Is Listening to Surat Al-Kahf the Same as Reading It?

Praise be to Allah.

The reward that results from reading Surat Al-Kahf on Friday is only mentioned for the one who reads the Surah on that day. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever reads Surat Al-Kahf on Friday, Allah will bestow upon him light between those two Fridays.” (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi; classed as authentic by Shaykh Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) in Sahih Al-Jami`) 

It is well-known that the one who listens to a Surah is not regarded as having read it . Based on that, if a person wants the reward that is mentioned in the Hadith, then he has to read Surat Al-Kahf, and it is not enough just to listen to it. 

But if a person cannot read the Quran well, so he listens to it being recited by someone else , seeking the reward that has been mentioned for that, then there is the hope that he will have the same reward as the one who reads it, because of his good intention and doing what he is able to do. 

In the answer to question no. 10700 we have quoted the Hadiths that speak of the virtue of reading Surat Al-Kahf. 

And Allah knows best.