Explanation of The Virtues of The Qurʿan From Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī by Shaykh Dr. ʿAbdullah ibn Sulfīq aẓ-Ẓafīrī

Name of Speaker: Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Sulfeeq adh-Dhafiri الشيخ عبد الله بن صلفيق الظفيري

Country of Speaker: Saudi Arabia المملكة العربية السعودية

Category: ‘Aqeedah العقيدة

Class 01 (Introduction) – Download / Listen [22:41 mins]

[الدرس الأول (المقدمة) – تحميل / استماع – [٢٢:٤١

Points Covered By The Shaykh

• Allāh’s Mercy & Blessings Upon His Servants
• The Great Virtues & Merits of The Qur’ān
• The Fruits For The Individuals That Abide By The Qur’ān
• The Importance of Following The Qur’ān
• The Guidance of The Qur’ān
• The Cure of Diseases of The Chest & Body By The Way of The Qur’ān
• The Obligation Upon The Individual To Study The Virtues & Rulings of The Qur’ān
• An Explanation of Allāh’s Raising of Nations By The Way of The Qur’ān
• The Means Towards Happiness & Success In This Life & The Next
• Brief Overview of The Chapters in The Book of “The Virtues of The Qurʿān” from Ṣaḥiḥ al-Bukhārī 

---

Class 02 – Download / Listen [33:03 mins]

[الدرس الثاني – تحميل / استماع – [٣٣:٠٣

[Text of The Book]

Virtues of the Qur’ān

[1] Chapter: How The Divine Revelation Used To Be Revealed And What Was The First Thing Revealed

• Ḥadīth 1: Narrated ‘Ā’isha and Ibn `Abbās: The Prophet (ﷺ) remained in Mecca for ten years, during which the Qur’ān used to be revealed to him; and he stayed in Medina for ten years.
• Ḥadīth 2: Narrated Abu `Uthmān: I was informed that Gabriel came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while Um Salama was with him. Gabriel started talking (to the Prophet). Then the Prophet (ﷺ) asked Um Salama, “Who is this?” She replied, “He is Dihya (al-Kalbi).” When Gabriel had left, Umm Salama said, “By Allāh, I did not take him for anybody other than him (i.e. Dihya) till I heard the sermon of the Prophet (ﷺ) wherein he informed about the news of Gabriel.” The subnarrator asked Abū `Uthmān: From whom have you heard that? Abū `Uthmān said: From Usama bin Zaid.
• Ḥadīth 3: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed, but what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allāh has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection.”
• Ḥadīth 4: Narrated Anas bin Mālik: Allāh sent down His Divine Inspiration to His Apostle continuously and abundantly during the period preceding his death till He took him unto Him. That was the period of the greatest part of revelation; and Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) died after that.
• Ḥadīth 5: Narrated Jundub: Once the Prophet (ﷺ) fell ill and did not offer the night prayer (Tahajjud prayer) for a night or two. A woman (the wife of Abū Lahab) came to him and said, “O Muḥammad ! I do not see but that your Satan has left you.” Then Allāh revealed (Surat-Aḍ-Ḍuḥá): ‘By the fore-noon, and by the night when it darkens (or is still); Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor hated you.’ (93)

Point Covered By The Shaykh

• The Meaning& Definition of Waḥi (Revelation)
• The Revelation of The Qur’ān
• The Ways of The Revelation Revealed To Prophet ﷺ
• The Duration of The Prophet In Makkah& Madīnah
• The Miracles Given To The Prophet ﷺ
• The Greatest Period of Revelation Before The Prophet’s Death
• Allāh’s Response To His Prophet ﷺ 

---

Class 03 – Download / Listen [23:04 mins]

[الدرس الثالث – تحميل / استماع – [٣٣:٠٣

[Text of The Book]

[2] Chapter: The Qur’ān Was Revealed In The Language of Quraish And The Arabs

• Ḥadīth 1: Narrated Anas bin Mālik: The Caliph `Uthmān ordered Zaid bin Thābit, Sa`īd bin Al-Āṣ, `Abdullāh bin Az-Zubair and `Abdur- Raḥmān bin Al-Ḥārith bin Hishām to write the Qur’ān in the form of a book (Muṣḥafs) and said to them. “In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thābit (Al-Anṣārī) regarding any dialectic Arabic utterance of the Qur’ān, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, for the Qur’ān was revealed in this dialect.” So they did it.
• Ḥadīth 2: Narrated Ṣafwān bin Ya`lá Umaiya: Ya`lá used to say, “I wish I could see Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) at the time he is being inspired Divinely.” When the Prophet (ﷺ) was at Al-Ja’rana and was shaded by a garment hanging over him and some of his companions were with him, a man perfumed with scent came and said, “O Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ)! What is your opinion regarding a man who assumes Iḥram and puts on a cloak after perfuming his body with scent?” The Prophet (ﷺ) waited for a while, and then the Divine Inspiration descended upon him. `Umar pointed out to Ya`lá telling him to come. Ya`lá came and pushed his head (underneath the screen which was covering the Prophet (ﷺ) ) and behold! The Prophet’s face was red and he kept on breathing heavily for a while and then he was relieved. Thereupon he said, “Where is the questioner who asked me about `Umra a while ago?” The man was sought and then was brought before the Prophet (ﷺ) who said (to him), “As regards the scent which you perfumed your body with, you must wash it off thrice, and as for your cloak, you must take it off; and then perform in your `Umra all those things which you perform in Ḥajj.” 

Points Covered By The Shaykh

• The Explanation of The Chapter “The Qur’ān Was Revealed In The Language of Quraish And The Arabs” From The Book ‘Virtues of The Qur’ān’
• The Revelation of The Qur’ān & Sunnah In The Arabic Language
• The Gathering of The Qur’ān Done By The Ṣaḥābah
• The Superiority of The Arabic Language
• The Virtues of The Arabic Language
• Allāh Selection of The Arabic Language Over Other Languages
• The Obligation Upon The Muslims To Respect & Learn The Arabic Language
• The Impermissblity of Perfuming Oneself In The State of Iḥram

---

Class 04 – Download / Listen [52:55 mins]

[الدرس الرابع – تحميل / استماع – [٥٢:٥٥

[Text of The Book]

[3] Chapter: The Collection of the Qur’ān

• Ḥadīth 1: Narrated Zaid bin Thābit: Abū Bakr As–Ṣiddīq sent for me when the people of Yamāma had been killed (i.e., a number of the Prophet’s Companions who fought against Musailima). (I went to him) and found ʻUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb sitting with him. Abū Bakr then said (to me), “`Umar has come to me and said: “Casualties were heavy among the Qurra’ of the Qur’ān (i.e. those who knew the Qur’ān by heart) on the day of the Battle of Yamāma, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra’ on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur’ān may be lost. Therefore I suggest, you (Abū Bakr) order that the Qur’ān be collected.” I said to `Umar, “How can you do something which Allāh’s Apostle did not do?” `Umar said, “By Allāh, that is a good project.” `Umar kept on urging me to accept his proposal till Allāh opened my chest for it and I began to realize the good in the idea which `Umar had realized.” Then Abū Bakr said (to me). ‘You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ). So you should search for (the fragmentary scripts of) the Qur’ān and collect it in one book.” By Allāh If they had ordered me to shift one of the mountains, it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to collect the Qur’ān. Then I said to Abū Bakr, “How will you do something which Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) did not do?” Abū Bakr replied, “By Allāh, it is a good project.” Abū Bakr kept on urging me to accept his idea until Allah opened my chest for what He had opened the chests of Abū Bakr and `Umar. So I started looking for the Qur’ān and collecting it from (what was written on) palme stalks, thin white stones and also from the men who knew it by heart, till I found the last Verse of Surat at-Tauba (Repentance) with Abī Khuzaima Al-Anṣārī, and I did not find it with anybody other than him. The Verse is: ‘Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muḥammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty..(till the end of Sūrat-Barāʾah (at-Tauba) (9.128-129). Then the complete manuscripts (copy) of the Qur’ān remained with Abū Bakr till he died, then with `Umar till the end of his life, and then with Ḥafṣah, the daughter of `Umar. 

Points Covered By The Shaykh

• Explanation of The Chapter: The Collection of the Qur’ān
• Benefits of The Ḥadīth
• The Preservation of The Qur’ān Till The Final Day
• Explanation of The Three Events Which Lead To The Compilation of The Qur’ān By The Ṣaḥābah
• The Muslims Belief Regarding The Qur’ān
• The Refutation of Rāfiḍah Regarding Their Belief Concerning The Qur’ān
• The Difference Between The Memorizers of The Qur’ān At The Prophet’s Time & Memorizers of The Qur’ān In Today’s Time
• The Way of Salaf Towards The Qur’ān
• The Equities of Advising The Ruler
• The Importance of Following The Ṣaḥābah
• Narrations Concerning Following The Ṣaḥābah 

---

Class 05 – Download / Listen [20:36 mins]

[الدرس الخامس – تحميل / استماع – [٢٠:٣٦

[Text of The Book] 

[3] Chapter: The Collection of the Qur’ān (continued)

• Ḥadīth 2: Narrated Anas bin Mālik: Ḥudhaifa bin Al-Yamān came to `Uthmān at the time when the people of Shām and the people of Iraq were Waging war to conquer Arminya and Adharbijan. Ḥudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of Shām and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur’ān, so he said to `Uthmān, “O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Qur’ān) as Jews and the Christians did before.” So `Uthmān sent a message to Ḥafṣah saying, “Send us the manuscripts of the Qur’ān so that we may compile the Qur’ānic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you.” Ḥafṣah sent it to `Uthmān. `Uthmān then ordered Zaid bin Thābit, `Abdullāh bin  Az-Zubair, Sa`īd bin Al-‘Āṣ and `AbdurRaḥmān bin Ḥārith bin Hishām to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. `Uthmān said to the three Quraishī men, “In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thābit on any point in the Qur’ān, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Qur’an was revealed in their tongue.” They did so, and when they had written many copies, `Uthmān returned the original manuscripts to Ḥafṣah. `Uthmān sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur’ānic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt.
• Ḥadīth 3: Zaid bin Thābit added, “A verse from Sūrat Aḥzāb was missed by me when we copied the Qur’ān and I used to hear Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) reciting it. So we searched for it and found it with Khuza`ima bin Thābit Al-Anṣārī. (That Verse was): ‘Among the Believers are men who have been true in their covenant with Allāh.’ (33.23)

Points Covered By The Shaykh

• Explanation of The Chapter: The Collection of the Qur’ān
• Benefits From Both Narrations
• The Gathering of The Qur’ān Done At ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān’s Time
• Allāh’s Promise For The Preservation & Protection For The Qur’ān & The Religion of Islām
• The Virtues of The Ṣaḥābah
• The Importance of Having Relevance For The Qur’ān
• The Fruits of Having Relevance For The Qur’ān In This Life & The Next
• The Virtues & Blessing of The Month of Ramaḍān 

---

Class 06 – Download / Listen [17:49 mins]

[الدرس السادس – تحميل / استماع – [١٧:٤٩

[Text of The Book]

[4] Chapter: The Scribe of the Prophet ﷺ

• Ḥadīth 1: Narrated Zaid bin Thābit: Abū Bakr sent for me and said, “You used to write the Divine Revelations for Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) : So you should search for (the Qur’ān and collect) it.” I started searching for the Qur’ān till I found the last two Verses of Sūrat at-Tauba with Abī Khuza`ima Al-Anṣārī and I could not find these Verses with anybody other than him. (They were): ‘Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muḥammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury difficulty’ .(9.128-129)
• Ḥadīth 2: Narrated Al-Barā: There was revealed: ‘Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allāh.’ (4.95) The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Call Zaid for me and let him bring the board, the inkpot and the scapula bone (or the scapula bone and the ink pot).”‘ Then he said, “Write: ‘Not equal are those Believers who sit..”, and at that time `Amr bin Um Maktum, the blind man was sitting behind the Prophet (ﷺ) . He said, “O Allāh’s Apostle! What is your order For me (as regards the above Verse) as I am a blind man?” So, instead of the above Verse, the following Verse was revealed: ‘Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc.) and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allāh.’ (4.95)

Points Covered By The Shaykh

• Explanation of The Chapter: The Scribe of the Prophet
• Benefits From Both Narrations
• Imām Bukhārī’s Reasons For Writing The Chapter
• The Preservation of The Qur’ān Till The Final Day
• The Virtues of Zaid bin Thābit
• The Virtues & Merits of The Ṣaḥābah
• The Diligence of The Prophet ﷺ With Regards To Preserving The Qur’ān 

---

Class 07 – Download / Listen [20:42 mins]

[الدرس السابع – تحميل / استماع – [٢٠:٤٢

[Continuation From Previous Lesson Text of The Book]

[4] Chapter: The Scribe of the Prophet ﷺ

Ḥadīth 1: Narrated Zaid bin Thābit: Abū Bakr sent for me and said, “You used to write the Divine Revelations for Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) : So you should search for (the Qur’ān and collect) it.” I started searching for the Qur’ān till I found the last two Verses of Sūrat at-Tauba with Abī Khuza`ima Al-Anṣārī and I could not find these Verses with anybody other than him. (They were): ‘Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muḥammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury difficulty’ .(9.128-129)

Ḥadīth 2: Narrated Al-Barā: There was revealed: ‘Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allāh.’ (4.95) The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Call Zaid for me and let him bring the board, the inkpot and the scapula bone (or the scapula bone and the ink pot).”‘ Then he said, “Write: ‘Not equal are those Believers who sit..”, and at that time `Amr bin Um Maktum, the blind man was sitting behind the Prophet (ﷺ) . He said, “O Allāh’s Apostle! What is your order For me (as regards the above Verse) as I am a blind man?” So, instead of the above Verse, the following Verse was revealed: ‘Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc.) and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allāh.’ (4.95)

Points Covered By The Shaykh

• Explanation of The Chapter: The Scribe of the Prophet ﷺ
• Reasons For Imām Bukhārī Authorship For The Chapter
• Names of The Scribes of The Prophet ﷺ
• Allāh’s Preservation of The Qu’rān
• The Virtues of Zaid bin Thābit
• Lessons For The Believer

---

 Class 08 – Download / Listen [10:37 mins]

[الدرس الثمانية – تحميل / استماع – [١٠:٣٧

[Text of The Book]

[5] Chapter: The Qur’ān Was Revealed To Be Recited In Seven Different Ways

Ḥadīth 1: Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbās: Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Gabriel recited the Qur’ān to me in one way. Then I requested him (to read it in another way), and continued asking him to recite it in other ways, and he recited it in several ways till he ultimately recited it in seven different ways.” 

Ḥadīth 2: Narrated `Umar bin Khaṭṭāb: I heard Hishām bin Ḥakīm reciting Sūrat Al-Furqān during the lifetime of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) and I listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited in several different ways which Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) had not taught me. I was about to jump over him during his prayer, but I controlled my temper, and when he had completed his prayer, I put his upper garment around his neck and seized him by it and said, “Who taught you this Sūrah which I heard you reciting?” He replied, “Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) taught it to me.” I said, “You have told a lie, for Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) has taught it to me in a different way from yours.” So I dragged him to Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said (to Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ)), “I heard this person reciting Sūrat Al-Furqān in a way which you haven’t taught me!” On that Allāh’s Apostle said, “Release him, (O `Umar!) Recite, O Hishām!” Then he recited in the same way as I heard him reciting. Then Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “It was revealed in this way,” and added, “Recite, O `Umar!” I recited it as he had taught me. Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) then said, “It was revealed in this way. This Qur’ān has been revealed to be recited in seven different ways, so recite of it whichever (way) is easier for you (or read as much of it as may be easy for you).

Points Covered By The Shaykh

• Explanation of The Chapter: The Qur’ān Was Revealed To Be Recited In Seven Different Ways
• The Permissibility of Reciting The Qur’ān In Seven Different Styles
• Allāh’s Ease Upon The Different Tribes of The Arabs
• Allāh’s Preservation of The Qu’rān

---

 Class 09 – Download / Listen [16:22 mins]

[الدرس التاسع – تحميل / استماع – [١٦:٢٢

[Text of The Book]

[6] Chapter: The Compilation of the Qur’ān

Ḥadīth 1: Narrated Yūsuf bin Māhk: While I was with ‘Ā’isha, the mother of the Believers, a person from Iraq came and asked, “What type of shroud is the best? ‘Ā’isha said, “May Allāh be merciful to you! What does it matter?” He said, “O mother of the Believers! Show me (the copy of) your Qur’ān,” She said, “Why?” He said, “In order to compile and arrange the Qur’ān according to it, for people recite it with its Sūras not in proper order.” `Ā’isha said, “What does it matter which part of it you read first? (Be informed) that the first thing that was revealed thereof was a Sura from Al-Mufaṣṣal, and in it was mentioned Paradise and the Fire. When the people embraced Islam, the Verses regarding legal and illegal things were revealed. If the first thing to be revealed was: ‘Do not drink alcoholic drinks.’ people would have said, ‘We will never leave alcoholic drinks,’ and if there had been revealed, ‘Do not commit illegal sexual intercourse, ‘they would have said, ‘We will never give up illegal sexual intercourse.’ While I was a young girl of playing age, the following Verse was revealed in Mecca to Muḥammad: ‘Nay! But the Hour is their appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter.’ (54.46) Sūra Al-Baqarah (The Cow) and Sūrat An-Nisā’ (The Women) were revealed while I was with him.” Then `Ā’isha took out the copy of the Qur’ān for the man and dictated to him the Verses of the Sūras (in their proper order) .

Ḥadīth 2: Narrated `Abdullāh bin Mas`ūd: Surat Banī-lsrā’īl, Al-Kahf (The Cave), Maryam, Ṭaha, Al-Anbiyā’ (The Prophets) are amongst my first earnings and my old property, and (in fact) they are my old property.

Ḥadīth 3: Narrated Al-Barā’: I learnt, ‘Glorify the Name of your Lord the Most High’ (Sūrat al-A’lá) No 87, before the Prophet (ﷺ) came (to Madīnah)

Ḥadīth 4: Narrated Shaqīq: `Abdullāh said, “I learnt An-Naza’ir which the Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite in pairs in each rak`a.” Then `Abdullāh got up and Alqama accompanied him to his house, and when Alqama came out, we asked him (about those Sūras). He said, “They are twenty Sūras that start from the beginning of Al- Mufaṣṣal, according to the arrangement done be Ibn Mas`ūd, and end with the Sūrahs starting with Ḥa Mim, e.g. Ḥa Mim (the Smoke). and “About what they question one another?” (78.1)

Points Covered By The Shaykh

• Explanation of The Chapter: The Compilation of the Qur’ān
• The Order of The Sūrahs Inside The Muṣḥaf
• Allāh’s Preservation of The Qu’rān
• The Ṣaḥābah’s Concern For The Preservation of The Qu’rān
• The Steps In Giving Da’wah
• The Importance of Seeking Knowledge Before Giving Da’wah To Others

---