Question: Is it permissible to recite or read complete Quran in one day or every day. is this from the habit of sahabah?
Answer: Praise be to Allah!
Although the companions of Rasool Allah were very enthusiastic to recite and read the holy Quran, they adhered to the guidelines set out by shariah (Islamic teachings) and did not cross the limits, and did not let their love for book of Allah cause them to exceed the prophetic guidance. Thus the major scholars are of the view that the Qur’an can be completed every seven days, and whoever has the ill and strength to do so should not complete it in less than three days, except in specific circumstances.
Most of the Salafs adhered to the practice of completing it in seven days, following the advice of the Prophet (Sallahu alahi wassalam) to Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas.
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr said: The Messenger of Allah (Sallahu alahi wassalam) said: “Read the Qur’an in a month.” I said: I am able to do better than that… Until he said: “Then read it once every seven days, and do not do any more than that.” [Source Al bukhaari and Muslim].
So they did not complete it in less than three days, because the Prophet (Sallahu alahi wassalam) discouraged them to do that.
It was narrated that Abdullah – that is, ibn Amr – said: The Messenger of Allah (Sallahu alahi wassalam) said: “No one properly understands who reads the Qur’an in less than three day”.
The Sahabah understood from the Prophet’s teachings that read the Quran in seven days and do not read it in less than three not days. It was narrated that Ibn Mas‘ood (ra) said: Read the Qur’an in seven days and do not read it in less than three days.
Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal (ra) that he regarded it as makrooh to read the Qur’an in less than three days.
In addition to the fact that the one who reads it in less than three days does not understand it properly, he also does not benefit from the sublime and subtle meanings that are understood by the one who reads the Qur’an with reflection, at a measured pace.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, Reading Qur’an in the manner enjoined instills great faith in the heart, and increases a person in certainty, reassurance.
And it is what is mentioned in religious books about some people completing the Qur’an four times in one day or four times in one night, such reports should be investigated to find out whether they are truly narrating from their alleged sources, because it is highly unlikely that that happened, as the time is not long enough for that in the first place. The same may be said concerning the claim that some of them completed the Qur’an between Maghrib and ‘Isha’ and other claims that cannot be believed, even if one is able to read quickly. As for reading the entire Qur’an in a single day, that is possible; in fact some of the leading scholars did that – as was narrated from them – in a single rak‘ah.
An-Nawawi (ra) said: As for those who completed the Qur’an in a single rak‘ah, they are innumerable, because they are so many. They include: Uthmaan ibn Affaan, Tameem ad-Daari, and Saeed ibn Jubayr.
But if someone follows this Sunnah of the Prophet (Sallahu alahi wassalam), is he doing something that is not permissible according to Islamic teachings.
The answer is that the one who does that as a habit and way of life is surely doing something that is against the Islamic teachings, and he can only be doing that at the expense of neglecting other shar‘i duties such as prayer, teaching his children, upholding ties of kinship and taking care of his family, or by neglecting working to earn a living.
As for the one who does that occasionally with the aim of reviewing what he has memorized, or to make the most of auspicious times (such as the month of Ramadan) or because he is observing i‘tikaaf (retreat for worship) in the mosque, or because he is focusing on worship for a limited time in Makkah, for example – then that is not contrary to Islamic teaching. It is in this manner that we may interpret the reports narrated from some of the imams (leading scholars), that they completed the Qur’an twice in one day or once in a day; it is not to be understood that this was their way of life at all times.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (ra) said:
Qataadah regularly used to complete the Qur’an every seven days, and in Ramadan he would complete it every three days, and in the last ten nights of Ramadan he would complete it every single night. In Ramadan ash-Shaafa‘i used to complete the Qur’an sixty times [i.e., twice a day], reciting it outside of prayer. Something similar was also narrated from Abu Haneefah.
The prohibition on reading the entire Qur’an in less than three days is to be understood as referring to doing that persistently. But at auspicious times, such as the month of Ramadan, and especially on the nights on which Laylat al-Qadr is sought, or in auspicious places, such as Makkah for those who go there and are not residents, then it is mustahabb to read a great deal of Qur’an so as to make the most of that time or that place.
Wallahualam
