They also argue that faith is the best of deeds, and understanding the Quran and reflecting upon it are what nurture faith. Mere recitation without understanding or reflection, however, is practised by the righteous and the wicked, the believer and the hypocrite alike. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The hypocrite who recites the Quran is like an aromatic plant: its fragrance is pleasant, but its taste is bitter” (1).

In this respect, people fall into four classes: those who possess both the Quran and faith—and these are the best of people; second, those who possess neither the Quran nor faith; third, those who have been granted the Quran but not faith; and fourth, those who have been granted faith but not the Quran (2).

They argue: Just as someone granted faith without the Quran is better than someone granted the Quran without faith, so someone granted reflection and understanding in recitation is better than someone granted abundant, rapid recitation without reflection.

They say: This was the Prophet’s practice (peace and blessings be upon him). He would recite a surah slowly and deliberately, taking longer to recite it than a longer surah, and he stood in prayer reciting a single verse until morning.

The followers of al-Shāfiʿī, however, held that reciting more is better. They cited as evidence the hadith of Ibn Masʿūd, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said (3): “Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a good deed, and each good deed is rewarded tenfold. I do not say that ‘Alif-Lām-Mīm’ is one letter; rather, alif is a letter, and lām is a letter,