Elevated stage in Paradise by virtue of the Holy Quran - Part 2

Ummu Salmah r.a. (one of Rasullullah s.a.w wife) was once asked by someone as to how Rasullullah s.a.w used to recite Quran. She said, “In a way that all vowel sounds were clear and the pronunciation of each letter was distinct.” It is desirable to recite the Quran with propriety even if one may not understand the meaning. Ibnu Abbas r.a. said that he preferred to recite with propriety, short sowar (plural of surah – a chapter of the Quran) like AlQariah or Iza Zulzelat rather than to recite (otherwise long) sowar like AlBaqarah or AlImran without it.

The commentators and learned scholars explained the above-mentioned hadith to mean that, for each ayat recited, the reciter will be elevated to a higher level in Paradise. From other hadith, it appears that there are as many levels in Paradise as the number of ayat in the Holy Quran. Therefore, the status of the person will be raised by as many levels in Paradise as the number of ayat in which he is well versed. As such, the one best versed in the whole Quran will reach the highest level in Paradise.

According to Mulla Ali Qari, it is mentioned in a hadith there is no level in Jannah higher than that given to reader of the Quran. So the readers will ascend in proportion to the number of ayat recited by them in the world. Allamah Dani (RahmatulallahAlaih) says that authorities agree that there are a six thousand ayat in the Quran. But there is some difference of opinion about the number over and above six thousand. These are variously reported to be 204, 14, 19, 25 and 36.

It is written in Sharah-ul Ihya that each ayat corresponds to a higher level in Paradise. So a reader will be asked to ascend according to his recitation. One who reads the whole of the Quran will attain the highest level in Paradise. And one who knows only a part of the Quran will rise up to the proportionate level. In brief, the stage or level reached will be fixed by the numbers of ayat recited.

According to my understanding, the above hadith has a different meaning :

I think that the elevation implied in this hadith is not that which can determined by the number of ayat to be recited, i.e., when one ayat be recited, the status will be raised by one step, whether it be read with propriety of without. But this hadith points to another kind of elevation which is a type of an inner experience and is related to the recitation being with propriety or without is. So a person will be able to read in the same way as he reads in worldly life. Mullah Ali Qari (RahmatullahAlaih) has quoted from one hadith that, if a person reads the Quran very often in this life, he will remember it in the life Hereafter, otherwise he will forget it. May Allah help us there. There are many among us who memorized the Quran in their childhood through the religious zeal of their parents, but through sheer carelessness and negligence on their own part, have forgotten this capability in the later part of this very life. It is mentioned in others hadith that one who dies while labouring and working hard to commit the Glorious Quran to memory. Will be record amongst the Huffaz. Allah bounty has no limits. We should only seek it. As a poet says:

O’ Shahidi..! His bounties are common for all, you could not be denied (these bounties), if you were all worthy.


(If my interpretation is correct, it is from Allah and if is wrong, it is from me and satan, and Allah and His Prophet are free from it.)