Reciting the Quran

I was reading a while back when I remembered this hadiths from Sahih Muslim about the Khawarij. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Chapter# 44, Book 5, Number 2316:

Jabir b. Abdullah reported that a person came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) at Jirana on his way back from Hunain, and there was in the clothes of Bilal some silver. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) took a handful out of that and bestowed it upon the people. He (the person who had met the Prophet at Ji’rana) said to him: Muhammad, do justice. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Woe be upon thee, who would do justice if I do not do justice, and you would be very unfortunate and a loser if I do not do justice. Upon this Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) said: Permit me to kill this hypocrite. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: May there be protection of Allah! People would say that I kill my companions. This man and his companions would recite the Qur’an but it would not go beyond their throat, and they swerve from it just as the arrow goes through the prey.

Book 5, Number 2317:

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. ‘Abdullah through another chain of transmitters.

Book 5, Number 2318:

Abu Said Khudri reported that ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) sent some gold alloyed with dust to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) distributed that among four men, al-Aqra b. Habis Hanzali and Uyaina b. Badr al-Fazari and ‘Alqama b. ‘Ulatha al-’Amiri, then to one person of the tribe of Kilab and to Zaid al-Khair al-Ta’l, and then to one person of the tribe of Nabhan. Upon this the people of Quraish felt angry and said: He (the Holy Prophet) gave to the chiefs of Najd and ignored us. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have done it with a view to con- cillating them. Then there came a person with thick beard, prominent cheeks, deep sunken eyes and protruding forehead and shaven head. He said: Muhammad, fear Allah. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: If I disobey Allah, who would then obey Him? Have I not been (sent as the) most trustworthy among the people of the-world? -but you do not repose trust in me. That person then went back. A person among the people then sought permission (from the Holy Prophet) for his murder. According to some, it was Khalid b. Walid who sought the permission. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), said: From this very person’s posterity there would arise people who would recite the Qur’an, but it would not go beyond their throat; they would kill the followers of Islam and would spare the idol-worshippers. They would glance through the teachings of Islam so hurriedly just as the arrow passes through the pray. If I were to ever find them I would kill them like ‘Ad.

Book 5, Number 2319:

Abu Said al-Khudri reported: ‘Ali b. Abu Talib sent to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) from Yemen some gold alloyed with clay in a leather bag dyed in the leaves of Mimosa flava. He distributed it among four men. ‘Uyaina b. Hisna, Aqra’ b. Habis and Zaid al-Khail, and the fourth one was either Alqama b. ‘Ulatha or ‘Amir b. Tufail. A person from among his (Prophet’s) Companions said: We had a better claim to this (wealth) than these (persons). This (remark) reached the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) upon which he said: Will you not trust me, whereas I am a trustee of Him Who is in the heaven? The news come to me from the heaven morning and evening. Then there stood up a person with deep snnken eyes, prominent cheek bones, and elevated forehead, thick beard, shaven head, tucked up loin cloth, and he said: Messenger of Allah, fear Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Woe to thee. do I not deserve most to fear Allah amongst the people of the earth? That man then returned. Khalid b. Walid then said: Messenger of Allah, should I not strike his neck? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Perhaps he may be observing the prayer. Khalid said: How many observers of prayer are there who profess with their tongue what is not in their heart? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have not been commanded to pierce through the hearts of people, nor to split their bellies (insides). He again looked at him and he was going back. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: There would arise a people from the progeny of this (man) who would recite the Qur’an glibly, but it would not go beyond their throats; they would (hurriedly) pass through (the teachings of their) religion just as the arrow passes through the prey. I conceive that he (the Holy Prophet) also said this: If I find them I would certainly kill them as were killed the (people of) Thamud.

I understand that these hadiths is about the Khawarij whom we know will be the Dajjal soldiers.

I highlighted some parts of em. People will one day recite the Quran but it will not go beyond their throat. If we recite Quran, there will be sound of recitation from the throat, so whats wrong here?

From the way I see it, if we just recite the Quran without understanding it (the meaning/message), it will be just a sound leaving our throat and nothing more. I am not saying that its a bad thing to recite Quran. What I am trying to emphasize here is you will not be able to benefit if you just recite and do not know what it means. From my point of view, al-Quran is a Book of Guidance and if you do not understand its meaning, you cant benefit from it. At the end, we will not know about the religion at all.

Blinded by ego and culture, I see this happens to our society. Whats the point of having the ability to recite but do not act on it. To act on it, we need to understand the meaning.

Sahih Bukhari
Volume 6, Book 61, Number 579:

Narrated Abu Musa:

The Prophet said, "The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it, like a citron which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of a believer who does not recite the Qur'an but acts on it, is like a date which tastes good but has no smell. And the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like a Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth which tastes bitter and has a bad smell."

The following hadith from Sahih Bukhari, might tell you what will happen to us in the end:

Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "When a human being is laid in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their foot steps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask him: What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad ? He will say: I testify that he is Allah's slave and His Apostle. Then it will be said to him, 'Look at your place in the Hell-Fire. Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.' " The Prophet added, "The dead person will see both his places. But a non-believer or a hypocrite will say to the angels, 'I do not know, but I used to say what the people used to say! It will be said to him, 'Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the quran).' Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by whatever approaches him except human beings and jinns." (Book #23, Hadith #422)

Still reciting the Quran the same way?