Why is Ramadan called the “month of the Qur'an”?
The month of Ramadan is called the month of the Qur'an. We can see this from the habits of the scholars who are very familiar with the Qur'an. Some are diligent in reading, completing and even contemplating the contents in it. Even this is exemplified by our role model, Prophet Muhammad.
In shahihain, from Ibn 'Abbas radhiyallahu 'anhuma, he said,
كَانَ النَّبِىُّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – أَجْوَدَ النَّاسِ ، وَأَجْوَدُ مَا يَكُونُ فِى رَمَضَانَ ، حِينَ يَلْقَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ ، وَكَانَ جِبْرِيلُ – عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ – يَلْقَاهُ فِى كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ ، فَيُدَارِسُهُ الْقُرْآنَ فَلَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – أَجْوَدُ بِالْخَيْرِ مِنَ الرِّيحِ الْمُرْسَلَةِ
"The Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam was the most fond of giving. His enthusiasm in giving was even more burning during the month of Ramadan when Jibril met him. Jibril met him every night in the month of Ramadan. Jibril taught the Qur'an at that time. And the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- is the most enthusiastic in doing good like the wind that blows."(Narrated by Bukhari no. 3554 and Muslim no. 2307)
Ibn Rajab Al Hambali wombahullah said, “The above hadith shows that Muslims are encouraged to study the Qur'an a lot in the month of Ramadan and gather to study it. Memorizing the Qur'an can also be deposited on people who memorize it more than him. This argument also shows that it is advisable to do a lot of recitations of the Qur'an in the month of Ramadan." (Lathaif Al-Ma'arif, p. 302)
It is also mentioned in the hadith that the Prophet used to deposit the Qur'an with Jibril once a year and twice in the year he died. From Abu Hurairah radhiyallahu 'anhu, he said,
كَانَ يَعْرِضُ عَلَى النَّبِىِّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّ عَامٍ مَرَّةً ، فَعَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ فِى الْعَامِ الَّذِى قُبِضَ ، وَكَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ كُلَّ عَامٍ عَشْرًا فَاعْتَكَفَ عِشْرِينَ فِى الْعَامِ الَّذِى قُبِضَ فِيهِ
"Gabriel (mutually) studied the Qur'an with the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam once a year (khatam). When in the year he will die twice khatam. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam used to do 'I'tikaf every year for ten days. But in the year when he will die, he will perform I'tikaf for twenty days." (Narrated by Bukhari no. 4998).
Ibn Atsir stated in Al-Jami' fii Gharib Al-Hadith (4:64) that Gabriel taught each other the entire Qur'an that had been revealed with the Prophet .
The best thing is, the Qur'an is deposited at night because at that time it has been separated from busyness. Likewise the heart and the spirit of the tongue to contemplate it. As ﷲ سبحانه و تعالى said,
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا
"Indeed, at night it is more appropriate (to be solemn) and reading at that time is more memorable." (Surat al-Muzammil: 6)
Several other evidences also show that the month of Ramadan is a special month for the Qur'an because the Qur'an was revealed at that time. ﷲ سبحانه و تعالى said,
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآَنُ
"(Some of the appointed days are) the month of Ramadan, the month in which the Qur'an was revealed (beginning).(Surah Al-Baqarah: 185).
Ibn 'Abbas said that the Qur'an was revealed once in Lauhul Mahfuzh in Baitul 'Izzah on the night of Lailatul Qadar.
What supports the words of Ibn 'Abbas is the word ﷲ سبحانه و تعالى in another verse,
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ
"Indeed, We have sent it down (the Qur'an) on the night of glory(Surah Al-Qadar: 1).
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ
"Verily We sent it down on a blessed night.(Surah Ad-Dukhon: 3).
Among the reasons that the month of Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an is evidenced by the recitation of the Qur'anic verses which are read more in the evening prayers in Ramadan than in other months. The Prophet once prayed with Hudzaifah's friend on the night of Ramadan, then he read Surah Al-Baqarah, Surah An-Nisa' and Surah Ali 'Imran. If there is a verse that contains the threat of hell, then he stops and asks Allah for protection from hell.
Similarly, 'Umar bin Khattab once ordered Ubay bin Ka'ab and Tamim Ad Daari to lead the tarawih prayer. In the past, the prayer priest read 200 verses in one raka'at. To the extent that there are worshipers who hold on to sticks because they have been standing for so long. And the prayer was finished before dawn. During the tabi'in period, Surah Al-Baqarah was read thoroughly in 8 cycles. If it is read in 12 cycles, it means that the prayer is getting lighter. see Lathaif Al-Ma'arif, p. 303.
The things above that show the specificity of the month of Ramadan with the Qur'an.
Examples of Scholars Who Completed the Qur'an in a Short Time
First example from a scholar named Al-Aswad bin Yazid wombahullah –a great tabi'in scholar who died in 74 or 75 Hijriyah in Kufah- could finish the Qur'an in the month of Ramadan every two nights. From Ibrahim An-Nakha'i, he said,
كَانَ الأَسْوَدُ يَخْتِمُ القُرْآنَ فِي رَمَضَانَ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَتَيْنِ
"Al-Aswad used to finish the Qur'an in the month of Ramadan every two nights." (Siyar A'lam An-Nubala, 4: 51).
Subhan Allah … What is there, we are only people who neglect the Qur'an in the month of Ramadan.
It is mentioned in the same book, outside the month of Ramadan, Al-Aswad used to finish the Qur'an in six nights. And it should be known that it turns out that his resting time for sleeping is only between Maghrib and Isha. (Siyar A'lam An-Nubala, 4: 51)
Second example from a scholar among the tabi'in named Qatadah bin Da'amah wombahullah who died in 60 or 61 Hijriyah. He was one of the students of Anas bin Malik radhiyallahu 'anhu. He was praised by Imam Ahmad bin Hambal as an expert scholar of commentary and understands the disputes of scholars in the matter of interpretation. To the extent that Sufyan Ats-Tsaury said that there is nothing on this earth like Qatadah. Salam bin Abu Muthi' once said about the spirit of Qatadah in interacting with the Qur'an,
كَانَ قَتَادَة يَخْتِمُ القُرْآنَ فِي سَبْعٍ، وَإِذَا جَاءَ رَمَضَانُ خَتَمَ فِي كُلِّ ثَلاَثٍ، فَإِذَا جَاءَ العَشْرُ خَتَمَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ
“Qatadah usually finishes the Qur'an in seven days. But when the month of Ramadan comes, he finishes it every three days. Even when the last ten days of Ramadan come, he finishes it every night.” (Siyar A'lam An-Nubala', 5: 276)
Third example is from Muhammad bin Idris Asy-Shafi'i wombahullah whom we know as Imam Shafi'I, one of the leading madhhab scholars. Mentioned by his student, Ar-Rabi 'bin Sulaiman,
كَانَ الشَّافِعِيُّ يَخْتِمُ القُرْآنَ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ سِتِّيْنَ خَتْمَةً
"Imam Shafi'i used to finish the Qur'an in the month of Ramadan 60 times." Added by Ibn Abi Hatim that khataman is done in prayer. (Siyar A'lam An-Nubala', 10: 36).
Imagine, Imam Shafi'i means completing the Qur'an twice a day. Subhan Allah …
Last example is from Ibn 'Asakir who is a hadith expert scholar from the land of Sham, who is famous for his work Dimasyq's date. His son, Al-Qasim, said of his father,
وَكَانَ مُوَاظِبًا عَلَى صَلاَةِ الجَمَاعَةِ وَتِلاَوَةِ القُرْآنِ، يَخْتِمُ كُلَّ جُمُعَةٍ، وَيَخْتِمُ فِي رَمَضَانَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ، وَيَعْتَكِفُ فِي المنَارَةِ الشَّرْقِيَّةِ، وَكَانَ كَثِيْرَ النَّوَافِلِ وَالاَذْكَارِ
“Ibn 'Asakir was a person who used to regularly pray congregational prayers and recite the Qur'an. He used to finish the Qur'an every week. More extraordinary in the month of Ramadan, he finished the Al-Qur'an every day. He used to perform I'tikaf at Al-Manarah Ash-Shaqiyyah. He is a person who is very fond of doing sunnah practices and diligent in dhikr." (Siyar A'lam An-Nubala', 20: 562)
May it be made easy for us to fill our days in the month of Ramadan with the Qur'an and be diligent in mentadabburi (contemplating it).
Source : https://rumaysho.com
Sunnah.
