In the beginning, reading the Qur’an to a woman in her home without wearing a hijab is permissible as long as she is safe from being seen by anyone other than her mahrams. However, it is better to be polite with the Book of God Almighty to face the qiblah and to cover her body with something, even if it is not the full veil that the woman goes out with.
There is an etiquette for reading the Holy Qur’an that we must adhere to, whether it is heartfelt or outward, in which there is no wearing of the hijab, and in it, facing the qiblah is desirable, not obligatory. This is a set of etiquette, some of which are obligatory and some that are recommended by the text, and some of them are desirable according to some scholars but there is no text for them.
First: the etiquette of the heart
1- To be sincere to God in his reading by intending by it God’s pleasure and reward, and to evoke the greatness of the Qur’an’s revelation in the heart. The status of the people of the world. Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: A servant does not ask about himself except the Qur’an. If he loves the Qur’an, then he loves God and His Messenger.
2- Repentance and turning away from sins in general, as they remove the light of faith in the heart and face, weaken the heart, make it sick and weaken it, for a sick heart is the furthest from being influenced by the Qur’an, and in particular the servant should turn away from disobeying the tools of being influenced by the Qur’an, which is the heart, hearing, tongue and sight. The forbidden exposes it for not benefiting from it in the right. One of the most serious sins and the greatest of which is preventing one from being influenced by the Qur’an and contemplating it is listening to singing, music, musical instruments, and distractions that turn hearts away from the Qur’an.
3- He should be present in the heart and expel self-talk during the recitation, and protect his hands from messing around and his eyes from diverting their gaze unnecessarily.
4- Meditation and trying to comprehend the meaning, because they are the commands of the Lord of the Worlds that the servant must be active in implementing after understanding and contemplating them.
5- That his heart interacts with each verse in a way that befits it, reflects on the meanings of God’s names and attributes according to the understanding of the predecessors, and follows the conditions of the prophets and the righteous, and considers the conditions of the deceivers.. and so on.
6- The reader should feel that every letter in the Qur’an is addressed to him personally.
7- Affected and responds to every verse he recites, so at the threat, he diminishes in fear, and at the time of the promise he rejoices with joy, and when mentioning God, His attributes, and His names, he falters in submission, and when mentioning the infidels and their lack of manners and calls, he lowers his voice and breaks in his heart, shyness from the ugliness of their words, and longs for Paradise when describing it, and trembles from the Fire when mentioned.
8- To disavow those around him and his strength, since there is neither might nor power except with God, the Highest, the Great, and he avoids looking at himself with the eyes of satisfaction and commendation.
9- Avoiding obstacles to understanding, such as devoting all his attention to improving the letters and so on, and he must also confine the meanings of the verses of the Qur’an to the interpretation he teaches.
Second: apparent etiquette
1- It is desirable to purify and perform ablution before reading, as it was narrated that Umar, may God be pleased with them both, said: The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: (No one touches the Qur’an except the pure one) Sahih Al-Jami’.
2- He should drink a lot of perfume and clean his mouth with a siwak because it is the way of the Qur’an.
3- It is better for him to face the qiblah when reciting it because it is the most honorable direction. If he does not face the qiblah, there is nothing wrong with that.
4- To seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed, and to recite In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, if he starts from the beginning of the surah.
5- That he undertakes to recite regularly and not to cause him to forget, and he should not go a day without reciting something from the Qur’an so that he does not forget it and does not abandon the Mushaf.
6- Not interrupting the recitation with useless words, avoiding laughter, confusion, and speaking except in words that are forced into it, and following the example of what al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Nafi’.
7- To improve his voice with the Qur’an as much as he can (beautify the Qur’an with your voice, for a good voice enhances the Qur’an in beauty) Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah, and authenticated by Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Jami’. And to recite his recitation, and the scholars have agreed that it is mustahabb to recite {and recite the Qur’an in a recitation}. On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with them, he said: To recite a surah that I recite is more beloved to me than to recite the entire Qur’an. Mujahid reported that he was asked about two men, one of whom recited Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran, and the other recited Al-Baqara alone, and their time, bowing, prostration, and sitting were the same. He said: The one who recites Al-Baqara alone is better.
8- He should respect the Qur’an and not put it on the ground or place anything on it and not throw it at its owner if he wants to give it to him and not touch it unless it is clean.
9- Choosing the appropriate place, such as the mosque or a place in his house away from obstacles, concerns, and confusion, or a garden or something else… The place must be far from what keeps the angels away from bells and dogs….etc.
10- Choosing the appropriate time when God reveals Himself to His servants and the outpourings of His mercy descend upon him. The best reading is what is in prayer. As for reading outside prayer, it is preferable to read at night.
11- Repeating the verse to ponder and be influenced by it, and it was proven on the authority of Abu Dharr, may God be pleased with him, that he said: (The Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, recited a verse until the morning) and the verse: “If you punish them, they are your servants” [Al-Ma’idah 78]. Narrated by women and Ibn Majah. It has also been proven that many of the Companions and the Salaf used to repeat certain verses to ponder and be influenced by them.
12- Crying during recitation, especially when reciting the verses of torment or going through scenes thereof, when he brings up scenes of the resurrection and the events of the afterlife and manifestations of terror therein, then notices his shortcomings and negligence.
13- The listener of the Qur’an must follow all the previous etiquette and add to it good hearing, good listening, reflection, and good reception, and not only open his ears but all his feelings and sensations. The Almighty said: {And when the Qur’an is recited, then listen to it and be silent that you may receive mercy} Al-A’raf 204.
