Without doubt, the best form of dhikr is the recitation of the Noble Qur’ān. The Qur’ān is Allah’s greatest gift to mankind. It is the eternal book of guidance. It is a cure for every disease, both spiritual or physical. It is a light which illuminates the path of truth amidst the darkness of falsehood. The Qur’ān contains legal rulings for humans to abide by on Allah’s earth as His servants. It is a book of blessings and eternal wisdom, and a warner and a giver of glad tidings.
Reciting the Qur’ān is one of the most virtuous deeds and one of the best ways to gain Allah’s closeness. For each letter recited, a servant gains ten rewards. Whoever clings on to it will enter Paradise. And whoever abandons it will live a life of misery and enter the Hell-fire.
The Qur’ān is a perpetual source of light: in this life and the hereafter. A house where the Qur’ān is recited glows and shines. Just as we see the stars shining in the sky, the angels see such houses shining. The angels love to hear the Qur’ān, and they come close to the person reciting the Qur’ān. Moreover, Allah loves to hear His servants reciting His words. He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) listens more intently to a person beautifully reciting the Qur’ān aloud than a ‘master of a singing slave listening to her singing’ (Ibn Mājah).
Allah raises the people of the Qur’ān above all others in this world and the hereafter. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah has His own people among mankind.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He replied, “They are the people of the Qur’ān, the people of Allah and His chosen people” (Ibn Mājah).
The Qur’ān will come to defend the people of the Qur’ān in their graves. On the Day of Judgment, the Qur’ān will intercede on their behalf. A crown of dignity will be placed on the head of the person who used to recite and adhere to the Qur’ān in the world, and he will be clothed with a suit of nobility. The Qur’ān’ will say: ‘My Lord, be pleased with him.’ So Allah will be pleased with him. Then it will be said to him, ‘Recite and ascend up the levels and mansions of Paradise,’ and he will keep ascending as long as he recites. His parents will be clothed with priceless garments the likes of which have never been seen by the people of the world, and they will be crowned with a light brighter than the light of the sun.
Your Daily ‘Wird’
We should make the Qur’ān an essential part of our lives, and recite it as much as possible. We should fix a daily time and designate it for the recitation of the Qur’ān. The best time to recite is at night, especially in the last third of the night. Another blessed time to recite is after Fajr, as the Prophet ﷺ asked Allah to bless his Ummah in their mornings. If both of these are not possible, choose another time in the day, but make sure you schedule it in your timetable and adhere to it.
If for some reason, you miss your daily portion (wird), then you should make up for it. This will help you to stay consistent. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever slept through all or part of his nightly ḥizb (portion of recitation), but recited it between Fajr and Ẓuhr, its (reward) will be written for him as if he had recited it at night” (Muslim).
Despite being incredibly busy, the Prophet ﷺ would always ensure he completed his wird. Once a delegation from Thaqīf came to Madinah. The Prophet ﷺ hosted them and he would go to speak to them every night after ʿIshā’. One night he was late, and when they asked him why, he said, “It occurred to me that I had not completed my daily portion of the Qur’ān, so I disliked to leave the masjid without completing it” (Abū Dāwūd).
The Companions (radiy Allāhu ʿanhum) would complete the recitation of the Qur’ān in seven days (Abū Dāwūd). If this isn’t possible, we should aim to complete the recitation of the Qur’ān at least once a month (Bukhārī).
Know that the Qur’ān is of the most emphasised of all adhkār, so it is essential to be consistent in it, and not to miss it even for one day or night. – Imām al-Nawawī (raḥimahullāh)
How to Recite the Qur’ān
Some etiquettes of reciting the Qur’ān are:
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)
