Question
Could you please clarify the ruling in both cases, and whether either of these practices is considered haram?
- Is it permissible for me to recite the Quran on my own while referring to online reciters, but without repeating each ayah after the reciter, as this practice overwhelms me? I would like to recite on my own and check in with a teacher once a week to correct my pronunciation. Due to financial constraints, I can only access free weekly sessions with a teacher.
- What is the ruling on learning Quran pronunciation from a teacher if I am unsure of their Aqidah or if they aren’t upon what the Prophet and his Companions weren’t upon? Is it permissible to learn strictly for the purpose of pronunciation under such a teacher?
Answer
- There is no harm in listening to reciters to improve your recitation of the Qur’an, due to the generality of the Hadith: ‘Take on only as much as you can do of good deeds.’ [Ibn Majah 2043; Sahih]
Hearing the Qur’an’s recitation and using it to improve your recitation is without a doubt a good deed. However, this practice should be done in a limited manner, as a person will make errors in his own recitations by merely listening to other’s recitations. The Prophet said: ‘Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately.’ [Bukhari 6464] - If a Qur’an teacher is merely teaching you the Qur’an’s recitation and does not busy you with affairs which go beyond the topic of recitation of the Qur’an, then he is merely acting upon the Hadith of the Prophet: ‘The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others.’ [Bukhari 5027]
Hence, there is no harm in seeking knowledge of the Qur’an’s recitation from such a Qari.