The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Recite the Qur’an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for its companions.” When that Day arrives, Allah will turn the reward of this Qur’an into a distinct, living entity that will stand and plead for its companions before Him. Thus, whenever a person recites the Qur’an seeking reward from Allah, he is granted ten good deeds for every single letter.

The same meaning appears in the ḥadīth of al-Nawwās ibn Samʿān (may Allah be pleased with him): the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that whoever recites the Qur’an and acts upon it will come on the Day of Resurrection with Sūrat al-Baqarah and Āl ʿImrān preceding him, disputing on his behalf. In that narration the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) tied the merit of recitation to acting upon what one reads, because those who recite the Qur’an fall into two categories.

The first group does not implement it: they neither accept its reports nor live by its rulings. For them the Qur’an will be evidence against them. The second group believes what it contains, affirms it, and practices its commands and prohibitions; for such people the Qur’an will be evidence in their favor, defending them on the Day of Resurrection. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The Qur’an is a proof for you or against you.”

This proves that the most important matter concerning the Qur’an is to act upon it. The divine words corroborate this: “A blessed Book We have sent down to you so that they may reflect upon its verses and that those of sound minds may take heed” (38:29), meaning that they understand its meanings.