36. Etiquette Of Finishing The Recitation Of The Qur’aan

By Asma bint Shameem

There’s really nothing much to do after completing the recitation of the Qur’aan except that you may make duaa.

When Anas radhi Allaahu anhu used to finish reciting the Qur’aan, he would gather his family and make duaa.

That’s because GENERALLY SPEAKING, duaa is MORE LIKELY to be accepted after completing ANY good deed.

But keep in mind that there’s NO SPECIFIC duaa to be said on completion EXCEPT the dhikr that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said after reciting the Qur’aan.

He used to say:

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أشهد أن لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ

Proof:

Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa mentioned that:

“The Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam was never in a sitting, *never recited the Qur’aan*, nor did he ever offer a prayer, except that he ended them all with certain words.

She said:
“So i said to him, O Messenger of Allaah, I noticed that you never are in a sitting, nor do you ever recite the quraan, nor observe a Salaah, except that you end it off with these words ?

Yes, he replied.

“Whoever has said good (words) would have them placed as a seal over the good he has done and whoever has said evil (words) would have them used as an expiation for the evil he uttered.
(They are)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أشهد أن لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ).

Subhaanakallaahumma wabihamdik ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illaa anta astaghfiruka wa atuubu ilayk.”
[an-Nasaa’i; saheeh by al-Albaani in "Silsilatu Saheehah" (495/7)]

Keep in mind that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said this duaa every time he finished reciting the Qur’aan.
And not specifically upon “completion” of its recitation.

Then you can make your own duaa.

And ANY good duaas can be made.

We should make duaa that Allaah ACCEPTS our recitation and helps us in UNDERSTANDING and IMPLEMENTING the Book of Allaah in our lives.

Also we should also THANK Allaah for enabling us to finish reading His Book.

What NOT to do after finishing recitation of the Qur’aan

There are some innovations associated with finishing the Qur’aan

1. Saying “SadaqAllaahul-Adheem”

There’s NO PROOF of saying “SadaqAllaahul-Adheem” after reciting the Qur’aan, from the authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.

Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:

“I do not know of any basis for the people’s habit of saying “Sadaqa Allaahu al-‘Azeem” when they finish reading Qur’aan, so it should not be taken as a habit. Indeed, according to the principles of sharee’ah it is more like BID’AH, if anyone believes that it is Sunnah.

So this should NOT be done and should not be taken as a habit.”(Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa Wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah Li Samaahat- Vol. 9, P. 342)

2. Saying “Allaahu Akbar”

Some people say “Allaahu Akbar” after every Surah starting from Surah ad-Duhaa till Surah an-Naas .

But that’s not proven from any authentic ahaadeeth either.

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“At the very most, there are some reciters who regard it as mustahabb for a person to say takbeer when he finishes every soorah from al-Duha to the end of the Qur’aan, along with the Basmalah between every two soorahs.

But the CORRECT view is that this is NOT SUNNAH, because that was not narrated from the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.

Based on this, what is prescribed is to separate one soorah from another by saying the Basmalah, Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem, except in the case of Soorat Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah), as there is no Basmalah between al-Anfaal and it.”
[Fataawa Islamiyyah (4/48)]

3. Kissing the Mus-haf and touching the forehead with it

Some kiss the Mus-haf and put it on their head or do a ‘virtual sajdah’ on it by putting their forehead on the Mus-haf.

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“ We know of no evidence that prescribes kissing the Quraan, which was revealed to be recited, respected, understood and acted upon.” (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daaimah, no. 4172)

4. Joining the end of Surah Naas and start right away with al-Faatihah and Baqarah

Some people join the end of Surah Naas and start right away with al-Faatihah and the first few aayaat of Baqarah.

There’s no proof of any of this.

Shaykh ‘Abd-Al-Rahmaan al-Barraak said:

“There is no need to read from the end of the Mus-haf and then join it to the beginning.

Doing something in this manner requires evidence, because reading Qur’aan is an act of worship, and acts of worship must be done only in the manner in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did them.”

5. Donating the reward of the Qur’aan or “bakhshna”

Some people “donate” the reward of their recitation to their deceased loved ones. (“Bakhshna”)

They even donate the rewards to the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam and the Sahaabah.

But there’s NO PROOF of ‘bakhshna’ or donating the reward of reciting the Qur’aan on the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa salaam or his Sahaabah, or our deceased loved ones etc.

That’s bid’ah.

When the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam read the Qur’aan, he NEVER “donated” the reward of the Qur’aan to his deceased loved ones.

And the Sahaabah NEVER donated the rewards of reading the Qur’aan to the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, although they were the ones who REALLY TRULY LOVED and cared for the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.

If that was good, they would have been the first ones to do it and we would have had proof of that.

But we don’t.

So we should not be doing that either.

Shaikh Ibn Baaz said regarding reading Qur’aan for the deceased:

“There is NO REPORT in the Holy Qur’aan or in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, or from his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) to indicate that it is prescribed to give one's reading of Qur’aan (or the reward thereof) to one's parents or to anyone else.
Rather Allaah has enjoined reading Qur’aan so that one may BENEFIT from it, LEARN from it, PONDER its meanings and ACT upon it.

If giving the reward for reading to another was permissible or prescribed, the righteous salaf would have done it.

It is NOT PERMISSIBLE to make ANALOGIES with regard to acts of worship, because they can ONLY be proven by a text from the Book of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala or the Sunnah of His Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, because of the hadeeth quoted above and other similar reports.” (Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 8/360, 361)

Conclusion

Just finish reading the Qur’aan then, praise and thank Allaah and make ANY duaa. That’s it.

And Allaah knows best