Manners of Reading and Memorizing the Qur'an

A group of the Companions were sitting by the door of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and they disagreed on some matter. They differed about predestination, as told elsewhere, so some of them proved their arguments with verses from the Qur’an, and others did the same. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) heard them. So he came out, with a very red face, as if a pomegranate was squeezed on his face. He asked them whether they were created to differ, argue, and conflict on the Qur’an, comparing some parts of it to others. Were they commanded to do so? He means that neither is intended, so they did not need to do so. He also told them that the previous nations strayed because of this matter. He guided them to what would rectify and benefit them: to do what Allah ordered them to observe, and to desist from what they were forbidden to do. This is exactly what they were created for, and this is exactly what is useful to them.

The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would receive ten verses from the Qur’an and not move to other verses until they learned the knowledge contained in those ten verses and acted upon it. Thus, they learned knowledge and application together.

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) to recite something from the Qur’an to him. Ibn Mas‘ūd said: O Messenger of Allah, how can I recite it to you when it was revealed to you? The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: Indeed, I love to hear it from others. So he recited to him from Surat an-Nisā’ and upon reaching the verse that reads: {How will it be when We bring a witness from every community, and bring you [O Prophet] as a witness against these [people]?} Meaning: What will be your condition—and that of your Ummah—when We bring you as a witness over your people, testifying that you conveyed to them your Lord's message? At that point, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Stop reading now. Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I turned to him, and his eyes were flowing with tears—out of awe for that scene and mercy for his Ummah.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) compared the one who studies the Qur’an and is accustomed to reciting it—whether by looking at the Mus'haf or from memory—to a person with camels tied from their knees with a rope. If he keeps them tied, he will keep hold of them, but if he unties them, they will run away and escape. Similarly, when the companion of the Qur’an recites it, he remembers it, and if he neglects it, he forgets it. As long as the connection is regularly maintained, the memorization remains intact.

Jundub ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) as young men near the age of puberty—strong and powerful. We learned faith at the hands of the Prophet (ﷺ) before learning the Qur’an. Then, when we learned the Qur’an, it increased our faith.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach and recite the Qur’an to his Companions in all conditions, except when he was in a state of Janābah due to marital relations with his wives.

This Hadīth means that the Muslims should recite the Qur’an together as long as they agree on its interpretation. However, if they disagree in understanding its meanings, then they should stop reciting it lest this disagreement should lead to evil. Another possible meaning: stick to the meanings of the Qur’an which are not prone to different interpretations. If you come across meanings which can be interpreted differently and cause dispute, avoid debating and arguing regarding them. This could also be an instruction to recite the Qur’an as long as one's heart is inclined to do so. If the heart feels bored or tired, then recitation should be left until the heart becomes fresh and active again. The same command was given concerning the prayer. The first interpretation, however, seems more probable.