Step Inside

It's funny how when you are scrambling, and searching for something, someone suddenly serves you what you want. My perception and attitude about Quran was renewed after I took Route 114. I have delved into the practice of memorizing before this, but I didn't keep it up. I didn't actually see the importance or significance, astaghfirullah. This highlights the fact that we need to constantly be in conducive surroundings and company.

Muhammad Ibn Faqih had put it all together in such a nice way. After hearing him, you can't help thinking,

"Why don't you want to embrace the Quran and keep it in your heart?"

He told us about how when a person completes his studies and receives his Ijazah, a list of his teachers is listed on it. The list works like lineage, it links the teachers of that particular students chronologically, going back in time, until it reaches the Prophet SAW, then Jibril, then Allah. I guess most of us never think of it this way. Talk about significance. How much more significant can it be, to actually recite the words of Allah that were once recited by the archangel to the most perfect human being ever created?

One hesitation I have about the whole thing is memorizing without knowing the meaning. In other words, memorizing blindly. This is one deterrance for me. I guess Shaytaan has turned it into an excuse for me. So, as I work to get around that problem, I've discovered the beauty of the Quran, especially when hearing it recited by Sa'd Al Ghamidee. I chose Surah Yusuf, for several different purposes.

1. It has many lessons, which I have yet to learn.
2. It's in chronological order
3. It was revealed to comfort and motivate the Prophet SAW, after or during the year of gried
4. It's a complete story
5. Yasir Qadhi has a CD about the tafsir, which I have yet to listen to

I am moving quite slowly, very slowly in fact, but I think I will take my time to digest it.

Now, applying this to the future generation. A dear friend gifted me with a link
last week. Just in time too. Since the kids' summer program is chock full of memorization, she sent it at just the right time. I was blown away by what I read in that ebook. Subhanallah, the dedication of that anonymous mother is just an example begging to be followed. I questioned myself though. Will I be able to do just that?

The answer lies within myself. Like I have always maintained, in order to have good children, the parents have to be righteous themselves. It all starts with the parents, and that is why, parenting is one of the most difficult thing to undertake. You are not only responsible of these young lives in terms of providing material wealth, but you are also responsible in providing spiritual wealth. I may have made it seem much much more difficult than people are ready to accept, but parenting is serious business. However, it's also a means through which we can attain Jannah, because we are forced to assess and better ourselves for the sake of pleasing Allah, insyaallah.

"Think of the angels hovering over you, their wings spread out spanning the sky. It's a sign of love and protection. Allah's words in your heart. You're reciting what was once recited by the prophet SAW himself, and better yet, by Jibril, and even better, by Allah, "

was what I told the kids when we discussed the crux of memorizing the Quran. It takes a lot of sacrifice, which truth be told, I'm not fully ready to commit, but I'm praying I will get there, all of us insyaallah. As of right now, I'm trying to figure out how I can achieve this. May Allah make it easy for us to remain constant in pleasing Him. Ameen.

The beauty of iman, the beauty of having Jannah in your mind at all times, the beauty of having His words replayed in your mind like a recording of your favorite music, is simply indescribable.