? ILM-I-TAJWID. 



161 



This, however, has been found rather irksome, and so a 

 tradition is remembered which states that one day the 

 Prophet said to his Companions, " What, have you not power 

 to read the third part every night ?" They replied : " It 

 would be very difficult." The Prophet then said, " Read 

 the Surat-ul-Ikhlas (112) ; the recital of this is equal to that 

 of one-third of the Quran." 



It is a Sunnat practice to read the whole Quran during the 

 month of Eamazan. One juz is recited each night. Having 

 settled what portion he is going to read, and having performed 

 all the necessary preliminaries, the reader should repeat, not 

 less than three times and as many more as he likes, the Darud, 

 " 0 God ! have mercy on Muhammad and his descendants, 

 as Thou didst have mercy on Abraham and his descendants. 

 Thou art to be praised and Thou art great. 0 God ! bless 

 Muhammad and his descendants, as Thou didst bless Abraham 

 and his descendants. Thou art to be praised and Thou art 

 great." Then should follow a prayer similar to this, " 0 God, 

 I testify that this is Thy Book, sent from Thee on Thy Apostle 

 Muhammad, and Thy word spoken by the mouth of Thy 

 Prophet. Accept my perusal of it as an act of worship, 

 make me read it thoughtfully. Truly Thou art kind and 

 gracious." Then he should recite the verses, " 0 my Lord ! 

 I betake me to Thee against the promptings of the Satans ; 

 and *I betake me to Thee, 0 my Lord ! that they gain no 

 hurtful access to me " (Sura xxiii, 99, 100), and also the 

 two last Suras, " Say : I betake me for refuge to the Lord 

 of the daybreak against the mischiefs of His creation, and 

 against the mischief of the night when it overtaketh me, 

 and against the mischief of weird women, and against the 

 mischief of the envier when he envieth." " Say : I betake 

 me for refuge to the Lord of men — the King of men — the 

 God of men, against the mischief of the stealthily with- 



22 * 



