Is there reward in reading the Quran if I don't understand Arabic?

The short answer

Yes. Reciting the Arabic Quran is rewarded letter by letter, even for someone who struggles. But the Quran was revealed to be understood and reflected on, so the best way is both: recite the Arabic, and read a trusted translation and tafsir to understand what you are reciting.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explanation

The reward for recitation is tied to the letters themselves: whoever recites a letter of Allah's Book receives a reward multiplied by ten 1. The Prophet ﷺ also said the one who "falters in it, and finds it difficult for him, will have two rewards" 2. So a new Muslim or a non-Arab slowly sounding out the words is not wasting time; they are earning double.

At the same time, Allah tells us why He sent it: "a blessed Book which We have revealed to you... that they might reflect upon its verses" 3. And He asks, "Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?" 4. He sent it "as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand" 5. Recitation without ever seeking the meaning misses much of what the Quran is for.

The Prophet ﷺ showed what recitation with understanding looks like. In the night prayer, when he recited a verse glorifying Allah he would glorify Him, at a verse of asking he would ask, and at a verse about seeking protection he would seek protection 6. And the Quran is "easy for remembrance" 7 for those who try.

A translation is very valuable for understanding, but it is a human explanation of the meaning, not the Quran itself. That is why prayer uses the Arabic, and why scholars encourage reading the translation alongside the original rather than instead of it. The people of true recitation are those who "recite it with its true recital" and believe in it 8.

A simple routine: recite a page in Arabic, then read its translation and a short tafsir, and pick one verse to think about during the day.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Hadith Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2910
    Sahih graded by Al-Albani

    Each letter recited earns a reward multiplied by ten.

    Narrated Muhammad bin Ka'b Al-Qurazi:"I heard 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud saying: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "[Whoever recites a letter] from Allah's Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْحَنَفِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الضَّحَّاكُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ مُوسَى، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيَّ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لاَ أَقُولُ الم حَرْفٌ وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَيُرْوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مِنْ غَيْرِ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَفَعَهُ بَعْضُهُمْ وَوَقَفَهُ بَعْضُهُمْ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ ‏.‏ سَمِعْتُ قُتَيْبَةَ بْنَ سَعِيدٍ يَقُولُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيَّ وُلِدَ فِي حَيَاةِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ يُكْنَى أَبَا حَمْزَةَ ‏

  2. 2
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 798
    Sahih Muslim

    The one who falters and finds recitation hard has two rewards.

    A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (as saying):One who is proficient in the Qur'an is associated with the noble, upright, recording angels; and he who falters in it, and finds it difficult for him, will have two rewards

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الْغُبَرِيُّ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ أَبِي عَوَانَةَ، - قَالَ ابْنُ عُبَيْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، - عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَوْفَى، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ الْمَاهِرُ بِالْقُرْآنِ مَعَ السَّفَرَةِ الْكِرَامِ الْبَرَرَةِ وَالَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ وَيَتَتَعْتَعُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ شَاقٌّ لَهُ أَجْرَانِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  3. 3
    Quran Saad · 38:29

    The Book was revealed so that people reflect on its verses.

    كِتَٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ مُبَٰرَكࣱ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓاْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ۝٢٩

    [This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded

  4. 4
    Quran Muhammad · 47:24

    Do they not reflect on the Quran, or are there locks on their hearts?

    أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ أَمۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقۡفَالُهَآ ۝٢٤

    Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts

  5. 5
    Quran Yusuf · 12:2

    It was sent down as an Arabic Quran so that you might understand.

    إِنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ قُرۡءَٰنًا عَرَبِيࣰّ ا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ ۝٢

    Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand

  6. 6
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 772
    Sahih Muslim

    The Prophet ﷺ glorified, asked and sought refuge as he reached such verses in his night prayer.

    Hudhaifa reported:I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one night and he started reciting al-Baqara. I thought that he would bow at the end of one hundred verses, but he proceeded on; I then thought that he would perhaps recite the whole (surah) in a rak'ah, but he proceeded and I thought he would perhaps bow on completing (this surah). He then started al-Nisa', and recited it; he then started Al-i-'Imran and recited leisurely. And when he recited the verses which referred to the Glory of Allah, he glorified (by saying Subhan Allah-Glory to my Lord the Great), and when he recited the verses which tell (how the Lord) is to be begged, he (the Holy Prophet) would then beg (from Him), and when he recited the verses dealing with protection from the Lord, he sought (His) protection and would then bow and say: Glory be to my Mighty Lord; his bowing lasted about the same length of time as his standing (and then on returning to the standing posture after ruku') he would say: Allah listened to him who praised Him, and he would then stand about the same length of time as he had spent in bowing. He would then prostrate himself and say: Glory be to my Lord most High, and his prostration lasted nearly the same length of time as his standing. In the hadith transmitted by Jarir the words are:" He (the Holy Prophet) would say:" Allah listened to him who praised Him, our Lord, to Thee i the praise

    العربية

    وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ، نُمَيْرٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنِ الْمُسْتَوْرِدِ بْنِ الأَحْنَفِ، عَنْ صِلَةَ بْنِ زُفَرَ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ، قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَافْتَتَحَ الْبَقَرَةَ فَقُلْتُ يَرْكَعُ عِنْدَ الْمِائَةِ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ مَضَى فَقُلْتُ يُصَلِّي بِهَا فِي رَكْعَةٍ فَمَضَى فَقُلْتُ يَرْكَعُ بِهَا ‏.‏ ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ النِّسَاءَ فَقَرَأَهَا ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ آلَ عِمْرَانَ فَقَرَأَهَا يَقْرَأُ مُتَرَسِّلاً إِذَا مَرَّ بِآيَةٍ فِيهَا تَسْبِيحٌ سَبَّحَ وَإِذَا مَرَّ بِسُؤَالٍ سَأَلَ وَإِذَا مَرَّ بِتَعَوُّذٍ تَعَوَّذَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ ‏"‏ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَكَانَ رُكُوعُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَامَ طَوِيلاً قَرِيبًا مِمَّا رَكَعَ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَكَانَ سُجُودُهُ قَرِيبًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَفِي حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ مِنَ الزِّيَادَةِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ"‏ ‏.‏

  7. 7
    Quran Al-Qamar · 54:17

    Allah has made the Quran easy for remembrance.

    وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرࣲ‏ ۝١٧

    And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember

  8. 8
    Quran Al-Baqara · 2:121

    Those given the Book recite it with its true recital and believe in it.

    ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ يَتۡلُونَهُۥ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِۦٓ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦۗ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِهِۦ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡخَٰسِرُونَ ۝١٢١

    Those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital. They [are the ones who] believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it - it is they who are the losers

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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