by Aishah, author of the blog: www.grainsandgains.com
The month of Ramadhan is once again near. It’s a time of reflection and personal development; many of us make sure we take plenty of time out from our schedules to focus on studying the Quran.
Many aim to finish the Quran once in the month of Ramadhan, reaping the rewards of recitation. The Quran is an important source of barakah in our lives; in order to succeed in the dunya and akhira, we need the blessings of Allah.
This being said, many find the idea of completing the Quran in one month daunting. Some of us look to others who finish the holy book on multiple occasions in the month as being much higher than us, and we feel we can never reach that level.
But a fundamental thing we must remember is that the number of times you finish the Quran is not as important as what you gain from reading. You may read just a few ayaat but these could be the fuel that kickstart a change in your life.
Further, while we gain mountains of reward from reading the Arabic, time needs to also be spent reading the translation and tafsir in order for us to know what we are reading.
Here are some quick tips to help you prepare for your time with the Quran this Ramadhan.
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Be regular.
The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked, ‘What deeds are loved most by Allah?’ He said, ‘The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few.’ He added, ‘Don’t take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability.’ [Bukhari]
We all have different capabilities and responsibilities which determine how much time we are able to give. Be realistic and set a time aside dedicated to reading, understanding, and reflecting on the Quran. This may be 10 minutes after each salah or a solid hour after fajr.
Work around what you need to do in your day however, always be regular. Whilst it is great if one day you are able to read for three hours, if you then fail to read for the rest of the week you have made this act a one-off. It is far more beneficial to be regular in your recitation; give valuable, undisturbed time to the Quran.
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Have a daily goal.
Having a goal in sight will help you stay motivated. Again, this should be a personal goal determined by your own abilities. It may be to complete the whole Quran or perhaps to memorise a significant portion of the Quran.
It may be to recite Juz Amma in perfect tajweed. It may be to learn tajweed. Whatever it may be, work towards it by being regular and knowing what you want to achieve.
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Read with translation.
Whatever you read, make sure you understand it. The Quran was sent to guide us:
. . . a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. [Quran:2:184]
It is important to remember this when we are reciting; we can easily become distracted with making sure that what we recite sounds good. We should beautify the way in which we read the Quran, but we should be balanced and ensure we understand what we are saying.
For every line you read in Arabic, read it in English or your respective language. The benefit of doing it line by line is that you are making sure you are reminding yourself of the purpose of the Quran being to understand what is being read.
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Make time for tafsir.
The tafsir (exegesis, or interpretation) comes hand in hand with translation and is fundamental in helping us to understand what Allah is guiding, ordering, and revealing to us. Ibn Kathir’s tafsir is a highly recommended one which has been translated into English as an easy, comprehendible text. Ibn Kathir also has other books that can help assist in understanding the stories from the quran.
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Make a note and put into practise.
As you read, make brief notes on what new things you have learned from reading. In addition, ponder over how you can implement these new teachings into your life. The reason we want to strengthen our relationship with the Quran is to ensure we find the guidance Allah has set out. Therefore, we must make sure we act on what we learn, in shaa Allah.
About the blogger:
Based in London, Aishah is a medical student who is due to complete her studies next year insh’Allah. Aside from her studies, she likes to blog on anything related to personal development of sisters including productivity, fitness and health. Connect with her through her blog www.grainsandgains.com
