Reciting the Quran

Most muslims usually learn to recite the Quran at a very young age, which is good really, since it's easier for us to learn and remember when we were younger. However, some of us tend to not read it as often at a certain phase of our own lives. For instance, when you're busy catching up with coccuricular activities in high school, assignments in college or even catching up with your own friends in university. Basically, most of us tend to have our own phase whereby we tend to prioritize everything else and abide our obligations in reciting the Quran, which is normal. People just get busy chasing their goals sometimes, although we try to balance our current life and after life ambitions.

Anyways, the problem is that in this phase of life, most of us get a little rusty on reciting the Quran. We miss out on the little things that is important in reciting the Quran like the 'hums' and 'tajwids'. Then when we start to grab hold of the Quran and start reciting it often again, we think we're doing it right.

For me personally, I learnt to recite the Quran when I was 5 years old roughly. And I managed to finish it when I was about 12, in a way, 'khatam'. Throughout high school, I did not really spend as much time reading the Quran. Gotta admit, my recitation got a bit rusty. When I was about 17 years old, I started to read it again. Alone, in my room, usually after prayers after roughly 4-5 years of reciting the Quran during 'festive' season or whenever necessary. I've definitely lost my touch.
However today, I decided to tag along with my mum to her 'Quran Recitation Classes', or in a way 'Tadarus'. And I stuttered on a few words.Then I realised, I really need to start reciting with guidance again. So many Arabic words I've pronounced wrong. I needed to stop thinking I was good enough to read by myself, that I needed a teacher.

It came across my mind, that so many of us might be doing the same mistake out there. There's so many of us who suddenly decides to start reciting the Quran often again, thinking we've got it, but we actually lost our touch.

It occured to me that, we need to put our ego and over-confidence down. Language is not that easily remembered if not practised. That we need a teacher to be really fluent and pronounce this beautiful Arabic language properly. Its okay to learn again even if it means from scratch, rather than to continue reciting the Holy Book wrongly. Doesn't matter how old you are, or how many years it's been since you've last read it, it's always good to learn or atleast have someone to guide & teach you. And it's definitely not about how fast you've read it, or how many times you've finished reciting it (khatam), but the concern should be more on the quality of your reading and what you understand about this significant Holy Book that is supposed to guide you in your life-making decisions :)