Surah Taa-Haa

Chapter 20 · Verse 114 · Revealed in Makkah

فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُۥ ۖ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًۭا

So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

Translation: Saheeh International

Listen to recitation

Mishary Rashid Alafasy

Reflection — Ibn Kathir

The Qur'an was revealed so that the People would have Taqwa and reflect

After Allah, the Exalted, mentions that on the Day of Judgement both the good and the evil will be recompensed and there is no avoiding it, He then explains that the Qur'an was revealed as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner in the clear and eloquent Arabic language. There is no confusion or deficiency in it.

وَصَرَّفْنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْوَعِيدِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

Reflection — Maarif ul Quran

وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْ‌آنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ (And do not hasten with (reciting) the Qur'an before its revelation is concluded - 20: 114.) It has been stated in Sahih Hadith on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ that in the early days of revelation when angel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) brought a Qur’ anic verse and recited it to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the latter would try to repeat it after him, lest it escapes from his memory. He had, thus, to make a double effort, i.e. to listen to and understand the meaning of the Qur'anic verses while they were being recited by Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) and also to repeat them in order to commit them to memory. In this verse as well as in the verse لَا تُحَرِّ‌كْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ occurring in Surah قِیَامۃ (75:16) Allah lightened this burden from the Holy Prophet ﷺ by assuring him that he need not worry himself about memorizing the Qur'anic verses which were revealed to him because He (Allah) would make it possible for him to remember them without any effort on his part. All that he was directed to do was that he should keep praying, رَّ‌بِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا (My Lord, improve me in knowledge). This comprehensive prayer includes a plea for memorizing that portion of the Qur'an which had already been revealed to him and a desire for what remained of it and for the ability to understand its true meaning.

What does this verse bring up for you today?

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