First, the Elif-Ba verses, then the verses of the Qur’an… Talking with Allah (who is exalted from time and space)… Talking, reading… Reading over and over again is not enough! To memorise, to be ecstatic while memorising… To go down to the depths of the Kalamullah, to understand Him and then… Whoever does not live does not know… The issue is not about being a hafiz, haven’t you understood yet?
The word hafiz derives from the Arabic root hifz. It is an adjective meaning to protect, to memorise. Knowing the Qur’an, the constitution of our religion, by heart has been considered an important privilege since the early periods of Islamic faith and civilisation and has been an occasion of respect in society.
Undoubtedly, the most beautiful occupation in the universe is to memorise and recite the Holy Qur’an. The Prophet , the head of the hafiz, who said the most truthful and the most beautiful of the words about this matter, stated as follows:
“THE MOST HONOURED MEN AND WOMEN OF MY UMMAH ARE THOSE WHO RECITE THE QUR’AN, MEMORISE IT AND CARRY IT”.
This honour and grace was first revealed to the Prophet , the head of the hafiz, by the hand of our Almighty Lord . Our Prophet , who is a mercy to the worlds, gave utmost importance to the institution of hafiz and hafiz, and according to the narrations, he did not even appoint a person who was not a hafiz among his companions as a governor. This practice of our Master is a lesson to our Sahabah firstly and then to us about the importance of ruling with the Holy Qur’an.
One day a gentleman whom I had just met and who had just learnt that I was a hafiz asked me with astonishment, “Why does one memorise the Qur’an?” I was not surprised by his question. I was not surprised by his question, because it was not the first time I had encountered such a question.
Really, what had led me to the word of Allah? The word “history repeats itself” was manifested. Suddenly, I went on a journey in my mind towards my childhood years.
I was born as the son of a Hafiz grandfather and father. Like every newborn Muslim child, the call to adhan and kamet were recited in our ears. Mevlid-i Sharif assemblies were organised for our relatives and loved ones and treats were served. Each of my limbs was washed, so to speak, with the Qur’an, salutations and greetings to the Prophet , alhamdulillah. Our word has become the Qur’an, our lullaby is the Qur’an…
At the age of four, I joined the hafiz students of Nur-u Osmaniye Mosque. Exactly 20 years after that day, I became the first in the world.
My father Hafiz Hüsnü teacher shared an anecdote from years ago at the hafiz ceremony of my students: “I used to recite Qur’an to Selman and his brothers for hours when they were young. They would listen to me with their ears to the ground, they would not make a sound or even move. When I saw that my children, who could not sit still for a minute, calmed down while listening to the Holy Qur’an, I read the Holy Qur’an to them almost every day.”
The Holy Qur’an became a very special discipline for us as a divine breath. When that Qur’anic voice in the foundation brought us patience, perseverance, desire, enthusiasm, struggle, courage and success, all schools and tests became easier with Allah’s permission.
The Holy Qur’an is an endless ocean. We hafiz are the ones who speak the truth and seek the truth in this ocean.
Whoever is a hafiz of the Qur’an should know that Allah is the guardian of the hafiz. Allah only gives that crown to His chosen servants. That authority is not granted to those who do not shed tears with longing for that crown and do not receive the prayers of their parents and teachers.
Let’s start a mobilisation to read and memorise the Holy Qur’an, which clarifies minds, enlightens the paths, makes us different from others, gives meaning to the truth, and takes us under the protection of angels. Let’s include ourselves first, then our household, then our environment in this mobilisation. Let’s read, let’s have it read, let’s understand as we read, let’s find healing. Let us benefit from the source of mercy and healing.
Let’s reach the truth, let’s live with the truth. May Allah grant us all to dive into the sea of the Qur’an, to find peace, to reach peace, to be among the servants who read the Qur’an, listen to the Qur’an, at least serve those who read the Qur’an, and be complimented with heaven.
In the upcoming month of mercy, let’s be in touch with the Holy Qur’an in our mosques, in our homes, in short, wherever we can gather as Muslims. Let’s revive the muqabala, which is the sunnah of the Prophet , with excitement as an Islamic family, let’s not be without muqabala.
With these feelings and thoughts, I would like to congratulate you on the holy month of Ramadan and I pray to Allah Almighty that it will be auspicious for you, our state and the Islamic family.
