Reciting the Quran without understanding still earns reward, but without knowing its meaning much of the purpose of reading is lost. Not everyone with a busy life can go to a madrasa or spend years studying its meaning and tafsir (commentary). A piece by Prothom Alo's religion desk says that with the right method and focus, the meaning can be learned at home, provided certain steps and cautions are followed.
The first condition is a sincere intention: to change one's own life, not to show off knowledge or win arguments. The Quran itself says: "And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there anyone who will be mindful?" (Surah Al-Qamar, verse 17). The piece also advises praying to Allah before beginning.
The biggest risk in studying alone is a faulty translation. Readers should choose an accessible translation by recognised, widely accepted scholars, start with the plain translation rather than long commentaries, and then use a short tafsir to understand the context of verses. Shah Waliullah Dehlawi wrote in al-Fawz al-Kabir that without knowing the shan-e-nuzul, the circumstances in which a verse was revealed, readers risk understanding many verses only in part.
Certain Arabic words recur across the Quran's thousands of verses, so learning the meanings of the most frequent ones makes a translation much easier to follow. The philologist al-Raghib al-Isfahani, in al-Mufradat, called knowing the precise literal and technical meanings of its words the first step into the Quran.
The greatest danger is building one's own interpretation. When a verse is puzzling, the reader should consult a reliable scholar rather than guess. In a hadith recorded in Sunan al-Tirmidhi (2950), the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a stern warning against interpreting the Quran without knowledge. Reading alone does not mean deciding everything alone.
It is a lifelong practice. Understanding five to ten verses a day is more fruitful than reading many at once; a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari (6465) says the deeds most beloved to Allah are those done regularly, even if small. A fixed time, such as after Fajr or Isha prayers, keeps the habit going, and reliable apps, audio and video lectures help. The piece reminds readers that self-study is for basic knowledge and personal practice; giving final religious rulings belongs to scholars who have studied for many years.
Photo: a copy of the Quran (Tunisia), Habib M'henni / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: Prothom Alo
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