In order to encourage one another to recite the whole Quran several times in Ramadhaan, every one of us writes down the Quranic verse where he has stopped and what he has understood from it. By the bounty of Allaah, this has encouraged us to recite the Quran and understand the meanings of its verses. Some of us completed the recitation of the whole Quran once during the first ten days of Ramadhaan. And it was the first time in their life to complete it in such a short time. Someone criticized what we were doing and described it as ostentation and hence prohibited. We therefore fear the loss of our reward. Is what we are doing prohibited? What evidence supports its being prohibited?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

We ask Allaah The Almighty to reward you for your keenness on doing good deeds, reading the Book of Allaah The Almighty, and reflecting on its meanings. What you are doing is permissible because you are competing and cooperating in righteousness and piety, which is encouraged by the Quran. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allaah; indeed, Allaah is severe in penalty.} [Quran 5:2] It is untrue that what you are doing is prohibited. 

What you are doing is simply a means, and means are in principle permissible, not prohibited. So, whoever says this action is prohibited should support his view with evidence. Moreover, it is not appropriate to deem this act as involving ostentation. Does the possibility of committing ostentation while observing an act of worship render it prohibited? No. So, the right thing is to say that the one who engages in any act of worship should beware of ostentation.

Finally, you should know that quitting an act of obedience to Allaah for fear of committing ostentation is blameworthy, and so is doing such an act out of ostentation! Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyaadh said, "Quitting an act for the sake of people is ostentation, whereas doing an act for the sake of people is associating others with Allaah."

 Allaah Knows best.