Answer
Short Answer: There are four things you can do: Intentions are very important, so make sure you have the right intention before you start reading. Get to know Allah more and pay attention to His Names in the Quran and how they relate to the verses you read. Reflect on the stories of Allah’s prophets and see how they relate to you/us today. Finally interact with the Quran and make suitable duaa that relates to the verses you are reading.
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Salam alaykum,
Thank you for bringing this issue up.
Reading the Quran adequately is one of the most powerful, most soothing, most reassuring, and most transformative experiences one could have.
Of course it is the direct Words of the Creator of all that exists, so His Knowledge and His Words surely have the most penetrating and heartfelt effects- after all, He is the Creator of those hearts.
Now, there are a few things to remember while reading the Quran.
1- Have the Right Intentions
Try to make the proper intention upon reading.
Ask yourself, why exactly you are reading and what do you want to get out with from this khatma (completion of reading the Quran).
Intentions are important and they will determine what you’ll get out of your experience.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
The reward of deeds depends upon the intention and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. (Sahih Al Bukhari)
Allah Almighty told us at the beginning of Surat Al Baqarah that this Book is for Guidance, specifically guidance for “al mutaqeen” (i.e. the God-conscious who follow His commands and refrain from what He prohibited).
So, if you are reading with the intention of guidance, you’ll find yourself really mindful of what Allah commands and what He prohibits.
And when you observe that, you’ll do your best to follow His commands in your life and stop any prohibition you may be doing.
The point is, reading the Quran or completing the recitation of the Quran should change you for the better, by strengthening your faith and knowledge, but also by changing you to be better as a person.
You should find something that you need to improve about yourself, and the Quran will help you have the needed guidance and motivation to improve.
Remember, if you called your friend, for example, and asked her to guide you to her house, what will happen?
She will give you instructions.
She will tell you to take certain roads and skip others and take a certain bridge and leave a certain square, etc. until you get to where she lives.
Right?
So, when we ask Allah to guide us, what does it mean?
Essentially, this means that we need to follow His instructions in order to reach our destination, which is the straight path, Jannah, and seeing Allah Himself pleased with us on Judgment Day.
So, be mindful of the instructions that help us transform the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we earn our money, the way we communicate with our Creator, the way we treat our parents, the way we observe the nature around us …
2- Get to Know Allah
Get to know Allah Himself more deeply through reading by contemplating on His Names and Attributes and the contexts in which they’re mentioned in the Quran.
You will find that so many ayahs (verses) end with two or more Names of Almighty Allah, for example:
{It is He who forms you in the wombs however He wills. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.} (Quran 3: 6)
{And it is He who begins creation; then He repeats it, and that is [even] easier for Him. To Him belongs the highest attribute in the heavens and earth. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.} (Qur’an 30: 27)
So, pay attention to His Names and how they relate to the verses and get to know Allah better and deeper through His Names and Attributes mentioned throughout the Quran.
3- Reflect on Stories of the Prophets in the Quran
Take note of the stories of the Prophets, and see how they relate to you/us today.
Allah gave us these stories for a reason.
{And each [story] We relate to you from the news of the messengers is that by which We make firm your heart. And there has come to you, in this, the truth and an instruction and a reminder for the believers.} (Quran 11: 120)
So take note of the messages embedded for you in these stories and how they can strengthen you in faith or guide you in your own situations.
4- Interact With the Quran and Make Duaa
Whenever you come across verses that have duaa, stop and make the duaa for yourself.
For example, if they talk about Jannah, stop and ask Allah for Jannah.
If they talk about those who are distant from Allah, stop and ask Allah to not make you one of them.
One of the most beautiful duaas mentioned that we must stop and reflect on each time we read the Quran is the one mentioned in the following verses:
{Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying],
“Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire – You have disgraced him, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], ‘Believe in your Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous. Our Lord, and grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in [Your] promise.} (Qur’an 3: 190-194)
Hope this gives you some tips and may you have the best time reading and reflecting on the Quran in Ramadan and beyond.
Ameen.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
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