Indeed, the holy Quran has sweetness to it

First Sermon

All praise is due to Allah Who made the holy Quran spring of the hearts, healing for the chests and light for the minds. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is the Servant of Allah and His Messenger. He was the best amongst those who recited the Quran with measured recitation, followed its teachings and pondered upon its meanings, thus tasted its sweetness. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Master and Prophet Muhammad, his family and all of his companions and those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.

As to what follows,

I urge you, O servants of Allah, and myself to be aware that you are asked to obey Him the Most Exalted, and recite His Book for He says, “and We have certainly presented for the people in this Quran from every [kind of] example - that they might remember. [It is] an Arabic Quran, without any deviance that they might become righteous.” (Az-Zumar: 27-28).

O Observers of Fasting,

Ramadan is a blessed month in which Allah the Almighty has revealed the holy Quran. The Most Exalted says, “the month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.” (Al-Baqara: 185). So, the holy month combines two great aspects: it is the month of fasting and in it the holy Quran was revealed. These two (fasting and Quran) are allowed to intercede for the Muslim on the Day of Judgment as the Messenger of Allah pbuh said, “The fast and the Quran will intercede for the servant of Allah on the Day of Judgement.”

You are urged, therefore, to recite the holy Quran frequently for it is conducive to bring blessings and mercy for the believer. Allah the Most Exalted says, “and this [Quran] is a Book We have revealed [which is] blessed, so follow it and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.” (Al-Anaam: 155). Indeed, the holy Quran is the best, most eloquent and sweetest of speech. This has been accentuated by Allah the Almighty for He says, “Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah.”  (Az-Zumar: 23).

The holy Quran is the words of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, whose wisdom is never-ending and miracles are everlasting. At the recitation of its verses, the ears listen with rapture and the hearts feel intense joy. Such sweetness of the Quran was tasted by Al Waleed Ibn Al Mugheera when he heard it before converting to Islam. Thereupon he said, “By Allah, it indeed is possessed of great sweetness and adorned with great beauty. Its top is indeed fruitful, and the lowest part of it is gushing forth with bounty; it dominates and cannot be dominated.”

So, the holy Quran has delight to it that man can taste with his hearing sense as well as his heart, and can perceive it with his soul and mind. An illustration of this can be seen in the following Hadith. A man came to Allah's Apostle pbuh and said, “I saw in a dream, a cloud having shade. Butter and honey were dropping from it and I saw the people gathering it in their hands, some gathering much and some a little...” Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah pbuh! Allow me to interpret this dream.” The Prophet pbuh said to him, “Interpret it.” Abu Bakr said, “The cloud with shade symbolises Islam, and the butter and honey dropping from it, symbolises the Quran, its sweetness dropping and some people learning much of the Quran and some a little.”

On the same matter, Al Hasan Al Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Seek the sweetness (of faith) in three things: in prayer, in the recitation of the Quran and in Dhikr (remembrance of Allah). If you find it, then be happy.”

O Observers of Fasting,

This brings us to a question on how to find the sweetness of the holy Quran like the Prophet pbuh and his companions has done? The answer to this question is that the sweetness of the holy Quran will be found by those who love and glorify it, feeling that it is a speech from Allah the Almighty addressed to them. In this regard, it was narrated that Abdullah Ibn Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Whoever wants to know if he loves Allah, the Most Exalted, then let him look at the Quran. If he loves it, then he loves Allah the Almighty, for the Quran is the words of Allah.” 

So, whoever loves the words of Allah, he should recite them often. Truly, the Messenger of Allah pbuh used to find the sweetness of the Quran in reciting it carefully and in tranquillity. As such, each letter of his recitation would be clear.  So he would recite each Sura over prolonged period in line with Allah’s orders: “and [it is] a Quran which We have separated [by intervals] that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively.” (Al-Israa: 106). That is to say: to read for them gradually so that the reciter as well as the listener would be able to contemplate on its meanings and taste its delight. Undoubtedly, the sweetness of the Quran increases if it is recited often and with measured recitation. Allah, the Most Exalted, says, “and recite the Quran with measured recitation.” (Al-Muzzamil: 4).  

More to the point, reciting the holy Quran at night is another way of tasting its sweetness. Allah the Most High says, “indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue] and more suitable for words.” (Al-Muzzamil: 6). This means, it is of more agreement between the heart and tongue, takes away sleepiness, and brings more rewards. For this reason, the Prophet pbuh has urged Muslims to recite the holy Quran at night that they might taste its sweetness. He pbuh said, “If anyone prays at night reciting regularly ten verses, he will not be recorded amongst the negligent; and if anyone prays at night and recites a hundred verses, he will be recorded amongst those who are obedient to Allah; and if anyone prays at night reciting one thousand verses, he will be recorded amongst those who receive enormous rewards.”

O Seekers of the Sweetness of the Almighty’s Book,

Please know that the delight of the holy Quran is something that is achieved by whoever listens to its verses attentively so as to apprehend them by his heart and understand them by his mind. Allah, the Most Sublime, says, “indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind].” (Qaf: 37). The Almighty enjoined upon His servants to listen to His words when they are recited and promised those who do so to attain His Mercy. The Most Merciful says, “so when the Quran is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.” (Al-Aaraf: 204).

Following Allah’s commands, the Messenger of Allah pbuh used to listen to the holy Quran attentively and finds in that a great delight. On this account, he pbuh once said to Abdullah Ibn Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, “Recite the Quran to me.” Abdullah said, “Shall I recite (the Quran) to you while it has been revealed to you?” He pbuh said, “I like to hear it from others.” Abdullah said, “I recited Surat An-Nisaa until I reached to (the Aya that says): ‘so how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and we bring you, [O Muhammad] against these [people] as a witness?’ Then I raised my head and saw tears falling from his eyes.”

Furthermore, when our Master Muhammad pbuh walked on the road, the sweetness of listening to the holy Quran used to also make him stop in attention to it. It was narrated in this regard that he pbuh once was walking on his way when he heard Abu Moosa Al Ashaari, may Allah be pleased with him, reciting the Quran. The following day, the Prophet pbuh said to Abu Moosa, “If you were to see me, as I was listening to your recitation (of the Quran) yester-night (you would have felt delighted). You are in fact endowed with a sweet voice like that of Dawood (David) himself.”

In His Book, Allah the Almighty has described the effect of listening to the recitation of the Quran on the people of knowledge and how they ponder on its meanings and taste its sweetness. The Most Exalted says, “indeed, those who were given knowledge before it - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration, and they say, ‘Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled.’ And they fall upon their faces weeping, and the Quran increases them in humble submission.” (Al-Israa: 107-109).

With this in mind, let us seek Allah’s favour to teach us from the Quran that which is beneficial to us and make us remember from it that which we have forgotten. O Lord of the Worlds, we pray to You to grant us the delight of pondering upon the meanings of the holy Quran and the sweetness of following its teachings.

May Allah guide us all to obey Him and obey His trustworthy Messenger Muhammad and obey those He has commanded us to obey in line with His orders: “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” (An-Nisaa: 59).

May Allah direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Quran and the Sunna of His Messenger pbuh.

I say this and ask Allah for forgiveness for me and you, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Second Sermon

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon ou­­r Master Muhammad, his pure family, companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.

I urge you, O Servants of Allah, and myself to be aware that you are asked to obey Him, the Most Exalted and Sublime.

O Worshipers,

Please be aware that the sweetness of the holy Quran is only attained by those who listen attentively when it is recited and recite it in measured recitation so as to understand its meanings. It is also conducive to be tasted by those follow the commandments of the Quran so that it becomes a cure for their affliction. Allah the Almighty accentuated the healing aspect of the Quran for He says, “and We send down of the Quran that which is healing and mercy for the believers.” (Al-Israa: 82).

Furthermore, the fruits of reciting the verses of the Book of Allah are reflected in following its commands. Allah the Most Gracious has praised the companions of our Master Muhammad pbuh for reciting the Quran as befitting to its status. The Almighty says, “those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital.” (Al-Baqara: 121). In interpretation of this Aya, Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said it meant: “those who follow its lawful acts and avoid its prohibited ones.” So, they implement its orders in an appropriate manner.

Indeed, those who recite the Quran with its true recitation will see in it messages from their Lord. So, they confer upon its meanings in the night and follow its teachings in the day.

That is said, please bear in mind that you are instructed to invoke peace and blessings on the Prophet pbuh. Allah, the Most Sublime, says, “indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.” (Al-Ahzab: 56).

On the same matter, the Prophet pbuh said, “For everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah.”

O Allah, please confer Your blessings and grant peace upon our Prophet Muhammad pbuh, his family and all of the companions.

May Allah be pleased with the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and all of the noble Companions.

O Allah, we seek Your grace to make us amongst those who remember you much and are steadfast on performing acts of worship. O Allah, please forgive us all.

O Allah, we seek refuge in Your perfect words from the evil of that which descend from the sky and from the evil of that which ascends in it, and from the evil of what is created in the earth and the evil of that which comes out of it. O Allah we seek refuge in You from the trials of the night and the day, and from the visitations of the night and day, except for one that knocks with good. Indeed, You are the Most Merciful.

O Lord, we beseech You to bless all of the Muslim countries and the whole world with stability, cure from any illness and peace.

May Allah grant success and continued health and care to all of us, Muslims and all the world.

O Allah, please forgive all of the Muslims, men and women, living and dead.

O Lord, forgive and show mercy on them and bless them with Your kindness and satisfaction. O Lord, forgive and show mercy on our parents, relatives and whoever has done a favour to us.

We pray to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, to continue blessing our country with stability and welfare and bless its provisions. O Allah, please continue blessing our country with safety and security.

O Allah, relieve us! O Allah, relieve us! O Allah, relieve us! O Allah, give us from the blessings of the sky and grow for us from the blessings of the earth.

O Allah: we turn to Your name through which nothing is harmed in the earth and the heavens. That we not be afflicted through disease or calamity. Or that disease or epidemic may befall us, O Allah: hear this supplication. We ask you Allah for constancy of well being. For ourselves and for all of the people around us. Save us from the evil of epidemics and diseases.

Remember Allah and He will remember you. Be grateful of His benevolence and He will increase His blessings to you.

O Allah, please confer Your blessings and grant peace upon our Prophet Muhammad pbuh, his family and all of the companions.