Who is the best person?

From Uthman r.a narrates that Rasullulah s.a.w said: “The best amongst you is he who learns the quran and teaches it.”

In the most of the books, this hadith is quoted with the worth “and” between “learns” and “teaches” as above. Thus the greatest reward would be for him who learns the Holly Quran and thereafter teaches it to others.

But some of the books this hadith is narrated with the word “or” in which case the meaning would be “the best amongst you is he who learns Quran or teaches it.”

According to this version, the reward is general, i.e equally great whether one learns himself or teaches to others. Thus there would be equal virtue for both.

The Quran is the basis of the religion of islam and on the preservation and propagation of the Quran depends the very existence of this faith. Hence the virtue of learning and teaching the quran is self evident and does not need further elucidation.

There are however various degrees of excellent. The highest is to learn the quran along with its meanings and purport and the least is to learn its words only.

The hadith mentioned above is supported also by another saying of Rasullullah s.a.w as reported by Said ibni Salim r.a :

“ If a person who has acquired knowledge of the Holy Quran considers another person who has been gifted with something else to be more fortunate that himself, he was show disrespect to the blessings of Allah bestowed on him on account of his learning the Quran. It is evident that since the Quran, being the word of Allah, is superior to all other discourses as mentioned in some of the hadith quoted later, its reading and teaching must be superior to everyting else.

Mullah Ali Qari quotes from another hadith that whoever acquires the knowledge of Holy Quran stores the knowledge of Prophethood in his forehead.

Sahl Tastari r.a says that the proof of love for Allah is the existence of love the word of Allah in one’s heart.

In Sharah Ihya, the list of people who will be given shelter in the shade of “Arsh” (throne of Allah) on the fearful Day of Judgement includes those persons who teach the Quran to the children of muslims and also those who learn the Holy Quran in their childhood and are devoted to its recitation when grown up.