The Quran in Ramadan
Ramadan is the month of the Quran and the month in which it was revealed. Reading the Quran in Ramadan brings so many blessings. Good deeds in Ramadan are multiplied many times over, on top of the already multiplied rewards of reading the Quran:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “[Whoever recites a letter] from Allah’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.” (Hadith Al Tirmidhi)
But recitation of the Quran also brings us spiritual peace, closeness with The Most Merciful, guidance in our lives, and even intercession on the Day of Judgement.
Completing the Quran in Ramadan
For some people, finishing the Quran in the month of Ramadan is easy, for others they struggle to get through a page a day. Some people can even complete the Quran within 3 days, reading the Quran 10 times during the month. It all depends on your fluency in Arabic, and how easy you find reading the Quran.
Let’s not forget that those who read the Quran despite struggling receive a second reward for the difficulty they face.
But also, completing the Quran doesn’t mean that you’ve understood the messages. A person could read the entire Quran without absorbing a single message.
Completion vs connection
Khatmah is the completion of the Quran and tadabbur is the deep comtemplation of its meaning. But which should we be aiming for?
Scholars differ on whether we should prioritise reading as much as possible, to rack up the blessings of the act of reading, or whether we should focus on understanding.
Angel Jibreel would review the entire Quran with the Messenger ﷺ every Ramadan, so it’s a sunnah to complete the Quran, and for those who find it easy to read, they should strive to complete it multiple times.
But what about those who struggle to read and understand the Quran? They should still dedicate time to reading what they can in Arabic while reading translations alongside it.
What should my goal be for Ramadan?
There’s no one goal for all people, we’re each at a different point in our journey and have different commitments. What’s certain is that you should put in maximum effort into achieving closeness to the Quran. Focus both on recitation and on understanding, without sacrificing one for the other as each has unique rewards.
Some tips to help your get close to the Quran
Integrate the Quran into your day. If you’re busy, make sure you’re listening to the Quran while you go about your day – swap out anything else you listen to on your commute or at the gym with the Quran and watch your familiarity grow.
Make sure you follow along during taraweeh – you can even follow along in English as the imam reads. Apps like Tarteel can help you find the imam’s location in the Quran if you struggle with this.
Split your recitation up – make sure you read even if just for 10 minutes with each prayer so that you make steady progress.
Quran outside of Ramadan
Familiarity with the stories and guidance in the Quran is built outside of Ramadan. A person who stays close to the Quran all year long will find it easier to recognise narrations, patterns and lessons, increasing the ease of recitation and recognition of the surahs.
Remember to remain close to the Quran once Ramadan is over to ensure that you can continue to progress. Keep sight of your relationship to the Quran over your lifetime, and how you can improve in the long term.
Remember that your goal with the Quran isn’t completion for completion’s sake, it’s completion in order to attain taqwa – closeness to The Most Merciful.
May Allah bring us closer to Him through His sacred book this Ramadan.
