How to Recite the Qur’an

Some etiquettes of reciting the Qur’ān are:

1. Perform wuḍū and use miswāk before reciting.

2. Whilst reciting, face the qiblah, sit with humility and lower your head.

3. Recite slowly, beautifully and with tajwīd.

4. Avoid interrupting your recitation with talking or looking at your phone. Put your phone on silent or leave it in another room, in order to recite with focus.

5. Physically utter the words in a way that you can hear yourself. Merely ‘reciting’ in your mind is not sufficient.

6. Ask Allah to open your heart up to understanding and benefitting from the Qurʿān. Beg Him to illuminate your heart with the nūr of the Qur’ān.

7. Conclude your recitation with glorifying Allah, thanking Him and seeking His forgiveness. Click here for the duʿā’.

The reciter is enjoined to be sincere in recitation and to seek the pleasure of Allah through it, not seeking to gain anything else. He should follow the proper etiquette of the Qur’ān and remember in his heart that he is having a private conversation with Allah and that he is reciting His Book. So he should recite it as though he could see Him, for even if he cannot see Him, Allah sees him. – Imām al-Nawawī (raḥimahullāh)

The key goal of reciting the Qur’ān is to become guided by it and to live a life according to its teachings. Reciting the Qur’ān should increase our īmān. Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) says, “And when His āyāt are recited to them, it increases them in īmān” (8:2). To achieve this, we have been instructed to recite the Qur’ān with tadabbur (reflection). This requires a deep engagement of the mind and heart alongside the physical recitation.

The following are some pointers to keep in mind whilst reciting the Qur’ān:

1. Think of the greatness of the One who is talking to you.

2. Recite istiʿādhah mindfully. Shayṭān will especially try his best to prevent you from reciting Qur’ān with reflection (tadabbur). This is because reflecting on the Qur’ān gives life to the heart, and is the secret to worldly and heavenly bliss.

3. Always remember that Allah is with you and that He is listening to you recite. Allah gives special importance to His servants who recite the Qur’ān beautifully.

4. Think of the angels near you, eagerly listening to your recitation.

5. Reflect on what Allah is saying to you. Think of how you are going to implement at least one thing in your day.

I have not seen anything that nourishes the mind and soul, protects the body, and guarantees success more than constantly engaging with the Book of Allah. – Ibn Taymiyyah (raḥimahullāh)

6. Try to cry by evoking sadness in the heart. Do this by reflecting on the severe warnings, and then reflecting on your shortcomings.

7. Feel the emotion and repeat āyāt. When reciting an āyah about Paradise, feel your longing for Paradise increasing. On feeling this effect in your heart, continue to repeat this āyah. Similarly, when reciting an āyah about Hell-fire, feel fear in your heart. On feeling this effect, keep repeating the āyah. Let it move you to tears. Likewise, when reciting an āyah about the greatness of Allah, feel shy and in awe of Him. Keep repeating this āyah until you feel its effect on your heart.

8. Interact with the verses just as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do so. When you come across an āyah about mercy, pause and ask Allah for His mercy. When you come across an āyah about punishment, pause and ask Allah’s protection. When you come across an āyah where you can make a duʿā’, pause and ask Allah.

9. Know Allah through His words. The Qur’ān is the manual which Allah sent down to guide us to Him. Allah tells us in His Own Words who He is – in the most profound manner possible. When you recite the Qur’ān, your goal should not simply be how much you recite. Instead, recite with focus and try to increase your maʿrifah (knowledge) of Allah through your recitation.

10. Purify your soul with the Qur’ān. Reciting the Qur’ān with tadabbur is the best and most effective way to purify the soul. There is nothing more beneficial for the heart than reciting the Qur’ān with contemplation and reflection.

If your hearts were pure, they would never have enough of reciting Allah’s words. – ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu)