In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَذۡكِرَةٌ۬ لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ

And verily, this Qur’an is a Reminder for the people who fear Allaah]. [Surah Al-Haaqqah. Verse 48]

The Qur’aan is a reminder for the people who fear Allaah. The person who fears Allaah is reminded by way of the Qur’aan, then he is enabled to see what us beneficial and harmful to him; so he pursues what is beneficial and avoids what is harmful. The Qur’aan reminds him of the Perfect Names, Attributes and Actions of his Lord, so he believes in them. The Qur’aan reminds him of Allaah’s reward, punishment, threats, commands and prohibitions, and the amazing events by way of which Allaah’s allies (were supported) and His enemies (destroyed). The Qur’aan reminds the pious person about his soul, the means to its purification, cleanliness and elevation, and what would defile, lower and disgrace it. He remembers by way of the Qur’aan the knowledge related to the beginning of creation, the Hereafter, paradise and hell fire, and the knowledge about good and evil. The Qur’aan is a reminder about reality, a proof proof humankind and Jinn, a benefit and source of good welfare (in all affairs of their life) and a guidance for those who seek knowledge. [1]

Allaah [The Most High] said: [وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ۬ وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ‌ۙ – And We send down from the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it)]. [Surah Al-Israa. Verse 82]

There are three statements (of the scholars) regarding the Qur’aan being a healing: (a) It is a healing for misguidance due to what it contains of guidance. (b) It is healing for illnesses due to what it contains of blessings. (c) It is healing due to its explanation and clarification of the obligatory duties and rulings of the religion. [2]

The Qur’aan is a healing for the hearts for the diseases of ignorance, doubt and scepticism. Allaah (The Most High) has never revealed a cure that is neither more comprehensive and beneficial; nor greater and quicker in removing diseases than the Qur’aan. [3]

The healing that the Qur’aan contains deals with all (diseases) of the hearts, such the disease of Shubhah [an affair that is made to resemble truth but is falsehood in reality], ignorance, corrupt views, perversion and evil aims, because indeed the Qur’aan is gathered upon Al-Ilm Al-Yaqeenee [i.e. Knowledge based on Absolute Certainty by way of which every Shubhah and affair of ignorance is removed, and it contains an admonition and a reminder by way of which every desire that is in opposition to the command of Allaah is removed]. And it is a healing for the bodies against what is harmful to them and illnesses. As for it being a Mercy, it is due to the Asbaab [i.e. sound means] and Wasaa-il [i.e. paths, ways] it guides to, which if the slave [i.e. person] acts upon them, he (or she) will be successful (in receiving Allaah’s) Mercy and an everlasting happiness- reward in this worldly life and everlasting reward in the Hereafter. [4]

The Qur’aan combines healing for the diseases of the heart, such as doubt, hypocrisy and other than that. It is a healing for the bodies when utilised for ruqya, such as what took place in the story of the man who performed ruqya with Soorah Faatihah on a man who was stung and it is an authentic and well known story. [5]

Attention Given To The Qur’aan By The Pious Predecessors

Abu Salamah [may Allaah be pleased with him] said: Whenever Abu Musa [may Allaah be pleased with him] sat with Umar [may Allaah be pleased with him], he may say to him, “O Abu Musa! Remind”. So he recited. [6]

Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood [may Allaah be pleased with him] said: Whoever is able to learn something from the Qur’aan, then let him do so. Indeed, the houses that are deprived of good the most are the ones where there is no recitation of Allaah’s Book, because the houses in which there is no recitation is like the demolished houses which have no inhabitants. Indeed shaytaan exits a house in which Surah Al Baqarah is heard. [7] He also said: The hearts are receptacles so busy filling them with the Qur’aan and do not busy them with other than it. [8]

Ibn Abbaas [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father] said: It would be more beloved to me to recite Surah Al-Baqarah during the night than recite the Qur’aan haphazardly. [9]

Ubayd Bin Ja’d [may Allaah have mercy upon him] reported from a man from who said, “I heard the people in the towns saying that Salmaan Al-Faarisee [may Allaah be pleased with him] is in the Masjid, so they approached him until about a thousand people gathered. He stood up and said, ‘Sit down, sit down’. Then when they sat down, he started reciting Surah Yusuf, so the people began moving away and departing until about a hundred were left. Then he became angry and said, ‘So you wanted adorned speech, but then I recited to you the book of Allaah and you left!'” [10]

Masrooq [may Allaah have mery upon him] said: A man from the people of Makkah said to me, “This is the place in which your brother Tameem Ad-Daaree [may Allaah be pleased with him] used to stand. Indeed, one night I saw him until in the morning or nearly morning time, whilst he was crying and reciting: [أَمۡ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَسۡبِقُونَا‌ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ – Or does those who do evil deeds think that they can outstrip Us (i.e. escape Our Punishment)? Evil is that which they judge! [Surah Al-Ankabut. Verse 4]” [11]

Muqaatil Bin Hayyaan [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: I once prayed behind Umar Bin Abdil Azeez [may Allaah have mercy upon him], so he read [وَقِفُوهُمۡ‌ۖ إِنَّہُم مَّسۡـُٔولُونَ- But stop them (i.e. when the wrong doers will be held to account on the day of judgement), verily they are to be questioned] [Surah As-Saffaat. Verse 24]. He kept on repeating it and was not able to go past it (i.e. due to the severity of what the verse meant). [12]

Maymoon Bin Mehraan [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: Once Umar Bin Abdul Azeez [may Allaah have mercy upon him] cried after reciting the verse [أَلۡهَٮٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ-The mutual rivalry for piling up of worldly things diverts you]. Then he recited [حَتَّىٰ زُرۡتُمُ ٱلۡمَقَابِرَ – until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die)]. Then he said, “I will not see the graves except as a visitor and the one who visits them must either be returned to paradise or hell”. [13]

Aamir Bin Abdil Qays [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: I don’t care what escapes me from the worldly things after knowing this Aayah:

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزۡقُهَا وَيَعۡلَمُ مُسۡتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسۡتَوۡدَعَهَا‌ۚ كُلٌّ۬ فِى ڪِتَـٰبٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬

And no (moving) living creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit (in the uterous, grave, etc.). all is in a Clear Book (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz – the Book of Decrees with Allah). [Surah Hud. Verse 6]

And the statement of Allaah: [مَّا يَفۡتَحِ ٱللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحۡمَةٍ۬ فَلَا مُمۡسِكَ لَهَاۖ وَمَا يُمۡسِكۡ فَلَا مُرۡسِلَ لَهُ ۥ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۚ – Whatever of mercy (i.e.of good), Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter]. [Surah Al-Faatir. Verse 2] [14]

Maalik Bin Deenaar [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: When the Qur’aan is recited to the truthful people, their hearts become enraptured by the Afterlife. [15]

Ibn Wahb [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: It was said to the sister of Maalik Bin Deenaar, “What did Maalik use to busy himself with in the house?” She replied, “With the Mushaf and recitation”. [16]

[Ref 1: At-Tibyaan Fee Aqsaamil Qur’aan. 193-194. Slightly paraphrased]
[Ref 2: Source: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilm At-Tafseer of Ibnul Jawzi (rahimahullaah)—Tafseer Soorah al-Israa]
[Ref 3: Al-Jawaab Al-Kaafee page 4]
[Ref 4: Tafseer As-Sadi]
[Ref 5: Adwaa Al-Bayaan–Tafseer Soorah Al-Israa: Ayah 82]
[Ref 6: Siyar A’laam An-Nubulaa 1/280]
[Ref 7: Hilyatul Awliyaa (Tahdheeb). 1/119]
[Ref 8: Az-Zuhd 298. By Imaam Ahmad]
[Ref 9: Sifatus Safwa 1/372]
[Ref 10: Hilyatul Awliyaa (Tahdheeb) 1/163]
[Ref 11: Mawsoo’ah 1/256-257 by Ibn Abee Dunyaa (rahimahullaah)]
[Ref 12: Mawsoo’ah 3/255. By Ibn Abee Dunyaa (rahimahullaah)]
[Ref 13: Mawsoo’ah 3/255. By Ibn Abee Dunyah (rahimahullaah)]
[Ref 14: Mawsoo’ah 1/279. By Ibn Abee Dunyah (rahimahullaah)]
[Ref 15: Sifatus Safwa. 3/204]
[Ref 16: Siyar A’laam An-Nubulaa 2/736]