It is usually a given for people who don’t speak Arabic to struggle when reading the Qur’an. Those who stammer or stutter through the verses also understand how upsetting it can be at times to not be fluent in recitation despite their constant efforts.
However, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala tells us not to be upset or feel defeated just because we have trouble reciting the Qur’an with ease. In fact, according to Hadith, the Almighty One blesses those with double rewards who put extra effort into learning the words of Allah!
Narrated by Aisha RA, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said,
“Such a person as recites the Qur’an and masters it by heart, will be with the (angels) honorable and obedient (in heaven). And such a person as exerts himself to learn the Qur’an by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward.” – [Sahih Bukhari: 4937]
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also said,
“Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.” – [Tirmidhi: 2910]
These Hadiths prove that there’s absolutely nothing wrong in struggling to read the Holy Qur’an, and our unintentional stammering doesn’t lessen our rewards in any way whatsoever. While we should strive to be better at it since reciting the Qur’an is an important part of Islam, we should still remember that the main purpose behind it is to learn what messages the Holy Book conveys to us.
Understanding the Qur’an while reading should be our primary focus even as we put in efforts to perfect our Tajweed and be better Muslims in general.
May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala bless us with His indestructible guidance in this life and pave our path to Jannah. Ameen.
