What is the reward for reciting the Quran?

The narration at the heart of it

The clearest statement of reward is the hadith of Aisha رضي الله عنها:

"The one who recites the Qur'an and is fluent in it will be with the noble, righteous scribes [the angels], and the one who recites it while it is difficult for him will have two rewards."— Sahih al-Bukhari 4937 and Sahih Muslim, from Aisha

Al-Albani graded its chain sahih according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim), and both collections recorded it; al-Tirmidhi called it hasan sahih. That grading matters: this is not a weak report to be taken lightly or a strong one to be over-read. It is firmly established, so the two rewards it promises are something a Muslim can rely on.

What the two rewards mean

The scholars of hadith commentary explain the two rewards as one for the recitation itself and one for the difficulty — the effort of forcing reluctant words off the tongue. Al-Subki, in al-Manhal al-'Adhb, notes the wording in al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Majah: "the one who recites the Qur'an and stumbles over it, and it is hard for him, will have two rewards."

He also addresses the question this naturally raises — is the struggling reciter therefore better than the fluent one? His answer is no: the fluent reciter is the more complete in reward, because of his greater care for the Qur'an, his repeated study, his mastery of its letters, and his being joined to the ranks of the angels. The two rewards of the struggler are a mercy and an encouragement, not a ranking above the skilled.

Al-Sindi, in Fath al-Wadud, records a second explanation: some said the reward is multiplied for the fluent reciter because reward is measured by effort, while others said the multiplication for the fluent reciter cannot be counted at all, since a single good deed may be multiplied many times over — and the struggler's "two rewards" are two of those multiplications. Either way, the point is the same: no one who recites is left without reward.

Ten good deeds for every letter

IslamWeb (fatwa 284584) cites the well-known hadith: whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah has a good deed by it, and a good deed is multiplied tenfold — "I do not say that alif lam mim is one letter, but alif is a letter, lam is a letter, and mim is a letter." Al-Tirmidhi, al-Tabari and others narrated it, and al-Albani graded it sahih.

The same fatwa draws a boundary worth knowing: reading a book of tafsir carries great good and reward, because it leads to understanding the Qur'an and acting on it — but there is no evidence that it carries the same reward as reciting the Qur'an itself. The ten-per-letter promise belongs to the recitation of the Qur'an's own words.

The best of you are the ones who learn and teach

Uthman رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

"The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it."— Sahih al-Bukhari 5027, from Uthman

Al-Albani graded its chain sahih according to al-Bukhari's conditions, and al-Tirmidhi graded it hasan sahih. Al-Subki explains "the best of you" as meaning those who memorise the Qur'an, reflect on its meanings, make its lawful lawful and its unlawful unlawful — and then pass that on. He notes the narration also appears with "or taught it," and that the joining of the two makes the person who does both the most complete, since he benefits himself and others.

Al-Sindi adds a caution against over-reading the phrase: it means that learning and teaching the Qur'an is among the best of qualities, so the one described by it is good from that angle — not that every person who teaches Qur'an is automatically better than everyone else regardless of how he lives.

Where recitation is done, and in what state

The reward is not tied to a printed page. IslamWeb (fatwa 134077) states plainly that there is no difference between reciting from a printed copy and reciting from a phone — their status is the same.

Nor is it tied to sitting upright. Shaykh Ibn Baz (fatwa 8369) was asked about reciting while lying down and confirmed it is permitted, citing Allah's words:

"Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and [lying] on their sides"— Qur'an 3:191

He added that the Qur'an is among the greatest forms of remembrance, so reciting while lying down or sitting carries no blame. If a verse of prostration comes, one sits up and prostrates — the prostration being a recommended sunnah, not an obligation.

Gathering to recite together

Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

"No people gather in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquillity descends upon them, mercy covers them, the angels surround them, and Allah mentions them among those who are with Him."— Sahih Muslim, from Abu Hurayrah

Al-Albani graded its chain sahih according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs, and Muslim recorded it. This is a distinct promise attached to gathering, reciting and studying together — not to private recitation alone.

A note on sending the reward to the dead

This is a separate question from the reward of your own recitation, and the scholars genuinely differ. Shaykh Ibn Baz (fatwa 12437) held that the deceased benefit only from what the texts establish — supplication, charity, Hajj, Umrah and settling debts — and that recitation and voluntary prayer offered on their behalf have no evidence, since acts of worship are not subject to analogy. IslamWeb (fatwa 180753) took the view that sending the reward of recitation to the dead is permissible, while noting it is better to keep the reward of your recitation for yourself and simply supplicate for the deceased. The difference is real, and both positions are reported.

Key takeaways

• Every letter carries a good deed, and every good deed is multiplied tenfold — the promise is by letter, not by verse or page.
• The struggling reciter gets two rewards, one for the recitation and one for the difficulty; the fluent reciter is not lesser but more complete, and is joined with the noble angels.
• The best of people are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it — and the description means memorising it, understanding it, and living by what it makes lawful and unlawful.
• Reciting from a phone carries the same reward as reciting from a printed copy, and reciting while sitting or lying down is permitted.
• Gathering to recite and study together brings tranquillity, mercy, the surrounding of the angels, and Allah's mention of you among those with Him.

Further reading

• al-Manhal al-'Adhb al-Mawrud, al-Subki's commentary on Sunan Abi Dawud
• Fath al-Wadud, al-Sindi's commentary on Sunan Abi Dawud
• Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud, al-Albani

And Allah knows best.