The Virtues of Reciting Qur’an

Rewards, Benefits and Virtues of Reciting the Quran

The Qur’an is the word of Allah. The superiority of the Qur’an over the words of His creation is like the superiority of Allah Himself over His creation. The movement of the tongue in reciting the Qur’an is the best action that the tongue may ever perform.

• There are many virtues in teaching and reciting the Qur’an, some of which are the following:

• The reward of teaching: The Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) (1)said: “The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it” (al-Bukhari).

• The reward of reciting: The Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever reads one letter of the book of Allah will be rewarded for it with a good reward, and this good reward will be increased tenfold.” (at-Tirmidhi).

• The reward of learning the Qur’an, memorizing it and being skillful in its recitation: The Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an is with the noble dutiful angels, and the one who recites the Qur'an while it is difficult for him will receive two rewards.” (al-Bukhari and Muslim) He also said: “It will be said (in Paradise) to the recitor of the Qur’an who acted upon its teachings: read, ascend, and beautify as you did in your worldly life, for indeed your level is that equal to your last verse.” (at-Tirmidhi).

        Al-Khattaabi said: It has been mentioned in a narration that the number of levels in Paradise is equal to the number of verses of the Qur’an, so it will be said to the recitor: ascend as many levels as the number of verses you used to recite of the Qur'an. Those who recited the entire Qur’an will rise to the highest level in Paradise in the Hereafter, and those who recited part of it will ascend accordingly, until their reward is equal to the last verse of their recitation.

• The reward for teaching the Qur’an to one’s children: The Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “One who reads the Qur’an, learns it, and acts upon it will place upon his parents a crown of light as brilliant as the sun. He will clothe them with cloaks that are more valuable than this whole world. They will ask: ‘Why are we made to wear this garment [of honor]? It will be said to them: ‘Due to the importance your child paid to the Qur'an’ ” (al-Haakim).

• Intercession of the Qur’an for its recitor in the Hereafter: The Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Recite the Qur’an, for it will intercede for its companions on the Day of Resurrection.” (Muslim). He (Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: “A servant’s fasting and recitation of the Qur’an will intercede for him on the Day of Resurrection.” (Ahmad).

• The reward of those who congregate for the recitation and study of the Qur’an: The Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “No people gather in a house of the houses of Allah [mosques], reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquility descends upon them, mercy covers them, the angels surround them, and Allah mentions them to those in His company.” (Abu Dawud).

• The Etiquette of Reciting the Qur’an:

  Ibn Katheer mentioned some of  these etiquettes, and among them are the following:

• One should neither recite nor touch the Qur’an except in a state of purification.

• One should use Siwak to clean his teeth before recitation.

• One should wear his best clothes.

• One should face the direction of prayer (Qiblah).

• One should pause his recitation when yawning.

• One should not interrupt his recitation and speak, except if necessary.

• One should be attentive to what he is reciting.

• One should pause at a verse mentioning reward and ask Allah for that reward.

• One should pause at a verse mentioning punishment and seek refuge in Allah  from that punishment.

• One should not leave the Qur’an opened, nor place anything on it.

• One should not raise his voice when reciting to the extent that he confuses other adjacent recitors.

• One should not recite in marketplaces and places of distracting noise.

• The Manner of Recitation: When Anas (Radi Allahu anhu)(1) was asked about the recitation of the Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), he said: “He would elongate it, so when he read ‘Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem’, he would elongate Allah, ar-Rahman, and ar-Raheem.” (al-Bukhari).

• Multiplication of Reward: Every person who recites the Qur’an purely for Allah’s sake will receive reward, but this reward is multiplied if the recitation is accompanied with attentiveness, contemplation and understanding of what is being recited. If it is done in this manner, each recited letter will be multiplied from ten to seven hundred times.

• Daily Recitation: The companions of the Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) would recite the Qur’an daily, and none of them would make a habit of reciting the whole Qur’an in less than a week. Rather, they were prohibited from reciting it in less than three days.

Thus my dear brothers and sisters, spend your time in reciting the Qur’an. Set yourself a fixed amount to recite daily, and do not leave it no matter what happens, since a small amount recited regularly is better than a large amount recited occasionally. If you forget or fall asleep, make up that recitation on the next day, as the Prophet(Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever falls asleep and fails to recite his portion of the Qur’an, or part of it, and then recites it between the Fajr and Žuhr prayer of the following day, it will be written for him as if he read it at night” (Muslim).

Do not be of those who neglect the Qur’an or forget it in any way, such as failing to read it, recite it, not contemplating its meanings, not putting its teachings into action or not seeking the cure of illnesses by it. (Subhanahu wa ta‘ala)

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'(May Allah be pleased with them)