Best of You Are Those Who Learn Quran and Teach It

The Prophet ﷺ left one sentence that defines the peak of human excellence in Islam. Recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (5027), it reads: “The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” This hadith is not a compliment reserved for scholars — it is an open invitation to every Muslim in Australia to claim the highest rank through two actions available to anyone willing.

Understanding why this hadith carries such weight, what scholars say it truly means, and how other prophetic traditions reinforce the same message gives every Muslim — adult, student, or parent — a clear and motivating direction for their Quranic journey.

What You Will Learn in This Article?

• The full meaning and chain of the primary hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari
• Why scholars say both learning AND teaching are required for this rank
• The importance of learning and teaching the Quran in brief
• 7 other hadiths about learning the Quran, each with a key lesson
• How Australian Muslims can act on this guidance today

Hadith “Best of You Are Those Who Learn Quran and Teach It” Full Explanation

The full text of the hadith, narrated by Uthman ibn Affan (رضي الله عنه), is recorded in two versions in Sahih al-Bukhari:

خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ القُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ

(Khayru-kum man ta’allama al-Qur’āna wa ‘allamahu)

“The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” 

Sahih al-Bukhari 5027

And a second narration:

إِنَّ أَفْضَلَكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ القُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ

(Inna afḍala-kum man ta’allama al-Qur’āna wa ‘allamahu)

“Indeed, the most excellent among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” 

Sahih al-Bukhari 5028

What “Learning and Teaching” Actually Covers?

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah explained that “learning the Quran” in this hadith covers both its letters and its meanings. Ibn al-Qayyim confirmed: the meaning is the true goal, and the letters are the vessel that carries it. A person who memorises without understanding, and who teaches sounds without transmitting meaning, has not fulfilled the hadith’s full scope.

Why Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami Sat for 40 Years?

The narrator of this hadith, Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, began teaching Quran in the mosque of Kufa during the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan and continued until the era of al-Hajjaj — approximately 40 years of unbroken teaching. When asked why, he pointed to this hadith and said: “That is what kept me in this seat.” 

He is recorded in classical sources as having taught Quran during both the Umayyad and early Islamic periods without interruption — a living embodiment of the rank the Prophet ﷺ described.

See Us in Action! 

Curious about what our online classrooms look like? Watch the short clips below to see how our interactive, one-on-one sessions bring learning to life with real-time feedback and engaging teaching methods. 

Importance of Learning and Teaching the Quran

The importance of learning and teaching the Quran lies in a simple theological fact: the Quran is the direct speech of Allah, transmitted through an unbroken chain to every generation. Whoever enters that chain — as a learner or a teacher — becomes part of the most honoured transmission in human history.

Learning Quran Transforms the Individual

Ibn al-Qayyim described Quran recitation with reflection as “the origin of the heart’s rectitude.” When a person engages the Quran with genuine attention — reading correctly, understanding, and acting — it reorganises their priorities, calms anxiety, and produces what classical scholars called hayat al-qalb (the life of the heart). 

This is not a metaphor. It is a documented spiritual and psychological shift that Quran teachers across generations have observed in their students.

Teaching Quran Multiplies Benefit Beyond the Self

Imam al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani noted in Fath al-Bari that whoever combines learning and teaching produces naf’ muta’addi — benefit that spreads beyond the self. 

The Quran teacher who has passed on correct recitation to even one student earns reward from every subsequent recitation that student makes, for as long as that student is alive. The return on this act is incalculable by any worldly standard.

Australian Quran Academy’s Online Quran Classes for Adults in Australia are designed for Muslims who want to fulfil both sides of this hadith — learning to recite with Tajweed accuracy and eventually being equipped to pass on what they have learned.

Start learning today with Australian Quran Academy’s Online Quran Classes for Adults in Australia

Other Hadiths About Learning the Quran

These are 7 other hadiths about learning the Quran, each followed by its core lesson in a single paragraph.

1. Every Letter Carries Ten Good Deeds

عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ، وَالحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا

(Man qara’a ḥarfan min Kitābi-llāhi fa-lahu bihi ḥasanatun, wal-ḥasanatu bi’ashri amthālihā)

“Whoever reads one letter from the Book of Allah will receive one good deed, and that good deed carries a tenfold reward.” 

Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2910

Quran recitation is not rewarded as a single act — it is rewarded letter by letter. The Prophet ﷺ clarified that Alif is one letter, Lam is one letter, and Mim is one letter. A single page of Quran contains hundreds of such letters. This means every session of Quran study — no matter how short or imperfect — generates reward far beyond what the student can imagine.

2. Quran Will Intercede on the Day of Judgement

اقْرَؤُوا القُرْآنَ، فَإِنَّهُ يَأْتِي يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ شَفِيعًا لِأَصْحَابِهِ

(Iqra’ū al-Qur’āna fa-innahu ya’tī yawma al-Qiyāmati shafī’an li-aṣḥābih)

“Recite the Quran, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection as an intercessor for those who recited it.”

Sahih Muslim 804

The word ashab (companions/owners) signals a relationship of closeness and commitment, not casual familiarity. The hadith describes the Quran arriving to advocate for those who genuinely made it their companion in this life. This is a direct motivator to go beyond occasional recitation and build a consistent, daily connection with the Quran.

3. The Quran Raises and Lowers Nations

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ

(Inna-llāha yarfa’u bihādhal-Kitābi aqwāman wa yaḍa’u bihi ākhirīn)

“Indeed, Allah raises nations through this Book and lowers others by it.” 

Sahih Muslim 817

This hadith operates at both the individual and communal level. When a Muslim community in Australia actively learns and transmits Quran, it gains spiritual authority and internal cohesion. When it neglects the Quran, it loses the very foundation that gave earlier Muslim generations their extraordinary impact on history.

4. The Skilled Reciter Is with the Noble Angels

الْمَاهِرُ بِالقُرْآنِ مَعَ السَّفَرَةِ الكِرَامِ البَرَرَةِ، وَالَّذِي يَقْرَأُ القُرْآنَ وَيَتَتَعْتَعُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ شَاقٌّ لَهُ أَجْرَانِ

(Al-māhiru bil-Qur’āni ma’a as-safarati al-kirāmi al-bararah, wal-ladhī yaqra’u al-Qur’āna wa yatata’ta’u fīhi wa huwa ‘alayhi shāqqun lahu ajrān)

“The one proficient in Quran will be with the noble, obedient angels. The one who recites the Quran and struggles through it — finding it difficult — receives a double reward.” 

Sahih Muslim 798

This hadith removes the most common barrier Australian learners face — the fear of not being good enough yet. The Prophet ﷺ explicitly honoured the struggling student with a double reward, specifically because the effort costs them more. Nobody is too unskilled to benefit from Quran recitation.

5. Recitation Raises the Rank in Jannah

يُقَالُ لِصَاحِبِ القُرْآنِ: اقْرَأْ وَارْتَقِ وَرَتِّلْ كَمَا كُنْتَ تُرَتِّلُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَإِنَّ مَنْزِلَتَكَ عِنْدَ آخِرِ آيَةٍ تَقْرَأُهَا

(Yuqālu li-ṣāḥibi al-Qur’āni: Iqra’ warqā warattil kamā kunta turatilu fid-dunyā, fa-inna manzilata-ka ‘inda ākhiri āyatin taqra’uhā)

“It will be said to the companion of the Quran: Recite and ascend, and recite with measured pace as you used to recite in this world. For your rank will be at the last verse you recite.” Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2914

The rank in Jannah is directly proportional to how much Quran a person memorised and recited with proper measured recitation (tarteel) in this life. This means every additional surah memorised, every session of Tajweed improvement, and every page reviewed is not just spiritual discipline — it is a permanent elevation of one’s eternal standing.

Australian Quran Academy’s Hifz Classes for Adults in Australia helps Adults build a structured Hifz journey so that every verse memorised counts toward this eternal rank.

Begin your Hifz journey with Australian Quran Academy’s Quran Memorisation Course in Australia

6. Gathering to Study Quran Brings Divine Presence

مَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ فِي بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِ اللَّهِ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَيَتَدَارَسُونَهُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِلَّا نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمِ السَّكِينَةُ وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةُ وَحَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِيمَنْ عِنْدَهُ

(Mā ijtama’a qawmun fī baytin min buyūti-llāhi yatlūna Kitāba-llāhi wa yatadārasūnahu baynahum illā nazalat ‘alayhim as-sakīnatu wa ghashiyat-humu ar-raḥmatu wa ḥaffat-humu al-malā’ikatu wa dhakara-humu-llāhu fīman ‘indah)

“No group gathers in a house of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it together, except that tranquillity descends upon them, mercy envelops them, angels surround them, and Allah mentions them among those with Him.” 

Sahih Muslim 2699

Quran study in community produces a spiritual atmosphere that solitary study cannot replicate. The four blessings in this hadith — tranquillity, mercy, angelic presence, and being mentioned by Allah — are granted to the group, not the individual alone. This gives Muslim families and study circles in Australia a compelling reason to learn together rather than in isolation.

Read Also: Best Online Quran Course in Australia for Every Learner

7. Quran Reciters Receive an Enviable Rank

لَا حَسَدَ إِلَّا فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ: رَجُلٌ عَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ الْقُرْآنَ فَهُوَ يَتْلُوهُ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَآنَاءَ النَّهَارِ، فَسَمِعَهُ جَارٌ لَهُ فَقَالَ: لَيْتَنِي أُوتِيتُ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ فُلَانٌ فَعَمِلْتُ مِثْلَ مَا يَعْمَلُ، وَرَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالًا فَهُوَ يُهْلِكُهُ فِي الْحَقِّ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: لَيْتَنِي أُوتِيتُ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ فُلَانٌ فَعَمِلْتُ مِثْلَ مَا يَعْمَلُ

(Lā ḥasada illā fī ithnatayni: rajulun ‘allamahu-llāhu al-Qur’āna fa-huwa yatlūhu ānā’a al-layli wa ānā’a an-nahāri, fa-sami’ahu jārun lahu fa-qāla: laytanī ūtītu mithla mā ūtiya fulānun fa-‘amiltu mithla mā ya’mal, wa rajulun ātāhu-llāhu mālan fa-huwa yuhliku-hu fi al-ḥaqqi, fa-qāla rajulun: laytanī ūtītu mithla mā ūtiya fulānun fa-‘amiltu mithla mā ya’mal)

“There is no envy except in two cases: a man whom Allah has taught the Quran and he recites it throughout the night and throughout the day — his neighbour hears him and says: I wish I had been given what so-and-so has been given, so I could act as he acts. And a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously — another man says: I wish I had been given what so-and-so has been given, so I could act as he acts.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 5026

The Prophet ﷺ used hasad here in its permissible sense — ghibtah, meaning you wish to have what another person has without wishing it taken from them. What makes this hadith striking is its precision: it is not the person who memorised the Quran who earns this rank, but the one who recites it consistently through the night and day. The neighbour’s reaction captures the intended effect — a life shaped by Quran recitation becomes a visible, inspiring model that motivates others to pursue the same.

Read Also: Best Academy to Learn Quran Online from Home in Australia

Inside Our Virtual Classrooms

We believe in full transparency and proven quality. Take a look at these actual snippets from our live classes to experience our modern learning platform, patient instructors, and interactive student participation. Inside Our Virtual Classrooms

We believe in full transparency and proven quality. Take a look at these actual snippets from our live classes to experience our modern learning platform, patient instructors, and interactive student participation. 

Read Also: Word by Word Quran Teacher in Australia

Why Combining Both Actions Is the Defining Factor?

Imam al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani identified the decisive reason in Fath al-Bari: the person who only learns benefits themselves (naf’ qasir), while the person who teaches adds a benefit that extends to others (naf’ muta’addi). The Prophet ﷺ combined both in one statement because together they represent the complete human contribution to preserving divine knowledge.

Ibn al-Qayyim drew on this to note that the Prophet ﷺ himself embodied both — he received the Quran from Jibril (learning) and transmitted it to his Companions (teaching). Every Muslim who participates in that chain — in any capacity, at any level — enters into this noble description.

Teaching does not require a certificate or formal classroom. A parent who teaches their child Surah Al-Fatiha. A sibling who corrects another’s recitation. A friend who shares what they learned in class. All of these qualify. The condition is sincerity and accuracy, not credentials.

Australian Quran Academy’s Tajweed Course for Adults in Australia ensures that what you learn is accurate enough to teach confidently — so your chain of transmission remains reliable.

Perfect your recitation with Australian Quran Academy’s Tajweed Course for Adults in Australia

Start Your Free Trial with Australian Quran Academy

If this article has given you clarity and motivation, the next step is straightforward. Australian Quran Academy connects Muslim students across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and every corner of Australia with qualified instructors who teach Quran, Tajweed, Arabic, and Islamic Studies through structured one-on-one online sessions.

Our courses are designed around your schedule — flexible, live, and delivered by instructors who understand the specific context of Muslim families in Australia. Whether you are beginning from scratch or refining an existing recitation, there is a right course for you here.

Our Islamic Studies Courses

• Islamic Studies Courses
• Islamic Studies Courses for Kids
• Islamic Studies Courses for Adults
• Islamic Studies Courses for Female

Book your FREE trial session with Australian Quran Academy and take the first step toward being among the best

Conclusion

The Prophet ﷺ described the best of the Muslim community in a single sentence: those who learn the Quran and teach it. This rank combines personal excellence — through learning — with community contribution — through teaching. Classical scholars from Ibn Hajar to Ibn al-Qayyim all affirm that this honour covers both the letters and the meanings of the Quran, and that it is conditioned on sincerity and genuine engagement. The seven supporting hadiths in this article confirm the same message from every angle: reward per letter, intercession on the Day of Judgement, elevation of rank in Jannah, mercy in gatherings, and healing for the heart. For Australian Muslims ready to act on this guidance, the path begins with a single committed lesson.

Frequently Asked Questions