My friend stresses on the meaning of the Qur’an so much that he always reads qur’an translation alone. I have only seen him recite translation but never seen him reciting Arabic Qur’an.
Bismillahi Ta’ala
In regards to Qur’an, reading Qur’an with the intention of tafakkur and tadabbur (pondering on the meaning) is an ibadah (worship) which is heavily stressed upon. Everyone should take time out to do so. The ideal is to strive and learn the language of the Qur’an itself through rigorous studies.
However, this pondering on the meaning of the Qur’an is separate from recital (Qira’ah/Tilawah) of the Qur’an, which is an independent ibadah in itself. When Nabi ﷺ informs us that the reward of every letter is 10 good-deeds, then it refers to tilawah and not to reading the translation. Similarly, many ahadeeth have mentioned specific rewards of tilawah itself without looking and reading or engaging in translation or tafseer of the Qur’an
The two ibadaat should not be confused, and one should not be discarded in favour of the other. Both should be conducted with utmost sincerity and khuloos.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi