Learning the Qur’an is the Duty of Every Muslim Woman
In the noble words of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), many virtues and effects have been mentioned regarding the recitation of the Glorious Qur’an that contribute to the growth and development of the human soul and spirit. These very virtues and effects have made the recitation of the Qur’an immensely important. Let us now mention some of these virtues:
It is narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: «وَمَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ فِى بَيتٍ مِنْ بُيوتِ اللَّهِ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَيَتَدَارَسُونَهُ بَينَهُمْ إِلَّا نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السِّكِّينَه وَغَشِيتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَه وَحَفْتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَه وذكرهم الله فيمن عِنْدَه» Translation: “Whenever a group of people gathers in one of the houses of Allah to recite the Book of Allah and study it together, tranquility descends upon them, mercy envelops them, angels surround them, and Allah mentions them among those who are with Him.”
It is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: «مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَه، وَالحَسَنَه بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا، لا أَقُولُ الْم حَرْفٌ، وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ» Translation: “Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a reward, and the reward will be multiplied tenfold. I do not say that ‘Alif Lam Mim’ is one letter, but rather, ‘Alif’ is a letter, ‘Lam’ is a letter, and ‘Mim’ is a letter.”
Whoever sincerely recites the Glorious Qur’an is rewarded, but this reward is multiplied even more when it is recited with presence of heart, reflection, and understanding. A single letter is rewarded ten times, and up to seven hundred times or more. This is one of the generous gifts of Allah, that reciting even one letter earns immense reward. The Glorious Qur’an is the speech of Allah, and its superiority over all other speech is like the superiority of Allah over His creation. The recitation of it is the greatest speech that the tongue can utter.
Also, in another narration from Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (PBUH) said: «أيحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ أَنْ يجِدَ فِيهِ ثَلَاثَ خَلِفَاتٍ عِظَامٍ سِمَانٍ؟» They said: Yes. He said: «فَثَلاثُ آيَاتٍ يَقْرَأُ بِهِنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ ثَلَاثِ خَلِفَاتٍ عِظَامٍ سِمَانٍ» Translation: “Would one of you like, upon returning to his family, to find three pregnant, fat camels? They said: Yes. The Prophet said: Three verses that one of you recites in his prayer are better for him than three pregnant, fat camels.”
Indeed, the Prophet (PBUH), through these noble sayings, drew the attention of the Muslim Ummah to the virtue and importance of reciting this soul-enriching Book. The more one is able to recite, the more reward one receives—especially when the recitation is accompanied by reflection and understanding of its meanings. Allah the Exalted has outlined the path to happiness and success through the revelation of the Glorious Qur’an, and the purpose of its revelation is for the servants of Allah to reflect upon its verses and allow it to be a light that guides their lives.
Allah revealed this noble Book so that Muslims would measure their lives—whether at home, in the marketplace, in universities, or at work—against its teachings, making daily recitation of the Qur’an a pattern for life and reflecting deeply upon its verses.
Have we ever thought about why so much emphasis has been placed on daily and consistent recitation of the Qur’an? Perhaps the wisdom behind this is that the Qur’an is the blueprint for a prosperous life for every Muslim. Thus, it is fitting that Muslims turn to the Qur’an every day, learning life lessons from it and acting upon them. Anyone who wants to implement the Qur’an must interact with it daily and become attached to it. It is appropriate for Muslims to recite the Qur’an day and night, in travel and at home, and reflect upon its verses.
In these difficult times, where dangers and challenges surround us on all levels—family, social, political, and economic—we hope to awaken from our deep sleep and return to the Book of Allah, reciting it and reflecting upon its verses as our constitution and life program. Every Muslim man and woman must dedicate time from their day or night for the recitation of the Glorious Qur’an, for a believer’s success lies in making the Qur’an the foundation of their life and setting aside time to recite it consistently. One of the most valuable acts of worship is the recitation of the Qur’an. It is so important that Allah the Exalted says: «فَاقْرَؤُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ» Translation: “Recite as much of the Qur’an as is easy for you.”
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘As narrates that the Prophet (PBUH) said: «مَنْ قَامَ بِعَشْرِ آيَاتٍ لَمْ يُكْتَبْ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ وَمَنْ قَامَ بِمِائَةِ آيَةٍ كُتِبَ مِنَ الْقَانِتِينَ وَمَنْ قَامَ بِأَلْفِ آيَةٍ كُتِبَ مِنَ الْمُقَنْطَرِينَ» Translation: “Whoever recites ten verses of the Qur’an will not be recorded among the heedless. Whoever recites one hundred verses will be recorded among the devout, and whoever recites one thousand verses will be written among the muqantareen (those who receive a great reward).”
Many narrations emphasize the recitation of the Glorious Qur’an. While some acts of worship may be waived during illness, travel, or jihad, Allah emphasizes the importance of continuing to recite the Qur’an even in those situations. Just as a person prepares a daily schedule for their tasks and reviews it each morning, a Muslim who seeks to act upon the Qur’an must review and recite it daily to find success in this world and the Hereafter through its guidance.
The companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet (PBUH) would set specific portions of the Qur’an for daily recitation and adhered to them faithfully. Imam Nawawi (MABH) stated that the pious predecessors would complete the Qur’an on different schedules: some People every two months, others monthly, some in ten nights, others in eight, and many weekly—and this last method was the most common.
What is certain is that a person reciting the Qur’an should do so slowly and reflectively, respecting the rights of each verse. The recitation must be with reverence and contemplation. As soon as one begins reciting the Qur’an, one should recall the greatness of its speaker—Allah—and feel as though one is delivering His message. One should feel addressed by Allah Himself through the Qur’an. Recite with tranquility, contemplation, patience, and attentiveness.
Muslims should recite as much of the Qur’an as they can, as long as they observe the correct rules of recitation and avoid things that hinder understanding. Hastily reciting without regard for the rights of the verses is not correct. Just as hadiths emphasize the importance of reciting the Qur’an, they also stress the importance of reciting it beautifully. The recitation of the Prophet (PBUH), his noble companions (Sahaba), the leading jurists, righteous scholars, and great spiritual figures shows how deeply they loved the Qur’an and adhered to its etiquette and recited it with sweetness and joy. If one recites the Glorious Qur’an sincerely for Allah and with reflection and action, its inherent spiritual power will naturally increase, and the person will fall in love with it.
Historical records and biographies contain many stories about the love and devotion great scholars and saints had for the Qur’an. These accounts show how deeply they were absorbed in the recitation of the Qur’an and how much joy and sweetness they experienced from it. Love for the Qur’an was at the core of their being.
In any case, what is strongly emphasized is that every Muslim, according to their ability, should engage in reciting the divine, soul-nurturing Word. As the Glorious Qur’an is spiritual sustenance for the believer, this nourishment must be continuous. Every day and night, one must allot time for feeding the soul. Just as Allah has made five daily prayers obligatory, which cannot be omitted under any condition, a believer must also be so committed to their Qur’an recitation schedule that they never abandon it.
All segments of society—men and women, young and old—must learn the Qur’an and make time for it. No matter their status or occupation, they should prioritize learning the Qur’an so that they can be among the best of people. As the Prophet (PBUH) said: «خیرکم من تعلم القرآن و علمه» Translation: “The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.”
A father who has learned the Qur’an and teaches it to his child, a teacher who teaches it to their student, a mother who teaches her young children—the merit applies to all of them.
In another hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) said: «إِنَّ الَّذِي لَيْسَ فِي جَوْفِهِ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ كَالْبَيتِ الْخَرِبِ» Translation: “Indeed, the one who has nothing of the Qur’an in his heart is like a ruined house.”
A ruined house is devoid of life, and a heart devoid of the Qur’an is empty of goodness, blessing, and light. So, let us transform the home of our hearts into a garden by learning and reciting the Glorious Qur’an. Memorizing the Qur’an is among the greatest acts of worship, and those who memorize it are the special friends of Allah. The Prophet (PBUH) said: «أهل القرآن أهل الله وخاصته» Translation: “The people of the Qur’an are the people of Allah and His special ones.”
In another hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) said: «مَنْ قَرَأَ القرآنَ وَتَعَلَّمَهُ وَعَمِلَ بِهِ، أُلْبِسَ وَالِدَاهُ يَوْمَ القِيامَةِ تَاجًا مِنْ نُورٍ ضَوْؤُهُ مِثْلُ ضَوْءِ الشَّمْسِ، وَيُكْسَى وَالِدَاهُ حُلَّتَيْنِ لا يُقَوَّمُ لَهُمَا الدُّنْيَا، فَيَقُولَانِ: بِمَ كُسِينَا هَذَا؟ فَيُقَالُ: بِأَخْذِ وَلَدِكُمَا الْقُرْآنَ» “Whoever recites the Qur’an, learns it, and acts upon it—his parents will be adorned with a crown of light on the Day of Judgment, its radiance like the sun, and they will be clothed in garments that the world could never match in value. They will ask: Why have we been adorned like this? It will be said: Because your child took hold of the Qur’an.”
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “On the Day of Judgment, the Qur’an will say: ‘O Lord, bestow Your blessings upon this person who memorized me.’ Allah will accept and place a crown of honor on his head. The Qur’an will say: ‘O Lord, increase!’ Allah will accept again. Then the Qur’an will say: ‘O Lord, be pleased with him!’ And Allah will be pleased. Then it will be said to the person: Begin your recitation—and with each verse, a reward will be added to your record.”
These and many other narrations clearly establish the virtue and importance of memorizing the Qur’an. Memorization creates a natural bond with the divine words, connects the mind to its meanings, inspires reflection, makes it easier to cite verses in different Islamic sciences, and adorns speech with heavenly words. It enlightens the soul, polishes the spirit, opens the way for purification, unveils new horizons for spiritual journeying, and opens the soul to the limitless divine sky—granting the person strength to transcend the daily barriers of worldly life. The Qur’an is the greatest gift of Allah to humanity, and memorizing it is a great divine success granted only to those whom Allah blesses with sincerity and worthiness.
Those who, after memorizing it, live by its teachings are undoubtedly blessed. Unfortunately, nowadays, many people—especially women—are overly caught up in worldly glitz and material competition. They chase after the latest household gadgets and clothing styles, and sometimes compete so intensely to acquire them that they spare no effort. Yet, we do not see such competition when it comes to religion and spirituality. Why don’t they compete to learn the Qur’an? Why are some women, despite old age, unable to even memorize ten surahs?
It is strange that some people claim they forget easily or are too old to learn the Qur’an—yet they manage to learn new skills like sewing, embroidery, using mobile phones, and other technologies. This shows the issue is not inability but misplaced priorities. Allah revealed the Qur’an to be learned and practiced, and if we neglect it, it will bear witness against us on the Day of Judgment.
The Prophet (PBUH) warned that some women, due to their negligence in religion, are in danger. We will all leave this world one day, and only righteous deeds and religious knowledge will benefit us in the Hereafter. Would it not be better to enter our grave with the Qur’an? The hadiths tell us that the Qur’an and its surahs will intercede on behalf of those who acted upon them. This is a reminder that we must view the Qur’an as a guide for life—not just for its worldly blessings, but for salvation and success in the Hereafter.
