How to start reading Quran again after years away
To start reading the Quran again after years away, begin small: ten minutes a day, with the alphabet and the surahs you still know, then half a page, then a page. Here is a gentle three-month plan for anyone who learned as a child and lost the habit, and what to do about the parts you have forgotten.
Last updated: 8 October 2026
Hearts find rest
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ ﴿٢٨﴾
A three-month plan to return
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Read the Arabic alphabet and harakat aloud for 10 minutes a day to wake up your recognition. |
| Week 2 | Read Al-Fatihah and the short surahs you know from memory, following the text with your finger. |
| Weeks 3–4 | Read half a page a day from a mushaf in the script you learned as a child, slowly, without worrying about speed. |
| Month 2 | One page a day. Mark words you stumble on and ask a teacher about them. |
| Month 3 onwards | Add tajweed rules one at a time, and build towards a juz a month if that suits you. |
Tips that make it stick
- Tie it to a prayer: read right after Fajr or ‘Isha, every day, before anything else.
- Use the script you know: if you learned from an Indo-Pak mushaf, start there; see Indo-Pak vs Madinah mushaf.
- Listen while you read: follow a slow reciter; see the best Quran reciters.
- Track it: the khatm planner turns a goal into daily pages.
Refresh the basics with the Arabic alphabet and harakat, then see how to improve Quran reading fluency. The benefits of reciting the Quran are a good reminder of why it is worth it.
Frequently asked questions
I learned as a child but forgot. Do I start from the Qaida again?
Usually not entirely. Most returning readers remember more than they expect. A teacher can hear you read for five minutes and tell you whether to revise a few Qaida lessons or carry on from the mushaf.
I feel embarrassed reading slowly. What should I do?
Remember the hadith: the one who reads with difficulty has a double reward (Sahih al-Bukhari 4937). One-to-one lessons mean nobody else hears you, and slow, correct reading is better than fast, wrong reading.
How long until I read fluently again?
Many returning readers read comfortably within two or three months of daily practice. Fluency depends on regularity more than talent.
Return to the Quran with a patient teacher
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