By Ishola Haroon Balogun

Two weeks after the  Rmadan started,  some Muslims do not have any relationship with the Qur’an.   This is the month in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed.  It is very necessary to reflect over the revelation of the chapters of the Qur’an read, digest it, and let it live with us.

Given the state of most Muslims today, any discussion about the maximum recommended amount to read daily, in Ramadan or outside Ramadan, would be purely academic. I doubt any of us will attempt to read the Qur’an 60 times every Ramadan

I won’t regale you with all the narrations about how much the Salaf used to recite the Qur’an during Ramadan, both inside prayer and outside it (for those interested, To do as they did is certainly asking too much since we have not cultivated the habit earlier before now. 

For those who are already in the habit of reading the Qur’an every Ramadan, try and make sure to complete the entire Qur’an, if you have not been doing so in the past. Also, take this as an opportunity to get into the habit of reading the Qur’an daily even when Ramadan is over.

If you have not been reading the Qur’an during Ramadan in the past, then decide how much time you can reasonably take out of your schedule to read Qur’an on a daily basis. Don’t push yourself to do too much, otherwise you’ll end up right back where you started: not reading it at all. Also remember,

“The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.” Therefore, it’s very important that you make a Ramadan schedule that you can stick to.  It is not too late, the last two weeks of Ramadan can still earn you fantastic rewards, you can still make up for the lost two weeks in ibadah. we must devote ourselves to studying the Qur’an outside of prayer as well .

Since the hunger and thirst brought on by fasting softens the heart and makes it more receptive, this is an excellent time to try and read and contemplate the Qur’an. For that reason, I would highly reccomend not merely reading the Qur’an, but studying it. It was the practice of the Prophet (s.a.w) to study the Qur’an nightly with Jibril.

It was this sort of thoughtful study of the Qur’an that had an impact on the quality of the Prophet’s (s.a.w) deeds. He was already the most generous of all human beings, yet study of the Qur’an in this month increased him in generosity. It is good to recite the Qur’an, even if you do not understand it, but the ultimate purpose of its revelation was for us to imbibe its teachings and incorporate them in our lives.  It is important to pick a good translation that suits you. It is also a good idea to have two translations to refer to in case the meaning is not clear in one translation.

Prayer of the day

O Allah, on this day, make me, among those who rely on You, from those who You consider successful, and place me among those who are near to you, by Your favour, O Lord of the world.