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Qur'an 7:204

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Qur'an 7:204
Verse's Information
Suraal-A'raf (Qur'an 7)
Verse204
Juz'9
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Obligatory congregational prayer
Place of
Revelation		Mecca
TopicJurisprudential, Ethical
AboutSilence and listening to the Qur'an by Muslims during its recitation
Related Versesal-Isti'adha Verse


Qur'an 7:204 exhorts Muslims to maintain silence and listen attentively whenever the Qur'an is recited, that they might receive divine mercy. In his discussion on the prohibition of reciting the Qur'an behind the Imam during prayer, Al-Hurr al-'Amili cited a hadith from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) that utilizes this verse as evidentiary support.

Fadil al-Miqdad, in his interpretation of this verse, posits that the rationale for inṣāt (silence) and istimāʿ (listening) is to perceive the miraculous nature of the Qur'an. Shi'a exegetes have identified various occasions of revelation, including instances where individuals offered salutations, conversed, or inquired about the number of rak'as during prayer. Another cited occasion involves a young Ansari man who loudly recited Quranic verses behind Prophet Muhammad (s) during the first two rak'as of prayer.

Shi'a scholars differ regarding the scope of the obligation to remain silent (inṣāt) and listen (istimāʿ) as derived from Qur'an 7:204. 'Allama Tabataba'i interprets the ruling as general, applying both within and outside of prayer. Conversely, scholars such as al-'Ayyashi, al-Shaykh al-Saduq, and al-Shaykh al-Tusi maintain that the obligation is specific to prayer, regarding it as recommended in other contexts. Citing a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (a), Fadil al-Miqdad argues that the verse's directive serves as a recommendation in all situations, whether inside or outside of prayer.

Status and Importance

In Qur'an 7:204, God commands Muslims to listen and remain silent during the recitation of the Qur'an, ensuring that His mercy may encompass them.[1]

Al-Hurr al-'Amili (d. 1104/1693), in his seminal work Wasa'il al-Shi'a, narrates a tradition from Imam al-Baqir (a) within the chapter prohibiting followers from reciting the Qur'an during congregational prayers where recitation is audible. In this hadith, the Imam invokes Qur'an 7:204 to forbid followers from repeating Quranic verses during the first two rak'as of an obligatory prayer.[2] Fadil al-Miqdad (d. 826/1423), interpreting this verse, explains that the objective of inṣāt (silence) and istimāʿ (listening) is to comprehend the verses' concepts and recognize the Qur'an's miraculous nature.[3]

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi (d. 460/1067) also records a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (a) in Tahdhib al-ahkam, in which the Imam relies on this verse to prohibit followers in prayer from reciting, commanding them instead to remain silent and listen.[4] Muhsin Qara'ati, a contemporary Shi'a exegete, cites a narration indicating that Imam 'Ali (a) maintained silence when a hypocrite began reciting the Qur'an during prayer, waiting for him to finish before continuing.[5]

Others have classified this verse among the Verses of Rulings, noting that it establishes the Islamic etiquette for listening to the Qur'an.[6]

Occasion of Revelation

Shi'a exegetes have offered varying perspectives on the occasion of revelation for Qur'an 7:204. Some reports associate the verse with the requirement for silence during congregational prayer and attentive listening to the Imam's recitation.[7] According to a report from Abd Allah b. Mas'ud, in the early Islamic period, exchanging salutations during prayer was permissible; however, this verse rendered such actions haram.[8] Furthermore, congregants would sometimes converse or inquire about the number of rak'as, prompting the revelation of this verse to mandate silence.[9] Al-Tabrisi (d. 548/1153) supports this view by citing a narration from Imam al-Baqir (a).[10]

Another group suggests that a young Ansari man, or a group of individuals, used to loudly repeat verses while following the Prophet (s) in prayer. This verse was revealed to curb this behavior and enjoin Muslims to listen to the Qur'an. 'Allama Tabataba'i (d. 1402/1981) references this view, citing narrations from Sunni sources.[11]

Jurisprudential Application

Shi'a scholars diverge on whether the obligation of silence and listening is absolute. 'Allama Tabataba'i argues that the verse signifies a general obligation to observe silence whenever the Qur'an is recited, irrespective of prayer.[12] Conversely, 'Allama Majlisi (d. 1110/1699) and Nasir Makarem Shirazi (b. 1345/1926) maintain that, while the verse's literal meaning appears absolute, numerous traditions and ijmāʿ indicate that the obligation is restricted to prayer, rendering it recommended in other contexts.[13]

Scholars such as al-'Ayyashi (d. 320/932),[14] al-Shaykh al-Saduq (d. 381/991),[15] and al-Shaykh al-Tusi regard this ruling as binding specifically during obligatory congregational prayers. Some, including Fadil al-Miqdad and al-Tabrisi, extend this ruling to include the Friday Prayer sermons (khuṭba).[16]

Sunni exegetes, such as al-Suyuti, al-Baydawi, and Fakhr al-Razi, generally hold that the obligation pertains to obligatory prayers and Friday sermons.[17]

Exegetical Points

According to al-Shaykh al-Tabrisi and 'Allama Tabataba'i, inṣāt signifies "silence for the purpose of listening."[18] Abu l-Futuh al-Razi defines it as "opening the ears and guarding [the silence]."[19]

Makarem Shirazi observes that the phrase "that you may receive mercy" implies that the general recommendation of silence and listening applies whenever the Qur'an is being recited.[20]

Notes

  1. ↑ Al-Shaykh al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1415 AH, vol. 4, p. 419; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371-1374 Sh, vol. 7, p. 70.
  2. ↑ Al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 8, p. 355.
  3. ↑ Fāḍil al-Miqdād, Kanz al-ʿirfān, 1373 Sh, vol. 1, p. 195.
  4. ↑ Al-Ṭūsī, Tahdhīb al-aḥkām, 1365 Sh, vol. 3, p. 33.
  5. ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 3, p. 256.
  6. ↑ Irwānī, Durūs tamhīdiyya fī tafsīr āyāt al-aḥkām, 1386 Sh, vol. 2, p. 911.
  7. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1408 AH, vol. 4, p. 791.
  8. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1366-1378 Sh, vol. 9, p. 50.
  9. ↑ Fāḍil al-Miqdād, Kanz al-ʿirfān, 1373 Sh, vol. 1, p. 195; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371-1374 Sh, vol. 7, pp. 69-70.
  10. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1415 AH, vol. 4, p. 419.
  11. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1350-1353 AH, vol. 8, p. 385.
  12. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1350-1353 AH, vol. 8, p. 382.
  13. ↑ Al-Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, 1368 Sh, vol. 85, p. 21; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371-1374 Sh, vol. 7, p. 70.
  14. ↑ Al-ʿAyyāshī, Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, vol. 2, p. 44.
  15. ↑ Al-Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, Man lā yaḥḍuruh al-faqīh, 1363 Sh, vol. 1, p. 392.
  16. ↑ Fāḍil al-Miqdād, Kanz al-ʿirfān, 1373 Sh, vol. 1, p. 195; al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1415 AH, vol. 4, p. 419.
  17. ↑ Al-Suyūṭī, al-Durr al-manthūr, 1414 AH, vol. 3, p. 634; Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 15, p. 440.
  18. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1415 AH, vol. 4, p. 418; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1350-1353 AH, vol. 8, p. 382.
  19. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1366-1378 Sh, vol. 9, p. 52.
  20. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371-1374 Sh, vol. 7, p. 71.

References

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