Question

Assalaamu alaikum

Could you please inform us as to the practice of the Companions of the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him and on his companions) as regards to reading the Qur'an. That is any information you might have on how much they read and whether they read quickly (to read more) or slowly (to ponder more) for example.  I hope this is not to vague a question.  May Allah reward you.

Answer

Wa alaikum wa alaikum wa rahmatu Allahi wa barkaatuh. 

There are many hadeeths and reports in which the Prophet, , warned against finishing the whole Qur'an from beginning to end in less than three days.  One such hadeeth is when he said, , "Who read the Qur'an in less than three, did not understand."  There are reports however, that some of the companions would complete the Qur'an in night prayers, and one report was that 'Uthmaan bin 'Affan, may Allah be merciful to him, read the complete Qur'an in one rakat and make witr with it.  [Jamaal Al-Quraa' wa Kamaal Al-Iqraa', Imam As-Sakh-khaawee, p. 108]. 

In a hadeeth related by At-Tirmithi, Abdullah bin 'Amr said "I said, O Messenger of Allah, in how many [days or length of time] should I read the Qur'an?"  He said, "Complete it in a month."  I said, "I am able to do better than that."  He said, "Finish it in 20."  I said,  "I am able to do better than that."  He said, "Finish it in 15."  I said,  "I am able to do better than that."  He said, "Finish it in ten."  I said, I am able to do better than that."  He said, "Finish it in five."  I said, "I am able to do better than that."  He said, "I have not been give permission." 

Imam Maalik related in Al-MuwaTTa' that it was established that Abdullah bin 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,  took eight years learning surah Al-Baqarah.  Certainly ibn 'Umar did not need eight years to memorize surah Al-Baqarah, but he immersed himself in the surah for eight years, memorizing it, learning its meaning and rules, the aayaat that were abrogated or eliminated, etc.  [Durus Ramadhan by Ash-Sheikh Salmaan Al-'Oudah].   

We can then see that some of the companions would finish reading the Qur'an in a short period of time, and others would spend a long time learning the complete meaning of a surah or section of the Qur'an.  Some others would do both.  The important point to keep in mind is that the Prophet,  warned against reading the Qur'an without understanding the meaning, as pointed out in the first hadeeth in this answer. The amount that one can read while comprehending the meaning varies from person to person, and depends on ones knowledge and ability to read.  One needs to be able to measure this for themselves, and this is also demonstrated in the hadeeth related by At-Tirmithi where the Prophet , set a limit, and the companion himself knew he was able to do more than that.  

May Allah guide us all to reading the Qur'an, understanding and pondering the meaning, and applying it to our lives.  Ameen.

May Allah reward you also and grant you all khair in this world and the Hereafter.