How to read the Qur'an?

 

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

My Dear Readers,

ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. (May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you)
  

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

(See Note below)

How to read the Qur'an?

Most people who read the Qur'an, or recite it know that the way we do it is called tilawah(تِلَاوَةٌ), or recitation.  According to any specialist of this field (مُجَوِّدٌ) this would mean:

التَّجْوِيدُ هُوَ إِخْرَاجُ كُلِّ حَرْفٍ مِنْ مَخْرَجِهِ، وَإِعْطَاؤُهُ حَقَّهُ وَمُسْتَحَقَّهُ مِنَ الصِّفَاتِ وَالأَحْكَامِ.

Tajwīd is articulating each letter from its proper point of articulation and giving it its due and what it is entitled to (in terms of its characteristics and rules), without affectation or forcing in pronunciation.
 

This is most certainly true, and there are merits in it. But tilawah(تِلَاوَةٌ)carries the meaning of following closely:

 

 وَالْقَمَرِ اِذَا تَلٰىهَاۖ

 And the moon, as it follows. QS 91:2.

 

 

Hence, for the fuqaha (الفُقَهَاءُ), the jurists; scholars of Islamic law (fiqh), those deeply learned in legal understanding and interpretation as well as for the broader Muslim ummah (الأُمَّةُ) (the community; a collective bound together by faith, purpose, and shared moral responsibility—often referring to the global Muslim community), this means much more, and here we postulate an inspired definition:

 

 بَلْ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ أَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ تِلَاوَةٌ بِاللِّسَانِ، وَتَعَقُّلٌ وَتَدَبُّرٌ بِالْجَنَانِ، وَعَمَلٌ بِالْجَوَارِحِ وَالْأَرْكَانِ

 

Rather, one should know that the Qur’an is recitation with the tongue, understanding and contemplative reflection with the heart, and practice through the limbs and the bodily faculties.

 

May Allah guide us, and help us be on the right path.

وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ

 
  Wa Allahu 'Alam (And Allah is the All-Knowing)

Note:

This post starts with the well known opening lines of at least one of Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ sermon. Al-Nisaa’i (May Allah have mercy on him) reported in his Sunan al-Nisaa’i: Kitaab al-Jumu’ah (Click Here) that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Muhammadﷺ taught us the Khutbah Haajah .