Rizwan Khan, Missionary, USA
Islam has taught us many etiquettes to better benefit from the recitation of the Holy Quran. They can be divided into three categories:
- Psychological
- Emotional
- Spiritual
Acting on each provides us unique benefits from our recitation.
Psychological
The first etiquette is the respect we show to the physical copy of the Holy Quran. This has an important psychological effect. The reason for this is that respect is related to influence. For example, we show respect to elders to add greater influence to their words of wisdom. When you ask someone what the most life-changing advice was that they ever received, they’ll usually narrate something simple someone they respected said to them. A person we respect can say an ordinary thing and it has an extraordinary effect, and someone we do not respect can say the same thing and it has no effect. If we, out of carelessness, disrespect the Holy Quran, it psychologically has a negative effect on the influence its teachings can have on us.
Addressing a questioner, the Promised Messiahas explained, “If someone, based on the reasoning that ‘it is not mentioned in Hadith,’ puts his feet on the Holy Quran and stands on it, would that be permissible? Certainly not. Allah Almighty says: وَمَنۡ یُّعَظِّمۡ شَعَآئِرَ اللّٰہِ فَاِنَّہَا مِنۡ تَقۡوَی الۡقُلُوۡبِ [And whoso respects the sacred Signs of Allah – that indeed [proceeds] from the righteousness of hearts.”] ([Surah al-Hajj, Ch.22: V.33] Tafsir Hazrat Masih-e-Maudas, Vol. 5, pp. 374-375) Based on this spirit of respect, we should not place anything on top of a copy of the Holy Quran, or use the Holy Quran to store our papers, etc. (Abdul Qadir, Hayat-e-Nur, p. 694) This is also why we do not talk over the recitation of the Holy Quran, as Allah Almighty says, “And when the Quran is recited, give ear to it and keep silence, that you may be shown mercy.” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.205)
Emotional
The second etiquette is the beauty with which we recite the Holy Quran. This has an important emotional effect. For example, a poem read out in a monotone voice may have little effect on us. However, that same poem sung in a beautiful tune is a different experience. The reason for this is that melody is related to emotions.
This effect is so powerful that it can be used effectively in negative ways. There are many popular songs today that, if you read out the lyrics separate from the music and in a monotone voice, it would become clear that they are poorly written nonsense. However, when those words are combined with effective music, they seem profound. The effect of music is so powerful that people even enjoy songs in foreign languages and feel like they are getting meaning out of them.
This is why Islam has taught a balance in music. When musical instruments are used with poetry, they compensate for the deficiency in the message to the point that even nonsense can sound profound. However, when only the human voice is used as music to beautify the words of poetry, the message is enhanced while still having to stand on its own merit. Islam teaches that we should not neglect the use of music, but also does not allow us to be harmed by it. Thus, the music of recitation is the perfect balance of music, benefiting from its useful effects and being saved from its harm.
Islam has taught that we enhance the beauty of the message of the Holy Quran with the beauty of our voices so that it has a greater emotional effect on us.
The Holy Prophetsa said, “Beautify the Quran with your voices.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 1342) The Holy Prophetsa also said, “This Quran was revealed with sorrow, so when you recite it, then weep. If you cannot weep then pretend to weep, and make your voice melodious in reciting it.” (Ibid., Hadith 1337)
The Holy Quran was revealed in response to the pain with which the Holy Prophetsa was in search of guidance. We should also recite the Holy Quran with the pain in our seeking guidance. Expressing that pain through our voice creates an emotional state where we can better appreciate the message of the Holy Quran.
Spiritual
The third etiquette is that when we recite the Holy Quran, we should not read it passively in the way we read other books. Rather, we should read it actively. This has an important spiritual effect.
When the Holy Prophetsa recited verses about the glory of Allah, he paused to glorify Allah, when he recited verses about praying to Allah, he would pray to Allah, and when he recited verses about the protection of Allah, he sought His protection. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 772)
Similarly, when reciting verses that mention prostration, the Holy Prophetsa would prostrate. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1075) A person reading the Holy Quran passively may find it an inconvenience to pause in the middle of recitation and prostrate. However, when we read actively, the recitation of a verse on prostration moves our hearts to want to prostrate.
Explaining the unique way in which the order of the verses of the Holy Quran effects our heart, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated that since divine books prioritise moral and spiritual reform, they abandon the conventional order found in ordinary books in favor of an emotional arrangement that resonates with the human heart. For example, rather than mentioning prayer immediately after ablution, the Holy Quran directs a person towards spiritual purity and closeness to God, as ablution naturally evokes feelings of cleanliness. When prayer is discussed, the Holy Quran does not merely list rules but evokes emotions through descriptions of prostration and bowing, guiding the heart towards divine connection. The arrangement of the Holy Quran is thus based on the waves of emotions in the human heart.
Thus, the order of the Holy Quran is based on the emotions that are stirred while reading it. Since the All-Knowing God was aware of the types of thoughts that could emerge from a particular verse or command, He organised the Holy Quran according to the emotions that arise in a believer’s heart, rather than following a superficial order.
Consequently, those who do not approach the Quran with love and sincerity may find it disjointed. They might question the abrupt transitions between stories of prophets, rules of commerce, and commands of prayer. Yet, a knowledgeable scholar sees the harmony and wisdom in this arrangement. To overcome difficulty in gaining this appreciation of the Holy Quran, one must:
- Read the entire text repeatedly, not just select parts.
- For those whose love and devotion are constant, it is sufficient to set aside time for recitation in the morning or evening. However, for those whose emotions are not as constant, they should also recite the Holy Quran when feelings of love arise, regardless of time.
- One should read the Holy Quran with the firm belief that it contains limitless treasures. A person who thinks that understanding of the Holy Quran is limited to what scholars explain or what is written in the earlier commentaries will find this book closed to them. But someone who believes that it holds endless treasures of knowledge and wisdom will find it to be an ocean of understanding.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, 1986, Vol. 7, pp. 520-521, Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.52)
As Hazrat Hakeem Noor-ud-Deenra – Khalifatul Masih I – explained, we should recite the Holy Quran as if every verse was revealed for us. (Abdul Qadir, Hayat-e-Nur, p. 252) We should see it as a letter from Allah that came in our name. (Bukhar-e-Dil, p. 85) When we recite it in this way, our heart follows the natural flow of the Holy Quran and we actively mold ourselves in accordance with its teachings.