Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Allah does not listen to anything as attentively as He listens to the Prophet who recites the Qur’an with a pleasant voice.”

(Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him),“He should recite the Qur’an with a pleasant voice,”means to recite it with heartfelt emotion. If this was derived from“ghina”(i.e., melodiousness), then he would have said:“yataghanā bihi,”not“yataghanā bihi.”Reciting the Qur’an with a sorrowful tone does not mean to put a strain on the throat, or to beautify the voice, or to create ups and downs in the voice by following musical tunes. Reciting the Qur’an with a sorrowful tone means that two things accompany the recitation: expressing regret, being sorrowful, expressing remorse over the mistakes one has committed, and being saddened over the honor one desires. When the heart feels pain and distress, the voice becomes sorrowful and it trembles, the eyes shed tears, and the heart becomes illuminated. In such a state, the one who prays Tahajjud along with supplication will feel delight, and that person, fleeing from creation, will come into the nest of seclusion (i.e., its refuge). Hoping that his past sins will be forgiven, his crimes and faults will be overlooked. We ask Allah Almighty for His guidance.