Reciting the Qur’an alongside a Recorded Recitation

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: What is the law in reading the al-Quran while listening to the recitation of it, at the same time? I am not a native Arab speaker nor have I learned the language. I can read the al-Quran but I prefer listening to the recitation of Al-Ghamdi, As-Shuraim etc while reading, in order to minimize my mistakes in pronunciation because that is extremely important not to change the meaning. However, in the al-Quran, its said that we should be quiet during any recitation of al-Quran. Please tell me what to do, thank you

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.

It would be permitted to recite the Qur’an alongside a recorded recitation.

A recording differs from a live recital, and thus has specific rulings relating to it. However, you should still try to uphold some of the general proper manners of listening to the Qur’an such as being attentive before reciting yourself, reciting in a lower volume than the recording, and so on.

You should also strive to work on your recitation so that you do not become dependant upon recordings, mushafs, or anything else. The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer.

Consider taking the following class: Certificate in Qur’anic Recitation – Part 1

And Allah alone gives success.

wassalam, Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani