Isa bin Muhammad (Alaihir Rahmah) says that I once saw Abu Bakr bin Mujahid (Alaihir Rahmah) after his death in a dream reading the Holy Quran. I asked, "You have died, how are you reciting," upon which he said, "After every Salah and finishing of the Quran, I would pray "O Allah, give me the Taufiq to recite the Quran in my grave" and that is why I am praying." (Faizan-e-Sunnat)
Ahadith
The Holy Prophet said:
1) The best of you is he who learnt the Holy Quran and taught it to
others. (Bukhari)
2) Undoubtedly, the heart gets rusted like metal gets rusted when water
goes over it. The People asked, "How can they [hearts] be cleaned." The
Prophet replied, "To remember death in abundance and to recite the Holy
Quran." (Mishkat)
3) That chest which does not have any Quran in it is like an abandoned
house. (Tirmizi, Darmi)
4) Whoever read the Quran and memorized it and belived its' Halal to be
Halal and its Haram to be Haram [i.e., accepted it commandments of Halal
and Haraam], Allah will accept the intercession for such 10 people on
from him whom Hell had already become Wajib. (Tirmizi, Ibn-e-Majah)
5) Whoever is an expert in reciting the Holy Quran is with the Kiraman
Katebeen and whoever reads the Quran with pauses and it is difficult for
him, that is, his tounge does not move easily and he recites with
difficutly for him there are two rewards. (Bahar-e-Shariat)
6) The one who has memorized Quran will be told to read and climb and
recite with Tarteel (clear and distinct recitation) like you used to
read with Tarteel in the Dunya; your place will be where you read your
last Ayat. (Bahar-e-Shariat)
7) Allah says, "Whoever was kept busy with the [recitation] of Quran
from my Zikr and asking me, I will give him better than those who I give
to those who ask" and the excellence of the Word of Allah over all the
other words is like the excellence of Allah over all his creation.
8) Learn the Quran and read it because whoever learned the Quran and
read it and did Qayam with it is like a bag filled with Musk whose
fragrance is spread everywhere and whoever learned the Quran and slept
that is he did not do Qiyamul Layl is like a bag which is filled with
Musk and its mouth has been closed. (Tirmizi, Ibn-e-Majah, Nisaee)
9) Read the Quran when you heart feels affection and attachment and when
your heart becomes bored stand up that is stop reciting the Quran. (Saheeh
Bukhari and Muslim)
10) Decorate the Quran with your (good) voices. (Mishkat)
11) O People of the Quran, do not make the Quran a pillow, that is do
not be lazy and be careless, and read the Quran in the day and night
like it is the Haq of Recitation, and spread it, that is, read with good
voices or do not take compensation for it, and whatever is in it,
reflect upon itso that you may attain success, and do not hurry in its
reward because the reward for it is great (which will be given in the
Akhirah). (Bahiqi)
Rewards for certain Surahs and Ayahs
The Holy Prohpet said:
1) Surah Fatiha is a cure from every illness. (Darmi, Bahiqi)
2) Do not make your home a graveyard, the Shaitan runs from the home in
which Surah Baqrah is recited. (Sahih Muslim)
3) Whoever memorized the first ten ayahs of Surah Kahf will be saved the
Dajjal. (Sahih Muslim)
4) Whoever recites Surah Kahf on the day of Jummah, there will be a Nur
brightened for him between two Jummahs.
5) Everything has a heart and the heart of the Quran is Surah Yaseen,
whoever read Yaseen, Allah will write the reward of reading the Quran
ten times from him. (Tirmizi and Darmi)
6) Whoever reads Surah Yaseen for the pleasure of Allah, his past sins
will be forgiven so read this near your deceased. (Bahiqi)
7) (Reading) Qul hu WAllahu Ahad (Surah Ikhlas) is equal to [reading]
one third of the Quran.
8) Whoever read Ayatul Kursi after every Fard Salah, he will be under
the protection and security of Allah. (Dailmi on the Authority of
Sayeduna Ali)
9) (On the Day of Judgement) a caller will say O Recitor of Surah Inaam,
come to Jannat for loving Surah Inaam and its recitation.
10) Surah Tabarak (Surah Mulk) saves one from Hell.
11) Whatever task is not begun with Bismillahi Rahamni Raheen remains
incomplete and unfinished.
Ettiquteets
and Rules of Tilawat:
1) To memorize one Ayah of the Quran is Fard-e-Aeen on every Mukallaf
Muslim; to memorize the entire Holy Quran is Fard-e-Kafyah; to memorize
Surah Fatiha and a small Surah or something similar like three small
Ayahs or one long Ayah is Wajib-e-Aeen. (Durre Mukhtar)
2) To read the Holy Quran while looking at it is better then reading
without looking at it because in this case one touches the Holy Quran,
sees the Holy Quran, and reads the Holy Quran and all this is Ibadat. (Bahar-e-Shariat)
3) To read the Holy Quran in the restroom and such places of impurity is
not allowed (Na-Jaiz)
4) It is Haraam that everybody read the Holy Quran in a gathering loudly
at once, however, it is necessary to read loudly enough so that one can
hear what he/she is reading, that is, if there is no other distraction
like noise. (Bhare-e-Shariat) Also, many children read together at once
in a Madrsa loudly for learning purposes and this is okay.
5) It is better to read the Quran loudly that is if somebody praying,
sleeping, or somebody ill will not be distracted. (Gunyah)
6) If somebody is reciting the Quran incorrectly then it is Wajib to
tell him/her unless if one fears jealousy and hate. (Gunyah)
7) To memorize the Holy Quran and then to forget it is a sin.
8) It is from the ettiqutes of respecting the Holy Quran that one does
not put their back towards the Quran or spread their legs towards the
Quran or sit in a high place when the Quran is beneath. (Bahare Shariat)
9) During recitation reflect on what you are reading. For example, when
reading about punishment, one should repent; when reading about
paradise, one should rejoice and pray for Jannah.
10) The way to do Sajdah of Tilwat is as follows: If one hears or reads
the Ayat of Sajdah then he should stand with the intention of performing
the Sajdah of Tilawat and saying Allahu Akbar should go into Sajdah and
should recite the Tasbeeh of Sajdah atleast three times. Then, saying
Allahu Akbar, one should stand up. To say Allahu Akbar both times is
Sunnah. Similarly, to stand before and after the Sajdah is Mustahab. (Durre
Mukhtar)
Lastly, learn how to read the Quran in the company of a Qualified Sunni Alim [and mature sisters must go to a Qualified Sister] who can teach them how to read as this is necessary. At times, while reciting many brothers and sisters unknowingly make mistakes in recitation which change the meaning which breaks their Salah. Likewise, send your children to Madrsas where they may learn how to recite the Quran with correct pronunciation and Qirat. If there is not a Madrsa in your town, then establish one. Knowledge of Islam leads one to Love Allah and helps to build a good moral character within the Muslim community. By learning the Quran, a Muslim saves his Salah, his Iman, and his Akhirah. Learning the Quran is not limited to just learning how to recite the Holy Book, rather, it is a life long process of learning how to recite it and understand what the Quran says. The noble Ulama have worked hard and written volumes of Tafseer which consists of Ahadith, Stories, and important points. After learning the Quran, we must practice it and spread the word into our family and community.