Q 1: What is the ruling on someone
who has memorized the whole Qur'an by heart and then was made to forget it? Would this entail punishment
or not?
A:
The Qur’an is the Words of Allah, the best of speech, and the Book of all laws. (Part No. 4; Page No. 99) Reciting it is an act of ‘Ibadah (worship) that softens the hearts and humbles the souls, in addition to its other endless benefits. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered Muslims to recite the Qur’an regularly, lest it be forgotten, saying to them:
Recite the Qur'an regularly, for I swear by the one in Whose Hand is my soul that it is more liable to slip from memory than a camel from its hobble.
It is not appropriate for a Muslim who has memorized the Qur'an to neglect reciting it, and constantly and regularly revising the parts they have memorized. Rather, one should specify a daily Wird (portion of Qur’an recited with consistency) that will help retain it in memory and prevent forgetting it. Thus, one will hopefully receive reward from Allah and benefit from its rulings, in beliefs and actions. However, anyone who memorizes some parts of the Qur'an and then forgets them due to being busy or careless is not a sinner. There are no authentic Hadiths reported about the punishment due to those who forget the Qur'an they have memorized.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.