Qur’an Reading Reward

It is often asked: if Surah Ikhlas is equal to 1/3 of the Qur’an in reward, why do we still need to read the entire Qur’an?

Ibn Taymiyah said:

كمن معه ثلاثة آلاف دينار وآخر معه طعام ولباس ومساكن ونقد يعدل ثلاثة آلاف دينار فإن هذا معه ما ينتفع به في جميع أموره وذاك محتاج إلى ما مع هذا ، وإن كان ما معه يعدل ما مع هذا ، وكذلك لو كان معه طعام من أشرف الطعام يساوي ثلاثة آلاف دينار فإنه محتاج إلى لباس ومساكن وما يدفع به الضرر من السلاح والأدوية وغير ذلك مما لا يحصل بمجرد الطعام .
“It is like a man who has 3,000 Dinars and another man who has food, clothing, accommodation equivalent to 3,000 Dinars in value. 
The latter has that which will benefit him in all his affairs, whereas the former needs what the latter has, even though what he has is equivalent in value.
Similarly, if he has the finest food, equivalent to 3,000 Dinars in value, he still needs clothing and accommodation, and weapons and tools that will ward off harm from him, and the like, which cannot be done with food alone.”

[“Majmoo’ al-Fataawa”, 17/137-139].