It has been narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah that the Beloved and Blessed Rasool said that Quran was revealed about five aspects: (1) Halal (2) Haraam (3) Commandments (4) Metaphors and (5) Examples.
So you people should consider the Halal [legitimate] as Halal and Haraam [illegitimate] as Haraam, follow the commandments of the Quran [Muhkam] and believe in metaphors [Mutashabihaat] and be warned from the examples and events of the previous Ummahs.
To be well aware of the abovementioned five perspectives of the Holy Quran, it is necessary that one should recite the Holy Quran carefully with deep understanding again and again. The recitation of the Glorious Quran contains such abundant rewards that ten virtues are earned by reciting just one letter. For example, if someone only recites alif laam meemand if the reciter’s recitation is accepted, then thirty virtues will be attained because the reciter has recited three letters of the Holy Quran.
Few manners of recitation
1. After doing Miswak and proper Wudu, one should sit down facing Qiblah. After reciting one should comprehend deeply on the words and meanings of the words of Holy Quran and should engage himself in the recitation of the Holy Quran by observing immense concentration along with extreme humbleness, meekness and fear of Allah . He should neither recite it very loudly, nor in a very low voice but recite it in a moderate volume.
2. It is better to recite the Holy Quran by looking at it because it is also an act of worship to look at the Holy Quran. Moreover, there is also double the reward in the execution of 2 acts of worship. It is stated in a blessed Hadees that the person who recited the Holy Quran by looking at it, two thousand virtues will be written in his account and the one who recited orally without looking at will get one thousand virtues written in his account. (Kanz-ul-‘Ummal, Kitab-ul-Azkaar, vol. 1, pp. 260, Raqm 2301)
3. One should not try to complete the recitation of the Holy Quran in less than three days, instead try to complete it in at least three, seven or forty days so that the meanings and contexts of the recited Ayahs can be understood properly.
4. One should recite the Holy Quran slowly and calmly, and properly by following the phonetics of the Arabic language. Allah has said:
And recite the Quran delightfully in slow distinct stages1
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[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)J (Part 29, Surah Al-Muzzammil, Ayah 4)
There are many advantages of reciting the Holy Quran in this manner. First of all, it justifies the rights of the Holy Quranj and secondly, the main objective of the recitation of the Holy Quran is to ponder upon the marvels and wonders of the Holy Quran and comprehend and understand the meanings of the Ayahs of the Holy Quran, which is almost impossible to achieve without reciting it in this manner.
5. One should try to comprehend the meaning of every word during the recitation, should try to understand the warnings and glad tidings, should try to consider himself as the addressee of Quranic injunctions, should consider himself as the one being commanded of doing good and forbidding evil in the Ayahs and should consider himself being warned
in the warnings mentioned in the events and parables of the Holy Quran. While reciting the Holy Quran, one should also make a firm intention of acting upon the orders and directives and refraining from the acts that are forbidden.
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7. Maximize recitation of the Holy Quran in the hours of night because it is the time when mind is in peace and heart is in the state of tranquillity. The best time for the recitation of the Holy Quran is the last ten days of Ramadan and the first ten days of Zul-Hijjah. After these mentioned days, there is excellence in recitation on Friday, then on Monday and then on Thursday. The best time for recitation in the hours of night is the time between Maghrib and ‘Isha, then the time after midnight. During the day time, dawn is the best time for the recitation of the Holy Quran.
8. One should recite the Holy Quran with good melodious articulation by observing the principles of the Arabic intonation such as pauses, stresses, etc. However, keep in mind that for the purpose of melodious articulation, musical tunes and their accents should not be imitated at all.
9. During the recitation, keep in mind the respect and reverence of the Holy Quran and keep the context of the following Ayah in mind:
1 (i.e. each letter of the Quran must be pronounced separately and correctly.)
