The Best Amongst You

Hadhrat Uthmaan Radhiyallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said:

“The best amongst you is he who learns the Qur’aan and teaches it.”

In most books, this Hadith is quoted with the word ‘and’ between ‘learns’ and teaches as above. Thus the greatest reward would be for him who learns the Quraan Majeed and thereafter teaches it to others. But in some of the books this Hadith is narrated with the word ‘or’, in which case the meaning would be: “The best amongst you is he who learns the Quraan or teaches it”

According to this version, the reward is general, i.e., equally great whether one learns himself or teaches to others. Thus there would be equal virtue for both.

The Qur’aan is the basis of the Deen of Islam, and on the preservation and propagation of the Qur’aan depends the very existence of this faith. Hence the virtue of learning and teaching the Qur’aan is self evident and does not need further elucidation.

There are, however, various degrees of excellence.

The hadith mentioned above is supported also by another saying of Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) as reported by Hadhrat Sa’eed ibn Saleem (Radhiyallaho anho): “If a person who has acquired knowledge of the Holy Qur’an considers another person who has been gifted with something else to be more fortunate than himself, he has shown disrespect to the blessings of Allah bestowed on him on account of his learning the Qur’an.”

It is evident that since the Qur’an, being the Word of Allah, is superior to all other discourses as mentioned in some of the Ahadith quoted later, its reading and teaching must be superior to everything else.

Mulla Ali Qari quotes from another hadith that whoever acquires the knowledge of Holy Qur’an stores the knowledge of Prophethood in his forehead.

Sahl Tastari (Rahmatullah alaih) says that the proof of love for Allah is the existence of love for the Word of Allah in one’s heart.

In ‘Sharhul Ihya, the list of people who will be given shelter in the shade of the Arsh (Throne of Allah) on the fearful Day of Judgment includes those persons who teach the Qur’an to the children of Muslims and also those who learn the Holy Qur’an in their childhood and are devoted to its recitation when grown up.

Source: Fadhaail-e-amaal, Hadhrat Sheikhul Hadith Moulana Zakariyya Khandlawi Rahmatullahi Alaihi