One of the indispensable practices of Ramadan is the muqābalah — a revival of the Sunnah of our Prophet (pbuh) and Jibrīl, who would review the Qur’an together every Ramadan. Copies of the Muṣḥaf, which might not otherwise be carried openly, are tucked under arms; with taqiyah and prayer garments, people hurry to the mosques where the muqābalah is recited. Ramadan adorns its nights with prayer and its days with Qur’anic recitation.
In a crowded muqābalah gathering, only a single voice is heard: the voice of the Qāriʾ, sometimes flowing like a gentle stream, sometimes resounding like a waterfall as he recites the Qur’an. Accompanying this flow is a background sound — the rustling that arises when all the listeners turn the page simultaneously at the end of each passage. Personally, this is one of my favorite sounds in the world. It signifies that together we are responding to Ramadan’s call to gather beneath the shade of the Qur’an.
Among all books on earth that claim to be the Word of Allah, the Qur’an is the only one that has reached us unchanged from its source. Beyond the divine nature of its content, even its recitation alone is sufficient to move souls. And if you are able to listen to a beautifully recited Qur’an with understanding, you will hardly taste a greater joy in your lifetime.
