Al-Ghazali on Proper Conduct for Reciting the Quran

Imam al-Ghazali
Khalid Williams (translation)
Paperback, 110 pages
9781911141532

 

Book 8 of The Revival of the Religious Sciences
Kitab Adab Tilawat al-Quran

 

In this work, Ghazali first establishes the pre-eminence of the Quran and of those who are devoted to its recitation, and then discusses the proper outer conduct for recitation of the Quran and follows this with the inner actions while reciting the Quran.

 

The proper outer conduct includes: the state of the reciter; the quantity of recitation; properly dividing the recitation; manner of writing; measured recitation; weeping while reciting; giving the verses their proper due; what to say before, during and on finishing one’s recitation; reciting aloud and beautifying one’s recitation.

 

As to the inner actions, they are: understanding the grandeur of the Speech; venerating the Speaker; maintaining presence of heart; contemplation; striving to understand; ridding oneself of barriers to understanding; self-reference; reacting to what one reads; ascension and self-negation.

 

In the final section of this work, Ghazali deals with an issue that continues to be a source of contention today: the problem of the permissibility of interpreting the Quran based on personal opinion (tafsir bi’l-ra’y).