It's really annoying when people question you about how much ibadah you have done and when its not to their expectations, they think you're not making the most of Ramadan give you a lecture about what you should be doing and how....so what am I talking about?
This Ramadan I decided not to start a Quran khatm (when you finish the whole Quran in Ramadan beginning to end) and I have my reasons. Last year when I did this I tried to read it in Arabic, with the translation in English & explanations of each Surah, towards the end I ended up just reading the Arabic because I was running out of time and still I didn't finish it by like 10 chapters because of days missed for family iftars among other things.
It's great if you can recite the whole Quran in 30 days mashaAllah, but for me personally it just doesn't work, I don't like rushing through it just to finish it, I don't like sitting there hours on end reading (sometimes whilst half asleep and not taking anything in) and just counting how many pages I've read (how many pages till the next juz) and I don't like not contemplating what I've read either. I prefer to take my time, read, try to understand and to reflect.
So I'm sorry that I don't meet your standards, but I feel my worship is personal to me, it is between me and Allah. Yes, there is so much reward in reciting the Quran during Ramadan, the month the Quran was revealed to our beloved Prophet pbuh; but how you read it whether its 2 juz (chapters) a day or whatever you manage to read within 2 hours a day it's completely up to you so long as you are benefiting from it.
I know it's good to compete in the deen with each other because it encourages us and others to do better, do more for the sake of Allah, but when people start boasting about how much they've read and keep asking other people 'how many chapters have you read?' or 'how many times did you complete the Quran this Ramadan?' I feel it becomes more about filling yourself with pride rather than trying to encourage the other person to do better. I always believed in quality not quantity so I'm going to continue reading the Quran the way I am and you do what is best for you inshaAllah.
'Oh Son of Adam, how is your heart ever going to be softened by the recitation of the Quran, when all you read for is to reach the end of the Surah?'- Imam al-Hassan al-Basri
May Allah make the Quran our companion in the grave and an intercessor for us on the day of judgement. Ameen.
Night all!