RECITATION OF THE HOLY QURAN AND GENEROSITY Bukhari Shareef - Baabul Wahi It is narrated from Ibn Abbas
that the Prophet  was the most generous amongst all the people and his generosity used to be most evident in the month of Ramadaan, at the times when he used to meet with Jibraeel
and he used to meet with Jibraeel
on every night of Ramadaan and recite the Quran. When the Prophet  used to meet with Jibraeel
, he used to be even more generous than excessive wind. The Prophet  is the most generous amongst the people: The meaning of Generosity, is to give someone something that is worthy of his status. This is also known as kindness. The Most Generous amongst the people, means that the Prophet  is more generous than everyone. In this Hadith, the word “People” has been used. Even though this is usually only used for humans, but here, it is necessary to understand that he r is the most generous amongst the entire creation. When he is most generous amongst all the people, then even more so, it must be accepted that he  is the most generous amongst the entire creation, just as he  has himself mentioned in another Hadith, “Almighty Allah is the Most Generous and after Allah, I am the most generous amongst the people and after me, the most generous are those who attain knowledge and impart (this knowledge).” THE REASON FOR HIM BEING MORE GENEROUS IN RAMADAAN: The Prophet  used to be more generous in Ramadaan compared to the other months. There is no doubt that he  was always the most generous in the entire universe, but in Ramadaan, he used to be

more generous than other days, just as it has been mentioned in the Hadith Shareef, “The beginning (of Ramadaan) is Mercy, the middle is forgiveness and the end is freedom from Ramadaan.” He  said, “The reward for one Fard in Ramadaan is equivalent to that of seventy Fards, and the reward of Nafil is equal to Fard.” Imam Zuhri says, “One tasbeeh of Ramadaan is like seventy tasbeehs of any other month.” It has been stated in another Hadith, “one million people are free from jahanum on every night of Ramadaan.” This generosity in Ramadaan that the Prophet  displayed would increases even more when Hazrat Jibraeel
would come to meet the Prophet . Jibraeel
used to come on every night of Ramadaan to meet with the Prophet  and both the Prophet  and Jibraeel
used to recite the Holy Quran. Sometimes the Prophet  would recite and Jibraeel
would listen and sometimes Jibraeel
would recite and the Prophet . During the last year of his physical life on earth, the Holy Prophet  recited the Quran with Jibraeel
twice, compared to once during other years. During this time, the increase in his  generosity and beneficence was because Jibraeel
possessed three unique attributes: Firstly, he was the closest friend (companion) of the Prophet , secondly, he is the closest Angel and the Leader of all the Angels and thirdly, he was the Messenger of Allah (bringing messages to the Prophet . These are three such qualities that are always present in Jibraeel
, but at this time, the unique blessing was that he used to come during this time, to recite the Quran with the Prophet . The happiness that the Prophet  felt during this time can only be known by the Prophet  himself. For this reason, his mercy and generosity would be in full vigor. If one pays careful attention one will find that there are three reasons for this increase in generosity, firstly, the month of Ramadaan, which is the month of unlimited rains of Allah’s blessings descending, secondly, due to the meeting

with Jibraeel
which is an even further blessing of Allah, based on the unique qualities explained above, and also because he is the special Messenger of Almighty Allah to the Prophet , thirdly, due to the recitation of the Quran, which unveiled numerous hidden secrets of the Quran. The Prophet  showed an increase in generosity on the basis of these blessings of Allah and as a means of being grateful (making Shukr) for these blessings. This manner of recitation between the Prophet  and Jibraeel
was because it is in the holy month of Ramadaan that the Jibraeel
gathered the entire Quran from Lauhe Mahfooz and brought it towards the sky above the earth and commanded the Angels to write it. The Angels recorded the Quran in written format as it is present today and then kept it safely in Baitul Izzat. This is an exalted and blessed domain in the first sky. Then, when Allah willed in his infinite wisdom, He commanded Jibraeel
to bring it part by part to the Prophet  over a period of twenty three years. It has been earlier mentioned in the Hadith, that the Quran was initially revealed on the 27th of Ramadaan. This also shows that the Mercy of Allah is even more over us in Ramadaan, compared to other months. The reason that the night was chosen for this meeting is well known be all. The night is always more peaceful and quite compared to the hustle and bustle of the day. The other reason is that the time for a meeting between the one who loves and the beloved is usually set at night. Look at the beautiful manner in which this hadith has been related: It first mentions that the Prophet  is the most generous amongst people, it then goes one step further to state that his generosity increased much more in Ramadaan, compared to other months. Then, going even further it mentions that when Jibraeel
would

come to recite the Quran, then there was no telling about the excellence and power of his generosity. THE BOUNDS OF HIS GENEROSITY: The Hadith Shareef goes further to state that the generosity of the Prophet  was even more than the excessive winds. It is well known how plentiful and necessary the wind is. Everyone knows that the wind is blowing at all times and it is so plentiful that it is everywhere according to necessity and even more than necessity, to such an extent that there is no shortage of it. Now, what is more generous than wind? The Hadith shows that we are aware of the generous nature of the wind, but the Prophet  is even more generous than the wind. One cannot compare the beauty of flowing air to air that is still. May we sacrificed upon the Most Generous of People, whose generosity is even more than that of excessive wind. CONCLUSION AND BENEFITS OF THIS HADITH: The following benefits can be attained from this Hadith Shareef: 1. Generosity is a blessed quality. A believer should be kind and generous. 2. One should try to the best of his ability to be even more generous in Ramadaan. 3. It is necessary to be more generous on those days that are noted for the blessings of Allah. To be generous during such times is also loved by Allah. 4. The most blessed occasion is Rabi ul Awwal Shareef and in Rabi ul Awwal, the 12th is the occasion which is most blessed. We should thus be abundantly generous during this time. 5. The greatest action is to recite the Holy Quran. If there was

anything greater than this, then the Prophet  and Jibraeel
would have done that rather than reciting the Quran. 6. We should recite and revise the recitation of the Quran in abundance. Those who are Haafiz should especially recite to others and listen to others reciting. 7. It is better to recite Quran Shareef at night. Experience has shown that one memorises the Quran faster at night. One should try to always go to meet with the pious, the Ulama and the masha’ikh as long as they do not mind.