Not Seeking Worldly Benefit

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Reciting Qur'an is a great form of worship. We should engage in the recitation for the purpose of gaining the pleasure of Allah Almighty.

Allah Almighty says:

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّـهِ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً لَّن تَبُورَ ﴿٢٩﴾ لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ ﴿٣٠

Surely those who recite the Book of God and perform the prayer, and expend of that We have provided them, secretly and in public, look for a commerce that comes not to naught, (29) that He may pay them in full their wages and enrich them of His bounty; surely He is All-forgiving, All-thankful. (30)

[Qur'an Fatir 35:29-30]

Sincerity (ikhlas) is key to worship. Without it what you are building is going to turn into ruins and it is not going to benefit you in the Hereafter.

Allah Almighty says,

وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ حُنَفَآءَ وَيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ ٱلْقَيِّمَةِ

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.

[Qur'an al-Bayyinah 98:5]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Actions are only [valued] according to their intentions, and each person has only what he has intended.

This hadith is one of the foundations of Islam.

Abul al-Qasim Al-Qushayri (may Allah grant him mercy) said:

Sincerity is to single our the Real [God] in obedience with full intention: meaning, through obedience, [a worshipper] desires only to draw near to God Most High--nothing else: not ostentation for the sake of others, gaining praise with people, loving praise from them, or something else that shows [an objective] other than drawing closer to God Most High.

He said, "it is correct to say that sincerity is purifying the actions from being observed by people."

A Qur'an teacher or reciter of Qur'an should not make his intentions [to teach or to recite Qr'an] for the purpose of attaining some worldly objective, such as wealth, leadership, influence, rising above his peers, gaining people's praise, or drawing people's attention to himself.

Allah Almighty says:

مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُۥ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَىٰهَا مَذْمُومًا مَّدْحُورًا

Whoever should desire the immediate - We hasten for him from it what We will to whom We intend. Then We have made for him Hell, which he will [enter to] burn, censured and banished.

[Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:18]

May Allah Almighty grant us sincerity and save us from ostentation and the Hellfire. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam