How terrible it is for someone to say: I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur'an, for indeed, he has been caused to forget it. So, you must keep on memorizing the Qur'an for it is more likely to escape from the hearts of men faster than camels

Chapter: The learning of the Qur'an by heart and the reciting of it repeatedly

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 5032

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَرْعَرَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ بِئْسَ مَا لأَحَدِهِمْ أَنْ يَقُولَ

نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ نُسِّيَ، وَاسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ ‏"

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "How terrible it is for someone to say: ‘I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur’an', for indeed, he has been caused to forget it. So, you must keep on memorizing the Qur'an for it is more likely to escape from the hearts of men faster than camels.”

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 5032, 5039), Muslim (No. 790a, 790b, 790c), At-Tirmidhi (No. 2942), An-Nasa’i (No. 943), Ahmad (No. 3764, 3816, 3876, 3962, 4062, 4184) and Ad-Darimi (No. 2627, 3213).

Explanation

In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) criticizes whoever says that he has forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur'an, because it gives the impression that he takes the issue of neglecting the Qur'an and forgetting it indifferently. Actually, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) added “for indeed, he has been caused to forget it”, meaning: he was punished by forgetfulness for neglecting the regular recitation and memorization of the Qur'an. After that, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded Muslims to keep refreshing their knowledge of the Qur’an by regularly reciting, memorizing, and studying it since it is more likely to escape from the hearts of men faster than camels. The camel was mentioned in particular here because it is the readiest of domestic animals to run away, and if it does run away, recapturing it is very difficult.

Explanation in Arabic

في هذا الحديث ذم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم الذي يقول: نسيت آية كذا وكذا؛ لأن ذلك يُشعر بالتساهل في القرآن والتغافل عنه، ولكنه «نُسِّيَ» أي: عوقب بوقوع النسيان عليه لتفريطه في معاهدته واستذكاره، ثم أمر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بالمواظبة على تلاوة القرآن واستذكاره ومدارسته، فهو أشد انفلاتًا من الصدور من الإبل، وخص الإبل بالذكر لأنه أشد الحيوانات الإنسية نفورًا، وفي تحصيل الإبل بعد استمكان نفورها صعوبة.

كراهة قول نسيت آية كذا, وهي كراهة تنزيه, وأنه لا يكره قول: أنسيتها, وإنما نهي عن قول: نسيتها؛ لأنه يتضمن التساهل فيها والتغافل عنها.
الأمر بتعاهد القرآن واستذكاره والمواظبة على تلاوته.
القرآن أشد انفلاتًا من الصدور من الإبل.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْله : ( حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّد بْن عَرْعَرَة ) بِعَيْنِ مُهْمَلَة مَفْتُوحَة وَرَاء سَاكِنَة مُكَرَّرَتَيْنِ , وَمَنْصُور هُوَ اِبْن الْمُعْتَمِر , وَأَبُو وَائِل هُوَ شَقِيق بْن سَلَمَة , وَعَبْد اللَّه هُوَ اِبْن مَسْعُود , وَسَيَأْتِي فِي الرِّوَايَة الْمُعَلَّقَة التَّصْرِيح بِسَمَاعِ شَقِيق لَهُ مِنْ اِبْن مَسْعُود. قَوْله : ( بِئْسَ مَا لِأَحَدِهِمْ أَنْ يَقُول ) قَالَ الْقُرْطُبِيّ : بِئْسَ هِيَ أُخْت نِعْمَ , فَالْأُولَى لِلذَّمِّ وَالْأُخْرَى لِلْمَدْحِ , وَهُمَا فِعْلَانِ غَيْر مُتَصَرِّفَيْنِ يَرْفَعَانِ الْفَاعِل ظَاهِرًا أَوْ مُضْمَرًا إِلَّا أَنَّهُ إِذَا كَانَ ظَاهِرًا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الْأَمْر الْعَامّ إِلَّا بِالْأَلِفِ وَاللَّام لِلْجِنْسِ أَوْ مُضَاف إِلَى مَا هُمَا فِيهِ ح…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح البخاري No. 5032

Grades of other versions (4)

Authentic chainShu'ayb al-Arna'ut إسناده صحيح على شرط الشيخين — تخريج المسند لشعيب (4176)
Authentic chainShu'ayb al-Arna'ut إسناده صحيح على شرط الشيخين — تخريج المسند لشعيب (4416)
Authentic chainAhmad Shakir إسناده صحيح — تخريج المسند لشاكر (6/103)
Al-Bazzar لا نعلم له طريقاً أحسن من هذا الطريق — البحر الزخار (5/83)

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 5039

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Why does anyone of the people say, 'I have forgotten such-and-such Verses (of the Qur'an)?' He, in fact, is caused (by Allah) to forget."

نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ‏.‏ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 790a

What a wretched person is he amongst them who says: I have forgotten such and such a verse. (He should instead of using this expression say): I have been made to forget it. Try to remember the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than a hobbled camel.

بِئْسَمَا لأَحَدِهِمْ يَقُولُ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ اسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَلَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ بِعُقُلِهَا ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 790b

Keep refreshing your knowledge of the sacred books (or always renew your knowledge of these sacred books) and sometimes he would mention the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than animals which are hobbled, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: None of you should say: I forgot…

لاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 790c

Wretched is the man who says: I forgot such and such a sura, or I forget such and such a verse, but he has been made to forget.

بِئْسَمَا لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ سُورَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ أَوْ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2942

that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "How horrible it is for one of them - or - one of you to say: "I have forgotten such and such Ayah,' rather he was made to forget. So be mindful of the Qur'an, for - by the One in Whose Hand is my soul - it escapes from men's hearts faster than a camel from its fetter."

"‏ بِئْسَمَا لأَحَدِهِمْ أَوْ لأَحَدِكُمْ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ فَاسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 943

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It is not right for any one of you to say: 'I have forgotten such and such a verse.' Rather, he has been caused to forget. Study the Qur'an, for it escapes from the heart of man faster than a camel escapes from its fetter. "

"‏ بِئْسَمَا لأَحَدِهِمْ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ اسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ أَسْرَعُ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهِ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

See all 15 versions

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 3764