Reading directly from the Muṣḥaf

Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

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O Allah, send blessings upon our master Muhammad,
the Opener of what was closed,
the Seal of what came before,
the Helper of the Truth by the Truth,
and the Guide to Your straight path.
And upon his family,
according to his immense worth and the greatness of his rank.

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Verse on Following the Prophet ﷺ

Allah تعالى said:

“Say: If you truly love Allah, then follow me;
Allah will love you and forgive your sins.
For Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, 3:31)

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The Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

“الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ“
“Religion is sincere counsel.”
We said, “To whom?”
He replied:
“To Allah, to His Book, to His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims, and to the general body of the Muslims.”

The Prophet ﷺ also said:
“All of my community will enter Paradise except those who refuse.”
It was asked, “And who refuses, O Messenger of Allah?”
He replied:
“Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused.”
Reported by al-Bukhārī.

The Beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever revives my Sunnah has truly loved me, and whoever loves me will be with me in Paradise.”
Reported by at-Tirmidhī.
Classed as ḥasan (sound) by numerous scholars.

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Words of our master Shaykh Aḥmad Tijānī (may Allah sanctify his precious secret)

“Every opening, every light, and every spiritual elevation
are attained only through sincere following of the Beloved ﷺ.”

“All goodness lies in following the Sunnah, and all evil lies in whatever diverges from the Sunnah.“

“Every path that does not lead to following the Prophet ﷺ is a path of perdition.“

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The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُحِبَّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ فَلْيَقْرَأْ فِي الْمُصْحَفِ
“Whoever wishes that Allah and His Messenger love him, let him read from the Muṣḥaf.”
Reported by al-Bayhaqī in Shuʿab al-Īmān (2027),
from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is also mentioned in as-Silsila aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥa of al-Albānī.

Our beloved Shaykh — may Allah preserve his precious secret — advised us to read the Noble Qur’an while looking directly into the Glorious Book, the Noble Qur’an itself.

The phone — and anything similar to it — is for us comparable to tayammum in prayer: a permission granted out of necessity, not a dwelling place in which the heart should settle.

Tayammum is not living water; it stands in its place when water is unavailable. Likewise, these modern means do not replace real presence, living companionship, or direct contact with the Book and with hearts. They are a facilitation granted in situations of necessity — travel, illness, lack of water, and the like — without ever becoming the permanent norm.

But as soon as the possibility of returning to the original state appears, the believer returns to what is more complete and more pure. For the rule in the spiritual path is to prefer what nourishes the heart deeply over what merely provides temporary convenience.

Thus, we use these tools with moderation, just as one uses tayammum with respect: without rejecting them, yet without making them a permanent substitute for presence, direct reading, the meeting of gazes, and the warmth of gatherings. For the strongest lights descend where hearts meet without veils and where the Word is received without intermediary.

Whoever understands this makes the phone a servant and not a master, a bridge toward good and not a veil between himself and what truly matters.

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The poor servant in Allah and disciple of Shaykh Aḥmad Tijānī
(may Allah sanctify his precious secret),
Mohammed El Mansour El Mohieddine Tidjani