Iblis Misguiding the Scholars!

✒ Shameer Madeeni

19 October 2026, 8 Jumada al-Awwal 1448 AH

We have often come to understand that Shaithan traps people in various ways. Sometimes, Shaithan gains control over a person by riding on the chariot of his desires. In such cases, the person may even have to turn a blind eye to the knowledge he has acquired. Some people pursue particular fields of knowledge out of a desire for fame and recognition. They immerse themselves in these pursuits, devoting their time, wealth, and even their entire lives to them, without giving a thought to what they or society stand to gain from them.

We should strive to make the best use of our short lives by performing the most excellent deeds and accumulating as many good deeds as possible. Yet Shaithan can mislead people even in matters concerning the noblest of all fields of knowledge, the Qur'an. Ibn al-Jawzi (رحمه الله) cites as an example those who waste their lives studying and teaching the utterly irrelevant, or shaadhdh (uncommon and irregular), variants of Qur'anic recitation, while neglecting matters of genuine importance. This is especially striking given the immense virtue of the Qur'an, for which a reward has been promised for every letter recited. Such people devote themselves to these matters while remaining detached from other, more essential areas of religious knowledge.

Sometimes, if we ask the imams in the mosques, who engage in painstaking debates over these isolated recitation variants, about Salah or the things that invalidate it, we may not necessarily receive a clear and precise answer. How much better it would be if those who come to learn from such people, as well as those who teach them, reflected upon and studied the purpose for which the Qur'an was revealed!

Had they done so, they would have given greater priority to memorising the Qur'an, mastering its words and pronunciation correctly, understanding its meaning, and acting upon its teachings. They would have paid much more attention to purifying their hearts and improving their character. They would also have understood the relative importance and priorities of the various branches of religious knowledge and devoted their lives and efforts accordingly. What could be a greater form of foolishness than wasting time on trivial matters while neglecting what is most important?

Hasan al-Basri (رحمه الله) said:
“The Qur'an was revealed so that people would act upon it. Yet many people think that recitation is its primary objective. Consequently, they have confined their actions to recitation alone.”

This is why we find people who set aside the well-known, mass-transmitted recitation variants and instead display their supposed scholarship by reciting uncommon variants in the mosque.

There are also events organised around such Qur'an recitation specialists, with the intention of making the programmes grand and impressive. Men and women gather, mosques are decorated, and considerable amounts of money and energy are spent, all in the name of demonstrating Islam's izzah, or dignity and honour. Such events bring joy to no one but Shaithan. They do not please Allah, nor do they please the scholars who genuinely care about the religion. The dignity and honour of Islam must be demonstrated by practising what the religion itself teaches.

We also see people who rush through the entire Qur'an in a single night, or complete its recitation twice or three times, striving to set records. Ibn al-Jawzi (رحمه الله) reminds us that this is, in reality, one of Shaithan's particularly dangerous traps (Talbees Iblees, p. 142).

This is because reciting and studying the Qur'an should be done with the intention of seeking the pleasure and approval of our Lord. For this reason, the Qur'an instructs us to recite it deliberately and with measured pace. Allah says:
“We have divided the Qur'an into portions so that you may recite it to the people at intervals, and We have sent it down gradually.” (17:106)

“And recite the Qur'an in a measured manner.” (73:4)

Yet some people recite the Qur'an to musical tunes and rhythms, treating it like a song and even distorting its words and pronunciation, all to win applause. They forget that by indulging in such performances, they are failing to grasp the true spirit of studying the Qur'an.

May Allah bless us by including us among those who attain success through the Qur'an!