Over the past few months, we’ve learnt about so many ways of bringing barakah into our lives. From our parents, siblings, commute, daily adhkar and even in the workplace! But there’s one other major source of barakah we still need to explore: The Qur’an!
I’d like you to read the following ayah, but make sure that you also read the Arabic, even it takes a bit of time. Allah 
says:
“And this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed and confirming what was before it, that you may warn the Mother of Cities and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they are maintaining their prayers.” [Qur’an: Chapter 6, Verse 92]
In the short space of time that it took you to read that, you gained ten hasanat per letter; Rasul Allah 
said,
“[Whoever recites a letter] from Allah’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.” [Jami’ at-Tirmidhi]
There were 104 letters in that ayah. So you just got 1040 hasanat, and if you’re someone who struggles to read Arabic, you just got double that, as the Prophet Muhammad said,
“He who finds it hard (to recite the Qur’an) will have a double reward.”[Sahih Muslim]
Do you see the amount of barakah in just one ayah of the Qur’an?
But I want you to be honest with yourself and ask yourself: do you give the Qur’an the time that it is owed, to read and reflect upon it? Or do you find yourself consumed by this life, always busy, always having deadlines, so that you find it hard to make time for the Qur’an? Perhaps what we need is a reminder of what a great fountain of barakah the Qur’an is.
Barakah in the Dunya
The Qur’an in dunya is barakah as it is a miracle in itself. It is a great source of peace and a means to get closer to Allah .The Qur’an provides healing for the soul as Allah said:
“We have not sent down to you the Qur’an that you be distressed” [Qur’an: Chapter 20, Verse 2]
If you have a strong connection and a consistent relationship with the Qur’an, then no matter what befalls you in this dunya, you will not feel distress in your soul as the Qur’an will bring you tranquility. The Qur’an also makes us from amongst the best of people as the Prophet Muhammad said,
“The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” [Sahih Al Bukhari]
So, find a way to incorporate reading and understanding the Qur’an in your daily life, especially in the early hours of the morning.
Barakah in the Akhirah
The Messenger of Allah said,
“Recite the Qur’an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite It. Recite the two bright ones, Surah al-Baqara and Surah Al ‘Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds or two shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Surah al-Baqara, for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it.” [Sahih Muslim]
Do you see how the Qur’an never leaves you, in both this world and the hereafter? Constant recitation and memorization of the Qur’an elevates a person in Jannah. The Qur’an will come to your aid and intercede for you!
Even with all this barakah, it can be difficult to allocate time for the Qur’an so here is some advice on how to keep your relationship with the Qur’an. (Remember to read each ayah fully and make sure you read the Arabic of each ayah by clicking the link!)
1. Recite the Qur’an at Fajr
During the day you have so many errands to run, so many things on your mind, so many tasks to tick off your to-do list, but at Fajr time, there is a feeling of peacefulness and quiet before the rush of the day begins. You’ve made the effort to wake up when everyone else is asleep, to worship your Lord. Adding just five minutes of Qur’an recitation after Fajr salah is nothing short of a fruitful investment. Those mere five minutes will set you up for a positive and productive day ahead as you have nurtured your relationship with Allah . Allah says:
“Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur’an of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.” [Qur’an: Chapter 17, Verse 78]
All the errands you run during the day will benefit you short-term, in the dunya, so we must make sure that we are securing our aakhirah too. The things that take you away from the Qur’an will not help you when you meet Allah . A mere five minutes of Qur’an at fajr time will give you more benefit than you can imagine. Soon, these five minutes become a regular part of your morning, and you will feel incomplete if you miss it one day.
2. Reflect on the surahs you are reciting
How many of us do not go past the last ten surahs when we pray? We’re accustomed to alternating between Surahs Al-Falaq, An-Nas, Al-Ikhlas and Al-Kawthar, without really knowing the depth of the meaning, only taking advantage of their length. Now, to try and remedy this, we need to go back and think, why was salah made obligatory in the first place?
One of the answers to this is that salah is our connection to Allah and to the Qur’an, five times where we leave the dunya to worship Allah and remind ourselves Who is in charge. If you stick with the same surahs in every salah, your salah loses its soul. Instead, it becomes a mindless ritual, like eating or sleeping.
However, when you make salah a conscious act by pushing yourself to read new and longer surahs, your focus increases, and you will begin to feel like you are truly conversing with Allah . Remember, Allah doesn’t need our prayers, but we need Him – being mindful and present in our salah ensures that we reap maximum benefit from it. Allah says,
“Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.” [Qur’an: Chapter 29, Verse 45]
If you are praying five times a day and still feel disconnected from Allah , and continue to feel drawn to immoral deeds, you should definitely look to the quality of your prayer, especially your recitations. To have a meaningful conversation with Allah , try reciting other surahs past the last ten. This will also push you to begin more memorisation. Additionally, go back and reflect on the shorter surahs by reading their tafsir, so you can truly appreciate them and their meaning the next time you recite them in prayer, rather than rushing through them.
3. Always be in the presence of the Qur’an
I want you to ask yourself, how many hours do you spend listening to music, to the radio or watching tv in a week? Now compare that to how long you spend a week listening to Qur’an.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” [Qur’an: Chapter 3, Verse 191]
Alhamdulilah we live in a world where he have so many options to keep the Qur’an around us, that we no longer have an excuse! Play it in the car, in your earphones, whilst you’re cleaning, whilst you are cooking, whilst your are travelling etc. Play different recitations and discover new reciters. Additionally, there are so many free podcasts and YouTube videos available for us to listen to tafsir of the Qur’an. The more you listen to Qur’an, the more you will remember and the more you heart will love it.
4. Never underestimate the timelessness of the Qur’an
The Qur’an, no matter how much you read it, or how many times you have read it, will never run out of wisdom. It is Al Qur’an Al Hakeem. The Qur’an is where you will find solutions to your problems, and where you will find strength to and motivation to strive in the way of Allah , as He says;
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 2]
This Qur’an is a blueprint for life, that guides us to live our lives in the best way. It is not a book that is only for the past and it is not a book that does not relate to us today. Come to the Qur’an with sincere intentions, and you will find peace and contentment. Only through reflecting and pondering on the ayahs of the Qur’an, will you be able to truly embody it into your daily life.
By the way, if you did what I asked at the beginning, and read every ayah that was in the article, that equals 3040 hasanat. If you had any difficulty reading, then you got 6080 hasanat! Look at the amount of barakah you gained in the space of a few minutes! Share this article with your friends and family to help them attain easy rewards, and if you have any other tips for getting barakah from the Qur’an, share them in the comments section below!
