Question:
Q1-A person memorised some Surahs like Yasin, Ar-Rahman when he was not mature ,
(a)-after becoming mature he forgot the Surahs
(b)-before getting mature he forgot the Surahs will such a person get punished in the here after, if he does not try to learn the forgotten Surahs?
Answer:
Sa’aad bin Ubaadah (R.A.) narrates that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “A person who recites the Qur’an and then forgets it will meet Allah on the Day of Qiyaamah with parts of his body cut off.” (Abu Dawood, Vol. 1, Page 207, Mishkaat, Page 191)
Under the commentary of this Hadith the word forget’ is interpreted in many different ways. It can mean that he becomes unable to recite the Qur’an while looking inside after learning to do so. It can also mean that he stops reciting the Qur’an or can mean that he memorised the Qur’an and then forgot it and it can also mean that he does not practice on the Qur’an.
The Ahnaaf have given preference to the first meaning i.e. the word forget’ being in the meaning of forgetting how to recite the Qur’an while looking inside. (Mazaahir-e-Haqq, Vol. 2, Page 445, Footnotes by Moulana Ahmed Ali Saharanpoori on Mishkaat, Mishkaat, Page 191) A similar ruling is mentioned in “Fataawaa Aalamgeeriyyah, Vol. 5, Page 317.
A child before reaching puberty is not accountable to the commandments of the Shari’ah. One will be deserving for the punishment mentioned in the above Hadith if he/she was capable of reciting the Qur’an at the time of puberty and then forgot it, not before that.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Qasim bin Hashim Limbada
Attested to as correct by:
Mufti Muhammad Ashraf
Darul Iftaa
Jameah Mahmoodiyah
Springs
17 June 2004
28 Rabee’ul Aakhir 1425