The disapproval of reciting the Qur'aan in less than 3 days

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Narrated Mujaahid from `Abdullaah bin `Amr: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said (to `Abdullaah): “Fast three days a month.” `Abdullaah said, (to the Prophet) “I am able to fast more than that.” They kept on arguing on this matter till the Prophet said, “Fast on alternate days, and recite the whole Qur’aan once a month.” 'Abdullaah said, “I can recite more (in a month),” and the argument went on till the Prophet said, “Recite the Qur’aan once each three days.” (i.e. you must not recite the whole Qur’aan in less than three days). [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (1851) and Muslim (1970)]

Imaam al-Dhahabee said: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم reduced the minimum days to complete the recitation of the Qur’aan to 3 days. And he prohibited from reciting it in less than three days – and this is in regards to what had been revealed up to that time (i.e. the revelation of the Qur’aan was not complete yet). And after this saying of his صلى الله عليه وسلم, the remaining of the Qur’aan was revealed. The least level of prohibition is that it is disliked to recite the complete Qur’aan in less than 3 days. There is no understanding and no pondering over its meaning if a person recites it in less than that. And if he recites and prolongs it (recites it with tajweed) and finishes it in a week’s time and sticks to it, then that is better. The religion is easy. So by Allaah! Reciting one seventh of the Qur’aan in Tahajjud, in the night prayers, as well as guarding the regular nawaafil prayers (i.e. the 12 Raka`aat throughout the day and night), and the Ḍhuḥa prayer, and the Tahiyyaatul Masjid, along with the prescribed remembrance (of the day and the night), the remembrance before going to sleep and after getting up, and after every prayer, along with seeking beneficial knowledge and busying oneself with it while seeking the pleasure of Allaah, while also enjoining righteousness, and teaching the ignorant, and correcting the evildoer, and similar to it, along with offering the prescribed prayers in the congregation with humility, tranquility and faith, along with offering the obligatory (i.e. fasting, zakah, hajj), and avoiding the major sins, and frequent supplications and seeking forgiveness, giving charity, and joining bonds of kinship, and sincerity in doing all that is a great and virtuous task, and these are the actions of "the companions of the right hand", and the righteous Awliyaa’ of Allaah, and all of this is required from a person. So when a person engages in completing the Qur’aan every day, he has opposed the middle path, nor will he be able to do all that we mentioned, neither ponder on what he has recited. [Siyar A`laam al-Nubulaa']