Verses forgotten turning into snakes (hadith)
There is a narration that those who memorize the Qur'an but later forget it and do not revise it, the verses will turn into snakes on the Day of Judgment and seize them. Is this authentic?
Verses forgotten turning into snakes is the content of a narration according to which, on the Day of Judgment, the verses a person memorized and then forgot will turn into snakes and be hung around their neck. Some believe that the forgetfulness mentioned in this narration does not refer to memory weakness, and such individuals will not be held accountable. From their perspective, the forgetfulness here refers to negligence, such as ignoring the meanings of the verses and not acting upon their instructions. Other narrations support this interpretation.
The Importance of Memorizing the Qur'an
Memorizing Qur'anic verses is a matter highly encouraged in the narrations. The Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said that if God grants someone the ability to memorize the Qur'an, and that person believes someone else has been given something better than what he has received, he has belittled the greatest gift.[1]
There are also narrations emphasizing the importance of repetition and practice of memorized verses to retain them in memory.[2] In some narrations, memorizing the Qur'an is considered valuable only when it leads to acting upon its instructions and guidance. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: «الْحافِظُ لِلْقُرْءانِ الْعامِلُ بِهِ مَعَ السَّفَرَةِ الْكِرامِ الْبَرَرَةِ[3]»
Text and Meaning of the Hadith
Shaykh al-Saduq narrates from Imam Ali (AS), who quotes the Prophet (PBUH):
The content of this hadith has also been reported in other narrations from the Prophet (PBUH), though with some variations.[4]
At the beginning of the hadith, the phrase «وَ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ» appears. The word *ta‘allama* means "to learn," not specifically "to memorize." Thus, this narration has not been interpreted as limited to memorization. According to this hadith, God will assign a snake *for each verse*, not that the verses themselves will turn into snakes. This is understood from the preposition *bi* in the phrase *bi-kulli āyah*, which implies reciprocity or equivalence—not transformation.[5]
Meaning of the Hadith: Neglect and Failure to Act
Researchers believe the threat mentioned in the narration applies to those who deliberately and negligently ignore the Qur'anic verses, particularly those who fail to act upon them. From this perspective, the narration does not apply to those who forget due to memory weakness. As evidence, in some versions of the narration, the phrase *muta‘ammidan* (deliberately) is added after *nasiyah* (he forgot).[6]
It is also narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (AS) regarding a man who read (learned) the Qur'an and then forgot it three times. The Imam did not assign punishment to such a person.[7] Some scholars believe that based on this narration, such a person is not sinful and will not be punished, though he has lost a great reward.[7]
References
- ↑ Mohammadi Reyshahri, Mohammad, Mizan al-Hikmah, Qom, Maktab al-I'lam al-Islami, 1997, Vol. 8, p. 76.
- ↑ Hurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, edited by Abdulrahim al-Rabbani al-Shirazi, Beirut, Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-ʿArabi, 1391 AH, Vol. 4, pp. 845–847.
- ↑ al-Kulaynī, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qūb, al-Kāfī, Tehran, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah, 4th edition, 1407 AH, Vol. 2, p. 603, Chapter: The Merit of the Carrier of the Qur'an, Hadith 2.
- ↑ al-Saduq, Muhammad ibn Ali, Thawāb al-A‘māl wa ‘Iqāb al-A‘māl, Qom, Dar al-Sharif al-Radi, 1406 AH, pp. 280–295.
- ↑ al-Saduq, Muhammad ibn Ali, Thawāb al-A‘māl wa ‘Iqāb al-A‘māl, translated by Ali Akbar Ghaffari, Tehran, Ketabforoushi-ye Saduq, 1984, p. 646, translator’s footnote on p. 12.
- ↑ al-Saduq, Muhammad ibn Ali, al-Amālī, n.p., Mu’assasat al-Ba‘thah, n.d., p. 513.
- ↑ Jump up to: 7.0 7.1 Mazandarani, Muhammad Salih, Sharh al-Usul al-Kafi, with commentary by Abu al-Hasan al-Shi‘rani, edited by Ali Ashour, Beirut, Mu’assasat al-Tarikh al-‘Arabi, 1429 AH, Vol. 11, p. 34.