How terrible it is for someone to say: I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur'an, for indeed, he has been caused to forget it. So, you must keep on memorizing the Qur'an for it is more likely to escape from the hearts of men faster than camels · Explained ḥadīths

عن عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : «بِئْسَ ما لأحَدِهم أنْ يقول نَسِيتُ آيةَ كَيْتَ وكَيْتَ، بل نُسِّيَ، واستذكِروا القرآن، فإنه أشدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِن صدور الرِّجال من النَّعَم».

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "How terrible it is for someone to say: ‘I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur’an', for indeed, he has been caused to forget it. So, you must keep on memorizing the Qur'an for it is more likely to escape from the hearts of men faster than camels.”

Narrated by Bukhari & MuslimGradeAuthentic hadith

Explanation

In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) criticizes whoever says that he has forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur'an, because it gives the impression that he takes the issue of neglecting the Qur'an and forgetting it indifferently. Actually, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) added “for indeed, he has been caused to forget it”, meaning: he was punished by forgetfulness for neglecting the regular recitation and memorization of the Qur'an. After that, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded Muslims to keep refreshing their knowledge of the Qur’an by regularly reciting, memorizing, and studying it since it is more likely to escape from the hearts of men faster than camels. The camel was mentioned in particular here because it is the readiest of domestic animals to run away, and if it does run away, recapturing it is very difficult.

Reference

- صحيح البخاري، نشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422ه. - صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. - كشف المشكل من حديث الصحيحين، لجمال الدين أبي الفرج عبد الرحمن بن علي بن محمد الجوزي، المحقق: علي حسين البواب، الناشر: دار الوطن – الرياض. - عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري، لمحمود بن أحمد بن موسى الحنفى بدر الدين العينى، الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. - المنهاج شرح صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج، للنووي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت، الطبعة: الثانية، 1392ه.

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