Be in a good state

It is recommended to be clean and calm, in a quiet place, and to face the qibla if you can. Many people also clean their mouth and wear clean clothes.

Most scholars say you should have wudu (ablution) to touch the mushaf (the printed Quran). Scholars differ on reciting from memory without wudu, and many allow it. Most scholars also say that a person who needs a ghusl (full bath) should wait until after it. If you have a question about your own case, ask a qualified local scholar.

Be kind to the Quran in simple ways. Keep the mushaf in a clean, high place, and do not put things on top of it. When you finish a session, close it with care.

Intention, refuge and bismillah

Read for the sake of Allah, to know Him, to be guided and to gain reward. Do not read to show off.

Before you start, seek refuge in Allah from the cursed Shaytan, as Allah teaches in Quran 16:98. Then say bismillah (in the name of Allah) at the start of a surah. The beginning of Surah At-Tawbah is the one place where it is not said.

Renew your intention often. A sincere heart is the first and most important manner of reading the Quran.

Read slowly and beautifully

Allah told Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to recite the Quran in a slow, measured way (Quran 73:4). Do not rush to finish a large amount. Give each word its right.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also said to beautify the Quran with your voices (Sunan Abi Dawud). You do not need a perfect voice. Do your best and keep improving.

Reflect and act

Allah asks people to think about the Quran. He asks if they do not reflect on it, or if there are locks on their hearts (Quran 47:24). He also says the Quran is a blessed book sent so that people may reflect on its verses and people of understanding may take advice (Quran 38:29).

To practise tadabbur (reflection), try this:

  • Pause at a verse that touches you and read its translation again.
  • Ask what Allah wants from you in that verse.
  • Choose one small action to do that day.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that the Quran is a proof for you or against you (Sahih Muslim). This reminds us that reading must lead to action.

The reward and the prostrations

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that whoever reads one letter of the Book of Allah receives one good deed, and each good deed is multiplied by ten. He explained that Alif, Lam and Mim are three letters, not one (Jami at-Tirmidhi).

When you reach a verse of prostration, you make a sajdah of recitation. Scholars differ on whether it is obligatory or recommended, and most say it is recommended. Say Allahu akbar, prostrate, make dua, and rise. Most scholars say to have wudu and face the qibla, though some allow it without them.

General information for learning, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.

Sources

  • Quran 16:98
  • Quran 73:4
  • Quran 47:24
  • Quran 38:29
  • Jami at-Tirmidhi (Book of the Virtues of the Quran)
  • Sunan Abi Dawud (Book of Prayer)
  • Sahih Muslim (Book of Purification)