Honouring the People of the Qur’an
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al-Nawawi then explains how the early Muslims honoured those who knew the Qur’an.
After the Battle of Uhud, when the martyrs were being buried, sometimes two were placed in one grave. And the Prophet ﷺ would ask: which of them knew more Qur’an? And he would place that one first.
Even in death, the Qur’an in a person’s heart gave him honour.
In the time of Umar, his closest advisors, the people he consulted on the affairs of the whole Muslim nation, were the people of the Qur’an, whether they were old or young.
al-Nawawi says that the people of the Qur’an deserve respect, and that harming them is a serious matter. He quotes the words of the early scholars: whoever harms a person who carries the Qur’an, has harmed someone Allah has honoured.
But he also turns the lesson around. If the Qur’an brings honour, then those who carry it must live up to it. They must be the most careful in their manners, their honesty, their humility, and their kindness.
It is not enough to have the Qur’an in your memory. It must also show in your character.
