Tips to Start a Regular Qur’an Recitation Habit in Ramadan

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Establishing a regular Quran recitation habit during Ramadan is not only a means of fulfilling a religious duty but also a transformative journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.
In this guide, we’ll explore practical tips to help you start and maintain a consistent Qur’an recitation habit throughout the holy month.

Set a Goal

You need to set a finish line for yourself in order to give yourself something to work towards. To set a Qur’an recitation goal, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you plan on reading the entire Qur’an? How many times do you want to read it this month?
• How many pages can you finish on average in one day? How many days would it take to complete your reading?
• Which times of the day are you free to read? What are your alternate times in case something comes up?
• Do you also want to practice Tadabbur? If so, how will you i corporate it into your daily reading?
• In case you finish your reading early, which chapters do you want to focus on during the last ten days?

Once you are done answering these simple questions, you will have a clear view on your daily Qur’an reading goals. The next step is to execute it into your routine, and build it into a habit.

Make a Daily Routine

You can weave your daily reading into your routine in a variety of ways. Some of these methods are:

• 29 Day Schedule

  Read about 4 pages after Fajr, Dhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Isha. By the end of the day, you should have read at least 10 pages in the morning and 11 pages in the evening.
  If you repeat this everyday for a month, you will finish your reading of the entire Qur’an by the end of Ramadan InShaAllah!

• 21 Day Schedule

  If you want to finish your reading before the last ten days, this is the perfect method.
  Read approximately 6 pages after every Fardh Salah. This will bring you to about 14 pages in the morning, and 15 pages in the evening.

• 15 Day Schedule

  This method is for those who want to complete at least 2 cycles of reading the entire Qur’an.
  For this schedule, you will need to read 8 pages after every Fardh Salah, which will bring you to 20 pages per morning and evening.

• 10 Day Schedule

  If you want to complete 3 cycles of reading while also reaping the benefits of completing Khatam during the last ten nights, this schedule is the most beneficial.
  For this method, you need to finish reading 12 pages after every Salah, managing to read at least 30 pages every morning and evening.

• 7 Day Schedule

  This was the reading schedule of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal رحمه الله. He used to follow this routine every week until his death.
  Although challenging, this schedule is for those who want to unlock the most blessings. You will need to read 17 pages after each obligatory Salah and complete at least 43 pages every morning and evening. By the end of the week, you will complete one cycle, and by the end of the month, 4 cycles will be completed InShaAllah.

Be Consistent

Whichever schedule you’ve picked for yourself will only bring you benefit if you manage to be consistent with it.
Remind yourself of the blessings of reading the Qur’an constantly. Push yourself to put in extra reading even if you don’t feel like it. If you feel tired or unfocused, opt for alternate ways of reading such as listening to a Qari and repeating the words, but do not skip your reading no matter what.

Ask Allah for Help

A deed that carries abundant blessings does not come easy, which is why there are so many Du’as in the Qur’an and Sunnah that invoke Allah for ease in religion, ease in performing good deeds, and guidance to do more goodness and remain steadfast.
Ask Al-Hadi (The Guider) to guide you to complete your reading. Ask Al-Mu’min (The Giver of Imaan) to give you the sincerity and faith to read the Qur’an consistently. Ask Al-Fattah (The Opener) to open your heart to the words of the Qur’an. Ask Muqallibal Quloob (The Turner of Hearts) to make your heart attached to the Qur’an at all times.
Ask Allah with His Divine Names, and He will bestow His Mercy on you.

Cut Out Music!

Ibn Qayyim رحمه الله said: “Never do the love of song and the love of Qur’an come together in a person’s heart except that one expels the other.” [Madarij Al-Salikin, volume 1, page 487]
Many people find it hard to devote themselves to the Qur’an by reading it consistently or memorizing it. Most of the time, it’s because the heart is attached to something else which is preventing it from accepting the Qur’an.
Unfortunately, music has become a very common sinful habit in the Muslim community, to an extent where most people don’t even consider it a bad deed. In reality, music warps our psyche and hardens our heart to worship and faith.
So, if you find yourself struggling to read, memorize, and listen to the Qur’an regularly, the problem is most likely a sinful heart. Allah will never allow a diseased heart to hold His Words, so we must increase our Tawbah and Istighfar.