Tag Archives: Quran

Some things I learned [April]

30 Sunday Apr 2017

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Bismillah. All praises and thanks are due to Allah, who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’an. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved, Nabi Muhammad SAW. 

Something I learned

I’ve reached the 20 juz mark and need to now recite it all out to my teacher, but I seem to have a block, which I believe to be self-sabotage, where I won’t allow myself to reach or go beyond a certain level of success. Funnily enough, I don’t fear failure, I fear success. So I looked up what to do about it and came across Marie Forleo. “…I learned about a concept called “upper limits” and the unfortunate link many of us have between self-sabotage and expanded success.” -Marie Forleo. For some people, when they reach their “upper limit”, defined as “the limit that you allow yourself to feel happy and successful”, they get sick, others want to run and hide. Some get themselves in accidents or they start dropping the ball at work. The upper limit is almost like an internal thermostat; like your success comfort zone. Apparently, each of us has a limited tolerance for feeling good. So when things go amazing and we go beyond that upper limit, many of us start to unconsciously sabotage ourselves so that we can get back to our comfort zone.

What to do about it:

  1. Become aware of where you self-sabotage and pay extra attention when you start to do it. You’re going to face this throughout your entire life and the more awareness you bring, the more you reset that thermostat and re-calibrate yourself to handle success.

2. Mantra to repeat:

I expand in success, love and creativity every day as I inspire others to do the same.

Or

When it comes to joy and success, your built-in upper limit is completely adjustable.”

-Marie Forleo

Something I discovered:

Jenna – the Qur’an teacher! A doll that recites 4 surahs. It is really pricey, especially since the Rand is my currency, but I could not resist ordering one online. I pray that it gets delivered to me safely.

 

Something I heard:

I’ve heard this lecture before from my all-time favourite Islamic speaker, but it gets to me every time:

“Why am I learning this Quran? The cliche answer is: for guidance. But what does that mean?

“When we’re asking Allah for guidance, we’re asking Him for the strength to make the right choices.

“The actual relationship that I have with the Quran is not when I’m listening to a lecture; it’s not when I’m memorising. You know when the actual relationship I have with the Quran is? When I’m standing in salat and reciting it. When I’m standing in salat and I’m listening to it being recited. The relationship we have with the Quran happens five times a day at least. If somebody’s salat is good, their Quran is good. And if somebody is not engaging with the Quran in salat, then their relationship with the Quran is entirely artificial. It means nothing. It is entirely an academic exercise and a superficial exercise. The real Quran happens in salat. Everything I learn about the Quran- all of it boils down to: I will have a better salat. If I will not have better salat, all of this is in vain.” -Ust. Nouman Ali Khan [transcribed from a talk]

Something I read:

Confession: I have not finished reading this book yet. Nonetheless, in the preface, Dr. Muhyiddin Abd al Shakoor writes, “…those who are generally sought to assist the troubled hearts of men are clearly equally as sick as their patients. Sometimes they are sicker.” He also writes, “Dr. Badri has taken a bold step in presenting his reflections on what truly is a dilemma: The Muslim Psychologist attempting to live a duality which ultimately is fatal.”

This book was published way back in 1979 and I am fortunate to be alive in a time where the opportunity to be an Islamic psychologist is not a far-fetched dream but a reality, Alhamdulillah. I hope to further my studies by doing Islamic psychology at the Islamic University of Malaysia in the future inShaAllah. I was so inspired by the profiles of the female lecturers there (which I read on their website). I have many aspirations and I make du’a that Allah SWT guides me to what will be most beneficial to His creation and be most pleasing to Him. Aameen.

With best of du’as for your worldly and Hereafter success,

Wasfeeya

+27793500024

wasfeeya@gmail.com

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Thoughts along the road

24 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by in Hifdh Diary, Reflections

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Bismillah. All praises and thanks are due to Allah, who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’an. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved, Nabi Muhammad SAW. 

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I like reaching milestones, and recording them. They are more for myself to look back on than anything else, ’cause I happen to be a rather sentimental being.

So today, despite my bare minimal effort, I completed my 20th juz, by the will and help of Allah, towards my khatm for sanad and ijaza in Hafs ‘An ‘Asim. Alhamdulillah.

But I find myself asking myself what I’m doing. Am I just doing this for the sake of achievement? To gain credibility? Is it really necessary? My tajwīd is good enough Alhamdulillah so why carry on?

Or is Shaytaan trying to steer me off the path I’m on? Am I being tested? Tempted?


Reminder to myself of some of the reasons I’m doing this:

  • To teach my future kids one day (inShaAllah). (Hopefully the future husband won’t need my help🙈)
  • To be a better teacher to my current and future students (inShaAllah).
  • To preserve the qirā-āt and make its knowledge widespread and as common as memorisation by the permission of Allah.

Oh Allah, I beg of You to grant me sincerity of deeds and actions. Don’t take my life until you’re pleased with me. Āmīn.

With best wishes for your worldly and Hereafter success,

Wasfeeya

+27793500024

wasfeeya@gmail.com

Forgetting Qur’an

10 Tuesday May 2016

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Bismillāhir-Rahmānir-Raheem. In the Name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

One of my blog followers from Bangladesh asked me a question about hifdh and salaah. I was looking for the following hadith:

Regarding the salaah: The Prophet Muhammad said, “When the Companion of the Qur’ān performs Salah, reciting it by night and day, he retains it and if he doesn’t [use it in] Salah he forgets.”
Source: Silsilah Ahadeeth as-Saheehah no. صحيح – 597 [Sahih]
when I came across this on Islam Q & A and I couldn’t stop myself from sharing it. It is a reminder to myself first!

Undoubtedly forgetfulness is something that is natural in man, and man is only called insaan because of his forgetfulness (nasiy). Usually this varies from one person to another, according to the differences in the strength of the memory that Allaah has created in His slaves.

 The Qur’aan “escapes” from the heart if the Muslim does not constantly and regularly review what he has memorized of it.

The reason for this may be that it is a test of people’s hearts, to show the difference between the one whose heart is attached to the Qur’aan and regularly recites it, and the one whose heart is attached to it only whilst memorizing it, then he loses interest and forgets it.

The reason may also be to give the Muslim a stronger motive to recite the Qur’aan more frequently so as to attain the immense reward for every letter that he recites. If it were the case that he could learn it and never forget it, he would not need to read it frequently and then he would miss out on the reward for reciting and reviewing it regularly. Fear of forgetting it will make you keen to recite it so as to gain more reward with your Lord. For every letter you recite you will have one hasanah, and the reward for one hasanah is ten like it.

 The Messenger SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to read Qur’aan regularly lest we forget it. He warned us against being negligent in this regard, as was stated in numerous ahaadeeth, including the following:

 1-     The hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The likeness of the one who memorizes the Qur’aan is that of the owner of a hobbled camel. If he tends to it regularly, he will keep it, but if he lets it go, he will lose it.” (al-Bukhaari, 5031).

 It is well known that if a camel escapes and runs away, it cannot be recaptured except with a lot of stress and difficulty. Similarly, if the person who memorizes Qur’aan does not regularly review what he has memorized, he will lose it and will require a great deal of effort to get it back.

 * Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (9/79), in his commentary on this hadeeth: so long as one constantly reviews it, what one has memorized will remain, as is the case with a camel, if it remains hobbled, you will keep it. The camel was singled out here because it is the most likely of domesticated animals to run away, and if it does run away, recapturing it is very difficult.

 2 – Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (no. 790 and 791) from Abu Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Read this Qur’aan regularly for, by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, it is more likely to escape than a hobbled camel.”

 3 – Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not right for any one of you to say, ‘I have forgotten such and such.’ On the contrary, he has been made to forget. Try to review the Qur’aan, for it is more likely to escape from men’s hearts than camels.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 5032).

 Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (9/81): Ibn Battaal said, This hadeeth is in accordance with the two aayahs (interpretation of the meanings):

‘Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word’ [al-Muzzammil 73:5]

and

‘And We have indeed made the Qur’ân easy to understand and remember’ [al-Najm 54:17]

 So whoever strives to memorize it and recite it regularly, it will be made easy for him, and whoever turns away from it, will lose it.

 This is what encourages us to constantly review what we have memorized and to keep on reciting it, lest we forget it. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Alalah be upon him) gave this example because it is the best way to explain what he meant. He also confirmed it with his oath ‘by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad’, to affirm the importance of constantly reciting the Qur’aan and reviewing what one has learned.

 3 – With regard to the report that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Alalah be upon him) said: “The sins of my ummah were shown to me and there is no sin greater than that of a man who was given or  was helped to memorize a soorah or an aayah of the Qur’aan and then he forgot it.” This is a weak (da’eef) hadeeth which was classed as such by al-Bukhaari and al-Tirmidhi. See Takhreej Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh by al-Albaani, no. 720.

 Imaam Ibn al-Munaadi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Mutashaabih al-Qur’aan (p. 52):

 The Salaf were always afraid of forgetting Qur’aan after they had memorized it, because this was a shortcoming.

 Al-Suyooti said in al-Itqaan (1/106):

 Forgetting it is a major sin, as was stated by al-Nawawi in al-Rawdah and others, because of the hadeeth “I was shown the sins of my ummah…”

 One of the best ways to help oneself to remember what one has memorized and to make it firmly-entrenched is to recite it in one’s salaah, especially in Qiyaam al-Layl. The Salaf used to recite it during the day and when praying Qiyaam al-Layl.

 If you strive heard to review the Qur’aan regularly, there will be no sin on you even if you do forget some of it. The blame is on those who neglect it and fail to review it and read it regularly. We ask Allaah to forgive us.

 O Allaah, make the Qur’aan the life of my heart, the light of my breast, a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety. O Allaah, teach us from it that which we do not know and remind us from it of that which we have forgotten, for You are the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Source: Islam Question and Answer

 

Holiday Highlights

16 Saturday Jan 2016

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Bismillāhir-Rahmānir-Raheem

All praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

Living in Cape Town, we get to be tourists in our own city, subhanAllah! My holiday started the day after my tamat (hifdh graduation) and apart from my ‘umrah journey a while ago, I had the most amazing holiday everrr, Alhamdulillah! For the past three years I was in and out of mild depression and dreading going back to school after every holiday, so this year was different. I came alive. I am back. I’m told there’s a brightness in my face that wasn’t there before and I feel like there’s a spring in my step. I capture this holiday of mine in this post for myself to look back on in years to come, and to show that being a haafidha isn’t boring and doesn’t mean that you have to be in-doors reciting all day. My intention is not to show off in any way and I humbly ask of you that you don’t feel even a tinge of jealousy, but have good feelings towards me, and maybe even spare a du’a for me – I promise the angels will make du’a right back for you! In no particular order, here goes:

Hifdh Mentoring 

The point that I’m at now feels like the moment Allah (SWT) speaks to Musa (A.S.), when, after He tells him his life story, He says, “And I have prepared/produced you for Myself.” (Qur’an, 20:41). I feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose through this and what could feel better than that? (Apart from feeling close to Allah through other ‘ibaadah of course.) Read more about my first session in my blog post.

Meeting my potential Mister

Day one of my holiday (or holidays?) started with an anticipated meeting with a potential mister. (We had waited months for various reasons.) Meeting for marriage the right way actually isn’t uncomfortable and awkward as some might think – maybe we were just lucky, or blessed; what do you think? Whether he’s The One, Allahu A’lam, but it was a really enjoyable evening getting to know him for the sake of Allah, Alhamdulillah.

for those who are lost, these are conjuctions that only make sense when paired together.
for those who are lost, these are conjuctions that only make sense when paired together.
Just clarifying, there was no proposal but this is spot on!
Just clarifying, there was no proposal but this is spot on!

Being featured on VOC

I am intending to host a show some time this year in-sha-Allah, but in the mean time I got an opportunity to be featured on Evening Live on VOC, 91.3fm. It was so much fun. I love being live on radio. I enjoy the spontaneity of the impromptu questions. I hope to post the recordings in future.

Breakfast on the Beach

Some of my friends and I were planning on going to Muizenberg beach but I overslept (embarrassed face), so it was too late to go but we ended up having our brekkie on Sea Point beach instead.

 

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Babysitting

Babysitting Mlm. R and Ml. K’s three gorgeous girls (ma-sha-Allah) is so much fun! Aged one, two and three, they can be a handful at times, but I’d do it for free any day. After swimming, jumping on the trampoline and playing on the jungle gym, I’m exhausted when I come home, but full of grattitude. Grateful for the life that I lead, that I don’t (yet) have those responsibilities, for the opportunity to help out my Mu’allimah, for her family and her life that I get to be a small part of, for my health and fitness (barely) and whatever else I can think of. Alhamdulillah.

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Their pretend jungle gym

Mingling with monkeys

I spent the last day of last year at the World of Birds. We went specifically to visit the “Monkey Jungle.” Those monkeys were so adorable I wish I could adopt one!

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Kirstenbosch Gardens with my MSA sisters

What a beautiful afternoon it was! I was running late (embarrassed face, again!) so we went later than planned and got there on the waqt of Dhuhr. We made salaah in such pure tranquility – we wish every salaah could feel like that. Catching up with the girls was memorable.

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Hiking!!!

Freshly made coffee and jaffles at the waterfall in Cecilia Forest with awesome company – need I say more?!

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The full-moon, after Fajr hike up Lion’s Head was another memorable experience, Alhamdulillah.

Did you know – it’s sunnah to say Allahu Akbar while ascending and subhanAllah when descending?

Swimming!!!!!!

There’s something about swimming that I can’t even try to explain. Being enveloped by the water, I swim without thinking about it; my mind filled with different thoughts. I make dhikr in-between as well. I went every Tuesday except one, when I went cherry picking with my family (which wasn’t all exciting unfortunately but the cherries were delish). I’m grateful for the ladies-only time slot. I can only go in my holidays so I always make the most of it! For me, swimming needs to be in a 25m pool, otherwise it’s just splashing around. My dream mahr (dowry) would be my own 25m pool with just 2 lanes.

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Splashing Around and Chilling

This is just a splash pool but it was needed on that hot day nonetheless. I spent the day with my older sisters – friends I made when I first started studying deen. Those friends are truly friends for life, even if I don’t often see or speak to them. All of my friends are older than me and almost always have been in the past as well.

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Meeting my three R’s

I went to visit one of my first tajweed teachers, Haafidha R, then met up with the inspiring Mu’allimah R – a mother seven amazing children, ma-sha-Allah and later visited Aunty R, one of my mother’s friends who is on a different path but who has touched my life. It was an incredibly inspiration-filled day and I felt a deep-found contentment at the end of it. I’m blessed to have so many amazing women in my life, Alhamdulillah.

 

Catching up with friends

 

I met up with absolutely ALL of my friends. I went to their houses or we went out for lunch. I try to remember to make the intention that it’s for His sake, so that the time spent may be blessed and rewarded, in-sha-Allah.

 

Hifdh Mentor Diary #1

06 Wednesday Jan 2016

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Bismillāhir-Rahmānir-Raheem

All praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

My normal hifdh diary posts might start again once I begin my further hifdh studies in-sha-Allah, but I’ve now moved on to hifdh mentoring so here’s a look into my life. This post will especially enlighten you if you are still unclear about what exactly hifdh mentoring is, in-sha-Allah, as I take you through my client’s session. (I have updated my past post on hifdh mentorship, so check that out too.)

So I had my first client of the year yesterday morning, Alhamdulillah The night before I was really excited and I thought about a quote I came across looong ago in one of Paulo Coelho’s books:

We always know we are close to our true mission on earth when what we are doing is touched with the energy of enthusiasm.

Allah (s.w.t.) provided me with an office about ten minutes before I started. My mother was busy in our living room and wasn’t prepared to move so I used my scrapbooking-room-turned-my-brother’s tuition-room-turned-guest-room, which had been neatly cleaned and prepared for our past holiday guest.

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My home office

My client arrived and I began with reciting my favourite du’as, (out loud for her to benefit from too).

Before we looked into goals regarding hifdh, I coached her to formulate vision and mission satements. She’d like to be a good Qur’an teacher. She would like to teach adult ladies to recite the Qur’an with proper tajweed. I needed to know these so that I could link her desire to memorise the Qur’an with a greater purpose, in order to increase her motivation and driving force.

I asked her to choose one or two ahadith that would be her strongest motivation. She actually chose an ayah: “But they are clear verses in the chests of those who have been granted knowledge…” (Qur’an, 29:49). See my post on Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan’s hifdh motivation for more on this aayah.

I got her to make an inspiration board. It helps that I used to do scrapbooking, so I still have some pretty goodies to use. The aayah was the focal point, surrounded by her vision and mission statements. She didn’t get to finish it due to time constraints, but I hope to update this post with a pic of it in-sha-Allah.

Now to get to the actual hifdh:

I asked her how much she has memorised and whether she’s aiming to complete the whole Qur’an. Yes she is! Bi-ith-nillah.

The plan I formulated is for her to first memorise her new lesson after Fajr, followed by her recent new lesson. Then, her back lesson will be done later in the day, ideally after ‘Asr.

I provided her with a program to be filled in:

Date Day Back lesson

(Juz)

 Time Recent Back Lesson

(Juz)

 Time New Lesson Time
¼30 (First ¼ of juz 30) 29 – L (Beginning of juz 29 until current lesson) 2 to 3 lines 30 – 45 mins

(record beginning & end times here)
2/4 30 29 – L
¾ 30 29 – L
4/4 30 29 – L
¼ 30 29 – L
2/4 30 29 – L
½ 30 29 – L
¾ 30 29 – L
4/4 30 29 – L
2/2 30 29 – L

 

I’ll be checking up on her via WhatsApp on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In the mornings after Fajr, I’ll send her a reminder and at night I’ll check whether she learned and revised her lessons for the day. We’re scheduled to meet again in three to four weeks time to assess her progress in-sha-Allah.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any queries or concerns. I welcome your questions and look forward to your feedback. May Allah place Barakah in all of our endeavours, grant us the best of success and keep us sincere and steadfast. Aameen.

“The more you give to the Qur’an in recitation, comprehension, and implementation, the more the Qur’an will give you in Light, guidance, protection, and happiness.” -Imam Suleiman Salem.

With best wishes for your hifdh success,

Cape Town Haafidha

 

Hifdh Diary: Final Countdown

20 Friday Nov 2015

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Bismillah

Update on my hifdh journey: we had a mock tamat (graduation) last week and oh my, it went terrrrrible. I was anxious to the max. I’m not usually nervous for anything, I’ve bunjee-jumped for goodness’ sake! But when it came to the Qur’an, I just couldn’t deal. I think it had a lot to do with not being able to let go and not trusting Allah that the aayaat will flow from me.

So I phoned my unofficial hifdh mentor for some advice. The first thing she stated was: you don’t have control; get over it. She said anxiety is from Shaytaan, and it’s not simply mind over matter – he actually runs in your blood, so seek refuge from him. She said Shaytaan is going to be so angry on the day of your tamat (’cause it means he lost). She told me that Allah has big plans for my life, and I can do this. Everything she said motivated me, Alhamdulillah.

On the school front, my ustadh’s strategy has been to test me on 5 ajzaa every day. I’ve been tested on my first fifteen ajzaa so far and it’s been going okay, Alhamdullilah. He feels a bit relieved. The tamat is an emotional occasion for him too. He said he feels like he’s going to be giving us over to a new life [the way a father gives his daughter away on her wedding]. He’s been a father to me especially. I’ll never forgot the things he’s done for me that made me feel like a cherished daughter, like pulling over to speak to me when he was driving at night, answering my call during his dont-talk-me-I’m watching soccer match and sincerely listening to me complain about my hifdh, every single time (astaghfirullah). He’s seen me cry more times than my parents have (in my adult life). I feel that Allah took away my biological father but finally replaced him with better, Alhamdulillah.

Back to my hifdh update: We’re having another mock tamat (graduation) tomorrow in-sha-Allah, but only on the first fifteen ajzaa. I’m not done revising yet and it doesn’t help that I’m assisting with a bridal shower tomorrow, that I’m excited about. I also have gifts to prepare for my teachers and parents. I’m totally going to share pics of them with you after the tamat ’cause I’m pretty chuffed with what I got. Except that I have no idea what to get my mother. I don’t have a budget so I’m searching the internet for ideas for freebies.

I can’t comprehend that I only have a week left of hifdh school. I just can’t. I felt the same way at the end of Matric (Grade 12). When I finished Matric, I said I didn’t want to experience it again, but my hifdh journey was like going through Matric all over again, Alhamdulillah. I’ve come to accept that Allah chose my school and my teachers for a reason. I just wish I came to accept it a looong time ago. I wish I was grateful. I wish I trusted Allah (s.w.t.) more. I wish I worked harder. How I wish.

Moving on…

I remind myself to be grateful for this incredible opportunity that Allah’s blessed me with, and end off with my most fave Qur’anic du’a ever:

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Innovative Ways to Memorise the Qur’an

11 Wednesday Nov 2015

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Bismillah

Blog post #3 on Innovative Ways to Memorise the Qur’an.

Sheikh Dr. Yayha al-Ghawthany said that the following steps are of utmost importance. They are the most solid thing we learned at his workshop. He said that he discovered this through the mercy of Allah over a number of years and he has tested it on hundreds of people with amazing results.

My personal recommendation: Only attempt this method when you are prepared to memorise; once you can read the page fluently with no mistakes. Be sure to sit up straight.

5 Steps for exceptional, solid and quick memorisation:

  1. Hold the Qur’an high [eye-level] and to your left.
  2. Look at the ayah [or piece you intend to memorise]. Focus.
  3. Take a deep breath [from your diaphragm, not your chest] then read the ayah. (In this way we would have committed it to memory.)
  4. Repeat it from the top of your head twice or more (from your imaginary board)
  5. Join the second ayah to the first. [Repeat above steps].

Note: If you are left-handed, you should hold the Qur’an to your right. This has to do with the way your brain works.

I recommend that in step 3 you read the ayah many times, until it sticks, and in step 4, also repeat it from memory many times.

With best wishes for you to succeed in your hifdh in-sha-Allah,

Cape Town Haafidha

Hifdh Diary: 3 Months to Go

30 Sunday Aug 2015

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Bismillāh

Yesterday marked precisely 3 months to go until My Big Day, in-sha-Allah. No, not my wedding; but my “tamat”, a Malay word used for the completion of the memorisation of the Qurʾān. At my hifdh school, it’s the term used for our Qurʾān Graduation – the day we get tested on our memorisation and get our certificates to certify that we are “lanja” – another Malay word, meaning that we have consolidated and are fluent in our memorisation.

The prequisite to tamat at my school this year is to recite five ajzaa (pl. of juzz) in one sitting or one session.

Tomorrow I will start reciting two ajzaa in one sitting, and three additional ajzaa in separate sittings, in-sha-Allah. I will then build up to reciting three then four and then the required five ajzaa in one sitting in-sha-Allah.

I used to think this was an impossible task for me, but after attending the course “Innovative ways in Memorising the Glorious Qur’ān” by Sheikh Dr. Yahya Al-Ghawthany, I feel confident that I will be able to achieve it, by the permission and will of Allah Almighty. Below is my daily affirmation card he instructed us to create.

Daily Affirmation Card

Daily Affirmation Card

Sheikh Dr. Yahya Al-Ghawthany impressed on me that Allah has given me the ability to do it and others have done it, therefore, I can also do it! He explained that Allah created the subconscious mind within us and taught me how to use it to aid me in my hifdh. I highly recommend the book “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Dr. Joseph Murphy.

If you would like to meet up with me or get in touch with me to further discuss the subconscious mind and other tools I learned from Sheikh Yayha, please comment with your contact details and I will get back to you.

I humbly request you to make du’a that Allah grants me to achieve my goals and to keep the Qurʾān firm in all of our hearts. May He grant every letter we recite to be a means of guidance, light and healing in this world and intercession in the next. Ameen!

With best wishes to see you succeed in your hifdh,

Cape Town Haafidha.

Qur’an Bearers: Nobles of this Ummah

31 Sunday May 2015

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Qur’an Bearers: Nobles of this Ummah

Imam al-Jazari’s praise for the Qur’an bearer – taken from the Muqaddimah of ‘Tayyibat al-Nashr.’

وبعد: فالإنسان ليس يشرف *** إلا بما يحفظ ويعرف
A person is not honoured or raised
Except by what he knows and has memorised

لذاك كان حاملو القرآن *** أشراف الأمة أولى الإحسان
For that reason the bearers of Qur’an
Are the nobles of this Ummah and its righteous

وإنهم في الناس أهل الله *** وإن ربنا بهم يباهي
And they are the people of Allah amongst Mankind *
And indeed our Lord has boasted of them

وقال في القرآن عنهم وكفى *** بأنه أورثه من اصطفى
He spoke of them in the Qur’an, and it is sufficient
That He gives it (the Qur’an) to those He has chosen **

وهو في الأخرى شافع مشفع *** فيه وفوله عليه يسمع
And in the Hereafter, it is an ardent intercessor
And its statement is something surely heard

يعطى به الملك مع الخلد إذا *** توجه تاج الكرامة كذا
By it a person is given the dominion and immortality
And likewise, he is given the crown of honour

يقرا ويرقى درج الجنان *** وأبواه منه يكسيان
He’ll read and ascend the ranks of Paradise by it
And his parents will also be clothed by it ***

فاليحرص السعيد في تحصيله *** ولا يمل قط من ترتيله
So let a person strive to attain it
And let him never tire of its recitation.
____
* Due to the hadith: ‘Indeed Allah has people from amongst Mankind. The people of Qur’an, they are the people of Allah and His Specialties.’ [Ahmad, Ibn Majah]

** Due to the verse in Soorah Fatir:
ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ
“Then We gave the Book for inheritance to such of Our slaves whom We chose. Then of them are some who wrong their ownselves, and of them are some who follow a middle course, and of them are some who are, by Allah’s Leave, foremost in good deeds. That is indeed a great grace.” [Fatir: 32]

*** Due to the hadith: ‘The Qur’aan will meet its companion on the Day of Resurrection when his grave is opened for him, in the form of a pale man. It will say to him, ‘Do you recognize me?’ He will say: ‘I do not recognize you.’ It will say: ‘I am your companion the Qur’aan, who kept you thirsty on hot days and kept you awake at night. Every merchant benefits from his business and today you will benefit from your good deeds.’ He will be given dominion in his right hand and eternity in his left, and there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, and his parents will be clothed with priceless garments the like of which have never been seen in this world. They will say: ‘Why have we been clothed with this?’ It will be said: ‘Because your son used to recite Qur’aan.’ Then it will be said to him: ‘Recite and ascend in the degrees of Paradise,’ and he will continue to ascend so long as he recites, either at a fast pace or a slow pace.’ [Ahmad, Ibn Majah]

Source: Fajr Blog