The 365 · Sunnah · Day 50 · Quran
Reciting the Quran Slowly with Tartīl, Pausing at Each Verse
The hadith
كَانَتْ قِرَاءَتُهُ مَدًّا، يَمُدُّ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، وَيَمُدُّ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَيَمُدُّ الرَّحِيمِ
Anas ibn Mālik ra. was asked about the recitation of the Prophet ﷺ. He said: 'His recitation was elongated. He would prolong Bismillāh, and prolong ar-Raḥmān, and prolong ar-Raḥīm.' (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5046.) Cross-ref the broader Quranic command Q 73:4: 'wa-rattil al-Qurʾāna tartīlā' (and recite the Quran with measured recitation). Practiced every recitation.
Svenska: Anas ibn Malik ra. tillfrågades om Profetens ﷺ recitation. Han sade: 'Hans recitation var utdragen. Han förlängde Bismillah, förlängde ar-Rahman, förlängde ar-Rahim.'
The story
The Companions modeled the same pattern. ʿUmar would weep during recitation. ʿUthmān is reported to have completed the Quran in a single rakʿah of tahajjud, but slowly. The classical scholars rejected the modern fashion of speed-recitation (hadhrama). Imam an-Nawawī wrote: 'The slow recitation, with reflection, is more beloved to the scholars than the fast recitation that completes more pages.' The principle is structural: the goal of recitation is not pages-per-minute; it is connection-per-verse.
Why it's here
The Prophet's ﷺ recitation pattern was defined by tartīl: slow, measured, with full madd (vowel elongations), pausing at the end of each verse. Umm Salamah ra. described his recitation: 'He would recite it ayah by ayah.' (Sunan Abū Dāwūd 1466, Tirmidhī 2927, classed ṣaḥīḥ.) Hudhayfah ra. prayed behind him one night and said: 'He recited slowly. When he came to a verse mentioning Allah's mercy, he would ask for mercy. When he came to a verse mentioning punishment, he would seek refuge. When he came to a verse declaring Allah's transcendence, he would glorify Him.' (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 772.) The pattern is therefore not just slow recitation; it is engaged, responsive, prayer-like recitation.
Try it today
1. Slow your recitation to the Prophetic standard: full madd, pause at each verse, engage the meaning. 2. When you encounter a verse of mercy, make duʿāʾ for mercy. When you encounter a verse of punishment, seek refuge. The Prophet's ﷺ practice (Muslim 772) is the model. 3. Recite less per day, but at greater depth. 30 minutes of tartīl beats an hour of speed. 4. Use a translation or tafsir alongside, especially for surahs you have not pondered before.
In your day
Modern Muslim practice often inverts the Sunnah: speed-recitation through pages without engagement, especially during Ramaḍān khatm-races. The Prophet ﷺ's standard was tartīl. The Companions slowed down. The classical scholars wrote against speed. The believer's recovery of tartīl is the recovery of the Quran's intended mode of engagement.
A reflection to carry
The Prophet's ﷺ recitation pattern: slow, pausing, letter-by-letter. ʿĀʾishah ra.: 'The Prophet ﷺ would recite a surah slowly until it would become longer than [a longer surah recited quickly].' (Muslim 733.) The Quranic command (Q 73:4): 'Recite the Quran with measured tartil.'
Read the longer reflection
The Prophet's ﷺ recitation was not rushed-completion-counting; it was slow, deliberate, with pauses at meaning-units, with reflection. This is the structural Sunnah of recitation-quality over recitation-speed. Cure: slow down; pause at end of verses; reflect on meaning before continuing; recite as if in conversation with Allah, not in a hurry to finish. The Prophet ﷺ would sometimes repeat a single verse all night in tahajjud (Q 5:118 was so repeated). Modern speed-reciters miss the structural Sunnah of recitation; quality > quantity.
Sources: Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
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