Why is the Quran read? Can we read the Quran in order to make a worldly wish to realize? Is it permissible to read for something like that?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The Quran is Allah’s speech and it is a deed of worship to read it. Our main aim in reading the Quran, for each of whose letter ten rewards are given, must be the consent of Allah.

Ibadah (worship) means fulfilling the commands of Allah Almighty and representing the responsibilities of living and being a slave of Allah. Ubudiyyah is interpreted as being in consciousness of slavery.

The religious meaning of ibadah means worshipping with a sincere intention, by expecting rewards and thinking of being close to Allah. When the word ibadah is used, both worship and closeness are thought.

When we read the Quran, it is permissible to intend for the realization of a worldly, legitimate wish but it harms the sincerity of worship. However, when man does not have those aims while reading the Quran, he can have their worldly rewards in this world. As a matter of fact, scholars attained the worldly benefits of some verses and prayers as a result of reading them. They did not read the Quran for its worldly benefits but for the sake of Allah. In return for the secret of sincerity in them, they were rewarded in this world. However, reading the Quran with the intention of its worldly benefits might prevent its benefits.  

Sincerity means closing oneself to anything except the commands, requests and grants of Allah Almighty in worshipping. It includes keeping secrets in the relationships between the slave and the creator, in other words, fulfilling one’s duties and responsibilities because Allah orders them, aiming His consent while fulfilling them and turning toward His otherworldly courtesy. It is regarded as one of the most important qualities of pure veracious people.

Sincerity is a deed of the heart; and Allah values man based on the tendencies of his heart:

"Verily Allah does not look to your shapes, forms and outward appearances but He looks to your hearts and the tendencies of your hearts." (Muslim, Birr, 33)

Sincerity is such a magic credit that is bestowed upon the clean hearts by Allah, that increases few things and that deepens shallow things that man can want the most expensive things in the markets of the world and the hereafter with it and is valued very much in the places where everybody loses. Due to this secret power of sincerity, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following:

"Be sincere in your religious life; few deeds will be enough." (Munawi, Faydul-Qadir, I, 216)

"Always observe sincerity in your deeds because Allah accepts only sincere deeds." (Munawi, Faydul-Qadir, I, 217)

Thus, he reminds us that deeds should be based on sincerity. Sincerity is a secret between the slave and the creator; and Allah places this secret in the hearts of the people whom He loves.   

To sum up, sincerity is as follows:

"... In this world, sincerity is the most important principle in works pertaining to the hereafter; it is the greatest strength, the most acceptable intercessor, the firmest point of support, the shortest way to reality, the most acceptable  prayer, the most wondrous means of achieving one’s goal, the highest quality, and the purest worship..." (Lem'alar, Yirmi Birinci Lem'a)

(Ahmet Ünal, Kur'an'da Temel Kavramlar)

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