The Etiquette (Adab) of Reading the Quran

The Quran is the word of Allah, so Muslims have always read it with special care and respect. These manners — called the adab (etiquette) of reading the Quran — are not meant to make reading hard. They help you read with a present heart and get the most from every page.

Here are the most important ones, with their sources, in simple words.

Before you start

1. Make a sincere intention

Read the Quran to please Allah, to learn and to act on it — not to show off. Intention turns even a few minutes of reading into worship.

2. Be in a state of purity (wudu)

The majority of scholars, including the four main schools, say you need wudu to touch the Mushaf. They point to the verse "none touch it except the purified" (Al-Waqi‘ah 56:79) and to the letter the Prophet ﷺ sent to ‘Amr ibn Hazm saying that only a pure person should touch the Quran (reported in the Muwatta of Imam Malik).

• Reading from memory without wudu is allowed.
• Reading from a phone or app without wudu is allowed by many scholars, because it is not a printed Mushaf. Ask your local scholar if you are unsure.

3. Choose a clean, calm place

Sit in a clean place, with few distractions. Many scholars recommend facing the qiblah when possible, though it is not required.

When you begin

4. Seek refuge in Allah

Begin with أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ (a‘udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim). Allah says: "When you recite the Quran, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast" (An-Nahl 16:98).

5. Say Bismillah at the start of a surah

Say بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ at the beginning of every surah, except Surah At-Tawbah, which has no Bismillah. In the middle of a surah, saying it is optional.

While you read

6. Read slowly and clearly (tarteel)

Allah says: "and recite the Quran with measured recitation" (Al-Muzzammil 73:4). Reading slowly, with correct pronunciation, matters more than reading a lot. Our guide to tarteel, tadwir and hadr explains the different speeds.

7. Apply tajweed

Read with the rules of tajweed as much as you are able, and keep learning. A learner who struggles is rewarded for the effort — read our guide on clear and hidden mistakes to know what to fix first.

8. Beautify your voice

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Beautify the Quran with your voices" (reported by Abu Dawud and others). You don't need to be a professional reciter — just read with care and feeling.

9. Reflect on the meaning

Allah describes the Quran as "a blessed Book that We sent down to you, so that they may reflect on its verses" (Sad 38:29). Read a translation alongside, or learn the tafsir of what you read. Our guide on how to start reading tafsir can help.

10. Prostrate at the verses of sajdah

When you reach a verse marked with ۩, it is recommended to make a sajdah (prostration). Learn what the other marks mean in our guide to the symbols in the Quran.

11. Respond to what you read

Many scholars recommend making a short du‘a when you read a verse of mercy, seeking refuge when you read a verse of punishment, and glorifying Allah at verses about His greatness — as the Prophet ﷺ did in his night prayer.

Respecting the Mushaf

• Keep it in a clean, high place, not on the floor.
• Don't put other things on top of it.
• Hold it with care, and close it when you finish.
• When a Mushaf becomes old and damaged, it is not thrown away. Ask your mosque how to dispose of it respectfully.

When others are reading

Allah says: "When the Quran is recited, listen to it and be silent, so that you may receive mercy" (Al-A‘raf 7:204). When you hear the Quran, especially in prayer, listen quietly.

Make it a habit

The most important adab is simply to keep coming back to the Quran. Ten minutes every day is better than one long session a month. See our guides to building a 10-minute daily Quran habit and fitting the Quran into a busy schedule. To read with a teacher, see our Quran classes for adults.