The Best Qur’ân Reader

’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b

May Allah be pleased upon him

When the Ansâr (supporters) gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah’s Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, during their first solemn pledge of Al-‘Aqabah in Makkah before the Hijrah (Immigration), ’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b was amongst these men. And when Mus‘ab Ibn ‘Umair arrived to Al-Madînah to teach people their religion, and teach them the Qur’ân, he was from the closest men to him. For his love to Qur’ân was like blood running in his veins, and he had a good voice, and read well.

In the following year, ’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b returned with the Ansâr (supporters) for the second solemn pledge of Al-‘Aqabah … 

And after the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, immigrated to Al-Madînah, ’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b was the first to write him what the angel (Jabrîl)  told him…

One day, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, called upon him and said: “Allah has ordered me to recite to you”[1]: (Those who disbelieve from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and Al-Mushrikûn, were not going to leave (their disbelief) until there came to them clear evidence).(Al-Bayyinah.“The Clear Evidence”,1).

’Ubaî said: Has he mentioned my name?.. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Yes”… On hearing this, ’Ubaî  started weeping…

So one of the Sahâbah (companion) asked him: Did that make you happy?.. He answered: What should prevent me when Allah says: (Say: “In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur’ân);- therein let them rejoice.” That is better than what (the wealth) they amass).(Yûnus “Jonah,58).

’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b stays close to the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, and does not depart from him in travel, nor inside the country. He joins him in all his conquests. He divides his time between fighting in Allah’s Cause , and trying his best to learn the Qur’ân and learn its rules, until the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, gave him the permission to give out advice concerning religious matters. He was one of three supporters who had this right during the time of the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,: ’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b, Zaid Ibn Thâbit, and Mu‘âdh Ibn Jabal. He was also one of the four people recommended by the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, as a man to take the Qur’ân from: ’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b, ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ûd, Mu‘âdh Ibn Jabal, and Sâlim Mawlah (the freed slave of) ’Abî Hudhaifah[2]…

The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, had declared that he was the best man to read the Qur’ân in the nation, for he said: “The most tender man to my nation is ’Abû Bakr, and the most attendant to Allah’s religion is ‘Umar, and the most sincerely bashful is ‘Uthmân, and the most knowledgeable in Halâl (lawful) and Harâm (unlawful) in religion is Mu‘âdh Ibn Jabal, and the most knowledgeable to the rules of inheritance in Islam is Zaid Ibn Thâbit, and the best man who reads the Qur’ân is ’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b, and every nation has an Amîn (i.e. the most honest man), and the Amîn of this nation is ’Abû ‘Ubaida Ibn Al Jarrâh”[3]…

One day, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, asked him: “Which is the greatest verse in Allah’s great book?!”.

He said: Only Allah and His Prophet know.. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, repeated the question two more times.. So ’Ubaî  said: The verse Al Kursî, O Prophet of Allah.. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, hit him with his hand on his chest and said: “You are a benefit to knowledge ’Abâ Al Mundhir”[4]. And so, from that time he was called ’Abâ Al Mundhir as a nickname to that respectable Sahâbî (companion) of the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,.

‘Umar Ibn Al Khattâb used to call him ’Abû Al Tufayl as his son’s name was Tufayl…  He said about him: ’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b is the master amongst Muslims.

When ‘Umar Ibn Al Khattâb became a Khalîfah (Caliph), and the Muslims started praying during the night in Ramadân[5] in the Gamâ‘ah (congregation), he ordered that ’Ubai Ibn Ka‘b leads them in the prayer as he was the best Qur’ân reader. He used to read all the Qur’ân during the Tarâwîh[6]. The learners of the Qur’ân, plus the Sahâbah (companions), and the followers would learn from him and correct their way of reading to his.

And until the day of judgment, every Qur’ân reader will benefit something from  ’Ubaî Ibn Ka‘b’s reading, and that will be granted to him in his book of good deeds, without lessening the good deeds of the reader himself.