Quran holds great reverence and honor due to which we as Muslims pay extra attention to its understanding and memorization. Due to the unbelievable rewards promised for Hafiz in Islam, we encourage all Muslim brothers and sisters to join Hifz Classes and be consistent to reach their goals.
Quran memorization is not an easy task, that is why Prophet Muhammad SAWW has shed light on the status of hafiz to help Muslims to begin learning the Quran.
Status of Hafiz In Islam
A person who memorizes the Quran is called ‘Hafiz’, the keeper and the guardian. He learns the verses to keep them safe in his heart. To learn the Quran word by word is an act of great reward if done solely to seek Allah’s pleasure.
Such a person is ranked high in status in this world and in the hereafter. He deserves to be looked down upon with respect. Today people are busy and they do not have time to memorize understand and memorize Quran. So, we are living in the technology era it is good to take online Quran memorization classes to save time and better understanding.
The following points will elaborate on the status of the hafiz e Quran in Islam.
1. Recite and Rise
Just imagine what a person who has memorized 6666 ayats of the Quran will get in Jannah! Obviously, Allah will make him stand out from the rest because of his status. The Reward of memorizing Quran is very clear in the following saying.
It is narrated in Al-Tirmidhi, Prophet Muhammad SAWW said,
“ It will be said to the companion of the Quran: Recite and ascend as you recited in the world! Verily, your rank is determined by the last verse you recite.”
The topmost Jannah is reserved for the one who has memorized the Quran because he will recite the Quran and reach the peaks.
2. No Fear On The Day of Judgement
On the day of Judgement when everyone would be perplexed and scared of the severity and dreadful results, the huffaz would be sitting as calm as a sea. Such is the importance of Hifz that it is narrated by Umar R.A, that Prophet Muhammad SAWW said,
“Three persons will have no fear of the horrors on the day of Judgement, nor will they be required to render any account. They will stroll merrily on mounds of musk until the people are relieved of rendering their account. One is a person who learns Quran, merely seeking Allah’s pleasure.’’
3. Privilege to Lead Prayers
The status and ranks of the Hafiz e Quran are much higher than others as they are the ones whom Prophet Muhammad SAWW ordered to let lead in the prayers.
One of the benefits of being a hafiz is to have more chances to do the amamat regardless of his seniority, status, or sect.
In an authentic Hadith, Prophet Muhammad said;
“The people should be led in prayer by the one among them who has the most knowledge of the book of Allah”
If we get into the detail, we understand that a hafiz has the most knowledge of the Quran. Also, without understanding, memorization is a total rot learning that might not bear the rewards equal to the one who knows and practices all the ayats with proper understanding.
4. Crown for Parents
The parents of the Hafiz are the luckiest ones on this Earth. They channeled their kids towards Islam, brought them up Islamically, and paved the way to make the hifz of the Quran easy for them.
Not only Such Parents are honored and respected in this world but will be rewarded abundantly on the day of judgment.
According to the hadith, Prophet Muhammad SAWW said,
“Whosoever recites the Quran and practices upon its injunctions, the reciter’s parents will be given a crown on the day of Qiyammah. The brightness of that crown will be more intense than the brightness of the Sun in your actual house.”
Now, this is something really enchanting and motivating for Parents to prepare and make stances for their kids to memorize Quran and get hifz course for their beloved kids.
5. Looked Upon with Envy
If you are a practicing Muslim and your intentions are to learn everything to please Allah and the Prophet SAWW, then you must look down upon 2 people with envy.
According to the words of hadith, A hafiz is someone whom you can envy upon.
Prophet SAWW said,
“There is no jealousy but of two men, A man whom Allah has taught the Quran and he recites it during the hours of the night and during the hours of the day and his neighbors listen to him and says, “I wish I had been given what has been given to so and so, in order that I might do what he does.”
6. Infinite Rewards
The hafiz, who spends hours memorizing and revising Quran is far superior to an ordinary person. Huffaz always stay focused and determined and try their best to do every little deed to please Allah and gain rewards.
As they know the verses by heart, so they have the opportunity to quote any ayat whenever and where ever it is required.
Furthermore, being so attached and connected to Quran, they are the ones who gain rewards for every single letter of the Quran they recite. As per the hadith, for every single letter that is uttered, the reciter earns 10 good deeds. Quran has 6666 ayats in it. We can not even imagine how much rewards the hafiz earns while reciting the Quran.
The more they make the voice beautiful, the rewards are doubled as Allah says in Surah Al-Muzzammil,
“And Recite the Quran in a slow pleasant tone.”
The exact reward is definitely known only to Allah as he knows the intentions of the reciter and the hard work and effort he/she puts into his recitation. But, the status with respect to the reward is definitely high for the Hafiz e Quran.
7. Overshadowed by Angels.
There are numerous authentic hadiths that refer to the tranquility being descended upon the houses and people who recite Quran, whether alone or in a gathering.
Several hadith refer to the place where Quran is recited and people get busy in the remembrance of Allah, Angels overshadow that place with their wings.
A hafiz who knows all or much of the Quran recites it day and night to make the lessons error-free. They are surrounded by angels and peace and tranquility are always with them.
Hadith About the Virtues of Being a Hafiz-e-Quran
Being a Hafiz-e-Quran, one who has memorized the entire Quran, holds significant virtues in Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance and blessings of committing the Quran to memory. Here are three relevant hadiths that shed light on the virtues of being a Hafiz:
Narrated by Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 61, Hadith 545).
This hadith underscores the excellence of learning and teaching the Quran.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying:
“Such a person as recites the Quran and masters it by heart will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Quran by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 774)
Abdullah ibn Amr reported the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying:
“It will be said to the companion of the Quran: Recite and rise in status, recite as you used to recite in the world, for your status will be at the last verse that you recite.” (Abu Dawood, Book 13, Hadith 1464)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
“The one who was devoted to the Qur’an will be told on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.” Riyad as-Salihin 1001
This hadith highlights the elevated status of a Hafiz in the Hereafter, with their position corresponding to the last verse they recite, indicating the honor bestowed upon those dedicated to the memorization of the Quran.
Responsibilities of a Hafiz e Quran
Having a unique and envied status doesn’t mean that a hafiz has no responsibility as far as Quran memorization is concerned. With the high ranks and status comes great responsibility too. Let’s read further to know what should a hafiz be careful about.
1. Not to Forget
Quran memorization is not mandatory but somewhat optional. If you have memorized any portion of the Quran, big or small, you have to maintain it for the rest of your life. Memorizing and forgetting it is a big mistake many people do. They just learn a surah and then because of no revision and recitation, they forget it or tend to have many mistakes. This is an injustice to Quran.
Either memorize and keep revising it daily or do not memorize it at all.
2. Enact the Laws
The Quran is a guideline for every Muslim. If you are memorizing any part of the Quran and not trying to understand what the verses mean then you will just be rewarded for reading it.
It is the responsibility of a hafiz to try to understand the meaning of the verses he is memorizing and then act upon the purpose too. Quran is said to be a lifestyle so we need to act on every single word we understand in it.
3. Teach Others
As it’s not possible for all Muslims to memorize quran by yourself, the responsibility of a hafiz is not just to maintain the Quran and act upon the rulings mentioned in it, but also, to teach it to others like their kids, siblings, parents, and friends. Make as many people memorize it as you can. You can just memorize a surah, a dua, or a single verse, but do teach and motivate people around you to increase their rewards by memorizing it.
Conclusion
Those who opt for memorizing Quran have a great intellect and mental capacity which helps them memorize and lets them stand out from the others. Even in this world, the one who memorizes the Quran gets the label of ‘Hafiz’ before his name and is respected by every single person around.
