Ramadan is a month of self-reflection, self-restraint, self-discipline, self-motivation and self-realization. It is also a month that many Muslims dedicate to the listening, recitation and understanding of the Quran.
The Prophet (ﷺ) would read and revise over the whole Quran with the Angel Jibril (as) every Ramadan.
“Ibn ‘Abbas narrates, saying, “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the most generous person, and he would be at his most generous in Ramadan because Jibril would come to him every night and he would study the Qur’an with him.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would review the Quran once every year in Ramadan and he reviewed it twice in the year he passed away. The Prophet would seek spiritual retreat in the mosque for ten days every year and he secluded himself for twenty days in the year he passed away.
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī]
In this month the Muslim community gather every night for a special supererogatory prayer known as Tarawih. This prayer is traditionally dedicated to the recitation of the Quran, in which the Quran is split into 30 juzz (parts) and one part is recited every night, so by the 30th night of Ramadan the whole Quran has been recited. After the prayer it has been a tradition of the mystics and predecessors to hold gatherings in which, the Quranic Tafsir (commentary and exegesis) is covered, to improve ones understanding of the word of Allah.
The reason behind this innate link between the Quran and the month of Ramadan is primarily due to the reason that the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in this blessed month:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚفَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion. So whoever is present in this month, let them fast..."
[QURAN 2:185]
This link has rippled through the Islamic world, and millions around the world use this month to get closer to the Book of God (Quran) by reciting, memorizing and studying the text. What makes it more beautiful is that the first verse of the Quran to be revealed to the Messenger (saw) in this month was “Iqra (Read!)”, placing more emphasis on the study of the Quran.
However, it is not only the Quran that was revealed in this month, according to some of our classical Islamic sources:
Narrated by Sayyiduna Dharr al-Ghifari رضي الله عنه the Prophet ﷺ once said,
“The Scrolls (Suhuf) of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (Abraham) عليه السلام were sent down on the 3rd day of the month of Ramadan.
The Torah (Tawrat) of Sayyiduna Musa (Moses) عليه السلام was sent down on the sixth day of the month of Ramadan.
The Psalms (Zabur) of Sayyiduna Dawud (David) عليه السلام were sent down on the eighteenth day of the month of Ramadan.
The Gospel (Injeel) of Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام was sent down on the thirteenth day of the month of Ramadan.
As for the Criterion (al-Furqan), (i.e. al-Qur’an) it was sent down to the last Prophet Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ on the twenty-fourth of the month of Ramadan.”.
[𝐴𝑙 𝐾𝑎𝑓𝑖 𝑜𝑓 𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑚 𝐽𝑎𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝐴𝑠 𝑆𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑞, 𝑣𝑜𝑙 4, 𝑝𝑔.157]
As a result, those that are students of knowledge or studying comparative religion, should use this month to also try and study the other religious scriptures that we can get hold of as well as the Quran.