I don’t know tajweed, so when I read the Quran, I listen to a recording of someone reciting it in arabic on my phone, and I contemplate the verses. Do I get rewarded for this, and do I have to do sujood when I listen to a verse of prostration with this method?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

You will be rewarded for your listening to the recitation of the Quran by others, Allah willing.

Listening to the Quran is a reason for obtaining the Mercy of Allah, for He, Glorified and Exalted be He, Says (what means): {So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.} [Quran 7:204]

Imam Al-Layth ibn Sa’d said: “It is said, “There is no mercy that is faster to anyone than for the one who listens to the recitation of the Quran.” [End of quote]

There is no doubt that reciting the Quran is better than merely listening to it, because in recitation, the utterance by the tongue is combined with the hearing of the ear; so, dear brother, endeavor to learn the Quran.

As for the Prostration of Recitation when listening to the recording of the Quran, then the Prostration of Recitation is a recommended Sunnah in principle and not an obligation, whether you are the one who is reciting, or you are listening to the recitation of someone else.

‘Umar said: “O people, we pass in our recitation of the Quran by verses where there is prostration, so he who prostrates has indeed done the right thing, and he who does not prostrate, then there is no sin upon him; he did not prostrate.” [Al-Bukhaari]

If the reciter recites in a recording a verse in which there is a Prostration of Recitation, then the listener is not required to prostrate, because in general, there is no prostration for the recitation from a recording. A group of jurists have stated that if the reciter does not prostrate, then the listener does not prostrate as well.

Kash'shaf al-Qinaa’, which is one of the Hanbali School of jurisprudence books, reads:

“If the reciter does not prostrate, then the listener does not prostrate as well.” [End of quote]

Allah knows best.