Sahabah's Discard of Red Sheets of Saddle Cloth

Rafe r.a says:

"We were once with the Prophet s.a.w on a journey. The sheets that we had spread on our camels were decorated with red thread work on the borders. The Prophet s.a.w said, "I notice that the red colour has begun to catch your fancy." We stood up and dispersed in confusion at this rebuke, so much so that our camels seeing our bewilderment began to run about. We immediately removed the sheets from their backs."

We surprised on hearing such stories about sahabah, as we are living in a different atmosphere with quite a different frame of mind. When the Truce of Hudaibiyyah an envoy of Qureysh, had an opportunity of studying very carefully the behaviour of sahabah. When we returned to his people, he said to them:

"I have been to the courts of great kings and monarchs as an envoy. I have met the Emperors of Persia, Rome and Abyssinia. Nowhere have i seen people around a Sovereign so respectful to him as I saw the companions of Muhammad s.a.w. When he spits, his sputum is not allowed to fall on the ground. It is taken by somebody in his hands to anoint his face and body therewith. When he issues some order, every person hastens to carry it out. When he makes wudhu, his companions race one with another to snatch the water trickling down from his limbs, in such a way that an observer would think there are going to fight over that water. When he speaks, everybody is silent as if he were dumb. Nobody raises his eyes to look at him, out of respect for him."

Prophet Muhammad, Emperors Of Persia, Rome, Abyssinia, Speaks

Rewards for fluent recitation and for faltering recitation.

From Aishah r.a narrates that Rasullullah s.a.w once said ; “One who is well versed in the Quran will be in the company of those angels who are scribes, noble and righteous; and one who falters in reading the Quran and has to expert hard for learning, gets double the reward.”

“One who is well versed in the Quran” means one who is proficient in memorizing as well as in reciting it. It is highly praiseworthy if one masters its meaning and significance as well. “To be with the angels” means that like the angels who transferred the Quran from Loh Mahfuz (Protected Tablet in the Heavens), he also conveys it to others through its recitation and, therefore both have the same occupation; or that he will join the company of such angels on the Day of Judgement. One who falters will get double reward – one for his reading and the other for his effort in reading the Quran, In spite of faltering again and again. It doest not mean that his reward will exceed that of a well versed person. The reward that is mentioned for a well versed person is far greater, so much so that he will be in the company of special angels. The explanation is that the labour involved in faltering and the difficulties in the reading of the Quran carry an independent reward. As such, reading of the Quran should not be given up, even though faltering may be an excuse.

Mulla Ali Qari, has reproduced from the riwayat (saying) of Tibrani and Baihaqi that one who cannot memorize the Quran well and yet persists in learning it by heart get double reward. Similarly, one who cherishes a longing for memorizing it and doest not possess the ability to do so, but does not give up his efforts, will be reckoned by Almighty Allah among the huffaz (plural of hafiz – one who has learnt the whole Quran by heart) on the Day of Resurrection.

Reward, angels, Allah, reading quran, double reward, Judgement Day