1a] Will he be rewarded for listening to the Qur’aan without understanding it?

1a]
He replied:
The Holy Qur'aan is blessed, as Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): "(This is) a Book (the Qur'aan) which
We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over
its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember" [Saad 38:29].
So man is enjoined to read it, whether he understands its meanings or
not. But the believer who is enjoined to act upon it should not read
Qur'aan without understanding its meanings. If a person wants to learn
medicine, for example, and studies the books of medicine, he cannot
benefit from them unless he understands their meanings and they are
explained to him; in fact he will be very keen to understand the
meanings so that he can apply them. So why do you think anyone should
read the Book of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, which is a
healingfor what is in the hearts and exhortation to people, without
pondering and without understanding its meanings? For this reasonthe
Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would not move onfrom ten
verses until they had learned them and learned the knowledge they
contained and how to act upon it. So they learned the Qur'aan and
knowledge and action all together.
A person will be rewardedfor reading the Qur'aan whether he
understands its meanings or not, but he should be very keen
tounderstand its meanings and to learn these meanings from scholars
who are trustworthy in their knowledge. If he hasno access to a
scholar who can teach him the meanings, he may refer tothe trustworthy
books of tafseer, such as Tafseer Ibn Jareer, Tafseer Ibn Katheer and
others which pay attention to the tafseer that is based on reports
narrated from the Sahaabah and the Taabi'een (may Allah be pleased
with them).
End quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb, tape 85,side A.
And Allah knows best.

1] Will he be rewarded for listening to the Qur’aan without understanding it?

1]
Will a person (a believer) be rewarded if he listens to the Qur'aan
without understanding what he is listening to, but he knowsthat it is
Qur'aan? Or will he not be rewarded unless he understands what he is
hearing? I hope you could give someevidence from the Qur'aanand saheeh
hadeeth.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allah, may He be exalted, has commanded the believers to listen to the
Qur'aan attentively, in a general command. He says (interpretation of
themeaning): "So, when the Qur'aan is recited, listen toit, and be
silent that you may receive mercy" [al-A'raaf 7:204].
Shaykh al-Sa'di (may Allahhave mercy on him) said:
This command is general and includes everyone who hears the Book of
Allah being recited. He is enjoined to listen to it and keep quiet.
The difference between listening and keeping quiet is that keeping
quietis done outwardly by not speaking or being distracted with
anything that would keep one fromfocusing on listening to it.
As for listening to it, this means that one hears it with an attentive
heart, pondering the meaning ofwhat one is listening to. The one who
adheres to these two commands when the Book of Allah is recited will
attain a great deal of good, beneficial knowledge, ongoing and renewed
faith, increased guidance and insight into his religion. Hence Allah
connected the attainmentof mercy to them, which indicates that the one
who does not keep quiet and listen attentively when the Book is
recited to him will be deprived ofthe share of mercy and has missed
out on a great deal of good.
The most emphatic command with regard to listening to the Qur'aan
attentively has to do withprayers in which Qur'aan is recited out loud
by the imam, in which one is enjoined to listen attentively, to such
an extent that most of the scholars say that his focusing on keeping
quietand listening attentively takes priority over his reciting
al-Faatihah etc.
End quote from Tafseer al-Sa'di, 314
The greater aim of keeping quiet and listening attentively is so that
the listener may ponder and understand the meanings, and act upon
them. Imam al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Allah says to those who believe in Him and in His Book, for whom the
Qur'aan is guidance and mercy: "So, when the Qur'aan is recited", to
you,O believers; "listen to it", i.e. lend your ears so that you might
understand its verses and learn from its exhortation; "and be silent"
and listen to it attentively, so that you might understand and ponder,
and do not utter idle talk during it lest you do not understand; "that
you may receive mercy" i.e., that you might receive the mercy of your
Lord by heeding His exhortation and adhering to His limits and to what
He enjoins upon you in the verses.
End quote from Tafseer al-Tabari, 13/244
If a person manages to achieve that, i.e., keeping quiet, listening
attentively, pondering what is recited to him andunderstanding its
meanings, that will bring him goodness in this world and the
Hereafter.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah havemercy on him) said:
By means of this listening,Allah guides His slaves and sets straight
their affairs in this world and the Hereafter; with this the Messenger
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent, and he enjoined
it upon the Muhaajireen and Ansaar and those who followed them in
truth. The early generations used to gather for this purpose. When the
Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) gathered together, they would tell one of their number to
recite whilst they listened. 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be
pleased with him) would say to Abu Moosa: Remindus of our Lord, and
Abu Moosa would recite Qur'aan whilst they listened.
End quote from Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 11/626
Secondly:
As listening in the complete sense is that in which one understands
and ponders, there is no doubt that the one who does that as much is
he is able is to be commended for what he does, and he is excused for
what he is incapable of. But what one is incapable of shouldnot be an
excuse for not doing what one is able to do of goodness. What is
possible is not to be omitted because of what is difficult; in other
words,whatever a person is able to do of obligatory or mustahabb
actions is not waived because of what he is incapable of doing,
because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "So keep your duty
to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can"
[al-Taghaabun 64:16].
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) was asked:
Will a person be rewardedif he reads the Qur'aan, even if he does not
understand its meanings?

4a] Is feeling proud of one’sreligion a kind of blameworthy pride?

4a]
But feeling proud becauseof doing acts of obedienceand worship means
feeling happy that one has been enabled to do that and feeling proud
of belonging to people who do that, and praising Allahfor saving him
from shirk and its people, and from sin and its path.
As for looking down on the slaves of Allah and feeling that one is
above them because of acts of obedience that one has done, this is the
worst type of pride and arrogance, and the one who is like this is on
the brink of disaster and thereis a danger that his deeds will be
thrown back at him.
And Allah knows best.

4] Is feeling proud of one’sreligion a kind of blameworthy pride?

4]
Is there anything wrong with a person feeling proud of his religion or
feeling proud of a person who does something good? Because we know
that pride in the heart is something bad.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
With regard to feeling proud of one's religion and of belonging to it,
this is something that is prescribed in Islam and is a righteous deed.
A story from one of the battles illustrates this point: Abu Sufyaan,
the leader of Quraysh, expressed pride in his religion and the
religion of his people – as he had not yet entered Islam. TheProphet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) answered his boast with an
expression of the Muslim's pride in his religion and his affirmation
of the Oneness of the Lord of theWorlds.
Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (3039) from the hadeeth of al-Bara'
ibn 'Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) that after the battle Abu
Sufyaan ibn Harb started composing rajz verse and saying: "Rise in
honour, Hubal; rise in honour Hubal."
The Prophet blessings andpeace of Allah be upon him) said: "Why don't
youanswer him?"
They said: "O Messenger of Allah, what should we say?"
He said: "Say: Allah is MostHigh and Most Glorious."
Abu Sufyaan said: We have al-'Uzza and you have no 'Uzza."
The Prophet blessings andpeace of Allah be upon him) said: "Why don''t
you answer him?"
They said: "O Messenger of Allah, what should we say?"
He said: "Say: Allah is our Supporter and you have no supporter!"
Allah, may He be exalted, has taught His slaves that true pride and
perfect honour can only be achieved by obeying Allah. Allah, may He be
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allaah belong all
honour, power and glory [and one can get honour, power and glory only
by obeying and worshipping Allaah (Alone)]. To Him ascend (all) the
goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (i.e. the goodly words
are not accepted by Allaah unless and until they are followed by good
deeds), but those who plot evils, theirs will be severe torment. And
the plotting of such will perish"
[Faatir 35:10].
i.e., and whoever would like to be honoured in thisworld and the
Hereafter, let him adhere to obedience to Allah, then he will attain
what he wants, because Allah is the Sovereign of this world and the
Hereafter, and all honour, power and glory belong to Him, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who take disbelievers for Awliyaa' (protectors or helpers or
friends) instead of believers, do they seek honour, power and glory
with them? Verily, then toAllaah belongs all honour,power and glory"
[al-Nisa' 4:139]
"And let not their speech grieve you (O Muhammad r), for all power and
honour belong to Allaah"
[Yoonus 10:65]
"But honour, power and glory belong to Allaah, and to His Messenger
(Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), and to the believers,but the hypocrites
know not"
[al-Munaafiqoon 63:8].
Mujaahid said: "Whosoever desires honour, power and glory"[al-Faatir
35:10] by worshipping idols, "then to Allaah belong all honour, power
and glory.
Qataadah said: "Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to
Allaah belong all honour, power and glory"i.e., let him seek honour,
power and glory by obeying Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 6/536
Secondly:
With regard to a person feeling proud of himself, ifit is because he
is religiously committed, righteous and pious, then it is good, but if
it is because of anything else, such as lineage, ancestry, wealth,
position or status among people, then this is an act of Jaahiliyyah
and is not permissible.
Muslim (1550) narrated from Abu Maalik al-Ash'ari(may Allah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "There are four matters of Jaahiliyyah in my ummah that they
will not give up: pride in one'sforefathers, slandering lineages,
seeking rain by the stars and wailing (for the dead)."
Muslim (5109) also narrated from 'Iyaad ibn Himaar al-Mujaasha'i
(mayAllah be pleased with that) that the Messenger of Allah (sa) said
one day in his khutbah: "Allah has revealed to me that you should be
humble so that no one will boast to anyone else and no one will
transgress against anyone else."
Al-Majd Ibn Tamiyah (mayAllah have mercy on him) said: Allah has
forbidden on the lips of His Prophet two types of mistreatment of
people: pride and transgression against them and scorn.
Fayd al-Qadeer, 2/217
The guideline with regardto this issue is: whatever is a source of
pride and honour because of religion is part of the religion and is
praiseworthy; any source of pride other than that is blameworthy.