08: Etiquettes of Reciting Quran – Renewing Religion: An Overview of Ghazali’s Ihya – Ustadh Amjad Tarsin

In this lesson, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin reviews the chapter on etiquettes of reciting the Quran from Imam Al-Ghazali’s book Ihya Ulum al-Din. The Chapter goes through the outward etiquettes of recitation as well as the inward implications of those practices.

Learning the Quran and teaching the Quran is not limited to teaching, but rather should extend to an internalization of its virtues and meanings. The Prophet, peace and blessings upon him said: “the most virtuous of worship of my Ummah is the recitation of the Quran”. The virtues of reciting the Quran are many so one should strive to increase their recitation especially during Ramadan.

Ustadh Amjad explains in this lesson the 10 internal etiquettes of the recitation of the Quran:
[1] Knowing the greatness of these words, their exaltedness and their weightiness.
[2] Having reverence for the One speaking. Part of that reverence is approaching the Quran in a state of purity.
[3] Having presence of heart and leaving internal conversations
[4] Pondering the Quran
[5] Understanding as you recite the Quran such that you achieve a deeper understanding as you read.
[6] You remove from yourself things that prevent you from understanding, such as continually engaging in sins.
[7] Know that Allah is talking to you
[8] Being affected by the Quran, both by verses of punishment and reward.
[9] Experience the Quran and this is of many levels
[10] Absolve yourself from anything related to yourself. Such that anything you read about the people of righteousness you don’t think that this about you and when you read about people of evil that you don’t absolve yourself from their characteristics.

In summary, Ustadh Amjad reminds us that the Quran is the greatest form of remembrance and worship so we must strive to increase our recitation and understanding of it.

In this brief overview of Imam Ghazali’s opus magnum, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Renewing the Religious Sciences), this series will serve as blueprint for how the believer can bring to life their religion. It will aim to help the believer to not just practice the form of the religion properly, but to also practice it with excellence.

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