بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum.
Ramadan is a big test for many people. They find it difficult to stay on track for a whole month. Yes, they fast 30 days but it’s all the other stuff that they have difficulty with.
One of those, of course, is the prayer – which is ironic given that the prayer is more important in Islam than fasting in Ramadan.
Another area where just about everyone struggles is with regards to spending time with the Quran. As Ramadan is the month of the Quran, we are all supposed to spend most of this month with this Magnificent Book.
However most people don’t spend much time with the Quran at all. There are many reasons for this, one of them being that many Muslims simply don’t enjoy spending time with the Quran. They force themselves to do so because they know it is the right thing to do.
However, they don’t know about its magnificence or virtues, nor do they understand its words nor its message so it has no effect on them, leading them to getting very, very bored when they spend time with it.
One way to rectify this problem is for people to interact with the Quran in a way that causes them to want to spend more time with it. So, in this (short) series, I’ll be mentioning multiple (practical) ways to just that, in shaa Allah. It’s not a comprehensive list, rather it’s a mix of different ways so that everyone can benefit. The point is to mention different ways in which a person can increase their enjoyment of the Quran.
Now, you don’t have to start by doing everything. Just choose a way that you like or that you find easy and start with that.
That will give you confidence and then you can add more ways later, in shaa Allah.
1. Know the virtues of the Quran
Knowing the virtues of anything will make us more inclined towards that thing.
The Quran is full of virtues. Being familiar with even some of them will make a person more attached to this amazing Book.
The virtues of the Quran are mentioned both in it and in the ahadeeth.
For example, in the Quran, Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِالذِّكْرِ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّهُ لَكِتَابٌ عَزِيزٌ
لَّا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ ۖ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ
مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبْلِكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ ۖ أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ
Verily, those who disbelieved in the Reminder (i.e. the Quran) when it came to them (shall receive the punishment). And verily, it is an honourable respected Book (because it is Allah’s Speech, and He has protected it from corruption, etc.).
Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allah).
Nothing is said to you (O Muhammad) except what was said to the Messengers before you. Verily, your Lord is the Possessor of forgiveness, and (also) the Possessor of painful punishment.
And if We had sent this as a Quran in a foreign language other than Arabic, they would have said: “Why are not its Verses explained in detail (in our language)? What! (A Book) not in Arabic and (the Messenger) an Arab?” Say: “It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Quran) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand). [Surah Fussilat (41) : 41-44]
Imam Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah) states in his explanation of the above verses:
”
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِالذِّكْرِ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ﴾
(Verily, those who disbelieved in the Reminder when it came to them.) Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and Qatadah said, “This is the Quran.”
﴿وَإِنَّهُ لَكِتَـبٌ عَزِيزٌ﴾
(And verily, it is an honorable well-fortified respected Book.) means, it is protected and preserved, and nobody can produce anything like it.
﴿لاَّ يَأْتِيهِ الْبَـطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلاَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ﴾
(Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it,) means, there is no way to corrupt it, because it has been sent down by the Lord of the worlds. Allah says:
﴿تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ﴾
((it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise.) meaning, He is Wise in all that He says and does, Praiseworthy in all that He commands and forbids; everything that He does is for praiseworthy purposes and its consequences will be good.
﴿مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلاَّ مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبْلِكَ﴾
(Nothing is said to you except what was said to the Messengers before you.) Qatadah, As-Suddi and others said, “Nothing is said to you by way of rejection and disbelief, that was not said to the Messengers who came before you. Just as you have been rejected, they were also rejected. Just as they bore their people’s insults with patience, so too you must bear your people’s insults with patience.”
﴿وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ﴾
(Verily, your Lord is the Possessor of forgiveness,) means, for those who turn to Him in repentance.
﴿وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ﴾
(and (also) the Possessor of painful punishment.) means, for those who persist in disbelief, transgression and stubborn opposition.”
And he states:
“Allah tells us that the Quran is so eloquent and perfect in its wording and meanings, yet despite that the idolators do not believe in it. He tells us that their disbelief is the disbelief of stubbornness, as He says elsewhere:
﴿وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَـهُ عَلَى بَعْضِ الاٌّعْجَمِينَ ﴾
﴿فَقَرَأَهُ عَلَيْهِم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ مُؤْمِنِينَ ﴾
(And if We had revealed it unto any of the non-Arabs, and he had recited it unto them, they would not have believed in it.) (26:198-199). If the Quran had been revealed in the language of the non-Arabs, they would have said, because of their stubbornness:
﴿لَوْلاَ فُصِّلَتْ ءَايَـتُهُ ءَاعْجَمِىٌّ وَعَرَبِىٌّ﴾
(Why are not its verses explained in detail What! not in Arabic and an Arab) meaning, why is it not revealed in detail in Arabic And by way of denunciation they would have said, “What! not in Arabic nor from an Arab — i.e., how can foreign words be revealed to an Arab who does not understand them This interpretation was reported from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Said bin Jubayr, As-Suddi and others.
﴿قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ﴾
(Say: “It is for those who believe, a guide and a cure…”) means, `say, O Muhammad: this Quran, for the one who believes in it, is guidance for his heart and a cure for the doubts and confusion that exists in people’s hearts.’
﴿وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ﴾
(And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness in their ears,) means, they do not understand what is in it.
﴿وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى﴾
(and it is blindness for them.) means they are not guided to the explanations contained therein. This is like the Ayah:
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّـلِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا
(And We send down of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it increases the wrongdoers nothing but loss.) (17:82).
﴿أُوْلَـئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ﴾
(They are called from a place far away.) Mujahid said, “Far away from their hearts.” Ibn Jarir said, “It is as if the one who is addressing them is calling to them from a distant place, and they cannot understand what he is saying.” This is like the Ayah:
﴿وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَآءً وَنِدَآءً صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴾
(And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand.) (2:171)”
Another example of the excellence of the Quran is mentioned in the following verse:
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَـٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. [Surah Al-Hashr (59) : 21]
Ibn Kathir states in his explanation of this verse:
“Allah the Exalted emphasizes the greatness of the Quran, its high status and of being worthy of making hearts humble and rent asunder upon hearing it, because of the true promises and sure threats that it contains,
﴿لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَـشِعاً مُّتَصَدِّعاً مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ﴾
(Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allah.) If this is the case with a mountain which is hard and huge, that if it was made able to comprehend and understand this Quran, will feel humble and crumble from fear of Allah the Exalted, then what about you — O mankind Why do your hearts not feel softness and humbleness from the fear of Allah, even though you understand Allah’s command and comprehend His Book This is why Allah said,
﴿وَتِلْكَ الاٌّمْثَـلُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
(Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.) There is a Hadith of the Mutawatir grade that states that the Messenger of Allah had someone make him a Minbar. Before that, he used to stand next to a tree trunk in the Masjid to deliver speeches. So, when the Minbar was made and placed in the Masjid, the Prophet came to deliver a speech and passed the tree trunk, headed towards the Minbar, the tree trunk started weeping, just like an infant. The tree trunk missed hearing the remembrance of Allah and the revelation that were being recited next to it. In one of the narrations for this Hadith, Al-Hasan Al-Basri said after narrating the Hadith, “You – mankind — are more worthy to miss the Messenger of Allah than the tree trunk!” Likewise, this honorable Ayah asks that if the solid mountains feel humble and are rent asunder from the fear of Allah, if it heard Allah’s Speech and comprehended it, what about you — O mankind — who heard the Qur’an and understood it Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرْآنًا سُيِّرَتْ بِهِ الْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتْ بِهِ الاٌّرْضُ أَوْ كُلِّمَ بِهِ الْمَوْتَى﴾
(And if there had been a Qur’an with which mountains could be moved, or the earth could be cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak.) (13:31) We mentioned the meaning of this Ayah as stating that, if there were a Quran that has these qualities, it would be this Quran. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
﴿وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الأَنْهَـرُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَآءُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ﴾
(And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split asunder so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them which fall down for fear of Allah.)(2:74)”
Yet another example of the magnificence of the Quran is mentioned in the following verse:
وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرْآنًا سُيِّرَتْ بِهِ الْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتْ بِهِ الْأَرْضُ أَوْ كُلِّمَ بِهِ الْمَوْتَىٰ ۗ بَل لِّلَّـهِ الْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا ۗ أَفَلَمْ يَيْأَسِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن لَّوْ يَشَاءُ اللَّـهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا تُصِيبُهُم بِمَا صَنَعُوا قَارِعَةٌ أَوْ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِّن دَارِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ وَعْدُ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ
And if there had been a Quran with which mountains could be moved (from their places), or the earth could be cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak (it would not have been other than this Quran). But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah. Have not then those who believe yet known that had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind? And a disaster will not cease to strike those who disbelieve because of their (evil) deeds or it (i.e. the disaster) settle close to their homes, until the Promise of Allah comes to pass. Certainly, Allah does not fail in His Promise. [Surah Rad (13) : 31]
Ibn Kathir states in his explanation of this verse:
“Allah praises the Quran which He has revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him, and prefers it to all other divinely revealed Books before it,
﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرْآنًا سُيِّرَتْ بِهِ الْجِبَالُ﴾
(And if there had been a Quran with which mountains could be moved,) Allah says, `If there were a Book among the previous Divine Books with which the mountains could be moved from their places, or the earth could be cleaved asunder, or the dead speak in their graves, it would have been this Quran and none else.’ Or, this Quran is more worthy to cause all this, because of its marvelous eloquence that defies the ability of mankind and the Jinns, even if all of them gather their forces together to invent something like it or even a Surah like it. Yet, these idolators disbelieve in the Quran and reject it. Allah said,
﴿بَل للَّهِ الاٌّمْرُ جَمِيعًا﴾
(But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah.) The decision over all affairs is with Allah Alone, whatever He wills, occurs and whatever He does not will, never occurs. Certainly, he whom Allah misguides, will never find enlightenment and he whom Allah guides, will never be misled. We should state here that it is possible to call other Divine Books, `Quran’, since this Quran is based on all of them. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«خُفِّفَتْ عَلَى دَاوُدَ الْقِرَاءَةُ فَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ بِدَابَّتِهِ أَنْ تُسْرَجَ، فَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُسْرَجَ دَابَّتُهُ، وَكَانَ لَا يَأْكُلُ إِلَّا مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدَيْه»
(Reciting was made easy for (Prophet) Dawud (David) in that he used to order that his animal be prepared for him to ride and in the meantime he would read the entire Quran. He used to eat only from what his hand made.) Al-Bukhari collected this Hadith. The Quran mentioned here is refers to the Zabur. Allah said next,
﴿أَفَلَمْ يَاْيْـَسِ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ﴾
(Have not then those who believed yet known) that not all people would believe and understand and that,
﴿أَن لَّوْ يَشَآءُ اللَّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا﴾
(had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind) Surely, there is not a miracle or evidence more eloquent or effective on the heart and mind than this Quran. Had Allah revealed it to a mountain, you would see the mountain shake and humbled from fear of Allah. The Sahih recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,
«مَا مِنْ نَبِيَ إِلَّا وَقَدْ أُوتِيَ مَا آمَنَ عَلَى مِثْلِهِ الْبَشَرُ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُهُ وَحْيًا أَوْحَاهُ اللهُ إِلَيَّ، فَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ تَابِعًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»
(Every Prophet was given (a miracle) the type of which would make (some) people believe. What I was given, however, is a revelation from Allah to me, and I hope that I will have the most following among them (Prophets) on the Day of Resurrection.) This Hadith indicates that every Prophet’s miracle disappeared upon his death, but this Quran will remain as evidence for all times. Verily, the miracle of the Quran will never end, nor will it become old the more it is read, nor will scholars ever have enough of it. The Quran is serious and is not meant for jest; any tyrant that abandons it, Allah will destroy him; he who seeks guidance in other than the Quran, then Allah will misguide him. Allah said next,
﴿بَل للَّهِ الاٌّمْرُ جَمِيعًا﴾
(But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah.) Ibn Abbas commented, “He will only do what He wills and He decided that He will not do that.” Ibn Ishaq reported a chain for this, and Ibn Jarir At-Tabari agreed with it.”
Those who want to read more about the virtues and excellence of the Quran can refer to the following resources:
Virtues of the Quran – From Sahih Al-Bukhari
Virtues of the Quran – From Jaami At-Tirmidhi
40 Hadith on the Quran – By Quran Project (I’m just endorsing the book, not the website as I need to research further.)
What is the Quran – IslamQA
The Book of Allah and its Magnificent Status – Shaikh Abdul Azeez Aal Ash-Shaikh
An Incitation towards Specially Attentive towards the Quran and Being Diligent on the Book of Allah and Learning it – Shaikh Ibn Baz (rahimahullah)
The Excellent Qualities of the Quran – Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhaab (rahimahullah)
Virtues of the Quran – By Shaikh Abdul Qadir Al-Arnaut (rahimahullah)
Benefits of the Quran – A lecture by Shaikh Abdullah Al-Shethri (English/Arabic)
The Glorious Quran – A lecture series by Dr. Saleh As-Saleh (rahimahullah)
Part 1 (Download):
Part 2 (Download):
Part 3 (Download):
2. Prepare for Taraweeh
Taraweeh revolves around the recitation of the Quran so if you get bored during that, it feels like your entire taraweeh prayer has gone to waste.
However, when you enjoy taraweeh, your entire Ramadan lights up. And the only way to enjoy taraweeh is to enjoy the Quran.
The best preparation for taraweeh should actually take place well before Ramadan – by learning Arabic, reading the explanation of the Quran and memorising it.
However, we’re already at Ramadan at the time of this post so for now, there are two methods I would suggest.
Those who read the translation of the Quran can follow the method outlined in this post of mine from my older blog.
Those who are short of time can follow the following method:
- Check which Juz / Surah the Imam of your masjid is on (they usually follow the days so for example, Juz 3 will be on Night 3).
- Read the summary of that Juz or Surah just before the prayer (or during it, in the breaks)
This way, you have a brief idea of what is going on.
The following resources should come in handy. If you are short of time, just choose the one that you like the most and use that:
Themes of the Surahs – by Al Huda Sisters. This is a listing of the theme for each surah. Please note that different books might mention different themes for a surah, which is fine.
Halawatul Quran (Sweetness of the Quran) – by Al Huda Sisters. This booklet is a summary of a fantastic book in Arabic which revolves around contemplating the Quran. The background and themes of each Surah are mentioned as well a full breakdown of the ayaat (verses) in each Surah.
Holy Quran Summary – By Professor Yousuf Dadoo. This was prepared specifically for Taraweeh prayers and is divided by each night of Taraweeh (i.e. Juz by Juz).
Contents of each Surah by Understand Quran. This one is divided by both Surah and Juz so it’s very useful.
Juz by Juz Summary of the Quran by MRDF. Also available in iOS, iBook and Android.
Juz by Summary of the Quran – By Quran Project. The summaries are available at the top right corner. Again, I’m not endorsing the whole website (because I haven’t checked fully.)
Glimpses of the Quran – A short video series by Abu Taubah. Each video summaries one juz.
Apart from preparing for the recitation, another way to actually enjoy the prayer is to choose a knowledgeable imam with a recitation that you like. This way you will pray the right way and enjoy it at the same time.
Also, make sure that you are comfortable in the masjid that you go to, because many people don’t enjoy taraweeh due to problems happening in that particular masjid. So choose a nice place which you will enjoy going to every Ramadan, because it will make a big difference.
3. Learn how to recite the Quran
When one has difficulty reciting the Quran, then he or she wouldn’t feel like spending much time with the Quran.
Also, reciting the Quran in a wrong manner changes the meaning being conveyed, so learning tajweed (the science of recitation) is a must.
Now, learning tajweed is a long-term goal and it needs to be done under a qualified teacher. For now though, here are some resources that will get you started in the right direction this Ramadan:
Read Quran with Tajweed course – By Understand Quran. This is a paid course. If you pay monthly, then you have access to all their other courses too, which focus on understanding the Quran. There are children’s course as well including this one: Read Quran for kids. [Please note there are a few mistakes in the understanding Quran courses.]
http://www.tajweedinenglish.com/ – Also available in French
http://www.houseofquran.com/ – They have a nice word by word recitation which will be useful for those struggling to recite properly.
Note: The transliteration of the Quran is widespread these days. However, I found out a couple of years ago (much to my utter shock) that we are not allowed to use it. The Quranic text needs to be written in Arabic, as is the consensus of the scholars. I also asked a shaikh who said the transliteration can only be used for a necessity like Surah Al-Fatihah and some short surahs. Apart from that, it’s a no-no. This does not apply to duas which can be transliterated.
4. Recite the Quran regularly
This is the main way to interact with the Quran because reciting (whilst understanding the meaning) leads to pondering over the Quran and then applying it.
This is also the area where many people fall short. And this is a mistake. Not a single day should go by without you having recited a portion of the Quran. Ideally, that portion should be at least one juz.
However, most people cannot do that amount at the beginning so if you’re struggling, at least try not to sleep without having recited at least one ayah (verse) of the Book. It might seem like a small amount but it shows consistency on a person’s part and this is something that is praised.
:عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ : أَدْوَمُهَا وَإِنْ قَلَّ . وَقَالَ اكْلَفُوا مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ
Narrated Aishah (radiallahu anha): The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was asked, “What deeds are loved most by Allah?” He said, “The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few.” He added, ‘Don’t take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadeeth No. 472]
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَصِيرٌ وَكَانَ يُحَجِّرُهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيُصَلِّي فِيهِ فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلاَتِهِ وَيَبْسُطُهُ بِالنَّهَارِ فَثَابُوا ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَقَالَ : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَمَلُّ حَتَّى تَمَلُّوا وَإِنَّ أَحَبَّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَا دُووِمَ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ قَلَّ . وَكَانَ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا عَمِلُوا عَمَلاً أَثْبَتُوهُ .
Aishah (radiallahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) had a mat and he used it for making an apartment during the night and observed prayer in it, and the people began to pray with him, and he spread it (the mat) during the day time. The people crowded round him one night. He (the Prophet) then said: “O people, perform such acts as you are capable of doing, for Allah does not grow weary but you will get tired. The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are done continuously, even if they are small.” And it was the habit of the members of Muhammad’s (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) household that whenever they did an act they did it continuously. [Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 1710]
How can one enjoy reciting the Quran? Well, apart from improving one’s tajweed, one should read the translation at the same time.
The following website has the verified Quranic text, audio recitation and translation so those struggling should try to use it.
Also, they are plenty of phone apps that one can use that have the same features as the above website (although I’m not sure if they have verified the text).
Please note that one starts the recitation from Surah Al-Fatihah and continues until Surah An-Nas. This is one reading. After this, one restarts with Surah Al-Fatihah. So, if one can recite one juz a day, then one completes one reading in a month. If it is an ayah a day, it will take much longer.
Another way to enjoy reciting the Quran is to interact with it. For example, so every time, an ayah of hell comes up, ask Allah for refuge from it. Or if the qualities of a believer are mentioned, then ask Allah to give you those qualities. Or if a dua (supplication) is mentioned, then recite that supplication.
This way, you’ll feel like a participant and not like an onlooker.
You could also keep a Quran journal. Here’s my old (but still famous) post on that.
Also, apart from one’s daily recitation, remember that certain surahs have virtues and might need to be recited at certain times. Knowing those virtues will motivate you to recite those surahs at those times.
The following booklet will be of help in this issue:
The Virtues of Some Surahs as graded by Imam Al-Albanee – Compiled by Abu Waheeda
[Here’s Part 2.]