Increase Your Rank

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “The one who was devoted to the Quran will be told on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last ayah you recite.’” [Abu Dawud]

This hadith mentions the merit of those who commit the Quran (whole or part) to memory. The word ‘ascend’ here means to rise in ranks in Jannah. Jannah has many levels. The higher you go the better Jannah becomes. In the lowest level one will posses what is equal to the world and ten times more. The distance between each level in Jannah is equal to the distance between a person on earth looking at the stars and the stars themselves.

Once you reach your place in Jannah based on your deeds, you will then be told to recite the Quran as you used to recite in the world. With the recitation of each ayah you will ascend one level of Jannah. The more you remember of the Quran the more will be the levels of Jannah you can ascend. Your final abode in Jannah will be at the level of the last ayah you recite.

Memorizing the Quran is not to be taken lightly. The Quran came for guidance and the one who does not act upon it will be punished severely for ignoring its commands and prohibitions. In a dream Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was taken by Jibreel and Mikaeel (alaihis salaam) and shown among other things “a man lying flat on his back, and another man standing at his head carrying a stone or a piece of rock, and crushing the head of the lying man, with that stone. Whenever he struck him, the stone rolled away. The man went to pick it up and by the time he returned to him, the crushed head had returned to its normal state and the man came back and struck him again.”

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) asked, “Who is this?” He was informed, “The one whose head you saw being crushed is the one whom Allah had given the knowledge of the Quran (i.e. knowing it by heart) but he used to sleep at night (i.e. he did not recite it then) and did not act upon it (i.e. its orders) by day; and so this punishment will go on till the Day of Resurrection.” [Sahih Bukhari]