Al-Kāfi - Volume 2


Book 3, Chapter 9

Reading the Holy Quran with Elocution and Attractive Tone of Voice
13 Aḥadīth

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ عَنْ وَاصِلِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلاً قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) بَيِّنْهُ تِبْيَاناً وَلا تَهُذَّهُ هَذَّ الشِّعْرِ وَلا تَنْثُرْهُ نَثْرَ الرَّمْلِ وَلَكِنْ أَفْزِعُوا قُلُوبَكُمُ الْقَاسِيَةَ وَلا يَكُنْ هَمُّ أَحَدِكُمْ آخِرَ السُّورَةِ.


1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ali ibn Ma’bad from Wasil ibn Sulayman who has said the following: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Read the Holy Quran in a distinct elocution (tartil ). . . .’ (73:4)<br/>The Imam said: ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s) has said, 'It is to pronounce clearly and distinctively. Do not rush it like poems or scatter like pebbles but shake up your hard hearts thereby instead of your rushing to finish the chapter.'"

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ نَزَلَ بِالْحُزْنِ فَاقْرَءُوهُ بِالْحُزْنِ.


2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) from abu ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “The Holy Quran has come down with sadness, thus, you should read it with sadness.”

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الأحْمَرِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ بِأَلْحَانِ الْعَرَبِ وَأَصْوَاتِهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَلُحُونَ أَهْلِ الْفِسْقِ وَأَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَجِي‏ءُ مِنْ بَعْدِي أَقْوَامٌ يُرَجِّعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْجِيعَ الْغِنَاءِ وَالنَّوْحِ وَالرَّهْبَانِيَّةِ لا يَجُوزُ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ قُلُوبُهُمْ مَقْلُوبَةٌ وَقُلُوبُ مَنْ يُعْجِبُهُ شَأْنُهُمْ.


3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ibrahim al-Ahmar from ‘Abd Allah ibn Hammad from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s) who has said the following: “Read the Holy Quran with Arabic accent and voice. You must not read it with the accent of the sinful people who commit major sins. After me there will come people who will read the Holy Quran like singing, lamentations and in the monkish manner, which does not pass even their throats toward their hearts that are upside down and so are the hearts of those who like them.”

4ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَسَنِ بْنِ شَمُّونٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّوْفَلِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ ذَكَرْتُ الصَّوْتَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) كَانَ يَقْرَأُ فَرُبَّمَا مَرَّ بِهِ الْمَارُّ فَصَعِقَ مِنْ حُسْنِ صَوْتِهِ وَإِنَّ الإمَامَ لَوْ أَظْهَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئاً لَمَا احْتَمَلَهُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حُسْنِهِ قُلْتُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ وَيَرْفَعُ صَوْتَهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) كَانَ يُحَمِّلُ النَّاسَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ مَا يُطِيقُونَ.


4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn Hassan ibn Shammun who has that narrated to him Ali ibn Muhammad al- Nawfali from abu al-Hassan (a.s) who has said the following: “Once accents and voices were mentioned before abu al- Hassan (a.s) and he said, ‘Once Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s) was reading and someone passing by suffered a shock due to the beauty of his voice. If the Imam were to manifest such reading people could not bear its beauty.’ I (the narrator) then said, ‘The Messenger of Allah during his prayer would not raise his voice in reading the Holy Quran.’ The Imam said, ‘The Messenger of Allah would make people behind him do only what they could tolerate.’”

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمٍ الْفَرَّاءِ عَمَّنْ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ أَعْرِبِ الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ عَرَبِيٌّ.


5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Sulaym al-Farra’ from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s) has said, ‘Read the Holy Quran with clarity; it is Arabic.’”

6ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَوْحَى إِلَى مُوسَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) إِذَا وَقَفْتَ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ فَقِفْ مَوْقِفَ الذَّلِيلِ الْفَقِيرِ وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ التَّوْرَاةَ فَأَسْمِعْنِيهَا بِصَوْتٍ حَزِينٍ.


6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ali ibn Ma’bad from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent revelation to Moses son of ‘Imran, peace be upon him, ‘Whenever you stand before me, do so like a humble and poor person, whenever you read the Torah, read it with sad voice.’”

7ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) لَمْ يُعْطَ أُمَّتِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلاثٍ الْجَمَالِ وَالصَّوْتِ الْحَسَنِ وَالْحِفْظِ.


7. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn Ma’bad from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘What my followers have received is no less than three things: Beauty, attractive voice and memorization. ’”

8ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) إِنَّ مِنْ أَجْمَلِ الْجَمَالِ الشَّعْرَ الْحَسَنَ وَنَغْمَةَ الصَّوْتِ الْحَسَنِ.


8. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn Ma’bad from Yunus from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muskan from abu Basir from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s) who has said the following: “The Holy Prophet has said, ‘The most beautiful thing in beauty is beautiful hair and the attractive tone of voice.’”

9ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) لِكُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ حِلْيَةٌ وَحِلْيَةُ الْقُرْآنِ الصَّوْتُ الْحَسَنُ.


9. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali Ma’bad from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s) who has said the following: “The Holy Prophet has said, ‘For everything there is an ornament, the ornament of (reading) the Holy Quran is attractive tone of voice.’”

10ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُمَرَ الصَّيْقَلِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْمِيثَمِيِّ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَا بَعَثَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ نَبِيّاً إِلا حَسَنَ الصَّوْتِ.


10. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Musa ibn ‘Umar al-Sayqal from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Sakuni from Ali ibn Isma’il al-Maythami from a man from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, never sent a messenger who did not have attractive voice.”

11ـ سَهْلُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَجَّالِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ صَوْتاً بِالْقُرْآنِ وَكَانَ السَّقَّاءُونَ يَمُرُّونَ فَيَقِفُونَ بِبَابِهِ يَسْمَعُونَ قِرَاءَتَهُ وَكَانَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ صَوْتاً.


11. Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hajjal from Ali ibn ‘Aqabah from a man from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s) who has said the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s) was the best among the people for his attractive voice in reading the Holy Quran. The water carrier would stop in front of his door to listen to his reading and abu Ja’far (a.s) was the best among the people for his attractive voice.”

12ـ حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الأسَدِيِّ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْمِيثَمِيِّ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفُضَيْلِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يُكْرَهُ أَنْ يُقْرَأَ قُلْ هُوَ الله أَحَدٌ بِنَفَسٍ وَاحِدٍ.


12. Hamid ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad al-Asadi from Ahmad ibn al-Hassan al-Maythami from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s) has said, ‘It is undesirable ( makruh ) to read Chapter 112 in one breath.”’

13ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) إِذَا قَرَأْتُ الْقُرْآنَ فَرَفَعْتُ بِهِ صَوْتِي جَاءَنِي الشَّيْطَانُ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا تُرَائِي بِهَذَا أَهْلَكَ وَالنَّاسَ قَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ اقْرَأْ قِرَاءَةً مَا بَيْنَ الْقِرَاءَتَيْنِ تُسْمِعُ أَهْلَكَ وَرَجِّعْ بِالْقُرْآنِ صَوْتَكَ فَإِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُحِبُّ الصَّوْتَ الْحَسَنَ يُرَجَّعُ فِيهِ تَرْجِيعاً.


13. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn abu Hamza from abu Basir who has said the following: “Once I said to abu Ja’far (a.s) ‘When I read the Holy Quran, I raise my voice. Satan comes and says, “You are only showing this off to people and your family.’” The Imam said, ‘O abu Muhammad, read in a middle of the way reading, so your family may hear. Give turns to your voice in reading the Holy Quran; Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, loves an attractive voice in which there is fluctuations and oscillations.’”