا ذِلَّةٌ[2] قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِنِّي لَأَعْجَبُ كَيْفَ لَا أَشِيبُ إِذَا قَرَأْتُ الْقُرْآنَ[3].
“Once abu Ja’far (a.s.) said to me, ‘Read.’ I then asked, ‘What should I read?’ The Imam said, ‘Read from Chapter 9.’ I (the narrator) tried to find it but he said, ‘Read from Yunus (which is Chapter 10).’ I (the narrator) then read: ‘The righteous will receive good rewards for their deeds and more. Their faces will su
سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- بِلِسانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ[4] قَالَ يُبِينُ الْأَلْسُنَ وَ لَا تُبِينُهُ الْأَلْسُنُ.
“Once I asked one of the two Imam (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy: ‘It has been revealed in plain Arabic.’ (26:195) The Imam said, ‘It (the Holy Quran) explains the languages but the languages do not explain it.’”
مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَقْرَأُ آخِرَ الْكَهْفِ إِلَّا تَيَقَّظَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الَّتِي يُرِيدُ.
“Whoever reads the last verse of al-Kahf (Chapter 18) can wake up at night at the hour that he intends to wake up.”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- سُلَيْمٌ مَوْلَاكَ ذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ إِلَّا سُورَةُ يس فَيَقُومُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَنْفَدُ مَا مَعَهُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ أَ يُعِيدُ مَا قَرَأَ قَالَ نَعَمْ لَا بَأْسَ.
22. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari and others have narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufi from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sa’id ibn Yasar who has said the following: “Once, I said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘Your Mawla, Sulaym says that of the Holy Quran with him there is only Yasin, Chapter 36. At night he wakes up and completes reading
قَرَأَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَنَا أَسْتَمِعُ حُرُوفاً مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ لَيْسَ عَلَى مَا يَقْرَأُهَا النَّاسُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كُفَّ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْقِرَاءَةِ اقْرَأْ كَمَا يَقْرَأُ النَّاسُ حَتَّى يَقُومَ الْقَائِمُ ع فَإِذَا قَامَ الْقَائِمُ ع قَرَأَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَى حَدِّهِ وَ أَخْرَجَ الْمُصْحَفَ الَّذِي كَتَبَهُ عَلِيٌّ ع وَ قَالَ أَخْرَجَهُ عَلِيٌّ ع إِلَى النَّا
23. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Hashim from Salim ibn Salamah who has said the following: “Once, a man read before Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) certain letters from the Holy Quran, while I was present, which were not like those that people read. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.)
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ ثُمَّ يَنْسَاهُ ثُمَّ يَقْرَأُهُ ثُمَّ يَنْسَاهُ أَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ حَرَجٌ فَقَالَ لَا.
“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about a man who reads the Holy Quran but then he forgets, he reads again and forgets. Is it an offense? The Imam said, ‘No, it is not an offense.’”
قَالَ أَبِي ع مَا ضَرَبَ رَجُلٌ الْقُرْآنَ بَعْضَهُ بِبَعْضٍ إِلَّا كَفَرَ.
“My father has said, ‘Whoever mixes one part of the Holy Quran with the other part he turns into an unbeliever.’”
سُورَةُ الْمُلْكِ هِيَ الْمَانِعَةُ تَمْنَعُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَ هِيَ مَكْتُوبَةٌ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ سُورَةَ الْمُلْكِ وَ مَنْ قَرَأَهَا فِي لَيْلَتِهِ فَقَدْ أَكْثَرَ وَ أَطَابَ وَ لَمْ يُكْتَبْ بِهَا مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ وَ إِنِّي لَأَرْكَعُ بِهَا بَعْدَ عِشَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ وَ أَنَا جَالِسٌ وَ إِنَّ وَالِدِي ع كَانَ يَقْرَأُهَا فِي يَوْمِهِ وَ لَيْلَتِهِ وَ مَنْ قَرَأَهَا إِذَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فِي قَبْرِهِ نَاكِرٌ
Surah al-Mulk (Chapter 67) is a protector. It protects against the torment of the grave. It ( Surah al-Mulk) is written in the Torah. Whoever reads it at night has done a great good deed and with it he will not be written of the neglectful ones. I read it in Ruku’ position while, sitting after ‘Isha’ prayer. My father
أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنْ كَانَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ لَا يَقْرَأُ عَلَى قِرَاءَتِنَا فَهُوَ ضَالٌّ فَقَالَ رَبِيعَةُ ضَالٌّ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ ضَالٌّ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَمَّا نَحْنُ فَنَقْرَأُ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ أُبَيٍ[1].
'If Ibn Mas'ood does not recite according to our recitation, then he is misguided.' Rabi'ah said, 'Misguided?' He (AS) replied, 'Yes, misguided.' Then Abu Abdillah (AS) said, 'As for us, we recite according to the recitation of Ubayy.'’”
إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ جَبْرَئِيلُ ع إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ ص سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ أَلْفَ آيَةٍ[3].
28. Ali ibn al-Hakam has narrated from Hisham ibn Salim from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who said: “The Quran that Jibril (as) brought to Muhammad (sw) had seventeen thousand verses.”