Question # 589: السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته جزاك الله خير Do you get the same reward/Benefit for read the Quran on your phone or computer as you do as reading from the actual Quran(book/mushaf) and do you get any reward for reading in your own language if not Arabic, Shukran جزاك الله خير

Bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,

Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

Dear questioner,

First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.

Shorter Answer: There is no difference in reward between reading the Qur’an from a phone, tablet, computer, or the physical Mushaf, as long as one is reciting the actual words of the Qur’an attentively and respectfully. The focus in Islam is on the act of reading and reflecting on the meanings of the Qur’an, not the medium used. Secondly, there is a reward for reading the translation if your intention is to understand the message and reflect on Allah’s words. However, the special reward (ten good deeds for every letter) is specifically for reciting the Qur’an in Arabic.

Long Answer: There is no difference between reading the Qur’an from the Mushaf, an electronic Mushaf, pages on the Internet, or the screen of a mobile phone. What counts is reading, moving the lips, and looking at the written words of Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and all of that is achieved when reading from an electronic screen. It says in Al-Mu‘jam Al-Wasit: “Reading the Book means following the words with the eyes and uttering them.” Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Al-Fatawa Al-Kubra: “If he reads the Qur’an for the sake of Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), then he will be rewarded for that in all cases.” 

[Therefore,] the best with regard to reading or reciting the Qur’an is that which will increase a person’s focus of mind. If he has more focus of mind when he recites from memory, then that is best. If he can focus better when reading from the Mushaf or his mobile phone, then that is best. Thus, …if one reads the Qur’an from his/her mobile phone with focus and reflecting on the meaning, the reward will not be less than that for reading from the Mushaf, in Sha Allah. What matters is the focus of mind and benefiting from reading the Qur’an.

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “Whoever reads a letter of the Book of Allah will have one good deed for it, and the good deed is multiplied tenfold. I do not say that ‘Alif-Lam-Mim’ is one letter; rather, Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi; classed as saheeh by Al-Albani in Sahih At-Tirmidhi).

[Also, Aishah (رضي الله عنها) relates that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “Certainly the one who recites the Qur’an beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)]

The reward mentioned in the above hadiths is only for the one who reads the Qur’an as it is in Arabic, not for the one who reads the interpretation of the meanings in any other language.

However, if a person reads a Qur’an translation in order to understand the meanings and benefit from what the ayat are saying, then he will be rewarded for doing this, and his reward is with Allah (سبحانه و تعالى). This is because the Muslim will be rewarded for reading tafsir (explanation and commentary), and a translation is tafsir. However, there is no indication that reading the Qur’an translation will earn the reward mentioned in the hadith. The bounty of Allah is immense.

(Most part of the above reply is based on answers from Islamqa.info)

Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.

Wassalaam