Tag: al-Qur’an

Praise be to Allah.
Yes, if the Mus-haf becomes worn out and there is the fear
that it may be mishandled and may reach a state where it cannot be read and
benefited from, there is nothing wrong with burning it or burying it in pure
earth, because both were done by the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with
them). They buried Mus-hafs and they also burned them, when the Sahaabah
united the people upon a single Mus-haf, which was the Mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan
(may Allaah be pleased with him), and they burned all other Mus-hafs. 

If a Mus-haf has reached a state where it cannot be benefited
from because it has become worn out, then it should either be buried in a
pure place, or be burned. Both were done by the companions of the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Praise be to Allah.
Firstly: 

The scholars differed concerning the ruling on saying takbeer
after every soorah from Soorat al-Duha to al-Naas. Imam Ahmad regarded it as
mustahabb but the other imams differed with him. There is another report
from Imam Ahmad which is in accordance with the view of the majority. The
correct view is that it is not prescribed to say takbeer, and this is not
proven in any marfoo’ hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). There is also no saheeh report about this takbeer from
any of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), rather it was proven
from some of the qurraa’ (reciters) of the people of Makkah. 

It was narrated that ‘Ikrimah ibn Sulaymaan said: I recited
to Ismaa’eel ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Constantine, and when I reached Wa’l-duha
(i.e., Soorat al-Duha), he said to me: Say takbeer, say takbeer at the end
of every soorah until you complete (the Qur’aan). ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Katheer
told him that he recited to Mujaahid and he told him to do that, and
Mujaahid told him that Ibn ‘Abbaas had told him to do that, and Ibn ‘Abbaas
told him that Ubayy ibn Ka’b told him to do that, and Ubayy ibn Ka’b told
him that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told
him to do that.  

Narrated by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (3/304). 

This hadeeth is da’eef (weak). Its isnaad includes Ahmad ibn
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Bazzah al-Muqri’. Abu Haatim said: His
hadeeth is da’eef (weak) and I will not narrate from him. Al-‘Aqeeli said:
His hadeeth is munkar (odd). Al-Dhahabi said: This is a ghareeb (strange)
hadeeth, and it is one of the hadeeth of al-Bazzi that were regarded as
munkar. Abu Haatim said: This is munkar. And he said: Al-Haakim regarded his
hadeeth about takbeer as saheeh, but it is munkar. 

See: al-Du’afa’ by al-‘Aqeeli (1/127); and Mizaan
al-I’tidaal (1/144, 145) and Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’ (12/51),
both by Imam al-Dhahabi. 

Ibn Muflih al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

Ahmad regarded it is mustahabb to say takbeer from the
beginning of Soorat al-Duha until the end of the Qur’aan. This was mentioned
by Ibn Tameem and others, and this is the recitation of the people of
Makkah, which al-Bazzi took from Ibn Katheer, and Ibn Katheer took it from
Mujaahid, and Mujaahid took it from Ibn ‘Abbaas, and Ibn ‘Abbaas took it
from Ubayy ibn Ka’b, and Ubayy ibn Ka’b took it from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him). A number of them narrated that,
including al-Baghawi in his Tafseer, and the reason for that is that
the Wahy (revelation) ceased.  

This is a ghareeb hadeeth, reported by Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn
‘Abd-Allaah al-Bazzi, who is sound with regard to recitation but da’eef
(weak) with regard to hadeeth. 

Ibn Haatim al-Raazi said: This is a munkar hadeeth. 

It was also narrated from him – i.e., Imam Ahmad – that there
should be no takbeer, as is the view of all reciters. End quote. 

Al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah (2/295,
296). 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
was asked about a group who gathered to read the entire Qur’aan (khatmah)
and they were reading to ‘Aasim and Abu ‘Amr. When they reached Soorat
al-Duha, they did not say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah or Allaahu akbar, until they
reached the end of the Qur’aan. Is what they did better or not? Is the
hadeeth which is narrated about saying tahleel and takbeer saheeh and
mutawaatir, or not? 

He replied: 
Yes, if they recited in accordance with
a recitation other than that of Ibn Katheer, their not doing that is better,
and is in fact what is prescribed and is Sunnah. These imams of recitation
did not say takbeer either at the beginning of the soorahs or at the ends.
If it is acceptable to say that Ibn Katheer narrated the takbeer from the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), it is
acceptable for others to say that these people narrated the omission of that
from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) too. It is not possible that the recitation of the majority that was
narrated by more people than the recitation of Ibn Katheer omitted something
enjoined by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), because those who narrated mutawaatir reports could not have
concealed something for which there was good reason to narrate it. The one
who accepts that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) told the majority of reciters to add an extra takbeer then they
disobeyed the command of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and failed to do what he had commanded them to do,
deserves to be punished severely as a deterrent to him and others like him. 

With regard to the takbeer, the one who says that it is part
of the Qur’aan has gone astray according to scholarly consensus and must be
asked to repent; if he repents, all well and good, otherwise he should be
executed. How could the one who does not recite it be denounced for not
reciting it? The one who regard a person who does not say this takbeer as an
innovator or one who goes against the Sunnah or a sinner, is closer to kufr
than Islam and should be punished; indeed if he insists on that after having
the proof explained to him, then he should be executed. 

If we assume [?] that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) told some of those who recited it to say takbeer,
then at most this indicates that it is permissible or mustahabb. If it were
obligatory, the majority of reciters would not have neglected it and the
imams of the Muslims would not have agreed that it is not obligatory. But
none of the imams narrated that the takbeer is obligatory, rather the most
that anyone who reads according to the recitation of Ibn Katheer can say is
that it is mustahabb. This is unlike the Basmalah, recitation of which is
obligatory according to those who regard it as part of the Qur’aan, but
despite that the reciters allow not reciting it if one does not want to use
it as a break between one soorah and another. So how could it not be allowed
to omit the takbeer, which is not part of the Qur’aan?   End quote. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (13/417-419) 

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

The takbeer that is narrated from Ibn Katheer is not narrated
with an isnad from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), and no one attributed it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) except al-Bazzi, who thus went against all those who
narrated it, as they only narrated it as something optional that was done by
some of those who came after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), and he was the only one who attributed it to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). His transmission was regarded
as da’eef (weak) by the specialists in hadeeth and biography among the
scholars of recitation and hadeeth, as was mentioned by more than one of the
scholars. End quote. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (17/130). 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) was asked:  

Some of the reciters of Qur’aan separate one soorah from
another by saying Allaahu akbar instead of the basmalah. Is that
permissible, and is there any evidence for it? 

He replied: 

This is contrary to what the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased
with them) did, who separated one soorah from another by saying Bismillaah
il-Rahmaan il-Raheem, and it is contrary to the scholarly view that the
soorahs of the Qur’aan should not be separated by takbeer throughout the
Qur’aan. 

At the very most, there are some reciters who regard it as
mustahabb for a person to say takbeer when he finishes every soorah from
al-Duha to the end of the Qur’aan, along with the Basmalah between every two
soorahs. But the correct view is that this is not Sunnah, because that was
not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Based on this, what is prescribed is to separate one soorah from
another by saying the Basmalah,  Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem,
except in the case of Soorat Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah), as there is no Basmalah
between al-Anfaal and it. End quote. 

Fataawa Islamiyyah (4/48). 

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd (may Allaah preserve him) mentions in
his Book Bida’ al-Qurraa’ (p. 27) seven things that have to do
reading the entire Qur’aan, of which we may mention: 

Saying takbeer at the end of Soorat al-Duha until the end of
Soorat al-Naas, both when praying and otherwise. 

Then he said: 

There are no saheeh reports about these seven things from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from his
companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). Most of that which is narrated
about some of them cannot be taken as evidence. The correct view is that
none of these things are prescribed in sharee’ah. End quote. 

The Shaykh of the reciters in al-Madeenah al-Munawwarah,
Shaykh Ibraaheem al-Akhdar, has written an essay entitled Takbeer
al-Khatam bayna al-Qurraa’ wa’l-Muhadditheen, at the end of which he
says: 

From the above discussion of the reports, examination of
their isnaads and biographies of their narrators, we could not find anything
but the report of al-Bazzi – as the scholars said – and it is a report whose
isnaad is filled with weak and majrooh narrators, and there is no other
report apart from the report of al-Bazzi. This was stated clearly by many
scholars of reports, although some of the most famous reciters, such as Ibn
Mujaahid in his book al-Sab’ah, did not narrate the takbeer, and
neither did Abu’l-Qaasim al-Hudhali in his book al-Kaamil. This
indicates that the report was not proven in their view. And Allaah knows
best. 

A Sunnah cannot be established by means of such a report,
rather it is better not to do that, whether it is mentioned in the report of
al-Bazzi or the report of anyone else. That is so as to protect the Book of
Allaah and to keep out of it anything that is not part of it, whether it is
thought to be Sunnah or not. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.
End quote. 

Secondly: 

Many reasons for this takbeer have been mentioned, the most
well known of which is that the Revelation to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) ceased for a while, and when it resumed
after that, the first thing that was revealed was Soorat al-Duha, in which
it says (interpretation of the meaning): “Your Lord (O Muhammad
صلى الله عليه وسلم) has neither forsaken
you nor hates you” [al-Duha 93:3], and he said takbeer in joy at that.
Even if this is saheeh, it does not indicate that it is mustahabb to say
takbeer as suggested by some scholars of recitation, for several reasons: 

1.It does not indicate that
takbeer is to be said after every recitation of the soorah.

2.It does not indicate that
takbeer is to be said until Soorat al-Naas.

3.The takbeer was said only once,
because of the Revelation resuming after it had ceased for a while.

4.The other soorahs do not have
the same content as Soorat al-Duha.

Moreover, this report does not have any saheeh isnaad, or
even any da’eef (weak) one.   

Imam Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  

With regard to saying takbeer after Soorat al-Duha, the
reciters said that when the revelation was late in coming to the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that went on
for a while, then the angel came to him and brought the words
(interpretation of the meaning): “By the forenoon (after sunrise). By the
night when it darkens (and stands still)” [al-Duha 93:1-2], he said
takbeer out of joy and happiness. 

But this was not narrated with any isnaad that can be judged
to be saheeh or da’eef. And Allaah knows best. 

Tafseer Ibn Katheer (8/423). 

And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.There follows a brief discussion on the repetitions in the Qur’aan, which suits the nature of our site. You can examine the subject further by looking at the references we refer to, or by studying the books of ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan in general. 
1 – Definition of repetition 
Ibn al-Manzoor said: 
The word takraar (translated here as repetition) is derived from the word al-karr, which means going back to a thing.  
Lisaan al-‘Arab (5/135). 
In sharee’ah terminology, takraar means repeating a word or phrase more than once for various reasons, such as emphasis, exaggeration, reinforcement and so on. 
2 – Repetition is a kind of eloquence 
Some of those who do not have any understanding of the Arabic language criticized the repetition that appears in the Qur’aan, and thought that this is not eloquent. This stems from their ignorance. The repetition that appears in the Qur’aan is not the kind of worthless repetition that is of no value – as we shall see in detail below – and which appears in the speech of one who does not speak the language well or express himself well. 
Al-Suyooti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 
Repetition is more eloquent than merely emphasizing and it is reflective of good style, contrary to what some people think. 
Al-Itqaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan (3/280), Mu’sasat al-Nada’ edition. 
3 – Kinds of repetition 
The scholars have divided the repetition in the Qur’aan into two kinds: 
(i) Repetition of words and meanings 
This is where words are repeated with no difference in the meaning. There are two types, connected and disconnected. 
The connected type appears in various ways, either by repeating the words in the same verse, as when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Far, very far is that which you are promised!”
[al-Mu’minoon 23:36]
or at the end of a verse and at the beginning of the following verse, such as when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver and cups of crystal —
16. Crystal‑clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure thereof (according to their wishes)”
[al-Insaan 76:15,16]
or at the end of a verse, such as when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Nay! When the earth is ground to powder [kallaa idha dukkat il-ardu dakkan dakka]”
[al-Fajr 89:21]
or when a verse is repeated straight after another verse, such as when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“5. Verily, along with every hardship is relief,
6. Verily, along with every hardship is relief”
[al-Sharh 94:5,6]
As for that which is disconnected, it appears in two forms, either repeated in the same soorah, or repeated throughout the Qur’aan. 
Examples of repetition in the same soorah include the phrase “And verily, your Lord, He is truly, the All‑Mighty, the Most Merciful” which is repeated 8 times in Soorat al-Shu’ara’ and “Woe that Day to the deniers (of the Day of Resurrection)!” which is repeated 10 times in Soorat al-Mursalaat, and “Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?” which is repeated 31 times in Soorat al-Rahmaan.   
Examples of phrases which are repeated throughout the Qur’aan include the phrase “They say: ‘When will this promise (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) come to pass if you are telling the truth?’” which appears six times, in Yoonus 10:48, al-Anbiya’ 21:38, al-Naml 27:71, Saba’ 34:29, Yaa-Seen 36:48 and al-Mulk 67:25. And the phrase “O Prophet (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be severe against them; their abode will be Hell, and worst indeed is that destination” appears twice, in al-Tawbah 9:73 and al-Tahreem 66:9.  
(ii) Repetition of meaning but not words 
Such as the stories of the Prophets with their peoples, and mention of Paradise and its people and Hell and its horrors. 
4 – Benefits of repetition 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 
There is no pointless repetition in the Qur’aan, rather there are benefits in every repetition. 
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (14/408) 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, commenting on the repetition of the story of Moosa and his people:
 Allaah mentions this story in several places in the Qur’aan, and in every place He highlights a different idea and conclusion, just as Allaah, His Messenger and His Book are called by different names, each name indicating a meaning that is not indicated by another name. There is no repetition in that, rather it is a kind of diversity, like the names of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as he is called Muhammad, Ahmad, al-Haashir, al-‘Aaqib, al-Muqaffa, the Prophet of Mercy, the Prophet of Repentance, and each name points to a meaning that is not indicated by any other name; the person is the same but the attributes are numerous. 
The same applies to the Qur’aan, which is also called Furqaan (criterion), Bayaan (a plain statement), Huda (guidance), Basaa’ir (clear evidence), Shifa’ (healing), Noor (light) and Rahmah (mercy). Each name points to a meaning that is not indicated by other names. 
The same applies to the names of the Lord, as He is called: al-Malik (the Sovereign), al-Quddoos (the Holy), al-Salaam (the One Free from all defects), al-Mu’min (the Guardian of faith), al-Muhaymin (the Watcher over His creatures), al-‘Azeez (the Almighty), al-Jabbaar (the compeller), al-Mutakabbir (the Majestic), al-Khaaliq (the Creator), al-Baari’ (the Inventor of all things), and al-Musawwir (the Bestower of forms). Each name points to a meaning that is not indicated by another name. The Essence is One but the attributes are numerous.  
The same applies to sentences that are complete in meaning. The story is told in one way that highlights one point, then it is told in another way which highlights a different point. The story is the same story, but its details are numerous, and every sentence conveys a meaning that is not indicated by other sentences. 
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa 919/167, 168). 
Al-Suyooti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  
There are a number of reasons for repetition: 
This includes confirmation. It is said that if words are repeated the meaning is confirmed. Allaah has indicated the reason why He repeats stories and reminders in the Qur’aan, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“and have explained therein in detail the warnings, in order that they may fear Allaah, or that it may cause them to have a lesson from it”
[Ta-Ha 20:113]
It also includes emphasis. 
It also includes highlighting a point so that the words will be accepted, such as the verse:  
“And the man who believed said: ‘O my people! Follow me, I will guide you to the way of right conduct [i.e. guide you to Allaah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism with which Moosa (Moses) has been sent].
39. ‘O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment’”
[Ghaafir 40:38].
In the passage the call is repeated for this reason. 
Another example is if the speech is lengthy and there is the fear that what was said at the beginning may be forgotten, so it is repeated a second time to keep the idea fresh. For example, in the verses: 
“Then, verily, your Lord __ for those who do evil (commit sins and are disobedient to Allaah) in ignorance and afterward repent and do righteous deeds, verily, your Lord thereafter, (to such) is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Nahl 16:119] 
“Then, verily, your Lord _for those who emigrated after they had been put to trials and thereafter strove hard and fought (for the Cause of Allaah) and were patient, verily, your Lord afterward”
[al-Nahl 16:110] 
“And when there came to them (the Jews), a Book (this Qur’aan) from Allaah confirming what is with them [the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], although aforetime they had invoked Allaah (for coming of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) in order to gain victory over those who disbelieved, then when there came to them that which they had recognised, they disbelieved in it”
[al-Baqarah 2:89]
“Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done,— think not you that they are rescued from the torment”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:188] 
“Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon — I saw them”
[Yoosuf 12:4]
It may also be done for emphasis, as in the verses: 
“The Inevitable (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)!
2. What is the Inevitable?”
[al-Haaqqah 69:1] 
“Al‑Qaari‘ah (the striking Hour, i.e. the Day of Resurrection).
2. What is the striking (Hour)?”
[al-Qaari’ah 101:1] 
“And those on the Right Hand —how (fortunate) will be those on the Right Hand?”
[al-Waaqi’ah 56:27]
al-Itqaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan (3/281, 282). 
5 – Benefits of repeating some stories and verses 
1 – Abu’l-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 
If it is said: What is the point of repeating the verse “Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?” [in Soorat al-Rahmaan]? 
The answer is: This repetition is in order to confirm the blessing and emphasize the remembrance thereof. Ibn Qutaybah said: It is the habit of the Arabs to repeat things for emphasis and to ensure that they are understood, although they may also speak briefly so as not to tire the listener, because if a speaker addresses a point from different angles, that is better than him approaching it from just one angle, such as if someone said:  By Allaah, I will not do it, and by Allaah, I will not do it – because he wanted to emphasize his point and put an end to any hope that he could do it. And if he wanted to be brief he may say:  By Allaah I shall do it, but omitting the word ‘not’ for the sake of brevity. Similarly, one who is in a hurry may say, Hurry up, hurry up! And it may be said to the archer: Shoot, shoot! 
Ibn Qutaybah said: When Allaah listed His blessings in this soorah, and reminded His slaves of His signs, and drew attention to His power, He repeated this phrase between each two blessings, so that they would appreciate the blessings and recognize them, such as when you say to a man: Didn’t I give you accommodation when you were homeless – can you deny that? Didn’t I take you for Hajj when you had never been – can you deny that?  
Zaad al-Maseer (5/461). 
2 – al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 
As for the way in which the repetition is done – i.e., “Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to these Mushrikoon and Kaafiroon): “O Al‑Kaafiroon (disbelievers)” – it is said that it is for emphasis to cut off their hopes, as one might say: By Allaah, I will not do it, and by Allaah I will not do it. 
Most of the scholars of semantics said: The Qur’aan was revealed in the language of the Arabs, and it is their way to repeat things for emphasis and to ensure that they are understood, and also to speak briefly so as not to tire the listener, because when the speaker uses different phrases in his speech, it is better than limiting himself to one phrase. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?” and “Nay, they will come to know! Nay, again, they will come to know!” [al-Naba’ 78:4, 5] and “5. Verily, along with every hardship is relief,6. Verily, along with every hardship is relief” [al-Sharh 94:5,6]. In all cases, the aim is emphasis. 
Tafseer al-Qurtubi (20/226). 
And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.After examining the Mus-haf al-Tajweed with coloured letters, it is clear that there is nothing wrong with using these colours, rather it makes it easier to learn tajweed, for those who are not able to learn directly from experts. 
The Dar al-Ma’rifah (publisher’s) website has published a copy of the approval of the Islamic Research Council in al-Azhar of this Mus-haf in which different colours are used; it also cites the approval of the senior scholar of Qur’aan in Syria, Shaykh Muhammad Kareem Raajih, and the approval of Shaykh Dr. Wahbah al-Zuhayli. This is the text of what it says on the site:         
With regard to this work of ours, the senior scholar of Qur’aan in Syria, Shaykh Muhammad Kareem Raajih stated on 21 Safar 1412 AH that this work “is acceptable and even it is of no benefit then it does not cause any harm, moreover it serves as a reminder and indication of the rules of tajweed, but it does not do away with the importance of learning tajweed directly from the mouths of the shaykhs.” At the same time, Shaykh al-Qaari’ Muhiy al-Deen al-Kurdi stated on 18 Safar 1415 AH that “those who away from educational circles and elderly people may benefit from this work, because they cannot learn directly.” Professor Wahbat al-Zuhayli, a member of the Islamic Fiqh Council in Jeddah and the President of the Faculty of Islamic Fiqh and Madhhabs at the University of Damascus stated on 18 Muharram 1415AH: “Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And We have indeed made the Qur’aan easy to understand and remember; then is there any one who will remember (or receive admonition)?’ [al-Qamar 54:17]. This clearly indicates that everything that makes it easy to recite Qur’aan, which we are required in Islam to study it, understand its meanings and act in accordance with what it says, is a must according to sharee’ah for those who study knowledge, fiqh and the tafseer of the Book of Allaah. As reciting the Qur’aan in the manner that is known in the science of tajweed is obligatory, then every means that makes it easy for the reader to learn the rulings on tajweed and follow them when reciting is something that is permissible according to sharee’ah, whether it is letters printed in one colour or several colours. The good reading is that which imprints the letters in the mind, and this printing of the Holy Qur’aan in different colours makes it easy to read the Qur’aan, and establishes the rulings in the mind, so it is a contemporary means that is to be encouraged and it does not contradict the way in which Qur’aan was traditionally transmitted to us and the traditional way of writing it.  May Allaah help Dar al-Ma’rifah with this blessed work. End quote. 
There is no way that these colours can be ruled to be an innovation, because the scholars of Qur’aan at the time of the Taabi’een introduced dots and vowels in the Mus-haf and wrote the dots and vowels in red.  
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 
The Sahaabah did not write dots and vowels in the Mus-hafs because they were Arabs who did not make mistakes in pronouncing the words, so they did not need the dots. A single word could be read in two ways, with a ya’ or a ta’, such as ya’maloon (يعملون) and ta’maloon (تعملون), which they would read in only one way because they knew that the other was not correct.  
But at the time of the Taabi’een, when it become common for people to mispronounce words, some of the Taabi’een added vowels and dots to the Mus-haf, and they wrote them in red. They wrote the fathah as a red dot above the letter, and the kasrah as a red dot below the letter, and the dammah as a red dot before the letter. Then they expanded the red dots and they denoted the shaddah by writing “shadd” and the maddah by writing “madd”. They made the sign for the hamzah look like the letter ‘ayn, because the hamzah is the sister of the ‘ayn. Then they abbreviated them and made the sign for the shaddah look like the main part of the letter seen, and the sign for the maddah an abbreviated sign, as those who keep records may abbreviate numbers etc, and as the scholars of hadeeth abbreviated words such as akhbarana (he informed us) and haddathana (he narrated to us) by writing the first and last part of the word in the forms ana (أنا)  and thana(ثنا) .  
The scholars disputed as to whether it was makrooh or not to add vowels and dots to the Mus-haf and there are two well known views, both of which were narrated from Ahmad, but there was no dispute concerning the fact that if there are vowels and dots in a Mus-haf, they must be respected just as the letters are respected. End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (12/101). 
Shaykh Dr. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Muhammad al-Mutlaq (may Allaah preserve him) said: The following things were not originally part of the ‘Uthmaani text: 
1 – The dots by means of which letters are distinguished, for they were added to the Arabic letters at the time of the Taabi’een. Before that the letters were written without dots. Abu ‘Amr ‘Uthmaan ibn Sa’eed al-Daani (d. 444 AH) said: Chapter on the first ones among the Taabi’een to add dots to the Mus-hafs, and those who regarded it as makrooh and those among the scholars who granted concessions allowing that: the reports we have vary as to who was the first to add dots to the Mus-haf among the Taabi’een, but we think that the first one who did that was Abu’l-Aswad al-Du’ali. 
We narrated that Ibn Sireen had a Mus-haf to which dots had been added by Yahya ibn Ya’mar, and that Yahya was the first one to add dots to it. [Kitaab al-Naqd, printed alongside al-Maqna’ fi Ma’rifat Arsoom Masaahif Ahl al-Amsaar, p. 129].  
2 – Vowels and tanween – the first one to add them was Abu’l-Aswad al-Du’ali, and they were dots. That was because he wanted to write Arabic in such a way that the people would correct the mistakes that they had started to make in their speech, as that had become common among the elite and the common folk. So he brought someone to hold the Mus-haf, and he brought ink of a different colour, and he said to the one who was holding the Mus-haf for him: If I open my mouth then put the dot above the letter, and if I stretch my mouth then put the dot beneath the letter, if I purse my lips then put the dot before the letter, and if I follow these letters with ghunnah (i.e., tanween), then put two dots, until I reach the end of the Mus-haf. And it was said that the first one who did that was Nasr ibn ‘Aasim al-Laythi. [Kitaab al-Naqd, printed alongside al-Maqna’ fi Ma’rifat Arsoom Masaahif Ahl al-Amsaar, p. 129].  
Then al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad developed that when he invented vowel signs derived from the letters. [al-Itqaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan, p. 219]. 
3 – Hamzah, shaddah, rawm and ishmaam. The first one who introduced these was al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad al-Faraaheedi. 
4 – Signs of tajweed and signs of al-wasl (joining) and al-waqf (pausing). These did not exist in the ‘Uthmaani text, rather they were developed later on in ‘ilm al-tajweed. End quote from Kitaabat al-Qur’aan il-Kareem bi Khatt Braille lil-Makfoofeen, published in Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah (66/337). 
And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.The scholars differed concerning the ruling on listening attentively to recitation of Quran outside of prayer. There are two opinions: 
1 – The first view is that is it obligatory. This is the view of the Hanafis, and some of them regarded it as an individual obligation, whilst others said that it is a communal obligation. They quoted as evidence the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy” [al-A’raaf 7:204]
It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (4/86): 
Listening to recitation of Quran when it is recited outside of prayer is obligatory if there is no legitimate shar’i excuse for not listening. 
The Hanafis differed with regard to this obligation: is it an individual obligation or a communal obligation? 
Ibn ‘Aabideen said: The basic principle is that listening to Quran is a communal obligation, because it is establishing its right to be listened to and not ignored, which is achieved by some listening attentively, as is the case with returning salaams (i.e., it is sufficient for some members of a group to return the greeting). 
Al-Hamawi narrated that his teacher, the prominent judge Yahya who is better known as Minqaarizaadah, said that listening to the Quran is an individual obligation. 
Yes, the verse in Soorat al-A’raaf, “So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy” was revealed to abrogate the permission to speak during prayer, but what counts is the general meaning of the words, not the specific reason for its revelation, and the general meaning includes recitation of Quran both during prayer and otherwise. End quote. 
2 – The second view is that it is mustahabb and recommended. They interpreted the verse in Soorat al-A’raaf as referring to recitation in prayer only. Outside of prayer it is recommended and mustahabb. This is the view of the majority of scholars.  
Ibn Katheer says in Tafseer al-Quran il-‘Azeem (2/372): 
‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas concerning the verse (interpretation of the meaning): 
“So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy”
[al-A’raaf 7:204]: 
i.e., in the obligatory prayer. Something similar was narrated from ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Mughaffal. Ibn Jareer said: Humayd ibn Mas’adah told us, Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal told us, al-Jareeri told us, that Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd-Allah ibn Kurayz said: I saw ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr and ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah talking whilst the storyteller was speaking, and I said: Why don’t you listen to the reminder, lest you be subject to the warning? They looked at me, then they went back to their conversation. I repeated it, and they looked at me, then they went back to their conversation. I said it a third time and they looked at me and said: That is only in prayer: “So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy”
[al-A’raaf 7:204].  
This is how it was narrated by more than one person from Mujaahid. ‘Abd al-Razzaaq narrated from al-Thawri from Layth that Mujaahid said: There is nothing wrong with speaking if a man recites Quran other than in prayer. 
Something similar was stated by Sa’eed ibn Jubayr, al-Dahhaak, Ibraheem al-Nakha’i, Qataadah, al-Sha’bi, al-Saddi and ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, that what is meant (in the verse) is in prayer. 
This was the view favoured by Ibn Jareer, that what is meant is listening attentively in prayer and during the khutbah, as it says in the ahaadeeth which enjoin listening attentively behind the imam and during the khutbah. End quote. 
It seems that this view is the correct one, because in order for a thing to be obligatory, clear evidence is required, otherwise obliging the people to adhere to that will clause undue hardship without any evidence for it. 
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked, as it says in Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh (no. 197/ question no. 26): 
There was a group of people travelling by car, and one of them put on a tape of Quran; should they all listen to this tape, and is anyone who speaks whilst the tape is playing sinning thereby? 
The answer was: 
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning this verse: This applies to prayer. He said: They were unanimously agreed that this applies to prayer. Based on this, if I am next to a person who is reciting Quran out loud, but I am reciting tasbeeh and saying laa ilaaha ill-Allah, then I do not have to listen to him, rather that applies to prayer only. 
But I say to the brother who put the tape on: Do not put it on when people are not paying attention, because the least that may said about that is that it is like those of whom Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who disbelieve say: ‘Listen not to this Quran, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome’” [Fussilat 41:26]. If you see that your brothers do not want to listen, and they are busy talking to one another, then do not put the tape on. If you want to listen to it, then there are small headphones that you can put in your ears, and you can listen to it by yourself. End quote. 
It says in al-Muntaqa fi Fataawa al-Fawzaan (3/question no. 437): 
Sometimes I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, to prepare food for my husband, and I want to make good use of my time, so I listen to the Holy Quran either on the radio or on tapes. Is this action of mine correct or should I not do that, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy”[al-A’raaf 7:204]? 
The answer is: There is nothing wrong with listening to the Holy Quran on the radio or on tapes when one is working, and that does not go against the words “So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent”, because listening attentively is required as much as one is able to do, and the one who puts on the tape should listen attentively to the Quran as much as he can. End quote. 
Favouring the view that it is mustahabb does not mean that one may be careless and deliberately fail to listen attentively to the words of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, when they are recited. Keenness to listen attentively should be the basic principle that is established in the life of the Muslim, and he should not do otherwise except in the case of work or need. 
Al-Nawawi said in al-Tabyaan fi Adaab Hamalat al-Quran (92): 
Something that attention must be paid to and which should be affirmed is respecting the Quran in cases where some of the negligent may be heedless about it in gatherings where Quran is recited, such as not laughing, chatting or talking during the recitation, except in cases of necessity; obeying the words of Allah, “So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy”; and following the example that was narrated from Ibn Abi Dawood from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that when the Quran was recited he would not talk until the recitation ended. End quote. 
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh (no. 146, question no. 9): It is not good manners to ignore the Book of Allah when it is being recited, even if it is on a tape.” End quote. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: 
It is proven
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
seek refuge with Allaah before reciting al-Faatihah in the prayer. Narrated
by Abu Dawood (775) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. 
Secondly: 
The scholars
differed as to the ruling on seeking refuge with Allaah before reciting
al-Faatihah in the prayer. Some of them were of the view that it is
obligatory. This is the view of ‘Ata’, al-Thawri, al-Awzaa’i and Dawood, as
was narrated by Ibn Hazm in al-Muhalla (3/247-248), and it was the
view favoured by him. It was also narrated from Ahmad and was favoured by
Ibn Battah, as it says in al-Insaaf (2/119). Among later scholars
this view was favoured by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on them
all).  
Others were
of the view that it is only mustahabb and is not obligatory. This is the
view of the majority of scholars among the Sahaabah and Taabi’een and of the
Imams Abu Haneefah and al-Shaafa’i, and Ahmad according to the well known
view of his madhhab. 
See:
Tabyeen al-Haqaa’iq (1/107); al-Majmoo’ (3/280-282), al-Mughni
(1/283); al-Fataawa al-Kubra by Ibn Taymiyah (5/332). 
Those who
say that it is obligatory quoted as evidence the verse in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 
“So when
you want to recite the Qur’aan, seek refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan
(Satan), the outcast (the cursed one)”
[al-Nahl
16:98]
They said:
In this verse there is the command to seek refuge with Allaah, and the basic
principle is that a command means that something is obligatory, so long as
there is no other evidence to indicate that what is meant in the command is
mustahabb. 
Ibn Hazm
said in al-Muhalla (2/279): 
With regard
to the view of Abu Haneefah and al-Shaafa’i, that seeking refuge with Allaah
is not obligatory, this is wrong, because Allaah, may He be exalted, says:
“So when you want to recite the Qur’aan, seek refuge with Allaah from
Shaytaan (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one)”. When Allaah commands
something, it is wrong for anyone to say without any evidence from the
Qur’aan or Sunnah that this is not obligatory, especially His command to
pray for Him to protect us from the tricks of the shaytaan.  So this command
is definitely obligatory, because avoiding the shaytaan and fleeing from him
and asking for protection against him are things that no one can dispute are
obligatory. Moreover, Allaah has enjoined that upon us when reading Qur’aan.
End quote. 
The majority
of scholars responded by noting that there is other evidence which indicates
that it is mustahabb rather than obligatory. This other evidence is: 
1 – The
hadeeth about the man who did not pray properly. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught him how to pray and said: “When you
go to pray, say takbeer, then recite whatever you can of the Qur’aan. Then
bow …” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim (397). And he did not tell him to
seek refuge with Allaah. 
Imam
al-Shaafa’i said in al-Umm (1/208): 
If he omits
it by mistake or out of ignorance or deliberately, he does not have to
repeat it or do the prostration of forgetfulness, but I regard it as makrooh
to omit it deliberately. If he omits it in the first rak’ah, I prefer for
him to say it in some other rak’ah. The only thing that keeps me from
telling him to repeat the prayer is the fact that when the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught a man what is sufficient
in prayer he said: “say takbeer, then recite…”, and it is not narrated that
he told him to seek refuge with Allaah or recite the opening du’aa’. This
indicates that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) regarded the opening du’aa’ as something optional, and that
seeking refuge with Allaah is something that does not invalidate the prayer
if it is omitted. End quote. 
2 –It says
in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (4/6): 
The majority
quoted as evidence that the command means that it is recommended and not
obligatory the fact that the salaf were unanimously agreed that it is
Sunnah. End quote.  
The scholars
of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas also favoured the view that it
is mustahabb and not obligatory, as did Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen. 
It says in
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (6/383): 
What is the
ruling on one who forgets to seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed
shaytaan and remembers after finishing the prayer, if he remembers that he
did not say A’oodhu Billaahi min al-shaytaan il-rajeem (I seek refuge
with Allaah from the accursed shaytaan) whilst he was praying? 
They
replied: 
Seeing
refuge with Allaah is Sunnah, and it does not matter if it is omitted from
the prayer whether deliberately or by mistake. End quote. 
Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen was asked: Should one seek refuge with Allaah in every rak’ah or
only in the first rak’ah? 
He replied: 
Seeking
refuge with Allaah from the accursed shaytaan in prayer is Sunnah. 
The scholars
(may Allaah have mercy on them) differed as to whether one should seek
refuge with Allaah in every rak’ah or only in the first rak’ah, based on the
recitation in prayer – is it regarded as one recitation or is the recitation
in each rak’ah separate? 
It seems to
me that the recitation in prayer is one recitation, so one should seek
refuge with Allaah in the first rak’ah, unless there happens something that
requires seeking refuge with Allaah, such as if there come whispers from the
shaytaan (waswaas), because if whispers come from the shaytaan, the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined spitting
drily to the left three times and seeking refuge with Allaah from the
accursed shaytaan. End quote. 
Majmoo’
Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (13/110) 
This view is
also favoured in the answer to question no.
65847. 
And Allaah
knows best.

Praise be to Allah.It is mustahabb to read Quran a great deal during Ramadaan, because it is the month of the Quran. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)” [al-Baqarah 2:185].
Jibreel used to come to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) every night in Ramadaan and review the Quran with him. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5) and Muslim (4268). 
Al-Bukhaari (4614) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Jibreel used to review the Quran with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once every year, and he reviewed it with him twice in the year when he died. This indicates that it is mustahabb to complete the Quran and study it in Ramadaan.
 Hence the salaf used to read Quran a great deal during Ramadaan, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Qataadah (may Allah have mercy on him) used to complete the Quran every seven nights all the time, and every three nights in Ramadaan, and every two nights during the last ten days of Ramadaan.  
Ibraaheem al-Nakha’i used to complete the Quran in Ramadaan every three nights, and in the last ten days every two nights. 
Al-Aswad (may Allah have mercy on him) used to read the entire Quran every two nights throughout the month. End quote from Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) p. 65. 
Secondly: 
The best is to read the Quran in the order of soorahs as given in the Mus-haf, which is the sequence in which Jibreel reviewed the Quran with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) at the end of his life.  
See: al-Tahbeer fi ‘Ilm al-Tafseer by al-Suyooti, p. 637 
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Tibyaan: 
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: The best is to read it in the order in which it appears in the Mus-haf, so he should read al-Faatihah, then al-Baqarah, then Aal ‘Imraan, then al-Nisa’, until he ends with Qul a’oodhu bi Rabbi l-naas (Sooratal-Naas), whether he is reciting it in prayer or otherwise. It is also mustahabb, if he recites one soorah, to recite after it the soorah that comes after it. So if he recites Qul a’oodhu bi Rabbi l-naas (Sooratal-Naas) in the first rak’ah, he should recite from al-Baqarah in the second. 
The evidence for that is that the order of soorahs given in the Mus-haf is for a reason, so that order should be followed, except in cases where it is narrated that there is an exception, such as in Fajr prayer on Friday, when Alif-Laam-Meem Tanzeel (Soorat al-Sajdah) is recited in the first rak’ah and Hal ata (Soorat al-Insaan) in the second, and the Eid prayers when Soorat Qaaf and Soorat al-Qamar may be recited. 
If he recites them in a different order and recites one soorah then recites a soorah that comes before it, or he recites a soorah that does not come straight after it, that is permissible, even if he is not doing what is best. As for reciting a soorah from the end to the beginning, there is no dispute that this is not allowed and is blameworthy, because it is a distortion that detracts from the linguistic miracle of the Quran and goes against the wisdom behind the order in which the verses appear. 
End quote from al-Nawawi. 
There is a report from ‘Aa’ishah which indicates that it is not obligatory to read Quran in sequence. 
Al-Bukhaari (4993) narrated that Yoosuf ibn Maahak said: I was with ‘Aa’ishah the Mother of the Believers when an Iraqi came to her and said: “O Mother of the Believers, show me your Mus-haf.” She said: “Why?” He said: “So that I may compile and arrange the Quran according to it, for people recite it with its soorahs not in proper order.” She said: “It does not matter which part you read first. The first part of it to be revealed was a soorah from al-Mufassal which mentioned Paradise and Hell, then when the people became steadfast in Islam, (rulings on) halaal and haraam were revealed. If the first thing to have been revealed was ‘Do not drink wine,’ they would have said: ‘We will never give up wine.’ If it had been revealed, ‘Do not commit zina,’ they would have said, ‘We will never give up zina.’ It was revealed in Makkah to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when I was a young girl playing, ‘Nay, but the Hour is their appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter’ [al-Qamar 54:46]. And Soorat al-Baqarah and al-Nisa’ were not revealed except I was with him.” 
Al-Haafiz said: 
It seems to me that this Iraqi was one of those who followed the recitation of Ibn Mas’ood. When the Mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan was brought to Kufa, Ibn Mas’ood did not agree to recant his recitation or destroy his Mus-haf, and his compilation was different from that of ‘Uthmaan’s Mus-haf. (Compilation means the collection of the Mus-haf in order). Undoubtedly the compilation of ‘Uthmaan’s Mus-haf was more appropriate than any other, hence this Iraqi said that its soorahs were not in proper order. 
Ibn Battaal said: We do not know of anyone who regarded it as obligatory to recite the soorahs in order, whether during prayer or otherwise, rather it is permissible to recite al-Kahf before al-Baqarah, or al-Hajj before al-Kahf, for example. As for what is narrated from the salaf about it being forbidden to recite the Quran out of order, what is meant by that is reciting a soorah from its end to its beginning. There was a group which did that in poetry, to demonstrate their precise memorization thereof. So the salaf ruled that this is not allowed with regard to the Quran and it is haraam. Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad said: The order of soorahs is not obligatory when reading or praying, or studying or teaching, hence Mus-hafs varied, but when the Mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan was written they wrote it in the order in which it appears now. Hence the order of the Mus-hafs of the Sahaabah varied… then he mentioned something similar to Ibn Battaal. End quote from Fath al-Baari. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.There is no specific u`a narrated in the Sunnah for after one has completed the Quran, or even from the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or the well-known imams. One of the most well-known u`as regarding this matter is the u`a which is written at the end of many Mus-hafs and it attributed to Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him), but there is no basis for attributing it to him. See Fatawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 14/226. 
The u`a after completing the Quran is recited either after completing it whilst praying, or when not praying. There is no basis for reciting any u`a after completing it whilst praying. As for reciting a u`a after completing it when not praying, it is narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) did that. 
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling on making u`a after completing the Quran in night prayers in Ramadaan?  
He replied: 
I do not know of any u`a for completing the Quran in night prayers in Ramadaan, either from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or from his companions. The most that has been narrated concerning that is that when Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah have mercy on him) had completed a reading of the Quran, he would gather his family and make u`a. This had to do with reading it outside of prayer. End quote. 
Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 354 
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd wrote a useful essay on this issue, at the end of which he said: 
From the quotations in the two previous sections we may draw the following conclusion: 
1 – u`a upon completion of the Quran in general: 
The conclusion concerning this is as follows: 
Firstly: 
What we have stated above has to do with u`a upon completion of the Quran in general. 
There is no proof that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did that, rather the reports are either mawdoo’ (fabricated) or are da’eef (weak) with no other reports to strengthen them. It is almost certain that there are no marfoo’ reports concerning this matter that can be relied upon, because the scholars who wrote comprehensively about the sciences of the Quran and the dhikrs to be recited in connection with the Quran, such as al-Nawawi, Ibn Katheer, al-Qurtubi and al-Suyooti, did not narrate anything other than what we have referred to above. If they had known of any reports with stronger isnaads, they would have quoted them.
Secondly: 
There is a saheeh report that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said u`a when he completed the Quran, and he would gather his family and children for that, and that a number of the Taabi’een followed him in that, as mentioned in the report of Mujaahid ibn Jabr (may Allah have mercy on them all). 
Thirdly: 
There is no suggestion in the texts of Imam Abu Haneefah and Imam al-Shaafa’i (may Allah have mercy on them) that this is Islamically prescribed. 
What is narrated from Imam Maalik (may Allah have mercy on him) is that this is not something that the people did, and that completing the Quran in night prayers in Ramadaan is not Sunnah. 
Fourthly: 
The view that it is mustahabb to make u`a after completing the Quran is what is narrated from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), as our Hanbali scholars narrated from him, and as was affirmed by some later scholars of the other three madhhabs. 
2 – u`a following completion of the Quran in prayer 
This may be summed up as follows:  
Firstly: 
From what is quoted above, there is no one letter from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or from one of his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to indicate that it is Islamically prescribed to recite this u`a in prayer after completing the Quran, before or after bowing, whether that is done by an imam or by one who is praying alone. 
Secondly: 
The closest we can find on this matter is what was quoted by the scholars of our madhhab from the report from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), according to the report of Hanbal, al-Fadl and al-Harbi, the isnaad of which we cannot find, about saying the u`a for completing the Quran in Taraweeh prayer before bowing. 
According to another report narrated from him – the source of which is not known – he allowed it in the u`a of Witr. 
See Marwiyaat u`a Khatm al-Quran. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with you having this gathering. For
one person to read Qur’aan whilst the others listen is something that is
prescribed in sharee’ah; the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and his companions did that. 

It was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
to me: “Recite Qur’aan for me.” I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, should I
recite it to you when it was revealed to you?” He said: “I like to hear it
from someone else.” So I recited Soorat al-Nisa’ to him, until I reached
this verse (interpretation of the meaning): 

“How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a
witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people?”

[al-Nisa’ 4:41]
He said, “That’s enough
for now.” And he turned to me with his eyes flowing with tears. 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4763; Muslim, 800. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said: 

It is prescribed for the Muslims during this blessed month to
study the Qur’aan together, day and night, following the example of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with whom Jibreel
used to study the Qur’aan every year in Ramadaan, and he studied it with him
twice in the last year of his life, and with the aim of drawing closer to
Allaah, and pondering the meanings of the Book of Allaah in order to benefit
from it and act upon it. This is the way of the righteous salaf and the
believers, male and female, should occupy themselves with the Qur’aan,
reciting it, pondering its meanings and referring to the books of tafseer in
order to benefit from it and learn more. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz,
11/319, 320. 
It is better when reading
Qur’aan to also learn the rulings of the Qur’aan, and understand it
meanings. So if you add to reading some tafseer (commentary) on what you
read or on part of it, then you will combine many good things, such as
following the Sunnah, studying the Qur’aan together, teaching the Muslims
and helping them to ponder the Qur’aan. 

If this completion of the Qur’aan is done in Taraaweeh prayer
that is better than it being done outside the prayer. 

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said in al-Fataawa al-Kubra
(2/297): 
The command and
encouragement to recite Qur’aan applies more to the one who is praying than
to anyone else, for reciting the Qur’aan in prayer is better than reciting
it outside of prayer. The reports which speak of the virtue of the one who
recites Qur’aan refer to the one who is praying more than anyone else. End
quote. 

If it is difficult for the people to complete the Qur’aan in
the prayer, they can combine two good things: studying the Qur’aan before
the prayer, and reciting the rest during the prayer, as you are doing. 

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) was the most generous of people, and he was at his most generous
during Ramadaan when Jibreel would meet with him. He would meet him on every
night of Ramadaan and study the Qur’aan with him. And the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was as generous as
the wind in doing good. 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3048; Muslim, 2308. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
was asked: 

Can it be understood from the fact that Jibreel (peace be
upon him) studied Qur’aan with the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) every night in Ramadaan, that it is good to complete the
Qur’aan (in this month)? 

He replied: 

It may be understood that it is mustahabb to study the
Qur’aan and that the believer should study it with those who will benefit
him and help him, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) studied with Jibreel (peace be upon him) for a reason, because
Jibreel was the one who had brought it from Allaah, so he was the emissary
between Allaah and the Messengers. 

Undoubtedly the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) would benefit from his study with Jibreel, such as learning the
variant recitations (huroof) of the Qur’aan and the meanings intended by
Allaah. If a person studies with someone who will help him to understand the
Qur’aan and help him to pronounce it properly, this is what is desirable,
just as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) studied
it with Jibreel. The point is not that Jibreel was better than the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but Jibreel was the
messenger who brought it from Allaah and conveyed to the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that which Allaah had commanded
him, namely the Qur’aan and its pronunciation and meanings. So the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) benefited from Jibreel in
these ways. This does not mean that Jibreel was better than the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), for he is the best of mankind
and is better than the angels. But there was a great deal of goodness in
their studying the Qur’aan together, for the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and for the ummah, because it was studying
what had come from Allaah in order to benefit from what had come from
Allaah. 

There is another benefit in that, which is that studying
together at night is better than doing so during the day, because this study
used to take place at night, and it is known that the night is better for
studying than the day because one is better able to focus and concentrate
then. 

Another benefit is that studying together is prescribed in
sharee’ah, and it is a righteous deed even if it is done at times other than
Ramadaan, because it benefits both parties. Even if there are more than two,
it doesn’t matter, because each of them can benefit from his brothers and
they can encourage one another to read. It may be that a person would not be
motivated to read if he sits on his own, but if he has a companion or
companions to study with him, that will encourage him to read, as well as
the benefits they will all share of studying and learning together. 

It may be understood from that that the imam’s reading the
whole Qur’aan to the congregation during Ramadaan is a kind of this studying
together, because it enables them to listen to the whole Qur’aan. Hence Imam
Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) liked the one who was leading them in
prayer to complete the Qur’aan with them. This is akin to the practice of
the salaf who used to like to hear the whole of the Qur’aan, but this does
not mean that he should hasten and rush and not be deliberate in his reading
and humble, focused and at ease in his prayer. Rather paying attention to
these matters is more important than reciting the entire Qur’aan. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz,
11/331-333 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
was also asked: 

Many imams are keen to complete the Qur’aan in Taraaweeh and
they strive to let the congregation hear the entire Qur’aan. Is there
anything wrong with that? 

He replied: 

This is a good deed, so the imam may recite a juz’ or less
each night, then read more during the last ten nights so as to complete the
Qur’aan. This applies if it is easy for him to do so and will not cause any
hardship… The great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him)
wrote a chapter in his book Jala’ al-Afhaam fi’l-Salaati wa’l-Salaam ‘ala
Khayr al-Anaam, in which he described how the salaf were keen to
complete the Qur’aan; we advise you to read this chapter in order to learn
more. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz,
11/333, 334. 

See also the answers to questions no.
46088,
1505,
4039. 

And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Can you listen to Quran while sleeping?
There is nothing wrong with a Muslim listening to Quran before he sleeps , or listening to a lecture or anything permissible. Indeed it is narrated in the sahih Sunnah that among the adhkar to be recited before going to sleep are some du`as and verses and Surahs from the Quran . 
Al-Bukhari said: 
Chapter: Seeking refuge with Allah and reciting Quran when going to sleep 
`Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went to bed, he would blow into his hands and recite the Mu’awwadhat, and wipe his body with them. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5960)
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) appointed me to guard the zakah of Ramadan, and someone came and started to rummage in the food. I took hold of him and said: “I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)”… And he said: “When you go to your bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi, and you will have ongoing protection from Allah and no devil will come near you until morning comes.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “He spoke the truth even though he is a liar; that was a devil.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 3101) 
Benefits of listening to Quran while sleeping
Listening to Quran before going to sleep and after, during Ramadan and at other times, instills tranquility in the heart and helps one relax. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  
“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” [Al-Ra’d 13:28]
For more, please see these answers: 14590 , 78370 , 124657 , and 228366 .
And Allah knows best.