FAQs & Fatwas • Islamic Studies

Reading Only Translations of the Qur’an..

by Suhaib Webb
March 7, 2007
6 min read

Question:

I have a question regarding the Qur’an. I don’t know Arabic and I heard from Imam Suhaib Webb that barakah (spiritual grace) is in understanding what is in the Qur’an. I want to ask you the following:

1. Should I concern myself with reading a translation of the Qur’an with tafseer (explanation or commentary) and not care about reading and pronouncing it correctly in Arabic?

2. Or should I focus on learning to recite the Qur’an with proper pronunciation (tajweed) and memorizing surahs of the Qur’an? Keep in mind that I don’t know the Arabic language and I think I am a little sloppy when it comes to reading Arabic. So which of the above would be more virtuous or better for me to do?

3. Also, is it fard (obligatory) for a Muslim to read the Qur’an at least once in his or her life and to know how to read Arabic? My parents are from Hyderabad and my mother and grandmother say you will be raised up blind on the Day of Judgment if you don’t know how to read the Qur’an.

Jazakum Allahu khayran.

Answer:

Wa`alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

It is true that the Qur’an is a message of guidance for humanity. Therefore, in order to benefit from this, we ought to try our best to understand it and act accordingly. Because the Qur’an is Allah’s own words, reading the Qur’an by itself constitutes a deeply rewarding spiritual experience. Therefore, no Muslim should be slack in learning to read the Qur’an properly.

In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states the following:

There is no contradiction between reciting the Qur’an and seeking to understand its meaning. Muslims who do not understand Arabic should still try to read the Qur’an in Arabic as best as they can, for after all, no matter how excellent a translation might be, it can never replace the original; every genuine translator of the Qur’an will attest to this fact.

It is true that the Qur’an is a message of guidance for humanity, and therefore, in order to benefit from this, we ought to try our best to understand it and act accordingly. This is why Allah repeatedly enjoins on us to read and reflect on the message: [Will they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein many contradictions] (An-Nisaa’ 4:82) and [Will they not meditate on the Qur’an, or are there locks on their hearts?] (Muhammad 47:24).

[(This is) a Book that We have sent down to you, full of blessing, that they may reflect upon its signs, and that men of understanding may remember] (Saad 38:29).

Reading translations of the Qur’an in order to understand the message, however, should not be done at the expense of reciting it in Arabic. Because the Qur’an is Allah’s own words, reading it by yourself constitutes a deeply rewarding spiritual experience.

The Qur’an is not meant simply to be comprehended intellectually. Mind you, we can never claim to comprehend its meanings in entirety, no matter how learned we are. Rather, we ought to respond to it spiritually as well. Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that when the Qur’an is being recited, angels descend and divine mercy flows.

This is also the reason why both the Qur’an and the Prophetic hadiths are replete with exhortations about reciting the Qur’an; this is apart from the many verses and hadiths enjoining us to reflect on its message. Allah says, [Those who recite the Book of Allah, and establish the prayer, and spend of that which We have bestowed on them secretly and openly, they look forward to imperishable gain, that He will pay them their wages and increase them of His grace. Lo! He is Forgiving, Responsive] (Fatir 35:29-30).

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Those who recite the Qur’an beautifully are like the noble scribes (angels); but as for those who are struggling to read it with hardship will merit double rewards” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Therefore, no Muslim should be slack in learning to read the Qur’an properly. It may be hard to begin with, but with enough willpower and trust in Allah, the task will be easy. Allah helps those who help themselves. Until you are able to read the Qur’an properly, you should at least condition yourself to listening to a recording of the Qur’an.

Try to find a copy of an excellent recording by a reputed reciter, such as Shaikh Abdul Basit Abdul Samad (may Allah have mercy on him) and start listening to it every day at least for a few minutes while you try your best to understand the message through a good translation, such as that of the late Muhammad Asad (may Allah have mercy on him).

I am sure that once you are exposed to a beautiful recitation of the Qur’an, you will never be bored. You will feel as if you were directly communing with Allah; it is an experience that you can never describe in words.

We must never forget that humans are not merely bodies or minds; rather, they are above all spirits dwelling in the bodies. Language of the spirit is not the same as the language of the intellect. That is why Muslims all over the world are moved by beautiful recitations of the Qur’an in spite of the fact that the vast majority of them do not understand a word of what they are hearing.

Regarding what your mother and grandmother said, I do not know of any evidence in the sources endorsing such a statement. Perhaps they are basing themselves on the following verse: [But whosoever turns away from My remembrance, assuredly he will have a life of narrowness, and on the Resurrection Day We shall raise him up blind] (Taha 20:124).

May Allah illuminate our hearts with the Qur’an, and may He bless us to recite it during the day and night, and may it serve as our guide to Paradise in the next world. Ameen.

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About the author

Suhaib Webb

Suhaib Webb is a contemporary American-Muslim educator, activist, and lecturer. His work bridges classical and contemporary Islamic thought, addressing issues of cultural, social and political relevance to Muslims in the West. After converting to Islam in 1992, Webb left his career in the music industry to pursue his passion in education. He earned a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and received intensive private training in the Islamic Sciences under a renowned Muslim Scholar of Senegalese descent. Webb was hired as the Imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, where he gave khutbas (sermons), taught religious classes, and provided counselling to families and young people; he also served as an Imam and resident scholar in communities across the U.S.

From 2004-2010, Suhaib Webb studied at the world’s preeminent Islamic institution of learning, Al-Azhar University, in the College of Shari`ah. During this time, after several years of studying the Arabic Language and the Islamic legal tradition, he also served as the head of the English Translation Department at Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah.

Outside of his studies at Al-Azhar, Suhaib Webb completed the memorization of the Quran in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. He has been granted numerous traditional teaching licenses (ijazat), adhering to centuries-old Islamic scholarly practice of ensuring the highest standards of scholarship. Webb was named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in 2010.

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  • I know a lot of Indo/pak Muslims(not scholars) like to say “Oh i learned to read the Quran, but i never enjoyed it, we shouldnt subject little kids to that and let them read it in english for a while and then mebbe bla bla blu blu”
    True, i too had days as a child, when I just didnt feel like going and reading Quran in arabic n to perfect the art, when i got nothing except i could hear some phrases again n again like “Janatun tajri min tahti hal anhaar etc..” and heard Mosa or Isa and think oh its talking bout one of the prophets but now when I am past my teens , in my late 20s I love to read the quran with its translation and thank Allah n my parents for making me do go through a rather tough but alhumdulilah fruitful experince later in life. Today biiznillah, i can learn a surah of 10 ayat in a week or less (and i am not even a student of knowledge by any stretch of imagination) if i sit down and my fluency to read is way better

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  • The very same brother who once tried to tell me that reading the Qur’an in Arabic without understanding it was a waste of time. He eventually changed his mind, without me having to argue with him, SubhanAllah. He was able to come to the conclusion of the pure sanctity of the word of Allah on his own.
    Scholars of the Qur’an have a depth of knowledge about the language, the multiple, layered meanings, the cross-references, the context of circumstances at the time of revelation, and the metaphorical beauty hidden within certain words ,Allah’s choice of words, etc. etc. that is truly mind-blowing.The Quran is Allah speaking to us, it is a language unto itself that strikes the reader so deeply, yet its meaning can sometimes not be easily shared with another person, because sometimes the miracles of revelation can be so personal.
    For example, how do I explain to someone that the metaphor Allah uses for those who are ignorant, (in the beginning of Surah Baqarah, is like those who are in darkness and move when they see a flash of lightning) escaped me when I first read it. The next time I read it, its meaning became crystal clear, that the ignorant live in spiritual darkness and stillness, and get only occasional flashes of Allah’s truth, which illuminate everything, and then they return to their spiritual stagnation. I don’t even know what I thought that metaphor meant when I first read it, I thought it was merely about people being scared in the dark, but now I understand it at a much fuller level: spiritual awareness, once we receive this from Allah, illuminates the entire universe around us, in all the facets that the Qur’an and Sunnah teach us. Those who reject this live in nearly complete unawareness of this spiritual dimension, but Allah tells us that they will know enough to recognize what Allah has in store for them on the day of Judgment. When I think of how Allah has given me that understanding, I am so grateful for it, and yet someone else could read the same passage, understand it immediately, and say, “I don’t think that description is so impressive, and I also don’t believe it’s true.” The difference lies in our capacity for spiritual appreciation. Could I accept that an internationally renowned scientist could, spiritually, fall into the same category as a blatantly bigoted boor, one a man of learning, the other an obvious flawed fool? Yes, if their rejection of divine guidance is identical, they can.

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