How to benefit from reading the Qur’an during Ramadan: Sheikh Muhammad Bazmool

The following question was posed to sheikh Muhammad ibn ‘Umar Bazmool:

سؤال : كيف استفيد من قراءتي للقرآن العظيم في رمضان ؟ ـ

Question: How can we benefit from our reading of the Qur’an during Ramadan?

الجواب : تستفيد إن شاء الله من قراءتك للقرآن الكريم إذا أخلصت النية، وحرصت أن تقرأ القرآن كما كان الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم يقرؤه. ـ

Response: You can benefit – in shaa Allaah – from your reading of the Qur’an if you purify your intention and strive to recite the Qur’an as the Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite it.

ويفتح الله من معانيه وتدبره عليك بالأمور التالية: ـ

And Allah will reveal its meanings and facilitate pondering over it for you through the following means:

أولاً : أن تخلي قلبك من أدران الشرك والمعاصي، فإن القرآن لا يمسه إلا المطهرون، حساً ومعنى، فلا ينال معانيه قلب فيه درن الشرك أو المعصية. وكما لا تدخل الملائكة بيتا فيه كلب أو صورة، كذا لا تدخل معاني القرآن قلبا فيه كلب الهوى وصورة الشهوة. ـ

First: That you empty your heart of the filth of al-shirk and disobedience, for the Qur’an is only to be touched by the pure ones. And this meaning applies both literally and figuratively, for the heart which contains the filth of al-shirk and disobedience will not grasp the meanings of the Qur’an. And just as the angels do not enter a house which contains a dog or an image [of a living thing], similarly the meanings of the Qur’an do not enter a heart which contains the dogs of desires or images of one’s lusts.

ثانياً : أن تهتم بمعرفة معانية، ولو بكتاب تفسير مختصر، مثل تفسير البغوي وابن كثير، أو ككتاب تيسير الكريم الرحمن لابن سعدي من المتأخرين. فإن الوقوف على المعاني طريق حصول التدبر الصحيح. ـ

Second: That you be concerned with knowing the meanings of what you are reading, even if that be by meanings of a short work of tafsir such as Tafsir al-Baghawi or Tafsir ibn Kathir, or such as the book Taysir al-Kareem al-Rahman of ibn Sa’di written in recent times. Indeed, searching into the meanings of the Qur’an is a path which leads to sound reflection and contemplation.

ثالثاً : أن تقرأ القرآن و لا يكون همك آخر السورة، وإذا جاء نداء بيا أيها الذين آمنوا تقف عنده وتنظر بقلبك وعقلك فيه فإنه خير يأمرك به أو شر ينهاك عنه. ـ

Third: That you recite the Qur’an without making the end of the surah be your main concern. And when you come across the call of “O you who believe”, then pause and look into what it is saying with your heart and with your mind, for it is either some form of good which you have been commanded to do or some form of evil which you have been prohibited from.

وبعض العلماء كان إذا قرا يضع معه كراسة صغيرة، يقيد فيها ما يفتح الله عليه من المعاني عند قراءة القرآن العظيم، أو يسجل فيها ما يأتي على ذهنه من اسئلة يبحث لها عن إجابات في كتب التفسير بعد القراءة ، وهذا مفيد جداً. ـ

And some of the scholars used to keep a small notepad with them when they would recite. They would use it to jot down what Allah facilitated for them to understand of its meanings while they were reciting the Qur’an, or note whatever came to their minds of questions for which to later seek out an answer in the books of tafsir after having finished their reading, and this is a very beneficial practice.

وليكثر المسلم من سؤال الله أن يعلمه القرآن ويفهمه إياه، ويرزقه العمل بما علم، فإن من عمل بما علم أورثه ذلك بفضل الله علم ما لم يعلم، والله الموفق. ـ

So let the Muslim be frequent in asking Allah to teach him the Qur’an, to grant him understanding of it, and to endow him with actions in accordance with what he learned. For whoever acts according to what he has learned, then as a result of that – by the grace of Allah – he with be granted knowledge of what which he previously did not know. And Allah is the granter of success.

[Arabic taken from a post on Sheikh Muhammad Bazmool’s Facebook page on June 9th, 2016 (corresponding to the 4th of Ramadan, 1437).]

For those desiring to act on this advice, and especially point number two, we hope that this website’s collection of excerpts from the books of tafsir can be of help. To search for explanations by chapter, please visit our Tafsir by Surah page.

See also: The Reading Schedule of the Salaf in Ramadan

See also: Which is more virtuous: reading a small amount of the Qur’an with tarteel and contemplation, or a large amount quickly? – Ibn al-Qayyim

See also: “The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it”: ibn Kathir

See also: Generosity and Studying the Qur’an during Ramadan – Ibn Hajr

See also: How to Contemplate the Qur’an: Sheikh Muhammad Bazmool

See also: Studying the Qur’an and the Softening of Hearts: ibn Kathir

See also: Recite the Book with its true recitation

See also: “And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways”: Tafsir al-Sa’di

See also: The Virtue of Memorizing the Qur’an: Sheikh Muqbil