Easy Ways to Connect With the Qur’an in Ramadan

The Qur’an was first revealed upon our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the blessed month of Ramadan. Ramadan holds a lot of merit in the lives of Muslims due to the extra reward of worship in it. Worshipping in Ramadan gains us a higher reward compared to when that same worship is done during the remaining 11 months. Do you know of some good deeds that can help you spend a marvelous Ramadan? You must have heard about the immense reward of reading the Qur’an in our daily lives. In this article we will outline the connection between Ramadan and frequent reading of the Qur’an.

The two greatest merits of the month of Ramadan are:

1. Fasting

Allah the Exalted mentions in the Holy Qur’an:

فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُون

So any one of you who is present that month should fast, and anyone who is ill or on a journey should make up for the lost days by fasting on other days later. God wants ease for you, not hardship. {Al-Baqarah: 185}

Muslims are ordered to fast the entire month of Ramadan like the people and nations before them. Those who are sick or travelling can make up for their fasts later on, indicating ease and not hardship in Islam.

2. Revelation of the Qur’an 

The revelation of Qur’an took place in the blessed month of Ramadan. Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ 

It was in the month of Ramadan that the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong. {Al-Baqarah: 185}

“Actions are to be judged only by intentions and a man will have only what he intended. When one’s emigration is to Allah and His Apostle, his emigration is to Allah and His Apostle but his emigration is to a worldly end at which he aims or to a woman whom he marries , his emigration is to that for which he emigrated.” (Sunan Abi Dawood)

2. Be organised!

Make a goal of finishing the Qur’an at least once during the holy month of Ramadan. It’s very easy to achieve one’s goal if they make good use of their time and stay punctual. Organising your reading schedule around the five daily prayers is best. Reading as much as you can in the allocated time will help you reach your daily goal before you go to bed at night! 

Since the Qur’an has 20 ajza, we can distribute 1 juz per day to read if we would like to finish it in one month.

Each Juz has 20 pages.

Reading 4 pages after each prayer will lead to the completion of one juz!

Alternatively, if you are someone who works rough hours or can’t afford to sit down with your Mushaf five times a day, you can limit yourself to a single sitting or read once in the morning and once at night. There is no one absolute way to devise your plan. Everyone has a different schedule they follow and likewise a different way of approaching things. 

3. Find a friend!

Having a companion who holds you accountable for your daily reading is a blessing indeed. There are times when you may feel like giving up, especially when it becomes tiring. A friend or a family member who has agreed to help you will come in handy at times like these. Shared determination for a task makes it easier by many times. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has mentioned an important quality of a companion, a friend, in the life of a Muslim in the following hadith:

 الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَنْ يُخَالِلُ

“A man follows the religion of his friend; so each one should consider whom he makes his friend.” {Sunan Abi Dawood}

One can indulge their family members or find  well organised online courses in this honourable task as well. Setting a time with your siblings to read together or remind each other about any missed reading task is a healthy way of maintaining consistency.  

4. When it gets hard, remember why you started!

Juggling through work or studies, sitting through long commutes, bearing the excessive heat in summers and lack of sleep are just some activities of the day that can put us down. Going without food or water over a long period of time can also get us exhausted with our daily activities. The month of Ramadan is unlike the rest of the months of the year. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said about Ramadan:

مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ. وَمَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ. وَمَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

“He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven; he who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven; and he who passes Laylat al-qadr [Night of Decree] in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven.” {Bukhari and Muslim}

The amount of ajr our worship carries in this holy month has no boundaries. Remembering that the jaza for all that we struggle for is huge is a beautiful way of spending the month of Ramadan. The reward of reading the Qur’an is profound too just as is mentioned in the following hadith of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

‏الذي يقرأ القرآن وهو ماهر به مع السفرة الكرام البررة، والذي يقرأ القرآن ويتتعتع فيه وهو عليه شاق له أجران

“The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honourable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have two rewards.” {Al-Bukhari and Muslim}

5. Consistency is everything 

Ramadan is like a training workshop. We get 30 days to instill some good habits over four weeks. This intense training program has one main purpose; to make you consistent with your newly adapted habits! Science has it that any new activity done continuously for 21 days turns into a habit. This is the main essence of Ramadan. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding consistency:

اكْلَفُوا مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَمَلُّ حَتَّى تَمَلُّوا، وَإِنَّ أَحَبَّ الْعَمَلِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَدْوَمُهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ

Choose such actions as you are capable of performing, for Allah does not grow weary till you do. The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are done most continuously, even if they amount to little. {Sunan Abi Dawood}

Our goal every Ramadan should be to adapt a good deed we intend to do our entire lives, practise it with patience in the holy month, and do it for a lifetime! 

As you fast through Ramadan, don’t forget to supplicate for your dear and near ones for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said:

ثَلاَثَةٌ لاَ تُرَدُّ دَعْوَتُهُمُ الصَّائِمُ حَتَّى يُفْطِرَ وَالإِمَامُ الْعَادِلُ وَدَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ يَرْفَعُهَا اللَّهُ فَوْقَ الْغَمَامِ وَيَفْتَحُ لَهَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ وَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ وَعِزَّتِي لأَنْصُرَنَّكَ وَلَوْ بَعْدَ حِينٍ

“There are three whose supplication is not rejected: The fasting person when he breaks his fast, the just leader, and the supplication of the oppressed person; Allah raises it up above the clouds and opens the gates of heaven to it. And the Lord says: ‘By My might, I shall surely aid you, even if it should be after a while.’” {Jami at Tirmidhi}

May this Ramadan be a month of blessings for us and may it be the month we find our love for  the Qur’an and the attachment to it.

By Fatima Sajid