The word 'so' in this ayah leads to the following paraphrase of one aspect of its meaning: "Fast this month because it is the one in which the Quran was sent down".

Ibn 'Abbaas narrates "that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, was the most generous person, and he would be at his most generous in Ramadhaan because Jibreel (Gabriel) would come to him every night and he would rehearse the Quran with him." [Al-Bukhaari]

This hadeeth contains recommendation of the following:

• Studying the Quran in Ramadhaan,

• coming together for this purpose,

• checking (one's memory/knowledge of) the Quran with someone who has preserved it better,

• increasing recitation of the Quran in Ramadhaan and

• that the night time is the best time to recite, when other preoccupations decrease and it is easier to concentrate, as in Soorah al-Muzzammil [73:6].

Further, Faatimah, may Allaah be pleased with her, narrated from her father Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,  who told her that Jibreel would rehearse the Quran with him (in Ramadhaan) once every year, and he did so twice in the year of his death. [Al-Bukhaari]

About the situation of the Salaf (our righteous predecessors) during Ramadhaan,  Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said: "... Some of the Salaf would complete reciting the whole Quran during the night prayer of Ramadhaan every 3 days; others every 7 days, e.g. Qataadah, others in 10 days, e.g. Abu Rajaa' al-Atardi. The Salaf would recite Quran in Ramadhaan in Prayer as well as outside it. Al-Aswad would finish the Quran every 2 nights in Ramadhaan; Ibraaheem an-Nakh'i would do likewise in the last 10 nights specifically and every 3 nights during the rest of the month.

Qataadah would regularly finish the Quran in 7 days, but in 3 days during Ramadhaan, when he would study the Quran especially, and every night during its last 10 days. Al-Zuhri would say when Ramadhaan began, 'It is recitation of the Quran and feeding of people.' When Ramadhaan began, Imam Maalik would cease narrating Hadeeth and sitting with the people of knowledge, and stick to reciting the Quran from its pages, while Sufyaan al-Thawri would leave other acts of worship and stick to reciting the Quran. 'Aishah would recite from the pages of the Quran at the beginning of the day in Ramadhaan (i.e. after Dawn), until when the sun had risen, then she would sleep. Zayd al-Yaami would bring copies of the Quran when Ramadhaan began and gather his companions around him. ..."