The Quran is the speech of Allah, and the way Muslims handle and recite it reflects that. These practices, drawn from the Quran, the Sunnah and the guidance of scholars, are not meant to make reading feel difficult. They are ways of making it more present and more rewarding.

Before you begin

1. Sincere intention

Read for Allah's sake: to worship, to learn, to be guided. Renew the intention each time, even briefly.

2. Purity (wudu)

The majority of scholars, including the four schools, hold that wudu is required to touch the mushaf, based on لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ (al-Waqi'ah 56:79) and related reports. Reciting from memory without wudu is permitted. Reading from a phone or screen is treated differently by many scholars, but having wudu is still the better practice.

3. A clean, suitable place

Choose a clean space. Avoid reciting in bathrooms or places of impurity. Many people like to face the qiblah, which is recommended though not required.

Starting the recitation

4. Seeking refuge (isti'adhah)

Allah says: فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ, "When you recite the Quran, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast" (an-Nahl 16:98). Say أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ before you begin.

5. Bismillah

Say بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ at the start of every surah, except Surah at-Tawbah, which begins without it. When starting in the middle of a surah, saying it is permitted but not required.

While reciting

6. Recite slowly and correctly

وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا, "and recite the Quran with measured recitation" (al-Muzzammil 73:4). Give each letter its right. If your tajweed needs work, see our beginner's tajweed guide.

7. Reflect on the meaning

"Do they not reflect on the Quran?" (an-Nisa 4:82). Even if you do not understand Arabic, reading a translation afterwards, or pausing on a verse you know, brings the heart into the recitation. See understanding the Quran.

8. Respond to what you read

The Prophet ﷺ, when reciting at night, would pause at a verse of mercy to ask for it, at a verse of punishment to seek refuge, and at a verse of praise to glorify Allah (Muslim 772). You can do the same, especially in voluntary prayer.

9. Beautify your voice

"Beautify the Quran with your voices" (Abu Dawud 1468). This means a clear, pleasant, sincere recitation, not imitating music or performing.

10. Prostration of recitation (sajdat at-tilawah)

At certain verses, marked in the mushaf with a symbol, it is Sunnah to make one prostration. Most scholars count 15 such places; the Hanafi school counts 14. Many scholars allow it without wudu, though having it is better.

Handling the mushaf

11. Treat it with respect

• Keep it in a clean, raised place, not on the floor.
• Do not put other things on top of it.
• Close it when you finish rather than leaving it open and unattended.
• Old, worn mushafs should be disposed of respectfully, by burying or other methods recommended by scholars, not thrown away.

Finishing

12. Stop while your heart is present

The Prophet ﷺ advised stopping if you become drowsy, so that you do not say words without realising (al-Bukhari 212, about prayer and drowsiness). Better to read less with attention than a lot without it. Many people end with a short dua. Saying sadaqallahul-'azim at the end is a common custom, though it is not reported from the Prophet ﷺ.

Teaching these to children

Children learn adab best by example. Let them see you make wudu before reading, say the isti'adhah, and put the mushaf away carefully. Make it part of the routine rather than a list of rules. See teaching the Quran at home and teaching your child wudu.

Our teachers include these practices naturally in every lesson, from the first Qaida class onwards.