no. 2163 for the year 2004 which includes the following:

    What is the ruling for reciting a chapter of the Qur`an every week before the Friday prayer and its sermon? Is this permissible?

     Allah the most High grants the person who recites the Qur`an a high rank and exhorts Muslims to recite the Qur`an and understand its meanings. He says:

    Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. [Qur`an 73:20]

Hadiths on reading the Qur'an 

    Our master the Prophet [pbuh] said, "Read the Qur`an, for indeed it will come on the Day of Judgment and intercede on behalf of those who recite it. Recite the two bright ones, al-Baqara and al-'Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds or shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for [the cause] of those who recite them. Recite Surat al-Baqara, for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and it protects against magic" [Imam Ahmed included it in his Musnad and imam Muslim in his Sahih]. Abu Umama narrated that the Prophet [pbuh] said, "Read the Qur`an because Allah the most High does not torture a person who memorizes the Qur`an and acts upon it."

An act of worship

    Allah prepared a great reward to whosoever listens to the Qur`an. Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet [pbuh] said, "Whoever listens to even one verse of the Qur'an earns a two-fold reward and whoever recites one verse of the Qur`an, it is a light for him on the Day of Resurrection" [Ahmed included it in his Musnad].

    Islam recommends reciting the Qur`an every day, especially on Fridays by reciting surat al-Kahf. The Prophet [pbuh] said, "Whoever reads surat al-Kahf on Friday, a light between him and the Ka'ba, will shine for him" [Reported by al-Baihaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman].

    It is recommended to recite the Qur`an fluently and with a pleasant voice. The Prophet [pbuh]: "Embellish the Qur`an with your voices, for indeed a pleasant voice enhances the beauty of the Qur`an" [Al-Hakim in al-Mustadraq].

The Ruling 

    There is no objection to reciting the Qur`an in mosques before the Friday prayer. It is a good deed that brings people together for the purpose of reciting the Qur`an, thus preparing them for the rituals of Friday prayer.

Allah Almighty knows best.