Misplaced Pages

Hafiz (Quran): Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 10:26, 28 February 2010 editFrescoBot (talk | contribs)Bots1,135,457 editsm Bot: links syntax← Previous edit Latest revision as of 11:45, 25 December 2024 edit undo2a02:8109:b6a2:5500:9df9:fa06:96dc:1dd8 (talk) →References 
(582 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Someone who has completely memorized the Quran}}
{{QuranRelated}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2020}}
{{Otheruses|Hafiz (disambiguation)}}
{{Quran}}
{{Refimprove|date=March 2008}}
{{Usul al-fiqh}}
'''Hafiz''' ({{lang-ar|حافظ}}, ''ḥāfiż'', ] ''huffāż'', ] ''ḥāfiżah''), literally meaning 'guardian', is a term used by ]s in modern days for someone who has completely ] the ]. Hafiz, however, traditionally is used for a scholar who has mastered and memorized 100 000 '']'' complete with their narrators and chains of transmissions.
'''Hafiz''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɑː|f|ɪ|z}}; {{langx|ar|حافظ|ḥāfiẓ}}, ] ''ḥuffāẓ'' {{lang|ar|حُفَّاظ}}, ] ''ḥāfiẓa'' {{lang|ar|حافظة}}), depending on the context, is a term used by ]s for someone who has completely ] the ] which consists of 77,797 words in the original ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thelastdialogue.org/article/quran-statistics-and-facts/|title=Quran Statistics and Facts}}</ref> '''Hafiza''' is the ] equivalent.<ref name="Ludwig 2009">] (2009), ''Historical Dictionary of Islam'', pp.113-114. Scarecrow Press. {{ISBN|0810861615}}.</ref>
==Overview==
The ] ] lived in the 7th century CE, in Arabia in a time when many people were not literate. The Arabs preserved their histories, genealogies, and poetry by memory alone. When Muhammad proclaimed the verses later collected as the Qur'an, his followers naturally preserved the words by memorizing them.


A hafiz is given great respect by the people of the community with titles such as "Hafiz Sahb" (Sir Hafiz), "Ustadh" (أُسْتَاذ) (Teacher), and occasionally ] (شَيْخ).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sheikhupuri |first=Muhammad Aslam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f_fSAgAAQBAJ&dq=Hafiz+quran&pg=PT23 |title=Guide Book for Huffaz: Quranic Memorisation Guide for Students |date=2014-01-06 |publisher=ScribeDigital.com |isbn=978-1-78041-058-6 |language=en}}</ref>
Early accounts say that the literate Muslims also wrote down such verses as they heard them. However, the Arabic writing of the time was a '']'', an incomplete script, that did not include vowel markings or other diacritics needed to distinguish between words. Hence if there was any question as to the pronunciation of a verse, the memorized verses were a better source than the written ones. This is why critics of religious writings point to the Biblical text as far superior regarding supporting documentation and consistency. The ''hafiz'' were also highly appreciated as reciters, whose beautifully intoned words were accessible even to the illiterate crowd. Memorization required no expensive raw materials (in an age when there was no ] in the Muslim world, only ]). Memorization was also considered more secure -- a manuscript could easily be destroyed, but if the Qur'an was to be memorized by many ''hafiz'', it would never be lost.
]


== Importance ==
Even after the ] ] collected and organized the Qur'an circa 650-656 CE, recitation (from memory) of the Qur'an was still honored and encouraged. There are numerous traditions of recitation. Most ''hafiz'' know only one version, but true experts can recite in several traditions.
''Hifz'' is the memorization of the Quran. Hufaz is when Muslims believe that whoever memorizes the whole Quran and acts upon it will be rewarded and honoured greatly by Allah, as Abdullah ibn Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "It shall be {{nowrap|said{{hsp}}{{mdash}}{{hsp}}}}meaning to the one who memorized the {{nowrap|Qur'an{{hsp}}{{mdash}}{{hsp}}}}'Recite, and rise up, recite (melodiously) as you would recite in the world. Indeed your rank shall be at the last ] you recited" (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2914)<ref>{{cite book |last1=at-Tirmidhi |first1=Mohammad ibn Eisa |last2= Khallyl |first2= Abu |last3=Ali Za'i |first3=Zubair |title=ُEnglish Translation of Jami' at-Tirmidhi |date=2007 |publisher=Darussalam |isbn=978-9960-9967-8-3 |pages=245–246 |url=https://archive.org/details/jami-at-tirmidhi-vol-6/jami-at-tirmidhi-vol-5-ahadith-2606-3290/page/n3/mode/2up}}</ref>


Having memorized the Quran, the ''hafiz'' or ''hafiza'' or "hufaz" must then ensure they do not forget it. Ensuring perfect recall of all the learned verses requires constant practice.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wajihuddin |first=Mohammed |title=The Messengers: Reward of the faithful |date=22 Oct 2005 |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1271666.cms |access-date=29 July 2013}}</ref> The memorization of the Quran was important to Muslims in the past and also in the present.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sheikhupuri |first=Muhammad Aslam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f_fSAgAAQBAJ&dq=Hafiz+(Quran)&pg=PT24 |title=Guide Book for Huffaz: Quranic Memorisation Guide for Students |date=2014-01-06 |publisher=ScribeDigital.com |isbn=978-1-78041-058-6 |language=en}}</ref> Yearly, thousands of students master the Quran and complete the book with ] and also memorization.<ref>William Graham (1993), Beyond the Written Word, UK: ], p.80.</ref>
''hafiz'' are highly respected within the Islamic community. They are privileged to use the title "Hafiz" before their names. They are tested on their knowledge, e.g. in one test for example, they are asked to continue the recitation of a passage taken randomly from the Qur'an. As they do not know which passage will be chosen, they must know the whole text in order to be sure of passing. In another test, a would-be ''hafiz'' might be asked to recite verses containing a specific word or phrase.


In Pakistan alone, ], the general secretary of the ], which is a central board accounting for most of the ] adhering to Deobandi sect, says that, in its network of madaris, "one million children have become Hafiz-e-Quran after an exam was introduced in 1982", with more than 78,000 (including 14,000 girls) every year, which he compared to the yearly output of ], which is 5,000.<ref>Naya Din (10 April 2019), , '']''. Retrieved 18 April 2019.</ref>
Most ''hafiz'' have studied as children in special Islamic schools or ]s, being instructed in ] (rules of recitation) and vocalisation as well as committing the Qur'an to memory. To give some idea as to the nature of this undertaking: The Qur'an is divided into 114 ]s (chapters), containing 6,236 verses (comprising some 80,000 words or 330,000 individual characters).


== Cultural differences ==
During the holy month of ], special daily prayers called ] are read in the ]s every evening. ''Tarawih'' prayers include Qur'an recitation. One ''juz''' (1/30th of the Qur'an) is recited by a ''hafiz'' on each of the thirty days of Ramadan. If the audience is at all large, several ''hafiz'' will be present. Any ''hafiz'' who stumbles is sure to be corrected and this is called ''luqma'', a correction done by another ''hafiz''.
For Muslims who are attempting to memorize certain ] but are unfamiliar with the ], the ] have made various elucidations. There are mixed opinions on the usage of ] due to concerns about mispronunciations, higher approval of writing systems with close consonantal and vocalic equivalents to ] or relevant and effective diacritics, and a preference for Quran tutors or recorded recitations from ] or any device with clear audible sound storage technology, such as CDs or cassettes.<ref>The Multiple Realities of Multilingualism, Page 159, Elka Todeva, Jasone Cenoz – 2009</ref>


Keeping the Quran memorized has always been a challenging and, at the same time, an important issue in Muslim countries. In Iran, according to Resolution 573 of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, there is at least one specialized examination of the preservation of the Quran each year, according to specific criteria. The reviewer of this evaluation is Dar al-Qur'an al-Karim, a subsidiary of the Islamic Advertising Organization. According to Article 5 of the above Decree, holders of specialized qualifications for memorizing the Quran will enjoy the benefits of one to five art degrees, subject to the approval of the 547th session of the Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution. Therefore, the approval of the Qualification Degrees 1 to 5 of the Quran is in line with the Doctoral, Master's, Bachelor, Associate's Diploma, and Diploma degrees, respectively.
A number of scholars point to ]s that state that a ''hafiz'' will be rewarded on the day of ] (Judgement Day), as will his or her parents, and will be granted the ability to intercede on behalf of ten (sometimes narrated as 25) family members.
<ref name="Sccr.ir">{{cite web |last1=Supreme Council of |first1=The Cultural Revolution |title=شورای عالی انقلاب فرهنگی |url=https://sccr.ir/pro/1426/ضوابط-ارزیابی-حافظان-قرآن-کریم |website=sccr.ir |publisher=Supreme Council of The Cultural Revolution |access-date=27 October 2023 |ref=9}}</ref>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
"He who learns the Qur’an and practices upon it, his parents will be made to wear a crown on the day of Qiyamah, the brilliance of which will excel that of the sun if the same were within your worldly houses. Hence, what do you think about the person who himself acts upon it?" (Abu Dawood).

"Whoever reads the Qur’an and memorises it, while he regards what it makes lawful as lawful and its unlawful as forbidden (i.e. he practises according to it), Allah Ta’ala will admit him into Jannah and will accept his intercession on behalf of ten such persons of his family who were doomed to the fire of ]" (Tirmidhi).</BLOCKQUOTE>

It is important to note however that in the classical Arabic lexicon, the word 'Hafiz' was not traditionally used to refer to one who had memorized the Qur'an. Instead, the word used was 'Hamil' (lit. one who carries.) 'Hafiz' was used for the scholars of Hadith, specifically one who had committed 100,000 hadiths to memory (i.e. Al-Hafiz ).

Hafeez today are all over the world, and are among societies to teach others to recite the Qur'an in tajweed and a hafiz must be positive of what he/she is reciting letter by letter.

==Practice==

Having memorised the Qur'an, the hafiz or hafiza must then ensure they do not forget it. To ensure perfect recall of all the learned verses requires constant practice. <ref>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1271666,prtpage-1.cms Mohammed Wajihuddin "The Messengers: Reward of the faithful" The Times of India (22 Oct 2005, 2044 hrs IST), retrieved 5 May 2009</ref>

The memorization of the Qur'an was very important to muslims in the past and is also in the present. Yearly many students master the Qur'an and complete the book with tafseer (understanding) and also memorization.


== See also == == See also ==
*] * ]
*] * ]
*]


==References== == References ==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist}}


{{Sufism terminology}}
== External links ==
{{Portal bar|Religion|Islam|Education|Psychology}}
*
{{Authority control}}
*
*
*
*


⚫ ]
⚫ ]


]
]
⚫ ]
]
⚫ ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 11:45, 25 December 2024

Someone who has completely memorized the Quran
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Hafiz" Quran – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Quran
History
Manuscripts
Divisions
Content
Reading
Translations
Exegesis
Characteristics
Related
Part of a series on Islam
Usul al-Fiqh
Fiqh
Ahkam
Legal vocations and titles

Hafiz (/ˈhɑːfɪz/; Arabic: حافظ, romanized: ḥāfiẓ, pl. ḥuffāẓ حُفَّاظ, f. ḥāfiẓa حافظة), depending on the context, is a term used by Muslims for someone who has completely memorized the Quran which consists of 77,797 words in the original Classical Arabic. Hafiza is the female equivalent.

A hafiz is given great respect by the people of the community with titles such as "Hafiz Sahb" (Sir Hafiz), "Ustadh" (أُسْتَاذ) (Teacher), and occasionally Sheikh (شَيْخ).

Importance

Hifz is the memorization of the Quran. Hufaz is when Muslims believe that whoever memorizes the whole Quran and acts upon it will be rewarded and honoured greatly by Allah, as Abdullah ibn Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "It shall be said — meaning to the one who memorized the Qur'an — 'Recite, and rise up, recite (melodiously) as you would recite in the world. Indeed your rank shall be at the last Āyah you recited" (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2914)

Having memorized the Quran, the hafiz or hafiza or "hufaz" must then ensure they do not forget it. Ensuring perfect recall of all the learned verses requires constant practice. The memorization of the Quran was important to Muslims in the past and also in the present. Yearly, thousands of students master the Quran and complete the book with interpretation and also memorization.

In Pakistan alone, Qari Hanif Jalandhari, the general secretary of the Wafaq-ul-Madaris, which is a central board accounting for most of the religious seminaries in Pakistan adhering to Deobandi sect, says that, in its network of madaris, "one million children have become Hafiz-e-Quran after an exam was introduced in 1982", with more than 78,000 (including 14,000 girls) every year, which he compared to the yearly output of Saudi Arabia, which is 5,000.

Cultural differences

For Muslims who are attempting to memorize certain surah but are unfamiliar with the Arabic script, the ulema have made various elucidations. There are mixed opinions on the usage of romanization of Arabic due to concerns about mispronunciations, higher approval of writing systems with close consonantal and vocalic equivalents to classical Arabic or relevant and effective diacritics, and a preference for Quran tutors or recorded recitations from qurrāʾ or any device with clear audible sound storage technology, such as CDs or cassettes.

Keeping the Quran memorized has always been a challenging and, at the same time, an important issue in Muslim countries. In Iran, according to Resolution 573 of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, there is at least one specialized examination of the preservation of the Quran each year, according to specific criteria. The reviewer of this evaluation is Dar al-Qur'an al-Karim, a subsidiary of the Islamic Advertising Organization. According to Article 5 of the above Decree, holders of specialized qualifications for memorizing the Quran will enjoy the benefits of one to five art degrees, subject to the approval of the 547th session of the Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution. Therefore, the approval of the Qualification Degrees 1 to 5 of the Quran is in line with the Doctoral, Master's, Bachelor, Associate's Diploma, and Diploma degrees, respectively.

See also

References

  1. "Quran Statistics and Facts".
  2. Ludwig W. Adamec (2009), Historical Dictionary of Islam, pp.113-114. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810861615.
  3. Sheikhupuri, Muhammad Aslam (2014-01-06). Guide Book for Huffaz: Quranic Memorisation Guide for Students. ScribeDigital.com. ISBN 978-1-78041-058-6.
  4. at-Tirmidhi, Mohammad ibn Eisa; Khallyl, Abu; Ali Za'i, Zubair (2007). ُEnglish Translation of Jami' at-Tirmidhi. Darussalam. pp. 245–246. ISBN 978-9960-9967-8-3.
  5. Wajihuddin, Mohammed (22 Oct 2005). "The Messengers: Reward of the faithful". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  6. Sheikhupuri, Muhammad Aslam (2014-01-06). Guide Book for Huffaz: Quranic Memorisation Guide for Students. ScribeDigital.com. ISBN 978-1-78041-058-6.
  7. William Graham (1993), Beyond the Written Word, UK: Cambridge University Press, p.80.
  8. Naya Din (10 April 2019), "Online Quran Hifz Guide", Reports. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  9. The Multiple Realities of Multilingualism, Page 159, Elka Todeva, Jasone Cenoz – 2009
  10. Supreme Council of, The Cultural Revolution. "شورای عالی انقلاب فرهنگی". sccr.ir. Supreme Council of The Cultural Revolution. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
Sufism terminology
Sufis
Concepts
Awrad
Waridates
Misconducts
Ceremonies
Arts
Places
Objects
Portals: Categories: