What is more preferable before the iqamah: renewing the wudu' or reciting the Qur'an?

Question:
In this question, the questioner, Mustafa 'Abd al-Qadir, asks: Your Eminence, Shaykh, is it better to renew the wudu'? Or to stay in the mosque? Or to recite the Qur'an? Or to pray the sunnah? Which of these matters is more preferable before the iqamah of the prayer?

Answer:
Renewing the wudu' is recommended. If he had performed wudu' previously, renewing it is better, but it is not obligatory for him to renew the wudu'. It is the sunnah for him to move forward to the prayer, and his sitting in the mosque waiting for the prayer is of great good. If he intends it as i'tikaf, there is no harm; because staying in the mosque is called i'tikaf if he intends it as i'tikaf. Thus, waiting for the prayer or sitting in the mosque to recite is an act of drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The believer draws near to Allah by what He has prescribed. If he intends the mosque to recite in it, worship, and pray, and intends it as i'tikaf, whether for an hour, two hours, a day, or two days, there is no harm. However, he must maintain the prayer in congregation at its times and beware of lagging behind in that. If he wants to renew the wudu', meaning he performed wudu' for the Zuhr prayer and then wants to renew it for the 'Asr or Maghrib prayer, that is better. If he prays with the previous wudu', there is no blame on him. And praise be to Allah.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.