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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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*Delighting the Virtuous:*

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*Biographies of the Ten Qur'an Reciters*.

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Praise be to Allah.

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We praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness.

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We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and from the misdeeds of our actions.

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Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray,

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and whomever He leads astray, none can guide.

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I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner,

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and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

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“O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as those who have surrendered (unto Him)” (3:102)

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“O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as those who have surrendered (unto Him)” (3:102)

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“O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bare you). Lo! Allah hath been a watcher over you.” (4:1)

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and created from it its mate,

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and dispersed from both of them many men and women.

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“O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bare you). Lo! Allah hath been a watcher over you.” (4:1)

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“O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bare you). Lo! Allah hath been a watcher over you.” (4:1)

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“O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point;” (33:70)

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“He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory.” (33:71)

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“He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory.” (33:71)

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To proceed:

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This is a concise overview of the biographies of the ten leading Qur'an reciters,

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whose recitations have spread across the horizons and been transmitted down to us through unbroken chain of mass transmission (*tawatur*).

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Our chains of transmission in these recitations end with them,

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which they received from the finest of the Tabi'un,

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who in turn transmitted them from the noble Companions,

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from the truthful and trustworthy one, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

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The attribution of these recitations to these leaders

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is solely an attribution of specialization and renown,

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owing to their mastery of the specific variant readings (*huruf*) they received,

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their precision and expertise in them,

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their constant commitment to reading and teaching them,

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and the people's flocking to them due to their abundant virtues,

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their asceticism, and their piety,

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alongside other qualities that set them apart from many reciters of their era—

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even though their era was by no means devoid of other virtuous reciters like them.

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In examining the biographies of the righteous—

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among the reciters, scholars, worshippers, and ascetics of the salaf—

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It was said to Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him:

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"When you finish praying, why do you not sit with us?"

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He replied, "I sit with the Companions and the Tabi'un;

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I study their books and traditions.

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What would I do sitting with you? You backbite people."

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Scholars have noted numerous benefits of studying biographies and historical accounts.

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Among them, first: high resolve and steadfastness of heart.

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Allah Almighty said, addressing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

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“And all that We relate unto thee of the story of the messengers is in order that thereby We may make firm thy heart. And herein hath come unto thee the Truth and an exhortation and a reminder for believers.” (11:120)

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Al-Sa'di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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"For souls find comfort in following good examples,

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grow energetic in righteous deeds,

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desire to compete with others,

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and the truth is fortified by mentioning its testimonies and the many who upheld it."

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Second:

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Following the example of the salaf and taking heed of their admonitions and states.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“In their history verily there is a lesson for men of understanding. It is no invented story but a confirmation of the existing (Scripture) and a detailed explanation of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for folk who believe.” (12:111)

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Third:

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That a person recognizes their own true worth.

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Abu Salih

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Hamdun al-Qassar, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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"Whoever examines the biographies of the salaf

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realizes his own shortcomings and how far he falls short of the ranks of true men."

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As the poet said:

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"Do not bring up our mention alongside theirs;

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the healthy man is not like the crippled when he walks."

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Fourth:

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Loving the salaf and the leaders of the religion,

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for reading their biographies and understanding their lives

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inspires such love.

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So glad tidings to whoever loves them for the sake of Allah Almighty!

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For the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

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"A person will be with whom he loves."

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Fifth:

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Gathering the distilled wisdom of past generations' experiences.

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One poet said:

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"If a person learns the accounts of those who passed,

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you would imagine he had lived from the beginning of time."

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Sixth:

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Mercy descends when the righteous are remembered.

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They are like abundant rain;

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wherever it falls, Allah Almighty brings benefit through it.

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Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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"Upon the mention of the righteous, mercy descends."

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May Allah reward on our behalf the leading imams with all goodness,

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who transmitted the Qur'an to us pure and flowing smoothly.