{"id":26168,"date":"2026-08-05T16:33:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T14:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/?p=26168"},"modified":"2026-08-05T16:33:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T14:33:52","slug":"qari-qutbuddeen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/?p=26168","title":{"rendered":"Qari Qutbuddeen"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ask our children:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What is the meaning of ikhlaas (sincerity)?<\/li>\n
  2. What is the meaning of takabbur (pride)?<\/li>\n
  3. What is the meaning of hasad (jealousy)?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Now tell them the story:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    There was once a young boy named Qutbuddeen who had a lot of love for the Qur\u2019aan Majeed. Qutbuddeen loved the Qur\u2019aan Majeed so much that even before he learnt to look into the Qur\u2019aan Majeed and read, he had already memorized many surahs just by listening to them over and over again.<\/p>\n

    As Qutbuddeen grew a little older, he started his hifz of the Qur\u2019aan Majeed, and would also go to a Qari every day to learn to recite with correct tajweed. Qutbuddeen was fortunate as Allah Ta\u2018ala had blessed him with a very sweet voice. He would recite the Qur\u2019aan Majeed in such a beautiful manner that if any person heard him reciting, they would stop what they were doing and listen to him with a lot of enjoyment.<\/p>\n

    Soon, people began to call him \u2018Qari Qutbuddeen\u2019 because of his beautiful recitation, and often, when he would attend a deeni program, then the people at the program would ask him to recite a qiraat before the program.<\/p>\n

    All this attention and praise was not good for Qutbuddeen, as it caused him to lose his sincerity. Before, when he would recite, then he would recite only for the pleasure of Allah Ta\u2018ala. Now, when he would recite, then he would wait for people to praise him. One old uncle came to him and said, \u201cQari Qutbuddeen! Masha Allah! You were on top form today! Your recitation brought tears to my eyes!\u201d Hearing this, Qutbuddeen was pleased and happy.<\/p>\n

    If nobody praised Qutbuddeen after his recitation, then he would look for praise. He would say to the people, \u201cI wish I was a good reciter! I don\u2019t have a good voice, and my tajweed is not very good!\u201d When the people would hear him saying this, they would immediately say, \u201cNo! You recite like an expert qari! Masha Allah! You have a most melodious voice!\u201d Only then, on hearing the praise, would he feel happy and satisfied.<\/p>\n

    The second problem that all the praise and popularity caused for Qutbuddeen was that it made him proud and caused him to feel that he is better than others. Before, he would be humble, but now, he had pride in his heart.<\/p>\n

    Together with this, if another young boy recited the Qur\u2019aan Majeed and people were impressed by the recitation, then he would become jealous. He would feel that he could recite better than that person, so he should rather recite, instead of that person, and people should rather praise him.<\/p>\n

    One day, when Qutbuddeen was in madrasah, a jamaat came to visit from Palestine. They met his Ustaad and spoke to him for a few minutes, after which his Ustaad called all the students to listen to the jamaat give a small talk. Qutbuddeen knew that before the talk, there would be a short qiraat. Qutbuddeen expected that his Ustaad would call him to recite, and he was so confident that he was waiting for his name to be called so that he could wake up and go to the front to recite. But, to his complete surprise, his Ustaad called another boy, named Ahmed, to recite.<\/p>\n

    Qutbuddeen was not happy that Ahmed had been called to recite instead of him, and this feeling only got worse when the jamaat began to praise Ahmed\u2019s recitation. The ameer of the jamaat said, \u201cMasha Allah! His recitation is so good that if he comes to Palestine, I feel that we can even make him the imaam of Musjid-ul-Aqsa!\u201d<\/p>\n

    When Ahmed heard this, he remained humble and said, \u201cAll praise belongs to Allah! It is only with Allah\u2019s help that I am able to recite anything.\u201d As for Qutbuddeen, then his heart was burning with jealousy. While everyone else was smiling happily, he had such a sour look on his face that he looked as though he had been sucking on a lemon!<\/p>\n

    Just then, Qutbuddeen\u2019s friend, Na\u2019eem, said to him, \u201cAhmed read so well, masha Allah! Imagine if he really does go to Musjid-ul-Aqsa one day when he is big and performs one salaah as imaam! How amazing would that be!\u201d Qutbuddeen frowned and said, \u201cHe didn\u2019t actually read that well! In fact, he missed one qalqalah, and his madd was too short as well!\u201d<\/p>\n

    Na\u2019eem immediately realized that Qutbuddeen was jealous and said, \u201cOh! So Ustaad should have rather told you to read then?\u201d Qutbuddeen replied, \u201cWell obviously! I am the best reciter here, and when you have guests then you must present them with the best that you have! If the jamaat heard me reading, they would have said that let alone Musjidul Aqsa, I should be the imaam of the Haram in Makkah Mukarramah!\u201d<\/p>\n

    Na\u2019eem said, \u201cBut who even said that you are the best reciter? I didn\u2019t hear Ustaad say that you are the best. You do recite well, but Ahmed also recites well. It seems that people\u2019s praises and the popularity are going to your head Qutbuddeen, making you feel proud and superior to others, and jealous of their progress. This is not permissible in Islam and is a sin!\u201d<\/p>\n

    A few minutes later, when the students returned to their places to continue learning their work, Qutbuddeen noticed that the jamaat were about to leave. He quickly started reciting in a very loud tone, and with extra style, hoping that the jamaat would hear him, come and praise him, and tell him that he recited even better than Ahmed.<\/p>\n

    However, instead of attracting the attention of the jamaat, Ustaad called out, \u201cQutbuddeen! What are you doing? Why are you reading like this? Read in a normal manner, like everyone else!\u201d Qutbuddeen turned red with embarrassment. Instead of impressing the jamaat, the whole jamaat had turned around and had seen him being scolded!<\/p>\n

    Later that afternoon, when madrasah was over for the day and the students were returning home, Ustaad called Qutbuddeen to his desk. Earlier, Ustaad had seen Qutbuddeen\u2019s sour face, and had also overheard what he had said to Na\u2019eem.<\/p>\n

    Ustaad said to him, \u201cQutbuddeen! Allah Ta\u2018ala has blessed you with a good voice, and you recite the Qur\u2019aan Majeed very well for your age. However, I have been noticing from your behaviour and from the things you sometimes say that you are becoming proud, and you consider yourself to be better than others. Also, you want people to praise you, and if they do not praise you or they praise someone else, then you become upset out of jealousy.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThese are all big sins \u2013 jealousy, pride and reading the Qur\u2019aan for the praises of people. The person who has pride in his heart will not be able to enter Jannah until he first goes to Jahannum to be punished and cleansed from the pride. On the Day of Qiyaamah, those who did good deeds to show off before people, they will not receive any reward from Allah Ta\u2018ala. They will be told that they did the good deed for the praise of people, and they received the praise they wanted, so now they must not expect any reward from Allah Ta\u2018ala. Such people will also be sent to Jahannum for punishment.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThat is why it is so important for us to have ikhlaas and sincerity. This means that whatever good deed we do \u2013 we must do it only for the pleasure of Allah Ta\u2018ala, not to impress people and receive praise. Just imagine \u2013 reciting the Qur\u2019aan Majeed is one of the most rewarding ibaadaat in deen, yet if you have the wrong intention, then instead of receiving reward, you will be punished!\u201d<\/p>\n

    Qutbuddeen was listening carefully, and realised that what Ustaad was saying was correct. His heart had become spoiled with pride, jealousy and insincerity. He asked Ustaad, \u201cUstaad, how can I come right and remove these evil qualities from my heart?\u201d Ustaad said to him, \u201cNow that you have understood your mistake, make taubah and istighfaar to Allah Ta\u2018ala for getting involved in these sins. Then, before you recite the Qur\u2019aan Majeed or do any good deed, check your intention and make sure that you are doing it only for the pleasure of Allah Ta\u2018ala. Finally, you must not feel proud, as it is Allah Ta\u2018ala who gave you a good voice and the ability to read well. Just as Allah Ta\u2018ala gave you this bounty, He can take it away at any time. You must wish well for everyone, and must be happy for others when they progress. This is also part of deen.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Qutbuddeen understood, so he went and performed two rakaats of Taubah Salaah, and then made dua to Allah Ta\u2018ala, begging for forgiveness. From that day on, he was a changed person, and no longer had pride, jealousy and insincerity in his heart.<\/p>\n

    Lessons:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Ikhlaas means sincerity. Sincerity means that whatever good deed a Muslim does, he must only do it for the pleasure of Allah Ta\u2018ala. He must not do it for the praise of people. If a person does good deeds for the praise of people, he will not get reward from Allah Ta\u2018ala.<\/li>\n
    2. Takabbur means pride. This means that a person considers himself to be better than others. This is a sin in Islam. A Muslim must always remain humble.<\/li>\n
    3. Hasad means jealousy. Jealousy means that we do not want another person to enjoy some goodness or some blessing, rather we want it to be taken away from him. Jealousy is a sin in Islam.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Ask our children: What is the meaning of ikhlaas (sincerity)? What is the meaning of takabbur (pride)? What is the meaning of hasad (jealousy)? Now tell them the story: There was once a young boy named Qutbuddeen who had a lot of love for the Qur\u2019aan Majeed. Qutbuddeen loved the Qur\u2019aan Majeed so much that …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17503,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[859,810],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-stories-with-morals","category-story-time"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26168"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26170,"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26168\/revisions\/26170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihyaauddeen.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}