Is it true that the Prophet, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, said that reciting Surat Al-Asr with contemplation is better than reciting the entire Qur'an without contemplation?

Firstly: Nothing has been authentically reported regarding the virtues of Surat al-Asr, except that it is part of al-Mufassal. Weak and fabricated narrations have been reported concerning its virtues.

Secondly: Scholars differed on what is better: reading a small amount with contemplation and understanding, or reading a large amount without contemplation. Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, and others held that reciting slowly with contemplation and understanding, even if little, is better, because the purpose is to understand the Qur'an and act upon it. They argued that faith is the best of deeds, and understanding the Qur'an yields faith, whereas mere recitation can be done by both the righteous and the wicked. They mentioned that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to recite slowly and stand with one verse until morning.

On the other hand, the companions of Ash-Shafi'i held that frequent recitation is better, relying on the hadith, "Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a good deed for it," and narrations from the predecessors regarding frequent recitation.

The correct view is that the reward for reciting with slow, contemplative recitation and understanding is greater and more elevated in status, while the reward for frequent recitation is greater in number. The former is like giving a great jewel in charity, and the latter is like giving many dirhams in charity. It has been reported from Ibn Abbas that he preferred reading one surah with contemplation over reading the entire Qur'an quickly, and from Ibn Mas'ud a prohibition against quick recitation and an emphasis on contemplating the verses.