• Qur'an: Recitation without ablution
Is it permissible to recite the Qur'an or glorify Allah while lying in bed and without ablution?
Allah describes His good servants who believe in Him as "those who remember Allah when they are standing, seated, or in a reclined position and meditate on the creation of the heavens and the earth" (3;191). The phrase "remember Allah" has a very wide meaning in Islamic terminology, which includes the recitation of the Qur'an and the praising and glorification of Allah, making supplication, etc. Moreover, the Prophet has taught us some supplication to say when we go to bed. Therefore, the answer to your question is that it is perfectly permissible.
It is recommended to have ablution before one goes to bed and before one recites the Qur'an or glorifies Allah or does any act of His remembrance. When we say this is recommended, we actually say that it is not obligatory. Therefore, it is permissible to do all that without having an ablution. It is not permissible, however, to recite the Qur'an from memory or to hold the Qur'an when one is in a state of ceremonial impurity i.e. Janabah.
• Qur'an: Special importance of some surahs
1. The Qur'an is the complete code of living and the book of guidance. In order to implement its commandments, we need to read it carefully and understand the meaning of its verses and surahs. Many people, however, do not bother to try to understand it, but read it like parrots, particularly people who do not read or understand Arabic. Many are in the habit of reading surahs or verses at particular times or on particular days. For example, they read the 18th surah "Al Kahf" before Friday prayer, and the 67th Surah, "Al-Mulk", at the death of someone. The surah entitled, "Al-Waqi'ah", is read after Maghrib prayer with the feeling that this would ensure an increase of provisions. People say that every surah of the Qur'an has its own significance. My question is whether such a practice is Islamic or an innovation?
2. I am in the habit of reciting Surah 112 (Al-Ikhlas) often, but a scholar told me that approach was not the right one. He suggested that if I read this surah 1000 times at the same spot, I have actually sold my soul to Allah, which did not seem too attractive to me. Please comment.
Your description of the Qur'an as a code of living and a book of guidance for mankind is certainly correct. This is how Allah Himself describes it. As such, it should be implemented in practical life. This is the purpose for which it is revealed. It is unthinkable to suggest that Allah has included in His book all the guidance human beings need in order to conduct their lives and achieve happiness, only for them to neglect it, or approach it in a very casual manner, or read it without understanding, or merely reduce it to some sort of singing material which is used by the media or in social functions and occasions.
The proper approach to the Qur'an is that of the companions of the Prophet who used to read only a short passage of the Qur'an and learn it properly, understand its meaning, and implement its instructions, before moving on to study another passage. There need be no argument about that. When you consider how people who join political parties or intellectual and social clubs or groups deal with the constitution of their organization, you are bound to be amazed at the attitude of Muslims toward the Book Allah has made their constitution in this life. In each of these cases, people study the constitution of their organizations or party or club and familiarize themselves with its objectives, methods of action and the ways and means to achieve their goals. But in dealing with the Qur'an, it is often the case that Muslims treat it in a very casual way.
Allah wants his Book to be the guide which shows human beings what to do in every aspect of their lives so that they achieve the right balance and lead a happy life, and fulfill their task of building a human civilization in a very happy and relaxed manner. That calls for a clear and proper understanding of the meaning of the Qur'an. You cannot be guided by something you do not understand.
Careful reading of the Qur'an which aims at understanding its meaning and implementing its instructions is very richly rewarded by Allah. However, not all people can read Arabic properly or understand it. Although the meaning of Qur'anic verses is translated into other languages, and most Muslims can have a translation in their national language of the surahs and verses of the Qur'an, yet people seldom bother to relate what they read in the Qur'an to the meaning given in such translations. As such, their reading is casual and has only the purpose of reading the words Allah revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, His last messenger to humanity. Is such a purpose encouraged? Is such a reading rewarded?
Scholars agree that reading the Qur'an by a person who does not understand it and is only able to read it with difficulty earns a reward from Allah. This is because when a person takes the trouble to read the Qur'an although he does not understand it, he actually expresses his love and reverence of the Qur'an and his acknowledgment that it is Allah's word. Moreover, he is motivated by the Prophet's encouragement to all Muslims to read the Qur'an, promising them that for every letter they read they are credited 10 hasana or 10 good deeds. This applies in all cases. Therefore, we should not try to stop anyone from reading the Qur'an, even though he may not understand it.
The Prophet has mentioned that certain surahs have special importance, but the general notion that every surah has a purpose for which it is read is certainly mistaken. It is recommended, for example, to read the 18th surah Al-Kahf, on Friday. But we are not told that the Prophet continued to read particular surahs at particular times in the way described by my reader. What we know is that the Qur'an is a complete book and every part of it is equally important. It is true that the Prophet mentions that the surah entitled, "Al-Ikhlas", or "Purity of Faith" is equal to one third of the Qur'an, but this refers to the fact that it states in a very short and precise manner the principle of the Oneness of Allah which is the cornerstone of the Islamic faith. This Hadith does not mean that when you read this surah, which is written in a single line, you are given the reward of reading one third of the Qur'an. For reading it you earn the same reward as you read any surah or passage of the Qur'an which is of equal length.
We are encouraged to recite the Qur'an everyday, at all times. Therefore, if one decides to do this reading at a particular time and reads, say, one or two paras every day, he is well advised to continue with this system than concentrate on reading special surahs at special times. The Qur'an remains a book of guidance and blessing. Whenever we read it we are bound to benefit by its blessings.
2. There is a report which suggests that a group of Muslims complained to the Prophet about their local imam who often recited the surah you have mentioned which is entitled "Purity of faith" or "Al-Ikhlas." The Prophet asked him the reason for reciting the surah so often and the man answered that he loved it so much. The Prophet told him that Allah loves him because of his love of this surah.
The surah is a very short one, perhaps the second shortest in the whole of the Qur'an. It is appropriate to quote it in order to understand what we are talking about. Its text may be rendered in translation as follows :
"In the name of Allah, the Merciful the Beneficent. "Say : He is Allah the One and the Only God, the Eternal, the Absolute. He begot none, nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable to Him."
It is clear that the surah summarizes the concept of the Oneness of Allah in a most clear and precise statement which allows no trace of polytheistic beliefs to creep into Islamic faith. Since Oneness of Allah is the basic concept of all divine messages, this surah is very important for anyone who wants to understand what the religion of Islam is all about. To a Muslim it serves as a constant reminder that he must always preserve his faith pure of any trace of polytheism. For this reason, we are recommended to recite this surah often, particularly in Sunnah prayer. The Prophet is known to have read this surah in voluntary prayers in particular and if we do the same we stand to earn more reward for our prayer because of following the Prophet's methods.
Having said that, I have to add that at no time did the Prophet recommend us to recite this surah, or any particular one, so many times on the same occasion. The reverse is true. The Prophet has always recommended us to read the Qur'an and ponder over its meanings, so that we understand fully well what Allah's message is. We do not find any scholar of repute of any school of thought recommending the reading of passages of the Qur'an or phrases of glorification of Allah a large number of times, as some people these days suggest. When you consider the position of such people, you find that they do not have any proper knowledge of Islam. They are not scholars, although some people may give them credit for being so. This reflects on the ignorance of such people because they do not distinguish a real scholar from someone who may try to appear so.
I am not clear exactly what this man has told about the value of reading this surah 1,000 times on the same spot. I imagine that what he meant is that by so doing, you bring yourself into the kingdom of Allah and as such you free yourself from the shackles of human beings who need reward in order to offset the punishment they may incur for sins they may commit. He may have used the term "selling your soul to Allah". I can tell you that this is totally alien to Islamic thinking. Islam does not promise us great reward for doing so. If you read this surah once or twice, with contemplation, and you understand the importance of the concept of the Oneness of Allah, you earn much greater reward than reading it a thousand times like a parrot without understanding it. What this man has suggested is total nonsense to which you need not pay any attention whatsoever.
• Qur'an: Translation — Standardized
For fourteen centuries we have not been able to translate the Qur'an well enough. Differences of opinion still exist among scholars. There must be some standardized translation and standard interpretation of the Qur'an. Do you agree?
In its original form in Arabic, the Qur'an is expressed in a fine, inimitable style of surpassing excellence. No one has ever been able to write anything similar to the Qur'an in its literary beauty. The most that Arabic speaking men of letters can aspire to is the use of some Arabic expressions in their writings to add to the beauty of their style.
To translate the Qur'an into any other language retaining its beauty is a task beyond human endeavor. The Qur'an is Allah's word He Himself has expressed it in His own style. To express it in similar power in another language requires that Allah Himself reveals the Qur'an in that other language. That task is up to Him to fulfill if He so chooses. He tells us that He wants His message in Arabic and that is His choice.
It is very difficult for the best of translators to translate a text of human writing into another language, retaining all its power and beauty. That is why you may have several translations of the same text. Each will have its own merit. To have a standardized translation of the Qur'an may be useful but it is something very difficult. That is due to the fact that it is almost impossible to capture all the nuances and shades of meaning that a particular Qur'anic expression may have. Translation is meant to help us understand the message of the Qur'an. Each translation goes some length into achieving that. Therefore, they are all valuable.