It’s day 15 of Ramadan. You’re sitting on your couch after iftar. Mushaf open on your lap. You’ve read half a page. Your phone buzzes. You check it. Five minutes pass. You look back at the Qur’an. Where were you? You’ve lost your place. Lost your focus. Lost the moment.
You close the mushaf feeling guilty. “I’ll read later,” you tell yourself. Later never comes.
This happens to all of us. We know we should read Qur’an in Ramadan. We want to complete it. Maybe even multiple times. But between fasting, work, family, prayers, we struggle to find the right time. The right headspace. The right moment when our hearts are actually present.
I get it. I’ve spent entire Ramadans intending to read and barely making it through five juz. Then I learned something: It’s not about finding time. It’s about using the right times. Times when your heart is naturally more open. When distractions are minimal. When the spiritual atmosphere amplifies the words.
Let me share what I’ve learned about when to read Qur’an in Ramadan. Not just any time. The best times. The times that actually work.
Why Ramadan is Called the Month of the Qur’an
Before we talk about when to read, understand why Ramadan and Qur’an are inseparable.
“The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Qur’an…” (2:185)
The Qur’an was revealed in Ramadan. Specifically, on Laylat al-Qadr during Ramadan. This month has a special relationship with the Book of Allah.
Every Ramadan, the Angel Jibreel would meet with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and they would review the Qur’an together. Every single Ramadan. This was their annual tradition.
The Prophet said: “Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for the servant on the Day of Judgment.” Two things interceding for you. Fasting says, “I prevented him from food and desires.” Qur’an says, “I prevented him from sleep at night.” Together, they speak on your behalf.
That’s why you can’t separate Ramadan from Qur’an. They belong together. A Ramadan without Qur’an is incomplete. Like fasting without prayer. Like prayer without sincerity. The pieces don’t work separately.
Aisha, who is part of our community, shared with me her experience of her first Ramadan when she became Muslim and dedicated herself to fasting because she believed that this practice represented the complete purpose of Ramadan. The next year, someone told me about completing the Qur’an in Ramadan. I made an effort to complete the task. I completed the task on the 29th night. I cried. The experience showed me that Ramadan had reached its complete understanding for me. The fasting represented physical existence while the Qur’an embodied spiritual essence. The actual Ramadan experience requires both fasting and Qur’an reading to be practiced together.
Reading Qur’an Before Fajr (Pre-Dawn Time)
This is golden. Absolute golden time for Qur’an.
The world is currently in a state of deep sleep. The atmosphere of your residence remains undisturbed. You possess a tranquil state of mind. Your device remains silent because it has stopped sending notifications. People have no requirements that they need to fulfill from your side. You exist in a moment that allows you to read only Allah’s words.
The Qur’an itself references this time: “And recite the Qur’an at dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.” (17:78)
The angels serve as the witnesses to your activities. The angels are present. The angels are listening. Your recitation during these hours possesses particular significance.
The following description displays the practical application of this concept:
The time for suhoor begins at 3:30 AM, so people should wake up for it at that time, or they need to select their preferred time. People need to consume both food and beverages. The last meal needs to be completed before 4 AM. Fajr begins at 4:45 AM.
The period between 4 AM and 4:45 AM needs to be used for reading Qur’an instead of wasting it through online activities or returning to sleep. People should read the Qur’an.
Your body has reached full wakefulness. Your stomach is at capacity. You currently have no desire for food. Your mind is in its best state after waking up from sleep. The time period represents the best opportunity to study the Qur’an.
I started doing this three years ago. The game became completely different. I read 3-4 pages between finishing suhoor and Fajr adhan. The reading time requires approximately 10 minutes. The amount of time required appears to be small. The single time window produces 90-120 pages, which people read during Ramadan.
Omar, a busy doctor, told me: “I thought I’d never finish the Qur’an. My shifts are 12 hours. I’m exhausted. Then I started reading right after suhoor. Just 15 minutes. By day 20, I’d finished my first khatm ever. I almost didn’t believe it. But the consistency—that pre-Fajr window—it adds up.”
Qur’an After Fajr Prayer
Fajr prayer to sunrise. The Prophet called this time blessed. Your Fajr prayer is fresh. Your spiritual state is elevated. Your heart is soft from standing before Allah.
Don’t rush home after Fajr. Sit. Stay a bit. Read Qur’an.
Even 10-15 minutes. Two to three pages. Your heart is in the right place. The barakah of Fajr time is still there.
The companions would sit after Fajr until sunrise, making dhikr and reading Qur’an. This was their routine. We’ve lost this practice. We pray Fajr and immediately leave or sleep.
If you’re at home, don’t go straight back to bed. Sit on your prayer mat. Read Qur’an. Even if you’re tired. Even if you want to sleep. Give Allah 15 minutes first.
Then sleep if you need to. But those 15 minutes? They’re investment in your Ramadan.
Khadija, a working mother of three, does this: “I pray Fajr at home. Kids are still sleeping. House is quiet. I sit there after prayer and read until sunrise. About 30 minutes. It’s my only truly peaceful time all day. No demands. No noise. Just me and the Qur’an. I guard this time fiercely.”
Reading Qur’an During the Day While Fasting
Day hours are hard. You’re hungry. Tired. Maybe at work. Maybe dealing with kids. Maybe both.
People fail to understand this fact: Fasting people who read the Qur’an receive special blessings from their reading practice. The act of fasting, which combines discipline and awareness of Allah, improves your ability to connect with the Qur’an.
The best method to achieve results requires you to create two specific small work periods which you will maintain throughout your day. During your work lunch break, you should replace your phone activities with reading two pages of the Qur’an. You need only spend 5 minutes to complete this task.
At 3 PM your energy level will drop to its lowest point, so instead of trying to push through work, you should take a break to read Qur’an for 10 minutes. This provides you with greater energy restoration than coffee does.
Parents of young children should use their children’s 15-minute nap time to read. The total time needs to be measured because these small time intervals add up. Three 5-minute sessions throughout the day = 15 minutes = 3-5 pages. You will read between 90 and 150 pages throughout the Ramadan period.
The key is low expectations. You’re not trying to read 20 pages during the day. You’re just staying connected. Touching the Qur’an. Reciting even a little bit while in the state of fasting.
Ahmed works construction. Physically demanding. He told me: “I can’t read much during the day. I’m exhausted. But during my lunch break, I sit in my car. Put my mushaf on the steering wheel. Read one page. Just one. That’s all I can manage. But I do it every day. And it makes me feel like even though my body is struggling, my soul is still worshipping.”
Qur’an Before Ifṭār
Those last 15 minutes before maghrib. You’re sitting at the table. Food is ready. You’re starving.
Instead of staring at your plate, open your mushaf. Read.
Yes, I know you’re hungry. But this is powerful time. You’re still fasting. You’re still in that spiritual state. And the moments before iftar are blessed.
Read even one page. Five minutes. Whatever you can manage before the adhan.
Some people find this impossible. Their hunger overwhelms them. That’s okay. But try. Push yourself a little.
Fatima does this beautifully: “I set the table completely ready. Everything plated. Water poured. Then I sit and read Qur’an for 10 minutes before iftar. The food is literally right there. I can see it. Smell it. But I’m disciplining myself to put Qur’an first. When the adhan goes, I close the mushaf. Eat. But those 10 minutes? They’re the hardest and most rewarding of my day.”
That discipline—reading when you desperately want to eat—it builds something in you. It shows Allah you’re prioritizing His words over your needs.
Reading Qur’an After Maghrib Prayer
Right after you break your fast. Pray Maghrib. Then before you go back to food or conversation, read Qur’an.
This is transition time. Your hunger is satisfied. You’ve prayed. Your energy is returning. But the night’s activities haven’t started yet.
Use this window. 15-20 minutes. Before family socializing. Before TV. Before phone scrolling. Read Qur’an.
You’ll find your mind is clear. Your stomach is comfortable. Your spiritual state from prayer is still present.
Many people eat iftar, pray Maghrib, then… nothing. Just sit around until taraweeh time. That’s wasted time. That’s when you should read.
Ibrahim does this: “After Maghrib prayer, I tell my family, ‘Give me 20 minutes.’ I go to my room. Read Qur’an. Then I join them. Everyone knows—after Maghrib is Baba’s Qur’an time. They respect it. And I get 20 uninterrupted minutes daily. Over Ramadan, that’s about 200 pages.”
Qur’an During Tarāwīḥ Prayer
You’re not reading yourself. But you’re hearing it. The imam is reciting. You’re listening.
This counts. This is Qur’an engagement. You’re standing in prayer, hearing Allah’s words recited beautifully.
Maximize this by actually listening. Don’t zone out. Don’t mentally plan tomorrow. Listen to the words. Understand what’s being recited.
If you know some tafsir, the meanings will hit deeper. If you don’t, even just hearing the Arabic with presence counts.
The Prophet and Jibreel would review the entire Qur’an during Ramadan. Some scholars say the taraweeh tradition comes from this—completing the Qur’an through listening during the month.
So yes, taraweeh is Qur’an time. But passive listening isn’t enough. Active listening. Engaged listening. That’s what transforms it.
Sarah told me: “I used to just stand in taraweeh waiting for it to end. Then I started actually listening. Trying to understand. When I hear a verse I recognize, I focus extra hard. When the imam recites beautifully, I feel it. Taraweeh became my daily Qur’an dose, not just an obligation to get through.”
Reading Qur’an During Tahajjud
If you wake up for tahajjud (and you should), read Qur’an then.
This is the absolute best time. The last third of the night. Everyone sleeping. You and Allah alone. Your Qur’an recitation in these hours—it’s unmatched.
The Prophet would recite long surahs in tahajjud. Al-Baqarah in one rakʿah. Slow, reflective recitation.
You don’t need to recite in prayer only. Wake up. Pray two rakʿahs tahajjud. Then sit. Read Qur’an for 30 minutes outside of prayer.
Your mind is clear. No distractions. The spiritual energy of that time enhances every verse.
I’ve had experiences reading Qur’an at 3 AM that I’ve never had any other time. Verses I’ve read a hundred times suddenly clicking. Meanings jumping out. Tears flowing without planning to cry.
There’s something about that time. The silence. The darkness. Just you and the mushaf and Allah’s words. It’s different.
Yusuf, who’s been praying tahajjud for 10 years, told me: “I thought tahajjud was just about prayer. Then I started reading Qur’an after praying. 30-45 minutes. Just sitting there reading. Those became the most spiritually powerful moments of my life. I finished the entire Qur’an three times one Ramadan just from tahajjud reading. But it’s not about quantity. It’s about the quality of presence. At 3 AM, you’re really present.”
Best Times to Read Qur’an in the Last Ten Nights
The last ten nights are different. Everything intensifies. Your Qur’an reading should intensify too.
Odd nights especially: 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th. These are the most likely nights for Laylat al-Qadr.
On these nights, increase your Qur’an reading significantly. What you normally read in 30 minutes, try to read in 60 minutes. What you normally read once, read twice.
The entire night approach: Some people dedicate entire nights to Qur’an during the last ten. They wake up after Isha. Read Qur’an until 2 AM. Sleep 2 hours. Wake for tahajjud. More Qur’an. Then Fajr.
This isn’t for everyone. But if you can manage it even once—just one night—try it. The experience of spending an entire night with the Qur’an is transformative.
Switching between worship types: Don’t just read continuously until you’re exhausted. Read Qur’an for 30 minutes. Make dua for 15 minutes. Read more Qur’an. Pray voluntary prayer. Back to Qur’an. Mix it up.
This keeps you fresh. Keeps your heart engaged. Prevents burnout.
Family Qur’an reading: During the last ten nights, gather your family. Read Qur’an together. Take turns. This builds beautiful memories and keeps everyone accountable.
Layla does this with her teenagers: “We started on the 21st night. After taraweeh, we come home. Everyone sits. We read one juz together, taking turns. My daughter reads a page. My son reads a page. My husband. Me. Round and round until we finish. Then we make dua together. This became our last ten nights tradition. My kids remember it more than anything else from Ramadan.”
Conclusion: It’s Not About Finishing—It’s About Connecting
Here’s what I want you to understand: The goal isn’t just to “complete the Qur’an.” The goal is to connect with it.
Yes, completing it is good. Reading it multiple times is better. But reading with presence, understanding, and heart—that’s best.
I’ve seen people race through the Qur’an. Thirty juz in 30 days. Speed reading. Checking boxes. Then forgetting what they read immediately after.
I’ve also seen people read five juz the entire Ramadan. But slowly. With tafsir. With reflection. With tears and understanding. They didn’t finish. But they connected.
Which one do you think benefited more?
Use these blessed times I’ve mentioned. Pre-Fajr. Post-Fajr. Before iftar. After Maghrib. Taraweeh. Tahajjud. The last ten nights.
But use them with presence. With your heart. Not just your eyes scanning Arabic text.
Put your phone away when you read. Close the door. Sit properly. Make wudu first. Kiss the mushaf before opening it. Seek refuge from shaytan before starting. Recite with tarteel (proper pronunciation).
These small practices—they change reading from task to worship. From obligation to conversation with Allah.
Start tonight. Pick one time from this article. Just one. Commit to reading Qur’an at that time every day for the rest of Ramadan.
Don’t try to do all of them. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Just one consistent time slot. Build from there.
Maybe it’s 15 minutes after Fajr. Maybe it’s 10 minutes before iftar. Maybe it’s 30 minutes during tahajjud on odd nights.
Whatever it is, do it consistently. Quality over quantity. Presence over speed.
The Qur’an was revealed in this month. It wants to speak to you. It’s waiting for you. The question is: Will you give it your time? Your attention? Your heart?
May Allah grant you deep connection with His Book this Ramadan. May every verse you read transform you. May the Qur’an intercede for you on the Day of Judgment. And may you never spend another Ramadan neglecting the very Book that makes this month blessed.
Open your mushaf now. Read one page. Start building the habit. Start connecting.
The Qur’an is calling. Will you answer?
