How to Start Reading the Quran as a Beginner or After a Long Break
Start small and start today: read a few verses with a translation you understand, at the same time each day, and let the habit grow from there. You do not need to read Arabic fluently or finish the whole Quran quickly; the Quran itself tells believers to read what is easy for them (73:20).
Begin where you are
Many people put off reading the Quran because they feel they are not ready, or because it has been a long time and they feel embarrassed. There is no required level to begin. In 73:20, after describing the long night prayers of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, the Quran recognizes that people are busy, ill or travelling, and twice says to read as much of it as is easy.
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record a hadith that the person who is skilled in the Quran is with the noble angels, and the one who reads it with difficulty, stumbling over it, receives a double reward. Struggling is not a reason to stop; it is counted in your favor.
Choose a starting point
You do not have to start at page one. Many people find the short surahs at the end of the Quran, in juz 30, easiest to begin with, because each one can be read and understood in a few minutes. Surah Ad-Duhaa (93) is a good first choice for someone returning after a hard time: it reassures the Prophet ﷺ that his Lord has not abandoned him (93:3), and near its end asks for kindness to orphans and to those who ask (93:9-10).
Others prefer to begin with Al-Fatihah, which they already recite in prayer, and learn what each of its seven verses means. If you want a story, Surah Yusuf (12) tells one complete narrative from start to finish. Pick whichever makes you want to keep going.
Read for meaning
If you do not understand Arabic, read a reliable translation alongside the Arabic or on its own. Understanding even one verse well is worth more to most beginners than reading many pages without knowing what they say. The Quran repeatedly asks people to reflect, as in 38:29 and 47:24.
Keep a notebook or note on your phone. Write down a verse that stands out and a sentence about why. Over weeks, this becomes a record of what you have learned and makes it easier to come back after a missed day.
Build a small, steady habit
A hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim says the deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small. Five minutes every day is a better plan than an hour once a month.
Attach your reading to something you already do, such as after Fajr or before sleeping. Decide on a small amount, such as five verses or one page, and stop while you still want more. If you miss a day, simply pick up again the next day without guilt. 54:17 says the Quran has been made easy to learn and remember.
Simple manners when reading
Many Muslims make wudu before holding the Arabic text and sit somewhere quiet. Before reciting, it is customary to seek refuge in Allah from Satan, following 16:98, and then to say the Bismillah. These help you settle and focus. If you are reading a translation on a phone, at work or on the train, read anyway; scholars discuss the details of these manners, but the main thing is to read.
Learning to recite
If you want to learn to read the Arabic, find a teacher, either at a local mosque or online. Listening to a recording of a clear reciter while following the text also helps a great deal. Many adults learn the alphabet in a few weeks, and the rules of recitation, called tajwid, can come gradually afterwards.
Verses mentioned here
۞إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَنِصۡفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةࣱ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحۡصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرۡضَىٰ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضۡرِبُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَبۡتَغُونَ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنۡهُۚ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقۡرِضُواْ ٱللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنٗاۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٖ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرٗا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرٗاۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمُۢ ﴿٢٠﴾
Your Lord knows that you stay up nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, along with a group of those with you. Allah designed the night and the day. He knows that you are unable to sustain it, so He has pardoned you. So read of the Quran what is possible for you. He knows that some of you may be ill; and others traveling through the land, seeking Allah’s bounty; and others fighting in Allah’s cause. So read of it what is possible for you, and observe the prayers, and give regular charity, and lend Allah a generous loan. Whatever good you advance for yourselves, you will find it with Allah, better and generously rewarded. And seek Allah’s forgiveness, for Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ﴿١٧﴾
We made the Quran easy to learn. Is there anyone who would learn?
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴿٣﴾
Your Lord did not abandon you, nor did He forget.
فَإِذَا قَرَأۡتَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ فَٱسۡتَعِذۡ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ ﴿٩٨﴾
When you read the Quran, seek refuge with Allah from Satan the outcast.
Questions
Where should a beginner start reading the Quran?
Many start with Al-Fatihah and the short surahs of juz 30, such as Ad-Duhaa, Al-'Asr and Al-Ikhlas, read with a translation.
Can I read the Quran in English?
Yes, a translation is a good way to understand its meaning. Muslims consider the Arabic to be the Quran itself and a translation to be an explanation of it, so many people read both together.
How much should I read each day?
Whatever you can keep up. A few verses daily, read with attention, is a strong start.
I have not read the Quran in years. Is it too late?
No. You can open it today. The Quran repeatedly speaks of Allah's mercy toward those who turn back to Him, as in 39:53.