Imam Shāfiʿi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه and his passion for reciting the Quran

Ḥujjat al-Islām Imam Muhammad Ghazāli رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes, “Imam Shāfiʿi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه divided the night into three parts: one for religious knowledge, one for salah, and one for rest.”^[1]

Sayyidunā Rabī’ رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه explains, “Imam Shāfiʿi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would recite the entire Quran every day.”^[2] In Ramaḍān, his passion for reciting the Quran would increase even more. During the month, he would finish the Quran a total of 60 times during nafl salah.^[3]

سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه! Dear Islamic brothers, just let that sink in for a moment! Imam Shāfiʿi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه was not an ordinary person. He was a fully qualified mufti, and people would ask him for verdicts on Islamic issues. He would answer the questions posed to him and was a scholar of unmatched distinction. People would travel from far and wide to sit in his company and quench their thirst for Islamic knowledge. Despite his extremely busy schedule, Imam Shāfiʿi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would take time out of his day to recite the Quran.

Now let us think about ourselves! Do we take out time to recite the Quran? Everyone here should truly think about this. The Quran is the word of Allah: our Lord who provides us with sustenance, takes care of us and grants us countless bounties. Do we recite the sacred words of our Lord? When was the last time we recited the Quran? All of our homes have one, but when was the last time we took this holy and sacred book off the shelf?

Dear Islamic brothers, take a moment to reflect. With great sadness and regret it must be said: we have plenty of time to use our mobile phones, we have time to spend on social media, we have time to earn the wealth of this world, and we instantly can make time when it comes to travel