From the Blessings of Being a Student of the Qur’an

Sep 8, 2022

Alhamdulillah the Taleem al Qur’an journey is nothing less than a life-altering blessing that provides us with the lens of Truth to view life as it was made by Allah. Not only do we develop and strengthen our relationship with our Creator, but we also learn the life lessons to make our journey in this world easier, more rewarding and worthwhile, and in sha Allah our journey towards Akhirah more blessed as well.

Here are some of the precious lessons that I experienced and hold in my heart from my memorable days in the Taleem al Qur’an course. 

 

  • Stay steadfast in prayer- if you get that right, everything else will work out too.

  • Tests come but also pass-Turn to Allah first & foremost, & then again in gratitude.

  • Tawakkul/reliance upon Allah can even make the fire cool and serene!(like it did for Ibraheem (AS))

  • Win each battle with the strength of Eemaan!

  • Beware your greatest enemy (satan- his only goal is to derail you & me from the right path)

  • Keep up your armor of azkar day & night from every harm! (prescribed remembrance & supplications) 

  • Company matters! Choose friends who have good eemaan and a great character.

  • Never underestimate the power of dua- it can change destiny & be your strongest shield!

  • Supercharge your dua with the right etiquettes & Allah’s greatest names, and seize the moments  of acceptance!

  • Islam IS the middle path- easy and simple to follow. It makes sense & touches the heart. 

  • Our Deen (religion) is a ‘complete way of life’; it is completely PERFECT & perfectly COMPLETE! 

  • Fear Allah in every matter & relationship- Taqwa (God-consciousness) is the key.

  • Remember that Allah has made all the pleasures of this life for us to enjoy- and they will be most delightful when enjoyed the right way:)

  • Good Deeds are only those that have Ikhlas(sincerity) and follow the Sunnah.

  • No one loves and understands you more than Allah- and He is always there and very near.

  • The more you love Him, the more you will remember Him.

  • Make Jannah your priority, your goal, your forever destination!

With Gratitude to Allah and the Institute,

Sameen Fahmi

(If you wish to become a student of the Qur’an also, Alhmadulillah there are many options at Al Huda Institute to suit your lifestyle. Go ahead, don’t keep the blessings and rewards from reaching you anymore- check out Qur’an study programs at: https://www.alhudainstitute.ca/ )

Istiqamah on the path of Allah – Poetry

Aug 15, 2022

By Abeeha Imtiaz
(Masha Allah this poem is a Top winner in the Poetry category of the Competition at the 2022 MAC Convention)

 

“Indeed, Allāh is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path.”
(Qur’an, Ale Imran: 51)

Intro- explanation about my piece of poetry:
When I think about thriving in the path of Allah swt, I think about connecting with the Qur’an. When it
comes to thriving on a path of someone – anyone – how can we tread that path if we don’t know what
the path is like? Is it rocky, smooth, straight, muddy, what is it? Similarly to Allah’s path, we need to
know what His path is. What does it mean to strive in the way of Allah? What actually counts in
striving? What is the path like? The Qur’an can only teach us this. Maintaining istiqamah on the path
towards Allah is connecting with the Book of Allah, the guidance Allah facilitated for us, the Qur’an.
Thriving in the path of Allah is doing all that Allah loves and approves of – which is all explained within
the Qur’an. Muslims need to connect back to the message of the Qur’an.

 

A Divine Appeal

The Qur’an, the greatest miracle from Allah, a mercy for all,
A blessing, a wondrous treasure, a call
The Qur’an, which is the kalaam of Allah, sent to the Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم
A speech that is unmatched, a book that is the core of Islam
A cure for what is within the chest,
Full of barakah, blessed
It is not addressing some scholar, just the Makkans, Arabs, or just men
Its a book for us all, a book that swears by the pen
And yet we are still heedless of it
Heedless of what it means and how we can benefit from it
When we recite it, the message does not reach beyond our tongue, or seep into our heart,
We are left unchanged, nothing affecting us, our egos not falling apart
We should be affected by what we hear, it should shake you, rattle your ego, penetrate your
beliefs, change your life for the better
This is a message talking to you, you are the subject of the verses, sent to you, its a letter
These aren’t just a bunch of random stories in Arabic, with no order and about some people
long ago

They are for me and you to look at, understand, take lessons and yes – in the true sense,
continue to learn and grow
We have forgotten the main purpose of the Qur’an and made it a sacred family inheritance,
focusing on its arabic art
To be treasured in exotic and expensive covers, yet to be untreasured in the best of all covers
which is the heart
To be recited and listened to in the best and melodious voices,
But it’s message being unpresent in our decision making and choices
To be placed high above all other objects in the room,
Yet to occupy the lowest station in their daily lives, as you can assume
To be read when a death has occured,
Yet to be ignored by the living who don’t get time to recite even a word
To be written in the faciest of scripts and in the most expensive of papers, these are our
manytimes our only ambitions,
all the while, we are heedless of its commandments and prohibitions
When the Qur’an seeps into the hearts of people, it produces an effect
Bringing out khair from people from unexpected places, in their personal, and public lives – it’s
a reformation – that’s correct!
Guidance from the Qur’an cant be bought, downloaded, speed shared on WhatsApp, attached
as a file on an email, or inserted into your brain with a micro chip or a USB
Its learnt with much hard work, blood, sweat, n tears.. But the good part? It will make you free
the Qur’an is a mirror teaching us what we need to see,
a reflection of who we are and who we need to be
We need to all connect back to the Qur’an and learn it’s meaning
Learn what the verses are about, what Allah wants from us, going through a heart cleaning

12 ways to strengthen your connection with the Quran

Aug 5, 2022

By Taleem al Quran (TQE11) student

Umarrah Javed Al Hadi

We pray salah in order to stand before Allāh and express our devotion. Likewise, we study
the Qurān in order to learn what the commands of Allāh are. This Book is not like any other
and therefore our connection to it cannot be like our connection to anything else.
Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-’Aas (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that our Beloved
Prophet ﷺ said:

“The one who was devoted to the Qurān will be told [on the Day of Resurrection:] ‘Recite [the Qurān] and ascend [in ranks] as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last verse you recite.”’ (Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi)

From another hadith we learn that, Abu Hurairah (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that our Beloved Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whenever a group of people assemble in one of the Houses of Allāh (i.e. Mosques), reciting the Book of Allāh and studying it, tranquility descends upon them, Mercy covers them, angels surround them and Allāh makes a mention of them among those who are with Him.” (Muslim)

With such priceless guidance, one can only want to dive deeper into the Qurān.

With that in mind, here are 12 ways to improve your relationship with the Qurān:

 

1) Make du’ā for Allāh to open your heart and increase you in beneficial knowledge:

Purify your intention for learning the Qurān, and ensure that it is for the sake of Allāh- to attain taqwa (God consciousness), to learn how Allāh wants us to spend our time in this life and to gain a comprehensive understanding of what has passed and what is yet to come. Once you are in a purified state, make sincere du’ā. Ask Allāh to open your heart to His Words and to make Qurān the basis of your life. A du’ā made by Our Beloved Prophet ﷺ can also be used here:

رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

[O my Lord, increase me in knowledge]

 

2) Commit an amount to study every day:

Consistency is important to build a strong relationship and understanding of the Holy Qurān; for this, try to put at least one hour aside for this on a daily basis. Take into consideration your routine and attach your Qurān study to a particular time of day i.e. some people choose to study at Fajr for its spiritual benefit while others may choose to study half their daily amount at Fajr, saving the rest for a studying after a later salah i.e. between Asr and Maghrib.

 

3) Review what you have studied:

While completing your daily studies, ensure to take notes and write reflections in order to solidify your knowledge. You can do this digitally or with a notebook and pen but another alternative is to gather your family & friends and have a discussion about the verses you have read. The vocalization of your knowledge as well as being able to gain knowledge from others will surely help strengthen your understanding of the Qurān.

 

4) Learn the Arabic word for word:

Any translation is an interpretation. With that in mind, work towards removing barriers between yourself and comprehension of the Qurān in the way Allāh sent it for us. Having a firm grasp of the Quranic Arabic will enable you to read a verse and understand it without any further instruments – such a learning is truly enriching and absolutely attainable. Be patient and begin with one chapter at a time to memorize each word’s translation, test yourself and utilize tools and methods that can empower your learning.

 

5) Apply what you have learnt in your daily life:

Once you gain the definition and understanding of a verse or chapter. Apply its commands in your life – by the practical action of doing, you will further strengthen the connection between the word of Allāh and yourself. You can also memorize a chapter or parts of a chapter and recite them in your salah. For example, the greatest verse in the Qurān, Ayat-al-Kursi, is a good place to start memorizing.

 

6) Enrol in a class or course:

You will find many institutes, schools and organisations offering Qurān courses that can provide a good foundation, accountability and structure for your learning journey. Further to this, you can choose an in-person or online course but keep in mind that the knowledge sharing that happens in-person is usually more interactive, engaging, hands-on and overall a fuller experience. Check out what you have available around you and perhaps try a short course before you commit to a longer course.

7) Recite with Tajweed:

As the word ‘Qurān’ itself means ‘Recitation’, we cannot fully delve into The Book without reciting it. Within this recitation, there are many areas to nourish but the overall improvement and constant concentration on tajweed is fundamental to successful recitation. Tajweed is a collection of rules and instructions for the correct pronunciation of the letters with all their qualities i.e. giving each letter its due right (haqq). The best way to improve tajweed is with a teacher – there are many learned teachers that look forward to sharing this knowledge with their students. You may have to do some research, but in sha Allāh you can find someone locally around you (or online) that can help you to improve your recitation.

 

8) Listen to recitation:

While you are reading, reciting and pondering over the verses of the Qurān, listening to its recitation is another component to improve your overall relationship with this magnificent Book. Listening to its recitation engages different parts of your mind that are then able to retain the sound, vibrations and inflections which in turn can help you with your own recitation, word for word learning and memorization.

 

9) Make connections within The Book:

Once you start studying the Qurān with consistency, you will start to notice repetition of words and themes. As part of your note-taking and studying, try and retain the placements of concepts and relate them to other parts of the Qurān. Being able to create these connections within the ocean of the Qurān will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the prominent concepts that Allāh wants believers to understand.

 

10) Begin and end your day with the Qurān:

Making Qurān one of the first things you do as part of your morning worship and making it the final part of your night worship binds your day in a spiritual wrap. As beautifully declared in the Qurān:

‘…the recitation of dawn is ever-witnessed.’ (17:78)

From the above ayah we learn the majesty of reciting the Qurān at Fajr time. The fact is that while the world may be sleeping, your recitation is being witnessed by angels who are scribing your efforts, and Allāh- who is noting your devotion. For the evening and night, we have also been informed by Our Beloved Prophe tﷺ that one should recite the three Quls, Ayat-al-Kursi and the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah before going to sleep.

 

11) Understand the context and times of when verses were revealed:

The Qurān descended over the course of 23 years. The verses correspond with changing times and circumstances, therefore, making the Qurān a timeless guidance. With that being said, developing an understanding of the points in reality in which the verses were revealed is a knowledge that provides one with a fuller, greater and deeper connection to The Book and to Allāh.

 

12) Read the Seerah (Life of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ):

The Messenger of Allāh, our Beloved Prophet ﷺ is the example by which we should strive to live our lives. Among the countless blessings we received through him, the greatest is that it was his heart that was chosen for the Qurān to descend upon; the purest heart with the character that is often described as the living Qurān. Seeking knowledge of The Prophet ﷺ and his life, and discovering the events that coincided with certain verses being revealed are all incredibly beneficial tools to widen one’s way of thinking, grow one’s eemaan and soulfully comprehend the precious verses of the Qurān.

 

May Allāh make the gaining and retaining of beneficial knowledge easy and may He reward the sincere efforts. Aameen.

Maintaining closeness to Allah(swt) through Tahajjud

Jun 7, 2022

Over a month after Ramadan has ended, isn’t it time we ask ourselves- how much of it are we still carrying with us? How hard are we trying to keep the Ramadan spirit alive, like the sahabah did throughout the year? For sure, the special ease that comes from the barakah of that month may not be here anymore, but is it not the same ‘us’ and the same Rabb? The same ‘us’ who proved to ourselves that yes, we CAN read Quran every day, AND fast, AND pray Tarawih/Qiyam al Layl! And isn’t our Creator still and always the Ever-Merciful, the Ever-Hearing, regardless of season or month?

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145)

One way we can carry forward a part of Ramadan with us, is to pray Tahajjud, or the night prayer regularly. It is a time when we will again find our Lord just as near and giving. Tahajjud spiritually energizes, relaxes and heals us, often even replacing the need for the lost sleep. It sets the stage for a beautiful and productive day- both in matters of the Dunya and Deen.

Here are some tips to wake up for Tahajjud and enjoy spiritual rejuvenation and a cherished closeness with Allah(swt):

  • Nap in the day

  • Keep yourself in check during the day- a righteous day leads to a righteous night

  • Eat less in the evening

  • Set up your prayer clothes/place/Mushaf/dua books at night before going to sleep

  • Make Dua for Allah to enable you to wake up & experience Tahajjud

  • Sleep early after Isha

  • Cleanse your heart- a heart full of bitterness, grudges or malice is a heavy heart to wake up with

  • Stay patient. Give your body time to develop this new keystone habit. Don’t get discouraged when you miss it

  • Try & try until you succeed!

Laylatul Qadr: Tips to Stay Mindful and Excel in Worship

Apr 22, 2022

✨ Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.”(Sahih al-Bukhari 2017)

🌙Begin with Du’a and Allah’s remembrance: complete your Evening Adhkar after Asr, and ask Allah(SWT) for the ability to worship Him in the best way that pleases Him.

🌙Be aware that Laylatul Qadr starts at Maghrib.

🌙 Watch yourself: Don’t do or say anything that may cancel Allah’s mercy that’s descending. Avoid any arguments, making rude comments, backbiting, showing negative attitude of any kind or doing any disliked deed.

🌙 Eat light & stay hydrated to maximize energy.

🌙 Try to pray Isha and Fajr in congregation, for its reward is written as spending the entire night in prayer.

🌙 It is the Night of making Du’a more than anything else – Engage in making comprehensive Du’as, and especially the Du’a of Laylatul Qadr.

🌙 Diversify good deeds. Give charity, make Du’a, read Qur’an, perform Nawafil salah, do tasbeehaat. (Du’a and charity can even change destiny bi idhni Allah)

🌙 Be patient & show immense generosity to those around you. Don’t we expect unlimited generosity and forgiveness from Allah?!

🌙 Do Ihsaan: Show excellence in worship and in dealing with others.

🌙Maintain Dhikr to maximize blessings, especially those tasbeehaat that we know the tremendous rewards for.

🌙 Make lots of Istighfar– So sins don’t come in the way of Allah’s blessings.

🌙 Send salutations and prayers upon the Prophet(ﷺ) – As it is one of the best Du’as!

🌙 Specify a spot for worship so that it’ll help increase focus.

🌙 Do Ibadah in seclusion even if for a little while, & make the intention for a mini I’tikaf. Allah(SWT) accepts & rewards any effort.

🌙 Don’t waste any moment & remain conscious of Allah(SWT).

🌙 Remember, Laylatul Qadr lasts until Fajr– Stretch your Ibadah until then if possible, whether it be active qiyam, reading Qur’an, making du’a, doing adhkaar & tasbih, or just listening the Qur’an or a beneficial lecture.

🌺May Allah (SWT) grant us His complete maghfirah, acceptance of du’as, blessed destiny, His limitless rahmah and fadhl; and protect us from being deprived from the blessings of Laylatul Qadr or any of His khayr.

لا حَولَ ولا قوّۃَ اِلّا بِاللّہ. 🤲🏻
“There is no power and no strength except with Allah”

رَبِّ اَعِنِّیْ عَلٰی ذِکْرِکَ وَ شُکْرِکَ وَ حُسْنِ عِبَادَتِکَ۔ 🤲🏻
“O my Lord, help me in remembering You, in thanking You, and in beautifully worshiping You.”

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عُفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
“O Allah, You are pardoning. You love to forgive, so forgive me.” 🤲🏻

Aameen.

A Great Deed in Action!

Apr 22, 2022

=> Revise One or more Juz daily

 

What could be a greater deed in the month of Qur’an than enjoying the Qur’an itself?! Being in the last stretch of the race, there’s still a chance to overturn the tables by giving it our best shot in sha Allah!

“Verily, deeds are only judged by their endings.”(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2898, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 112)

We may revise the Qur’an by reading, going through the meanings and brief tafsir, listening to the recitation, and/or revising the hifdh of any ayahs memorized. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Gabriel would come to me to revise the Qur’an once every year. This year he revised with me twice.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3376)

 

Here are some practical tips to boost your Qur’an journey, even if you started late!

 

  • Plan how much Qur’an you will revise daily, and determine the best time for it. Remember, ‘Those who fail to plan, plan to fail!’
  • Try to stick to a schedule & stay consistent. Remember, slow and steady wins the race! 
  • You may divide that time reserved for the Qur’an into smaller, more manageable chunks or slots into your daily schedule. 
  • No doubt, the best time for the Qur’an is Fajr (Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.(17:78) ), or the early morning- which is full of blessing for the Believers.
  • Give your best/most energetic & focused time to the Qur’an, and in sha Allah, Allah will put barakah in the rest of your daily chores and commitments also.
  • Continue your daily reading in Tarawih and other Sunnahs and Nawafils of the day, and get 2 great deeds done together!

And don’t forget, other than the immense reward of following the Sunnah, we also accumulate the countless rewards upon every letter throughout our journey of the Qur’an, especially in a month when the rewards are unimaginably multiplied!

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