19. Do We Have To Finish The WHOLE Qur’aan During Ramadhaan?

By Asma bint Shameem

QUESTION
Do we have to finish the WHOLE Qur’aan during Ramadhaan?

ANSWER

Reading the Qur’aan in Ramadhaan is a beautiful act of Ibaadah and is highly encouraged.

However, it is something that’s RECOMMENDED.

It’s NOT obligatory to finish the entire Qur’aan in Ramadhaan, although of course, the more you read the better it is.

But there’s nothing in the Sharee’ah that says that we HAVE to finish reading the entire Qur’aan in Ramadhaan.

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“Completing the Qur’aan in Ramadhaan is not obligatory for the fasting person, but he should read the Qur’aan a great deal in Ramadhaan, as that is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam used to review it with Jibreel every Ramadaan.” [Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (20/516)]

Now don’t take me wrong...

I’m not “discouraging” you from reading a lot of the Qur’aan in this month.

I’m just trying to bring to your attention that it’s better to read the Qur’aan with understanding even if you aren’t able to finish the whole Book of Allaah, in the month of Ramadhaan than to ‘finish’ its recitation with speed but NO understanding or reflecting.

The reward is for READING the Qur’aan and not for FINISHING it.

It doesn’t matter how MUCH you read if you don’t understand what you read.

It is MORE BELOVED to Allaah and MORE REWARDING for you, if you UNDERSTAND what you read, even if you read just ONE Juz’ in Ramadhaan as compared to you reading the whole Qur’aan but without understanding it.

The purpose of the Qur’aan is to
understand,
reflect and
IMPLEMENT the message of the Qur’aan in our lives.

Unless we do that, we’re just doing a *ritual* and NOT fulfilling the very purpose of the Holy Book.

Remember:

Islaam is NOT about QUANTITY.
Rather it’s about the QUALITY.

That’s why our deeds will be WEIGHED on the Day of Judgment instead of being counted.

And Allaah knows best