Can one celebrate completing the Qur’aan?

This is a wonderful thing for such a young person (11 years old) living in a non-Muslimcountry and deviant society to accomplish. The fact that she has not given her name is asign of sincerity, in sha Allaah. I think that this should only be announced for thepurposes of encouraging others to do the same. The affair should be limited to a smallgathering where some relatives or friends invite a few of the girl’s friends, tellthem of her achievement in completing the Qur’aan in order to encourage them – not toshow off or boast – and some of the mothers say a few words about the greatness of theQur’aan, the importance of reading it and how the Muslim should treat theQur’aan. Or this girl could invite her friends to a meal to mark the occasion andgive thanks for this blessing. There is nothing wrong with such activities, as long as oneis careful not to let it turn into a celebration.

It is clear from the above that celebrating a person’s completion of reciting ormemorizing the Qur’aan, inviting people and offering food, is an action in whichthere is a risk of two fitnahs (temptations):
(1) that it might be an occasion for showing off and boasting, and
(2) that it may constitute bid’ah, if people believe that such celebrations are partof the religion and must be held every time a person completes the reading of theQur’aan. The first danger may be avoided by striving within oneself to be sinceretowards Allaah, and the second by restricting the invitees to a small number of family andfriends.

We should not hold such gatherings regularly, lest people think it is a part of the SunnahI ask Allaah to increase His blessings upon you and to give you the strength to memorizeQur’aan and Sincerity in speech and deeds.