Muslims believe that the Qur’an, the Holy book of Islam, was
revealed to Muhammad over a period of twenty-three years, starting with the initial revelation at Mount Hira. After the Prophet’s death, his successors compiled these divine revelations in a manuscript.
QUESTIONS:
Listening and Reciting Qur’an:
Which Is More Rewarded?
Is There a Difference in Reward between Listening and Reciting Qur’an?
ANSWERS
There are many verses and Prophetic hadiths that command us to recite the Qur’an. Allah Almighty says:
And recite the Qur’an with measured recitation. (Al-Muzzammil 74:4)
Abu Umama said that he heard Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) saying: “Recite the Qur’an, for on the Day of
Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite It.” (Muslim)
Also, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to listen to the Qur’an from his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, “Recite the Qur’an to me.” `Abdullah said, “Shall I recite (the Qur’an) to you while it has been revealed upon you?” He said, “I like to hear it from others.” (Al-Bukhari)
Question
Which is better — reading Quran or listening to it on tapes? Praise be to Allah.
Answer:
Reading Quran and listening to it are both righteous deeds for which the Muslim will be rewarded.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sometimes liked to listen to Quran from other people.
Al-Bukhaari (4582 and 5049) and Muslim (800) narrated from ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah upon him) said to me: “Recite the Quran to me.” I said: O Messenger of Allah, should I recite to you when it was revealed to you? He said: “I like to hear it from someone else.” So I recited al-Nisa’, and when I reached the verse, “How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad ) as a witness against these people?” [al-Nisa’ 4:41], I raised my head, or a man who was beside me nudged me and I raised my head, and I saw his tears flowing..
So what is best is to do that which is in his best interests and will have the best effect on him, whether it is reading or listening, because the purpose of reading is to ponder and understand the meanings and act upon what is indicated by the Book of Allah, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“(This is) a Book (the Quran) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember” [Saad 38:29] “Verily, this Quran guides to that which is most just and right” [al-Isra’ 17:9] “Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing” [Fussilat 41:44].
End quote from Fatawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baz, 11/364 And Allah knows best.
Source: islamqa.info/en/answers/
Does reading the Quran directly from the Mus’haf have the same reward (ajr) as listening to an audio recording of Quran recitation?
Answered as per Shafi’i Fiqh by Darul Iftaa Jordan
Answer:
All praise be to Allah, and may His peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. Reading the Glorious Quran and listening to its recitation with reflection are both considered among the best acts of worship. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Alla 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.” {At-Tirmidhi}. Also, ‘Abdullah bin Masoud narrated : “The Prophet (PBUH) said to me: (Recite to me). So I said:
O Messenger of Allah, I recite to you, and it (the Quran) was sent down to you?! He said: (Yes). So I recited Surah al-Nisaa until I came to this ayah: (How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people.) Whereupon he (the Prophet) said: (That’s enough for now). Then I turned to him, and there were tears in his eyes.” (Related by Bukhari) In differentiating acts of worship, there is no recourse but to depend upon evidence, for if no evidence is found which prefers one act of worship to another, then we must be silent about the matter, and direct every worshiper of Allah to what Allah opens to him by it, for whoever finds his enthusiasm in recitation occupies himself with it most, and whoever finds his enthusiasm in listening and paying attention to what he hears occupies himself with that most .If we believed that reading (quira’a) was preferable; recitation (tilawah) includes listening to reading itself, and includes more than that, and that is reading while moving the tongue in pronouncing the words of Allah, and looking at the mus’haf , and for these reasons reading is preferable. Whatever the case may be, the Muslim should vary his efforts between reading and listening while paying attention, and abide by what his heart believes to be closer to humble submissiveness ,reflection and understanding of the verses of the Quran. And Allah knows best.
Source: islamqa.org/shafii/
