that they turn away from the reminder, like startled donkeys fleeing from a lion?” There are many such passages in the Quran.

This was the kind of listening practised by the early generations of this community and its leading shaykhs and imams: the Companions, the Successors, and the shaykhs who came after them, such as Ibrāhīm ibn Adham, al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyād, Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī, Ma‘rūf al-Karkhī, Yūsuf ibn Asbāt, Hudhayfa al-Mar‘ashī, and others like them.

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him, would say to Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī, “Abū Mūsā, remind us of our Lord.” He would then recite while they listened and wept.

When the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gathered, they would ask one of their number to recite the Quran while the others listened. It is established in the Sahīh that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī while he was reciting and began listening to his recitation. He said, “This man has been granted a melodious voice like those of the house of David.” He also said, “I passed by you last night while you were reciting, and I began listening to your recitation.” Abū Mūsā replied, “Had I known that you were listening, I would have made it especially beautiful for you”—meaning that he would have further beautified his recitation for him.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Adorn the Quran with your voices.”

He also said:

“Allah listens more attentively to a man with a beautiful voice reciting the Quran than the owner of a singing girl listens to her.”

Here, adhan means listening, as in His words:

“And it listens to its Lord, as it must.”

That is, it listens.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah listens to nothing as He listens to a prophet with a beautiful voice reciting the Quran melodiously and aloud.”

He also said:

“He is not one of us who does not recite the Quran melodiously.”