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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamualaikum,

Is there any significance in doing a khatm al Quran in the 30 days of taraweeh in the month of Ramadan as they do so at the Haram in Makkah every year. Has this practice been advised by the Prophet in any hadeeths or is a sunnah that was practiced by him? Is there any extra reward for a person who is a Hafiz and wishes to do so in the taraweeh prayers?

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Answer:

Recite whole quran in taravih

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Is there any significance in doing a khatm al Quran in the 30 days of taraweeh in the month of Ramadan as they do so at the Haram in Makkah every year.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 73 Surah Muzammil verse 20:

20 The Lord doth know that thou (O Prophet (saws)) standest forth (in prayer) nigh two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and so doth a party of those with thee. But Allah doth appoint Night and Day in due measure. He knoweth that ye are unable to keep count thereof. So He hath turned to you (in mercy): recite ye therefore of the Qur'an as much as may be easy for you. He knoweth that there may be (some) among you in ill-health; others traveling through the land seeking of Allah's bounty; yet others fighting in Allah's Cause. Read ye therefore as much of the Qur'an as may be easy (for you); and establish regular Prayer and give regular Charity; and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan. And whatever good ye send forth for your souls Ye shall find it in Allah's presence yea better and greater in Reward. And seek ye the Grace of Allah: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

There is absolutely no compulsion or obligation upon the believers in Islam to recite the full Quran in the month of Ramadan, or even in a whole year….for Allah Subhanah in His Mercy has guided the believers to recite as much of His Glorious Book as is easy for them; but it is only obvious that the more one recites the Glorious Quran, the more reward one will earn for his efforts from their Lord Most Merciful.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2137 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "If anyone recites a letter from Allah's Book he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward. I do not say that ‘Alif-Lam-Mim’ are one letter, but ‘alif’ is a letter, ‘lam’ is a letter and ‘mim’ is a letter."

Thus Islam has laid no obligation upon the believers the number of times they have to recite the Quran in the month of Ramadan or otherwise; but the Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to recite the whole in a period of less than three days.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1385 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

Yazid ibn Abdullah said that Abdullah ibn Amr asked the Prophet (saws): ‘In how many days should I complete the recitation of the whole Qur'an, O Messenger of Allah (saws)?’ He (saws) replied: ‘In one month.’ He said: ‘I am more energetic to complete it in a period less than this.’ He kept on repeating these words and lessening the period until the Prophet (saws) said: ‘Complete its recitation in (maximum) seven days.’ He again said: ‘I am more energetic to complete it in a period less than this.’ The Prophet (saws) said: ‘He who finishes the recitation of the Qur'an in less than three days does not understand it!’

Your Question (again): Is there any significance in doing a khatm al Quran in the 30 days of taraweeh in the month of Ramadan as they do so at the Haram in Makkah every year.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.520 Narrated by Abu Huraira

Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) used to repeat the recitation of the Qur'an with the Prophet (saws) once a year (in the month of Ramadan), but he (Jibrael a.s.) repeated it twice with him in the year he (the Prophet (saws)) died. The Prophet (saws) used to stay in I'tikaf (seclusion) for ten days every year (in the month of Ramadan), but in the year of his death, he (saws) stayed in I'tikaf for twenty days.’

It was the general practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that he (saws) would rehearse the Glorious Quran at least once in the blessed month of Ramadan with Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.)…..and it would only be prudent for the believers to exert themselves and strive to at least recite (or hear) the whole of the Glorious Quran at least once in the blessed month of Ramadan, although there is absolutely no obligation in Shariah on them to do so.

If one may find it too difficult to recite the full Quran by themselves, the taravih prayers in Ramadan offer a great opportunity for one to hear the whole Quran read by a good recitor in these Sunnah prayers.

Your Question: Has this practice been advised by the Prophet in any hadeeths or is a sunnah that was practiced by him?

Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) reported that "The Prophet (saws) offered (voluntary) night prayers in the mosque one night in Ramadan (tarawih) and many people prayed with him. The next day he (saws) did the same and more people prayed with him. Then the people gathered on the third night but, the Prophet (saws) did not come out to them. In the morning, he (saws) said to them: 'Surely I saw what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you, save that I feared that [that the tarawih prayer] would be made obligatory upon you.' And that was during Ramadan."

Reported Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit that the Prophet (saws) took a room made of date palm leaves mats in the mosque. The Prophet (saws) prayed in it for a few nights till the people gathered (to pray the night prayer (Tarawih) (behind him.) Then on the 4th night the people did not hear his voice and they thought he had slept, so some of them started humming in order that he might come out. The Prophet (saws) then said, "You continued doing what I saw you doing till I was afraid that this (Tarawih prayer) might be enjoined on you, and if it were enjoined on you, you would not continue performing it. Therefore, O people! Perform your prayers at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is what is performed at his home except the compulsory (congregational) prayer.”

In light of the above authentic narrations, the Messenger of Allah (saws) only led the believers in ‘tarawih’ in Ramadan once for a couple of nights. Later, during the times of Hadrat Umar (r.a.), when there was absolutely no fear of the ‘tarawih’ prayers being made obligatory upon the believers, the ‘tarawih’ prayers in congregation were re-started and since that time of the companions of the Prophet (saws), the believers strove to recite (and hear) the whole Glorious Quran at least once in their ‘tarawih’ prayers.

Your Question: Is there any extra reward for a person who is a Hafiz and wishes to do so in the taraweeh prayers? 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.459 Narrated by Aisha

The Prophet (saws) said, "Such a person as recites the Qur'an and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Qur'an by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward."

One who has been blessed by Allah to memorize the whole Quran by heart is guided to anyways rehearse and refresh his memorization of the Quran constantly, for the Messenger of Allah (saws) warned that, if not rehearsed constantly, the memorized Quran is forgotten faster than the camels that are released from their tying ropes!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.552 Narrated by Abu Musa

The Prophet (saws) said, "Keep on reciting the Quran, for, by Him in Whose Hand my life is, the Quran runs away (is forgotten) faster than camels that are released from their tying ropes."

The ‘taravih’ prayers present a great opportunity for one who has been blessed to memorize the Quran to refresh his memorization by reciting them aloud in public; and obviously such a person will earn his due rewards from the Lord. Not only will the person earn the reward that is declared for reciting every letter of the Quran, the person will earn the reward of leading the prayers, reciting the whole Quran in one’s prayers, and also the reward of his recitation reaching the ears of those who hear him, etc. Thus, both will earn their due rewards, it is only natural that one who recites the whole Quran aloud when leading the ‘tarawih’ prayers in congregation will receive a bigger reward than one who recites it alone to himself.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan