RECITING THE QURAN
Is learning to recite
The Qur’an very difficult?
How should I approach
the activity of reciting The Qur’an?
How do I know whether
my approach is correct?
What is the purpose
of reciting The Qur’an?
What is the benefit
of reciting The Qur’an?
What obstacle will I
face when I begin to recite The Qur’an?
What should I do to
overcome this obstacle?
What should I do when
I face difficulty in understanding the verses that I read?
What should I do
after I have recited The Qur’an?
What should I do to
strengthen my bond with The Qur’an?
Fluency in recitation
Learning to recite
The Arabic Qur’an is a lot easier compared to mastering Arabic.
Many acquire
reasonable fluency in reciting it over a period of one to three months.
Correct recitation is
just one part of the Believer’s relationship with The Qur’an.
Right approach
Equally important is
having the right approach to receive the full measure of blessings from one’s
recitations.
One must approach The
Qur’an with the deep faith that is the Word of Allah The Merciful.
The Qur’an is Allah’s
gift to our plea to Him to guide us to The Straight Path.
The best way to
develop this deep faith is by reciting The Noble Qur’an.
This is mentioned in
The Qur’an itself: “The true
believers’ faith grows stronger as they listen to His revelations.”
[8:2]
Three questions
Ask yourself these
three questions to find out whether your faith is becoming stronger:
Am I longing to
recite The Qur’an?
Am I working hard to
understand it?
Am I becoming more
committed to obeying its message?
To receive guidance
The aims of your
recitation should be to receive guidance from Allah The Merciful and to please
Him.
Recite it with a
desire to know The Truth.
You should ask “What
does The Qur’an say about…?” instead of “What verses in The Qur’an support my
views?”
Recite The Qur’an to
listen to Allah’s words and not the echoes of you own thoughts.
Be grateful
There is great
benefit in reciting The Qur’an with a deep sense of gratitude to Allah.
You would not have
found the guidance of The Qur’an had it not been for Allah’s Mercy.
The more grateful you
are to Allah, the greater will be His blessings on you.
“If you are grateful, I will bestow
abundance upon you.” [QS, 14:7]
Seek refuge in Allah
When you embark on
reciting The Qur’an, be on guard against Satan who will “wait in ambush” [QS, 7:16-17]
to distract you from receiving the great riches of The Qur’an.
Satan will forever
seek to make you postpone and eventually forget your longing to recite The
Qur’an.
Your best defense is
to “seek refuge with Allah
from Satan, the rejected.” [QS, 16:98]
Reflect on the verses
The Qur’an calls on
the Believers to reflect on the verses they recite.
Accept with humility
that your failures to understand fully the verses is due to your own
shortcomings.
Pray to The Almighty
to give you better understanding as this can be achieved only through His
Mercy.
Seek the assistance
of mufassir to
clarify your doubts.
Obey what you recite
Be committed to obey
the commands of The Almighty found in the verses you recite.
Faltering in one’s
efforts to obey due to one’s weaknesses is different from having no intention
or not making any effort to obey.
The Qur’an condemns
those who ignore or turn away from its message as disbelievers who are doomed
to burn in Hell.
It is only by Allah’s
Mercy that you can strengthen your bond with The Qur’an.
In Allah alone you
should trust, and towards Him alone you should turn for everything.
You have been
promised great rewards in this life and in the Hereafter for reciting,
understanding and following The Qur’an
By Dr Y Mansoor Marican, Ph.
D
