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**Qur’anic Lessons – Lesson Five: The External Etiquettes of Reciting the Qur’an**
**Lesson Objectives**
1. For the student to become familiar with the reward of the reciter of the Holy Qur’an.
2. For the student to list the external etiquettes of reciting the Qur’an.
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**Introduction**
God the Almighty says:
“Indeed, those who recite the Book of Allah, establish prayer, and spend from what We have provided them secretly and publicly, hope for a trade that will never perish.” (Qur’an 35:29)
A Muslim cannot do without companionship with the Qur’an and its recitation. Through it, a person lives in the presence of God Almighty and draws from His light. Recitation is an act of worship for which the believer is rewarded, and he receives a reward for every letter he reads.
But how should we read the Qur’an, and how can we benefit from its verses? Do we read it merely for the act of recitation, or do we read it so that it becomes a light for us amid the darkness of ignorance and worldly life, guiding our direction and improving our conduct?
Have we not heard the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
“How many reciters of the Qur’an are cursed by the Qur’an itself because they preserve its letters but neglect its limits?”
The reward varies according to the degree of reflection during recitation and the extent to which that reflection leads to the intended purpose indicated in the verse:
“Allah has sent down the best statement: a Book, consistent in its parts and repeating. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it; then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah; He guides by it whom He wills.” (Qur’an 39:23)
Therefore, what is required is that the recitation of the Qur’an and listening to its verses lead to humility, reverence, and submission before God Almighty, manifested in action, guidance, behavior, and commitment to the commands and prohibitions of Allah.
In the previous lesson we learned about the virtue of the Qur’an and the virtue of its recitation. But how should this recitation be performed? What are its conditions? And how can we attain the greatest benefit from it?
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**The Qur’an is Light**
It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
“Illuminate your homes by reciting the Qur’an.”
Regarding regular recitation, Imam al‑Baqir (peace be upon him) reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
“Whoever recites ten verses in a night will not be recorded among the heedless. Whoever recites fifty verses will be recorded among those who remember Allah. Whoever recites one hundred verses will be recorded among the devout. Whoever recites two hundred verses will be recorded among the humble. Whoever recites three hundred verses will be recorded among the successful. Whoever recites five hundred verses will be recorded among the diligent. Whoever recites one thousand verses will have a qintar of gold written for him.”
However, this reward is not for someone who reads the Qur’an superficially without being affected by it in heart and conduct, forgetting it whenever worldly matters arise. Rather, the reward is for the one who reads with reflection, etiquette, and contemplation, realizing that the One addressing him is Allah, who knows the treachery of the eyes and what the hearts conceal.
Therefore, it is necessary for us to pay attention to certain etiquettes that should accompany the recitation of the Qur’an so that this act of worship may be accepted by God. Scholars have mentioned several etiquettes for reciting the Qur’an—some outward and some inward. In this lesson we will discuss the **outward etiquettes**, among which are:
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**1. Purity (Taharah)**
This means being free from major and minor ritual impurity through ablution (wudu), ritual bathing (ghusl), or dry ablution (tayammum) when necessary.
It is reported:
“Whoever listens to the Qur’an will receive a reward for every letter, and whoever recites it while in a state of ablution will receive twenty‑five rewards for every letter.”
Jurists have also stated that it is disliked for a person in a state of major impurity (janabah) to recite more than seven verses of the Qur’an, and it is forbidden for such a person to recite the verses of prostration in the four chapters containing obligatory prostrations: **Al‑‘Alaq, An‑Najm, Fussilat, and As‑Sajdah**.
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**2. Cleaning the Mouth**
Imam Ja‘far al‑Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“I like that when a man rises during the night he uses the toothstick (siwak) and applies perfume, for an angel comes to him when he rises at night and places his mouth upon his mouth, and whatever comes from the Qur’an enters the belly of that angel.”
The mouth is the pathway of the Qur’an, and the pathway of the Qur’an should be pure and clean. The Messenger of Allah said:
“Clean the pathway of the Qur’an.”
They asked: “O Messenger of Allah, what is the pathway of the Qur’an?”
He said: “Your mouths.”
They asked: “With what?”
He replied: “With the toothstick (siwak).”
In another narration:
“Perfume your mouths with the toothstick, for they are the pathways of the Qur’an.”
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**3. Facing the Qiblah and Giving Full Attention to Recitation**
The reciter of the Qur’an should face the direction of prayer (qiblah), sit respectfully and humbly, and devote himself fully to the recitation.
Imam al‑Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“The reciter of the Qur’an needs three things: a humble heart, a free body, and a secluded place. When his heart becomes humble before Allah, Satan flees from him.”
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**4. Beginning with Seeking Refuge (Isti‘adhah)**
Allah says:
“When you recite the Qur’an, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.” (Qur’an 16:98)
Proper etiquette requires the reciter to begin with seeking refuge in Allah, intending to purify the heart from whispers that distract from the remembrance of God. It is also recommended to end the recitation by saying: **“Sadaqa Allah al‑‘Aliyy al‑‘Azim”** (“Allah the Most High, the Most Great, has spoken the truth”), and to recite the supplications reported at the beginning and end of recitation as practiced by the Imams.
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**5. Reading the Qur’an from the Mushaf (Written Copy)**
Some narrations indicate that reading the Qur’an while looking at the written text is superior to reciting it from memory.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
“The best act of worship of my community is reciting the Qur’an while looking at it.”
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**6. Reciting with Measured Rhythm and a Beautiful Voice (Tartil)**
Allah says:
“And recite the Qur’an with measured recitation.” (Qur’an 73:4)
*Tartil* means pronouncing the letters clearly and observing proper pauses. The reader should stop at appropriate points rather than stopping randomly. Proper pronunciation includes articulating letters correctly according to the rules of **tajwid**.
Imam al‑Sadiq explained *tartil* as:
“That you recite slowly and beautify your voice with it.”
The recitation should be deliberate, not rushed, so that if someone wished to count the letters he nearly could. The voice should be beautified with humility and reverence.
He also said:
“Beautify the Qur’an with your voices.”
The Messenger of Allah said:
“The one with the most beautiful voice in reciting the Qur’an is the one whom, when you hear him recite, you think he fears Allah.”
Narrations indicate that a beautiful voice affects both the reciter and the listener, softening hardened hearts, for the speech of Allah is a healing for the diseases of the heart.
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**Lesson Summary**
A Muslim cannot do without companionship with the Qur’an and its recitation, through which one lives with Allah and draws from His light. Reciting the Qur’an is an act of worship for which the believer is rewarded for every letter.
Qur’anic recitation has etiquettes that must be observed to attain the greatest reward from God. These etiquettes are both outward and inward. Among the most important outward etiquettes are:
1. Purity (ritual cleanliness).
2. Cleaning the mouth.
3. Facing the qiblah and focusing fully on the recitation.
4. Beginning with seeking refuge in Allah.
5. Reading from the written Qur’an.
6. Reciting with measured rhythm and a beautiful voice.
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**For Further Reading**
**The Qur’an and the Secrets of Creation**
The Qur’an informs us in many verses about laws of the universe, natural phenomena, celestial bodies, and other matters that could not have been known at the beginning of Islam except through divine revelation. Although some of these laws were known to the Greeks or others who possessed earlier scientific knowledge, the Arabian Peninsula was largely unaware of them.
Many of these matters only became clear after scientific advancement and numerous discoveries. The Qur’an often expresses these realities with precision—sometimes explicitly, and sometimes by subtle indication—because some concepts would have been difficult for the people of that era to comprehend. Thus, they were hinted at in a way that later generations could understand as knowledge progressed.
Among these indications is the verse:
“And We caused to grow therein everything in due measure.” (Qur’an 15:19)
This verse indicates that everything growing on earth has a precise measure. Modern science has confirmed that each plant species is composed of specific elements in precise proportions; any change in those proportions produces a different compound.
Another example is the verse:
“And We sent the winds as pollinators.” (Qur’an 15:22)
Earlier commentators sometimes interpreted “pollinators” as referring to winds carrying clouds or rain. However, modern botanical discoveries show that many plants require pollination by wind, which carries pollen grains from one plant to another.
The Qur’an also states:
“And of every fruit He made two kinds.” (Qur’an 13:3)
and
“Glory be to Him who created all pairs—from what the earth produces, from themselves, and from what they do not know.” (Qur’an 36:36)
These verses point to the principle of pairing in creation, including plant life.
Another indication concerns the movement of the earth, in the verse:
“He who made the earth for you as a cradle.” (Qur’an 20:53)
The word “cradle” suggests gentle motion, resembling the movement of a cradle rocking a child—an image that became clearer centuries later with the understanding of the earth’s rotation and motion.
The Qur’an also mentions:
“Lord of the two Easts and Lord of the two Wests.” (Qur’an 55:17)
Some scholars interpreted this as referring to the rising and setting of the sun and moon or the extremes of summer and winter. Others saw it as an indication that different parts of the earth experience sunrise and sunset at different times, implying the global nature of the planet.
Thus, verses that mention **“the East and the West”** in singular form refer to the general direction, while those mentioning them in dual or plural forms may point to multiple horizons and locations across the earth.
These examples illustrate how the Qur’an contains profound indications about the natural world that have become clearer with the progress of scientific knowledge.
