Additional Notes on Writing the Qur'aan in Gujarati

Q: Ilm-26: Although you have written sternly against writing the Qur'aan in Gujarati, the people of our village cannot read Arabic at all and it is only by reading the Qur'aan in Gujarati that they can earn any rewards. Which Hadith declares recitation of the Qur'aan in the Gujarati script as being Haraam? We cannot seem to see any
such Hadith.

People who know only Gujarati, who are born speaking only Gujarati and? who cannot even learn to recite the Arabic script are very anxious to recite the Qur'aan every
morning and evening and are also in the habit of doing so. What are they then to do?

Answer: if only you had read the previous Fatwa properly, you would have then found all the answers to your objections. For an act of Ibaadah to be valid, all the necessary conditions have to be fulfilled, failing which the act is invalid and rather than being a source of mercy, it becomes a means of punishment. Allaah declares:
"Destruction be for those performers of salaah who are unaware of their salaah... Rasulullaah SAW. mentioned that there are people who perform salaah for sixty years
but not a single salaah is accepted because when their Ruku is correct, the Sajdah is not and when their Sajdah is correct, the Ruku is not.

When Rasulullaah SAW. once saw a person performing salaah without performing the Ruku and Sajdah correctly, Rasulullaah SAW. remarked, "should he die in this condition, he would be dying on a creed other than that of Muhammad." It was with regard to people performing their salaah at home without any excuse that Rasulullaah SAW. said, "They will certainly go astray."

In all the above incidents, people have been sternly reprimanded against performing salaah against the defined etiquette and methods. Recitation of the Qur'aan is also a great form of Ibaadah and carrying it out in a manner that opposes its principles is also an act of sin. Fatawaa Bazaaziyyah states: "Recitation of the Qur'aan in an incorrect manner is an act of sin."

Because the Qur'aan was revealed in most eloquent and refined Arabic, it is of utmost importance to preserve its etiquette and specialities. Explaining the verse that
commands people to recite the Qur'aan with Tarteel, Hadhrat Ali RADI. states. "(Tarteel is) Tajweed of the letters (reciting them properly from their sources and with all their qualities) and knowing where and how to stop. Imaam Jazari RAH. has also stated in his book that it is necessary to learn to recite the Qur'aan with Tajweed and with understanding all the relevant laws of recitation.

It is also evident that it will be impossible to recite the Qur'aan in Gujarati unless one learns to recite the Arabic from someone proficient. Otherwise, one will be the target of the Hadith that states, "Many are those who recite the Qur'aan but are actually cursed by the Qur'aan."

Ponder for awhile about the statement that it is very difficult for a person who speaks only Gujarati to learn Arabic. Will this argument be used when it concerns another language? Will the same be said about learning English? Not at all fact, the opposite is more true. When it comes to learning English, it becomes easy for people to even adopt the behaviour and mannerisms of the English people let alone only learning their language.

Do not make such excuses because we will soon have to face the plea of Rasulullaah SAW. when he will complain to Allaah saying, "O my Rabb! Verily my people have ignored this Qur'aan."I What reply will we then give? Do exert yourself to learn Arabic because the Qur'aan is in Arabic, Rasulullaah SAW. spoke Arabic and the language of Jannah shall be Arabic. Go to the Imaam of your Masjid and do a little every day to learn. Rasulullaah SAW. said that when the person engaged in reciting the Qur'aan gets no opportunity to make Dhikr and du'aa, Allaah will grant him more than those actually making du'aa.

As for people who are too old to learn, they should rather keep repeating the Surahs they know from memory. They should however not recite from the Gujarati Qur'aan because they will then be unable to recite correctly.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.1