Maryam Amir – Quran as Your Lifeline
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
As salaamu, alaykum, warahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,
Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Aruda belaim In a shaytaan, rajim,
bismillahir, rahmanir, Rahim o salatu, Assalamualaikum. Emri
wasani, Yav Kahu kauli, Allah kalbi wassad did. Lisa Alameen,
I want to welcome all of you to this beautiful gathering. I ask
Allah subhanaw taala to make this a gathering of his remembrance, a
gathering through which we are able to experience or benefit from
the we are recipients of the Mercy of Allah. Subhanaw taala, as we
learn in a hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said
that when a group of people gather together, remembering Allah, then
Allah subhanho taala, He bestows His special mercy upon them. And
Allah subhanho taala, angels surround them. The sikinah
tranquility descends upon such people, and Allah subhanaw taala
makes mention of such people. So even though we are physically
apart, we are, you know, not together in in a masjid or or in a
in a shared physical space. But I ask Allah subhanahu Tala to count
this as a gathering of his remembrance, a gathering which
becomes a means of forgiveness for our sins, and also a means of
finding a stronger sense of faith and and also
an increase in our knowledge and and appreciation of the book of
Allah subhanaw taala uh Alhamdulillah, we have organized
this program Today, and we are so excited to have our dear ustada
Mariam Ahmed with us, who is going to talk about something very, very
important, which is the importance of connecting with the book of
Allah. Before we begin that. Inshallah, I want to begin with
the recitation of a few verses from the Quran, both as a reminder
to myself and and all of you. Inshallah,
arudubi, lahimina, shailton, rajim, bismillahir, rahmanir,
Rahim Al Rahman
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verses of Suratul Rahman are verses which are dear to our
heart, and these verses are so familiar to us. In these verses,
we see that ALLAH SubhanA taala, he begins Suratul Rahman by the
name, by the mention of his name, first and foremost, to inform us,
to remind us that ALLAH SubhanA Tara is indeed a Rahman, the
absolutely merciful, whose mercy is too vast to even describe in.
Words and of His mercy is the fact that, yes, Allah subhanho Tara has
created us, and he has given us many things, and so many blessings
are listed over here. But the first blessing that Allah subhanho
Tara mentions over here is that Allah is a Rahman, and he is the
one who has Allah Al Quran, who has taught the Quran. So the
Quran, compared to every other blessing, is really the most
important blessing, the most significant blessing. And it is in
appreciation of this blessing that we have gathered here today, and
we want to talk about about this blessing of the Quran, how
important and significant it is in our lives. So without any further
delay, I want to welcome our dear Maryam Amir, who is well known
Alhamdulillah, especially with her recent four mothers series, which
is absolutely amazing, where she encourages all of our sisters to,
you know, recite more Quran to to personally connect with the book
of Allah. So I would love to, I would like to welcome her now
Inshallah, so that she can remind us with some important reminders
inshallah as salaam
Warahmatullah meanham to even is such an incredible honor to be
with Sheikha havitiya Masha Allah, your recitation was so beautiful
tabatical Allah. And what I love about Al Huda is that you do work
that just emphasizes the importance of women connecting to
the Quran. And in my experience in Subhanallah, when I was in
college, I was the Muslim Student Association president, and we had
a journalist come and she wanted to ask us about connecting the
concept of woman in Islam to woman's empowerment in the
religion. And of course, she didn't know too much about Islam,
but she was doing general research. And so myself and one of
the women in the MSA, we met with her, and she asked us, Why is it
that there are less men that memorize the Quran than there are
women? And my friend responded, and she was like, Well, you know,
there could be so many different factors on why more men memorize
the Quran than women do. And when I heard this statement, my first
reaction was, no SubhanAllah. We can't say that. We have to be
about Dawa and just show how empowering the Quran is and how
beautiful the Quran is, and we should just be focusing on how we
do have females who memorize the Quran. But I really started
thinking about that question, because in my community, as
blessed as we were to have a few women who memorized, definitely
the men had many more examples of individuals who had completed
their memorization, or younger boys who are finishing their
memorization than we did girls. And at that time, we didn't have
things like online courses that you could take or someone you
could Skype with, that was rare, and you really had to know who to
contact for something like that. And so when I heard stories of
women talk about why they were struggling with their Quranic
connection. These are some of the messages that I heard. I heard
stories like women tell me that they were not memorizing the Quran
because they were told that they were never going to lead tarawiah.
So there was no point. Women who told me that they wanted to
memorize the Quran, but they were told that one day they were going
to become mothers, and they were going to be so busy they weren't
going to have time to maintain their review. And so there was no
point. Messages from women who told me that as little girls, they
were going to courses with their brothers, memorizing the Quran
until they were in their preteens, and the Imam said that they're
uncomfortable hearing their voices any longer, and so they were
forced to stop memorizing, because there were no other people for
them to study with in their community, little girls who told
me that they had wanted to memorize the Quran, and they were
actively memorizing, and they loved reciting, and who were told
that it was haram for her to recite the Quran. And so instead,
they moved into other things, like singing in the choir in their
public high school, or singing songs that they loved because they
had beautiful voices, and people would tell them they had such
great voices, and Subhanallah with the campaign that we started this
past Ramadan in highlighting women's reconnection with the
Quran by hearing other women recite. I heard from these women,
women who told me these stories that they experienced as little
girls, but now Subhanallah, they are adults, and they have their
own little girls, and because they're hearing the Quran from
other women, maybe they didn't know about Al Huda Institute.
Maybe they didn't know about opportunities for women to hear
the Quran and hear from beautiful reciters.
Sheikha, temia, and because they didn't know that that existed,
there has to be this place that's a bridge. Some women want to
memorize the Quran. Some men want to memorize the Quran. It comes
from themselves and other people. When they do that, they know that
they can go to an institute and they can learn. But there are a
lot of people in the middle that needs someone to help spark that
for them. They just need to see it in someone else. And when they see
it in someone else, then they recognize that this is for me,
too. And so in that process, I heard from women who told me that
for the first time in 10 years, they're opening the most half
again, that for the first time in 15 years, they're starting to
recite the Quran out loud to their parents, to their spouses. They're
having their little girls who are eight and 912, and 13, for the
first time ever saying, I didn't know that woman could be a Quran
memorizers. And I want to be a Quran memorizer too. And sometimes
when we talk about this concept of the Quran in our Ummah and going
back to the Quran, because true success in this life and in the
hereafter comes from this connection to the Quran,
understanding it and implementing it. Because Rahima hula, excuse
me, Hassan Al Basri, Rahima hula, he mentions that there are
individuals who are going to be able to recite the whole book?
They don't miss a single letter, but look at their actions. Their
actions do not show as if they've even read the book of Allah. The
Quran is the love letter of Allah. Subhanho wa Taala Hassan Al Basri
says that the Quran, it is the words of ALLAH of God Almighty
being recited to you on the tongue of the Prophet Muhammad,
sallAllahu, alayhi wa sallam. Our return to this book is a return to
the ISA and the honor of our ummah. But sometimes the way we
word that is, we say, what's wrong with the youth of our ummah?
They're so into Tiktok and Facebook and Instagram, they're
not into the Quran. What is wrong with our ummah? They're so into
just wasting time, they're not into the Quran. And really, I
think the question that we need to be asking ourselves is, what are
we doing as a community? What are we doing as an ummah that is
causing people to feel like they cannot connect to the Quran? What
do we need to be doing to call people back to the Quran? And when
we look at our examples, the Companions Radi Allahu AKM, we see
that from the beginning women were connected to the book of Allah,
who was the very first person who heard the Quran recited from the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. It was Khadija Radi Allahu
Aha, a woman who was the very first person who was not a Khalifa
that kept the bound copy of the Mushaf with her. It was Hafsa Roli
Allahu anha, a woman. When we see the example of um Ayman Radi
Allahu anha, and the way that she was visited by Allman Omar and Abu
Bakr Allahu anhuma, she started to cry when she saw them. And they
said, What is causing you to cry? Don't you know that what is with
Allah is better for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? And
um Ayman radiAllahu anha responded, and she said, I'm not
crying because I don't know that what is with Allah is not better
for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. I am crying because the
revelation has been cut off from the heavens. She began to cry,
because they used to witness the revelation coming down from the
heavens. They used to witness that their experiences led directly to
verses being recited, to verses being revealed because of
something that they were going through. And while that is very
specific and unique to the time of the companions, the reality is
that all of us today, when we make an effort to be connected to the
Quran, that connection comes out into our lives. How many of you,
so many of you have stories in which you're going through a
difficult experience and suddenly you hear the exact verse that was
on your mind that helps you feel this form of comfort. Subhanallah,
I remember once I had opened the must have, and I was making dua,
and I was saying, oh, Allah, are you even listening to me? And I
had this moment of doubt. Many of us, when we make dua, we wonder,
Is Allah listening to our dua? Is he going to answer our dua? And I
asked that question, and I opened the must have to the most random
page. Close my eyes, pointed at an ayah, and the ayah that came was
what either I either
fasted.
Morning
that when my servant asks of you, ask about me. I am near. I answer
the call of the one who's calling Subhan Allah. I'm wondering as
Allah listening, and he answers with he is listening. I am
listening to what you when you are calling Subhanallah, we have
narrations of female companions like Asmaa, radila anha, she was
reciting over and over and
Aisha radila anha, that same ayah is mentioned that masrok was
reciting it, and she started to say, just like Asmaa radila, her
sister would say when she was reciting this verse over and over,
asking for Allah's Allah to bless them, to save them, and to to
Alhamdulillah that he's protected them, to save them from a
hereafter that was painful, to bless them with being in paradise
forever. God is interacting with the Quran on a personal level, and
we see that in how we can build this connection making it
personal. We're going to end quickly by talking about five ways
to connect to the Quran when we're talking about whether it's going
to be memorization or reading the tafsir reading an English
translation that you understand, if you don't understand the
Arabic, whatever is going to help you build that connection in a way
that you understand the verses that are being recited to you,
because the Quran was revealed for your understanding. That
transformation is critical. The first point in how to connect to
the Quran is recognizing why you are doing it. Abu hurao anhu
mentions that when you recite, the Quran angels come into your home
and the shayateen flee from it. When you recite, the Quran angels
roam the earth just looking for someone who's reciting the Quran.
They love to hear the Quran. And with the presence of angels, as
the MUFA sir mentioned, and the explanation of so many verses that
talk about angels in the Quran that their presence brings mercy.
And barakah their presence with their presence, when they say Amin
and you're making dua, they their Amin. One angels, Amin is enough
to cover the entire ummah. One Angel asking for our forgiveness
for the whole Ummah is enough for the whole Ummah to be forgiven. So
what about you when you are making that dua, when you're asking for
Allah, and after doing the reciting the Quran, the angels
saying Amin, and for you, when you make dua for your brother or your
sister, imagine the benefit and the barakah of having those angels
in your life. But in addition to your ranks being raised, the
angels coming to be with you. You being forgiven, and that,
Inshallah, there so much protection being brought into life
because of the that presence and that blessing.
Imagine being able to come on the day of judgment
and being asked to recite and to ascend the levels of heaven.
Imagine being able to see the Lord who revealed the Quran. Imagine
what it would be like Subhanallah to hear these verses from the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself. The Quran is your
safe space. Making the Quran your safe space is one of the ways that
you can remember why you are memorizing the Quran. And let's
look at what that looks like. In point two, how do you make the
Quran your safe space? Amarodi, Allahu, anhu, he was reciting the
Quran. He was leading salah. And the very back row, one of the
companions, could hear him crying so hard as he was reciting in
Allah, he
was
reciting the verses that is just so overcome with this sadness.
Some of them, of us, you don't say, some of the scholars of say,
40 years between the time that he lost Yousef alaihi salam to the
manipulation of his other sons and being rejoined with Yusuf alaihi
salam, and what happened in that time period he's still grieving.
It's okay to grieve. Going through depression and sadness does not
mean that you don't have a connection with Allah. Reading the
Quran is one of the forms of helping you go through your
depression, but you also need the support of mental health
professionals and a support system that can help you get there. But
the point is, Amar Radi Allahu anhu, he's reciting this ayah over
and over and over again. Why imagine what Amar radila Anu had
to go through, the responsibility he has as a Khalifa, the mistakes
that he regrets before he was Muslim. All of those things are
just an a reminder for us. The.
It is okay to grieve and cry. Make the Quran a safe space that if
somebody in your life made you feel like you were not good enough
for the Quran, a friend of mine got into a car accident. Her
parents said it's because you don't read enough Quran. When we
consistently are told that when you don't have a connection with
the with you don't have good things happening in your life
because you're not connected to the Quran, then at the same time,
you think, well, all of these other people have great things
happening in their life, and they don't even have the Quran. And
that's because we recognize the Quran when we talk about it like
that. Instead, what we need to be looking at is how the Quran is a
form of connection, whether we're going through ease or difficulty.
It doesn't matter what we're going through. The point is that we have
the Quran to help us get through it. And we see those examples in
the Quran of joy and of loss, of pain and of ease, just like our
lives, the Quran mirrors our lives to help us get through our lives
with this connection to the book of Allah. The third point is that
it's okay if it takes a long time. It took me seven years to memorize
the Quran I was going to school full time, or working full time,
or a combination of both. And every time I started with a
teacher, that teacher had to stop for some reason, and I would have
to start all over with the new teacher. It took me seven years.
And do you think that in those seven years I regret a single
moment? Imagine if it takes you 20 years, 70 years, what are you
going to say it took me 70 years of having an intimate connection
with the book of Allah. There's nothing more honorable than being
able to say that. So never regret or never feel like, oh, it's
taking me forever. Just keep going. And that is the fourth
point being considered. Or actually, I think we're on the
fourth that was part of the fourth point, sorry. Be consistent, even
if it's slow, be consistent. The fourth point is exchange must
haves with someone. Find someone you love. Maybe they've never read
the Quran before they maybe, maybe they, they're they're Muslim, but
they don't really understand. Find someone you care about. Ask them
to gift you a must have. Find someone else you know that's
trying to memorize the Quran or read it. Gift them a copy of the
Quran and let the other person get the reward of the deeds that you
do as you do them. So on the Day of Judgment, they come inshallah
and they see mountains, and it's because of the work that you did
for someone else that you love. And finally, find a teacher that
you trust. There are some teachers that just don't work with you, and
that is okay. I am so blessed that my Quran teacher who helped me
finish the completion. Sheik Moheb, Fula Subhanallah, he is so
incredible when he recites the Quran, he doesn't even need to
look at the must have. He just knows the Quran. Subhan Allah,
when he recites the Quran, you feel like you're seeing the AYA in
front of your eyes. And what is so powerful wasn't that. He wasn't
just you memorize the Quran. You read the Quran, you understand the
Quran. That's important. He was like, Mariam, we need your voice
because you're a woman, because you're not Arab, because you
didn't understand Alhamdulillah, I studied Arabic And now understand
Arabic, but I didn't when I first started memorizing. You're born
and raised in America. These are examples that we need, not because
I'm special, but because they're the same examples of many of you,
you are my story. And Sheik Mohib taught me that the more people
that we show who have our stories, the more people who know they can
connect with the Quran. And on that note, the Quran is always
with you, regardless of what part of your life you're in. And there
was a man, as we close, there was a man who Subhanallah, was always
active with the Muslim community, always running around and working
for the Muslim community. And do you know what happened
SubhanAllah? He got into a major car accident, and he was in the
hospital, and his doctor was a Muslim who always saw him in the
masjid, always organizing events. And I heard this story from
someone who knew this man. And Subhan Allah, the doctor, knew
that he had to give this man the news that he was paralyzed. Ya
Allah, he was paralyzed, this man who did everything, constantly
running and organizing and making efforts for the community. And
when the man, when this doctor gave the man the news, do you know
what he replied?
His reply was, Alhamdulillah, I finally have time just to focus on
the Quran.
Every single one of us is in a different life circumstance. But
all of us, whether it's one verse a day in a language you
understand, or whether it's five pages a day, or whether it's
however much it is, we can make time for the Quran and let it be
what allows us to feel that strong connection to the One who created
us, Subhan wa taala, who is always there for us, because this is a
book that he sent love letters in for you and I. Subhan Allah be
Hamdi, knit stuff.
Like Salaam Alaikum,
article, salaam Warahmatullah, Barakatuh Mariam, for reminding us
of the importance of really not, not hesitating when it comes to
our relationship with the Quran, that the fact that we may not be
Arab or the fact that we are you know a person is you know a man or
a woman. Doesn't matter what your background is, doesn't matter what
your age is, doesn't matter what your strengths or your weaknesses
are. The Quran is for every single one of us. And I want to take the
opportunity over here and and remind everybody that you know
where it is extremely beneficial to be able to recite and memorize
the Quran. We should remember that the Quran is really a Book of
guidance, and in order to truly benefit from the book of Allah,
yes, we will recite it because it's very words are blessed, and
we will memorize it, because memorizing it is is, of course,
extremely rewardable. But in addition to that, in order to
really make the Quran a part of our lives, it is essential that we
try to understand it. And in trying to understand the Quran,
you know, there's two ways. One is that you go and master the Arabic
language, and then you try to figure out the meaning of the
Quran on your own, and that actually would be a mistake,
because, yes, the Quran is in Arabic. But you know, ask any
random Arab person, they don't necessarily understand what the
Quran is saying. What is important is that we learn the meanings, the
interpretation, the tafsir of the Quran And Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah at all the institute. We're starting a new
program in January, and this program is called talimu Quran.
This program is especially for sisters, by sisters. And in this
program, Inshallah, in an 18 month long, course, and it's, it's a
full time program in this duration. Inshallah, we will go
through the the translation and the tafsir of the entire Quran. In
addition to that, we will also go through the entire recitation of
the Quran and and, of course, in order to, you know, to improve our
understanding of the Quran, we also have to, you know, study some
supplementary Islamic sciences, not really at an advanced level,
but at least at a basic level. So, for example, Quran Sciences of the
Quran, a little bit of Hadith as well, some fiqh as well. But the
main focus of this program is really the translation and tafsir
of the Quran, so that you develop a personal connection with the
book of Allah. I would like to show you a short video over here
of some of our students who graduated from this program, and I
want you to hear from them what Quran means to them how they have
found the Quran to Be Mubarak, a source of blessing in their lives.
You
this mean, lady, and
this is a Book which We have sent down bless and confirming what was
before it,
if only we took the time to open it. Because if we just opened it,
if we just opened it, our hearts would come alive, we would seek
and we would be found.
I was panting with desperation of healing until I reached the Quran,
the healing began. I was free. I aim to be a better giver, not a
taker, to leave my comfort zone and strive in the way of Allah to
provide shade for those facing hardships alone, to help those in
need, regardless of the differences in color and creed, to
spread the light of Quran to all of those around me, my relatives,
my neighbors, my friends, and every soul in need of a little
guidance and a little hope, because the Quran is my guideline
to life and true success in the eternal abode, I want nothing
short of the approved.
Of our ever knowing and Most Merciful Creator.
This book is a mirror that shows me who I am, my flaws, my
mistakes, my beauty and my light. Allah chose me specifically to
learn this for a reason. This book, you see, it is for Amman to
have the best eyes to perceive of the world, the best heart to
perceive of my Rab, Alhamdulillah,
Quran is the manifestation of Allah. Like the gleaming, bright,
radiant stars that guide us, it sparks and shines and beautifies
the skies. You see, just as these lights, the Quran decorates my
soul. Nothing at all can come close to its worth. It has given
my life purpose, and I pray to never, ever let it go. 30 Jesus to
guide me, 114 citizen inspire me I am protected with the words of
Allah. Brings clarity to the healers, justice to the weak, and
it breathes life into the spiritually dead. What can bring
the heart more comfort than the words of our Lord? What can
beautify the heart more than the words of our Lord? The Rab that
knows me best and loves me most?
Run for all, in every hand, in every heart.
Alhamdulillah, this course, the Quran course, has been has been
going on. It has been running in Canada for several years now.
Alhamdulillah and hundreds of women have graduated from this
program. And as you can see, masha Allah, it doesn't matter whether
you are Arab or not, whether you have studied the Quran before or
you have not been able to, whether you're familiar with the Arabic
language or you're not. It's really a transformation experience
and also a self discovery experience, Alhamdulillah. And
really it would be an excellent opportunity at this time where a
lot of us are actually at home, we are working from home, or we are
studying from home, really, to have that sense of stability in
our lives. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with the
book of Allah, Al Quran, in order to find blessing in our lives. And
with this Inshallah, I would like Sister Maryam westhi To remind us
of of the role of the Quran in our lives. Sister Maryam was the
Alhamdulillah is the tafsir teacher. She's a instructor at Al
Huda Institute, and Inshallah, she will be teaching in this program.
She's a student of Doctor farhatashmi For many years, even
now, she's studying with her. And Alhamdulillah, she's been teaching
the tafsir of the Quran. And let's hear from Sister Mariam. AsSalamu
Alaikum. Warikum. Assalam. Warahmatullah. Why?
Come Asana, what Allah Allah
visit near allahummadin,
guidance from the Quran.
In order to understand guidance from the Quran, we need to
understand what is guidance, what is hidaya? What is the Quran? So
as a reminder for myself, first, as a student of the Quran,
and to share with you all also
a few points, a few reminders.
Hidaya, guidance is about being directed towards and guided
towards the right way, and any more specific connotation, it's a
transformation for the better.
But in order for there to even be any hidaya, any guidance, there
has to be a guiding force, the receiver of the guidance, willing
to take that guidance and a destination. So in order to
understand hidaya guidance, we need to understand the purpose of
our existence and acknowledge the fact that we didn't create
ourselves, and another created being didn't create us. So we have
been created for a reason.
We didn't select the day that we would come into this world, and we
don't select the day we die and depart from this world. The One
Who created us created us for a purpose, and he determines when we
come into this world and when we depart.
He has informed us of the purpose for which he created us, and that
is to worship Him on His terms.
We learn in Surat, adariat, chapter number 15, verse number 56
Allah, subhana wa taala, he states, wamakala, Jinnah, wainsa,
illa Lia Abu.
Dun and I did not create the Jinnah and mankind except to
worship me.
We have been created with a limited amount of freedom of
choice
while we are alive, which brings with it a responsibility, but also
accountability.
We cannot really even appreciate guidance hidaya, until we also
accept that this worldly life is temporary, and the hereafter, the
eternal abode, is a reality. Real guidance is about being successful
in the bigger picture and attaining salvation in the
hereafter.
For those who are successful, for those who really are successful,
are never ending, delights, perfect companionship, no fatigue,
no illness, no heartache, Jannah, where happily ever after truly
becomes a reality.
Our most Merciful Creator didn't just create us and leave us, but
in fact, He has created us and also arranged for our hidaya, our
guidance through divine revelation, His Kalam, his speech
through messengers, human messengers that we can relate to,
and many signs, Many ayat in the universe also that point towards
his oneness.
So hidaya incorporates relevant information pertaining to getting
to the right destination, ensuring that the correct track is adhered
to and reaching the right destination, salvation, our
Creator's approval with us, His nearness. So adhering to the right
track requires overcoming hindrances, obstacles that are
bound to come along the way, and this requires navigation. And
since our knowledge as human beings is limited, our abilities
are also limited. In order for us to have a better navigation
system, we need to maintain a strong connection with our
Merciful Creator, whose knowledge is limitless and whose wisdom is
perfect. He knows how best to create, how best to guide and how
to reward and how to punish. He doesn't create anything aimlessly.
The hidaya, the guidance that Allah has arranged through his
speech is the Quran. And the Quran is a miracle and a message that is
never outdated, and it never needs amendments, but it does need to be
understood. The Quran is guidance for the muttaqin, those who are
Allah conscious, who then Lil muttaqin, and it is guidance for
mankind, hudalinas in general. And since it is guidance for the
muttaqin in order to walk in the correct direction after having
been shown the direction in pursuit of the right destination,
we need recognition of our creator of Allah, and the more Allah
conscious we become, the more guided we would become. And the
Quran has been described as tanzil, gradual revelation, zikr,
reminder and maw ayva, admonition, instruction, and also healing, and
also mercy, and also a means of reassurance and rejoicing and
peace
in Surat Yunus, chapter number 10, verses, 57 and 58 we learn that
ALLAH addresses mankind, and he says, Yeah, Nas o mankindja
at Comrade become washifa ulima vil sudor wahhuda, Lil mukminin. A
meaning there has come to you instruction from your Lord and
healing, for what is in the * and guidance and mercy
for the believers,
say, in the bounty of Allah and in His mercy, in that let them
rejoice. It is better than what they accumulate.
And from a hadith of rasulallah, we learn
that Abu Shuai al huzari, he reported rasulallah, he said,
Rejoice. Do you not witness that there is no God but Allah, and I
am the messenger of Allah.
So those who heard Him, the Sahaba, they said, Yes. Rasulallah
said, Verily, this Quran is a rope. One end is in the hand of
Allah, and the other end is in your hand,
but Thomas Saku be He, hold fast to it. For in a land abuillu,
walanda, liku BARDA, who abada For you, will never be led astray or
ruined ever again. Now,
if you think about this statement, he will never be led astray.
Way or ruined ever again. It's really pointing towards the best
navigation system possible.
It gives a profound sense of peace and contentment, a huge intangible
blessing that many are searching for. You
see, when we try to get from one place to another place in this
world, we require help from various navigation systems,
including people and signboards and maps and various digital
resources, whether we're on land or on sea or in the air or even
outer space. But none of these tools are error free. They do fail
us from time to time.
No one can guide us to be our Creator guides us through His
words, so we need to hold on and strive towards learning what is
really beneficial while asking Him for guidance in the guide us to
the straight path in the life of an average believer. This is the
dua that a believer most frequently makes within salah,
multiple times, in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, in
the night, in all seasons. And since hidaya has to do with some
amount of transformation and absorption of the direction that's
being received. It also incorporates some amount of
purification and growth. And you see, in order to be enhanced in
better ways, we need to be fixed and sometimes broken in specific
ways, also
before the adornment takes place, before the adornment takes place,
the cleansing and the ridding of what is corrupt and the detox
needs to take place. Also
in our Taliban Quran class recently, we learned surat al
hashar, which is chapter number 59
and the last few verses of the surah provide us with important
reminders related to what we are investing, in terms of the
Hereafter,
the people of Jannah, the people of Jahannam, and how different
they are, as well as the significance of not forgetting
Allah, but remembering him.
And then there is mention of an example that shows us the profound
impact that the Quran has.
And then these verses, they end with the most beautiful names of
our Creator.
So in verses 18 to 24 of Surat Al hasho, we learn that Allah states
addressing the believers, yeah, Ayu, haladina, Amanu, Oh, you who
have believed it, tap Allah, fear Allah,
welcome
and let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow. What
tap Allah And fear Allah in Allah, indeed, Allah is acquainted with
what you do, believers. It took Allah fear Allah and fearing Allah
pertains to obeying Him in what He has commanded and staying away
from what he has forbidden. Itta, Allah, fear Allah while tamgona
and let every soul look, each and every one individually Look, don't
just go on sending. Don't just go on doing. Look at what you're
doing. Look at what you're sending. Well, Tom durna, and let
every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow after this
worldly life is over,
each person should think whether male or female, young or old,
regardless of nationality, each person should think about himself,
observe his or her own actions,
and each person should hold himself or herself accountable
before The time comes when they will be taken to account.
So each one needs to think, are my efforts mostly about today,
meeting this worldly life and the instant gratification that I can
receive or the hereafter? What am I doing right now? Will this be a
lasting benefit tomorrow? What am I doing? How am I doing it? And
where is this taking me?
What tap Allah And fear Allah. And notice that this command is
mentioned before and after, right? Taqwa is mentioned here two times
and in between, the mention of taqwa, welcome.
So
we're being reminded that while it is that you're doing good deeds,
before doing the good deed, have Allah consciousness. While you're
doing the good deed, have Allah consciousness. And once you've
completed a good deed, have Allah consciousness. What takula
in allahabir, indeed, Allah is acquainted with what you do. He
knows of your deeds and what you prioritize. He knows what you do
in terms of quality and quantity and why you do what you do and how
you do it. He knows what you're investing for tomorrow.
Wala Taku no kaladina, nasullah and believers be not like those
who forgot Allah for an sahum, an fusahom, so he may.
Them forget themselves. ULA ika, humul, fast your own. Those are
the defiantly disobedient.
Be not like those who forgot Allah.
Don't be like those who have forgotten the remembrance of Allah
and forgetting Allah, your Creator, who originated you,
brought you from non existence to existence. Forgetting Allah is
actually forgetting your own accountability, your salvation,
where you're heading. So forgetting Allah is neglecting the
fact that Allah gave us existence. We didn't exist before we were
nothing, before He created us. Forgetting Allah is forgetting the
meeting with him, and not preparing for that meeting. You
see in this dunya, when we have an important meeting with some
person, right? A Webinar. Maybe we need to prepare in advance, right?
So that everything goes smoothly. We put in effort in advance,
because the meeting matters. How much does the meeting with Allah
matter to us today? Wala takuru, kaladina, nasullah, and be not
like those who forgot Allah for an sahum, anfu sahum, so he made them
forget themselves.
And this is because at times we become distracted, consumed by
trivial pursuits. In this dunya, we forget about the purpose of our
existence, even our physical well being, sometimes, right? Our
family, our friends, our community.
So we're being reminded be not like those who forgot Allah so He
made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient. And
the reality is that our life is divided in a today and a tomorrow,
right? Our tomorrow is based on what we do today. So if we don't
remember Allah today, if we don't prepare today for the meeting with
him tomorrow.
What are we going to face? What will we have in our hands
tomorrow? Well, tons or not so. And Let every soul look to what it
has put forth for tomorrow, because whatever you put forth
today, he will find it tomorrow.
Lyawi as Harbor, nadiwa as harbor. Jana Not equal are the Companions
of the Fire and the companions of paradise as harbal, janati,
humulfa, izun, the companions of paradise. They are the attainers
of success, because they're saved from loss, real loss, and they
attain the desired goal, real success. That's real gain.
Not equal are the Companions of the Fire and the companions of
paradise in their living and their actions and their goals and their
methods and their accountability and their eternal abode.
So here two categories of people are mentioned, and they're not
equal.
So the outcome of of both is different,
as harbuljan are not like us, harbor nor and
then Allah mentions your next lo anzal, Naha Quran, or ala Jabali,
la raita Hua Amin hashiyati, Allah. If we had sent down this
Quran upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming
apart from fear of Allah.
Wat Kal am Talu nag boribuhali na sila, Allahu, and these examples
we present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.
Plow anzal, nahadal, qurana, Allah dabal, if we had sent down this
Quran upon a mountain, one of the toughest and most stable creations
that we observe as human beings on the face of this planet. They seem
to be immovable, firm, large. If we had sent down this Quran upon a
mountain, Laura Aita Huwa, he would
have seen it humbled, coming apart, coming down, being
demolished.
Moto sadira, sadiara, coming apart, crumbling to pieces.
You would have seen it humbled and coming apart. May Allah from fear
of Allah.
So if this is the case with a mountain which is hard and tough
and huge,
that if it was able made able to comprehend and understand this
Quran, it would have crumbled from fear of Allah. What about you and
I? What is the state of our hearts when we hear the Quran being
recited? Do we soften from within and have humility out of the fear
of Allah? Because unlike mountains, we do have the capacity
to understand Allah's commands, and we do have the capacity to
comprehend his speech, watka am thalun, nagburi, buhalin, nasilar,
allahum, yatafa, Karun, and these examples we present to the people
that perhaps they will give thought they will reflect.
So when the Quran is understood and reflected upon,
it breaks a person's ego
and uncompromising nuffs and uncontrollable desires not to
destroy a person, but to improve them, to purify them, to detoxify
them, to strengthen them. So the impact of the Quran is.
That one is able to conquer the the nafs, and the character
becomes reformed.
The impact of the Quran is upon the thinking process and the
character of a person, because people tend to think too highly of
themselves, right? So they're made to understand through something
that is mighty and strong. Look at how, when the Quran penetrates the
heart, how it ends all arrogance and pride and makes a person into
a new, transformed, enhanced, guided person.
And when a person changes his actions for the better in terms of
speech, dealings and mannerisms, this is a sign that the Quran has
truly entered the heart. This person is on the path of obtaining
guidance. And as Imam ashafari, he said, knowledge is not just what
is memorized, but knowledge is what benefits. So the one who
truly wants to take the Quran, what is his state? What is her
state? We learn in Surat Azuma, also verse number 23
that Allah states, Allah Hadith, Allah has sent down the best
statement, kita ABA muta shabiha, a consistent book,
mathani, we're in his reiteration. Doctor rumin Who la Dina Yaksha,
the skins shiver. They're from of those who fear their Lord to
matalin, then their skins and their hearts relax at the
remembrance of Allah, Dali, kahuda, Allah, that is the
guidance of Allah, Yadi, behi, Mahisha, by which He guides whom
He wills. So those who really want this blessing, this guidance,
Allah guides them,
and Allah continues to guide them.
You see
people react towards hearing the recitation of the Quran, or even
understanding some amount of the Quran in a variety of ways. Some
people become better, some remain the same, and some become worse
because they fall prey to arrogance, right? A believer's
approach is sincere. The Quran has a profound impact on the believer.
It purifies the believer, cleanses the believer, teaches the believer
to prefer the hereafter over this dunya.
And this can only happen effectively when a believer
maintains a strong connection with Allah, recognizing Him,
recognizing Him, recognizing whose speech the Quran really is.
And this is why knowing the names of Allah is so important, right?
And so here, in the last few verses of Surat Al hashar, we
learn of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah, the descriptive names of
Allah, who Allahu, ladi, La Ilaha, illaho. He is Allah, other than
whom there is no deity. He is ILA, the only ilaw worthy of worship,
and we are his worshippers.
He is Allah other than whom there is no deity, Ali, murabi, wa
shahadah, Noah of the unseen and the witnessed, who are Rahman or
Rahim. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
We are shown mercy by him and compassion, also in different
forms all the time. And we're so needy. We are needy of Allah's
vast mercy in all conditions, in this dunya and in the hereafter.
He is Allah other than whom there is no deity nowhere, of the unseen
and the witness. He is the entirely mercifully, especially
merciful, who Allahu, ALA, He is Allah than whom there is no deity.
Al Malik, the sovereign who owns everything we are his possession.
He has full authority, full power.
Al Quddus, the extremely pure
assalam, the perfectly sound, the Bestower of safety men, the
Bestower of faith, the Bestower of security, Al muhainen, the
overseer, the one who watches over al Aziz, the Exalted in Might, the
ever Almighty, Al Jaba, the Compeller, the extremely great,
the restorer.
Al mutaqab, the superior
Subhanallah, yoshrikun, Exalted is Allah above whatever they
associate with Him who Allah saw, where He is Allah, the Creator,
the the originator, the inventor. We didn't exist before He created
us. He is the fashioner, the bestora forms. He gave us the form
we have.
Lahul Asmaa ul prasna. To Him belong the Best names you sab bi,
hula, hum AFI Sama, Wati wad, whatever is in the heavens and
earth is exalting him. Wahu wala, Aziz al Hakim. And he is the ever
Almighty, the ever wise
Subhanallah,
Alhamdulillah da ILAHA, illallah, Allah,
wala hawla, wala kuwata, Illa bin LA. We
learned that Abdullah ibn masroud, he said, He who likes to know if
he loves Allah, the mighty and majestic.
Present himself before the Quran. If he loves the Quran, he loves
Allah, the mighty and majestic. Because the Quran, it is Kalam
Allah, it is the speech of Allah, the mighty and majestic. So we
need to ask ourselves, do we love the Quran? Do our choices prove
that? Because love is proven through actions and choices,
we also learned that Abu Bakr Al ri, Abu Bakr Al Juri, he writes in
his book The character of the bearers of the Quran,
that the one who is really the bearer of the Quran. He reads the
Quran to discipline himself according to it, and his concern
is, when will I be of those who have Taqwa
mata akunu, Mina mutaqin, when will I be of those who are humbly
submissive? Mata akunu minal kwashirain, when will I be of
those who are patient? Mata akunu Mina swabi. When will I abstain
from the world? Niman, will I be able to stay away from too much
indulgence in worldly pursuits? Mata azhado fidunia,
when will I restrain myself from temptations? Mata, anha, nafsi,
Anil Hawa, so we need to ask ourselves when we recite the
Quran, or when it is recited to us. Do we ask ourselves these
kinds of questions? Do we introspect this way? May Allah
make us of those who are the best of the bearers of the Quran? Allah
in the audubica mean la yanva, kalbillah, Yasha, I mean nafsilah,
tashbar, wamin daratilah, who Allah, I seek refuge from
knowledge which doesn't benefit, from the heart that is not
submissive to you, from the soul that does not feel contended and
the supplication that is not answered. Oh Allah, forgive us for
our shortcomings and have mercy upon us. We ask you to enrich our
hearts with iman and Taqwa such that we are amongst those who
obtain guidance from the Quran and are included amongst your most
loyal slaves. Oh Allah, raise us amongst the best of the bearers of
the Quran, amen, Subhana, Allah, ILAHA, Illa and as
sister Mariam for this very powerful presentation to really
remind us to,
you know, really take the Quran at a personal level and really see
the Quran as a blessing, as a gift from Allah subhanho Tara as a
source of guidance, not just in our quote, unquote, religious
lives, but in all of our lives. To really
make the Quran a source of guidance for ourselves in our day
to day, I ask Allah Tara to make this a reality for all of us. I
mean, now a little bit more about the tarimu Quran course, some of
you have been asking, you know, more questions about it. The what
makes the tarimu Quran course, really unique and different from
all other programs out there is the fact that we study the Quran
all the way from Suratul Fatiha to Surat NAS and when we do that, we
actually look at every single word of the Quran. And I want you to
show it, and I want you to see the books that we use. This is just
one example, and you can see over here how just, I'm sure it's not
very clear, but perhaps you can see how you know every word has
its meaning right under it. And the purpose is to to to look at
the the text of the Quran, and to study every word of the Quran, and
by that know the Quran, such that every time that you come across an
eye of the Quran, whether you are reading it or you're listening to
it, instantly you become familiar with it. You are able to
understand what the Quran is saying. And don't take my word for
it. I would love for you to listen to a student testimonial, to hear
from our graduates about what they have taken from this course and
how this course, Alhamdulillah, has transformed their lives and
their connection with the Quran a
that's what I'm at. Allah ibrakatu. My name is Maria Hanif.
And looking back at my experience at Al Huda and completing Tali mu
Quran, I don't think I've been more appreciative of such an
opportunity now than ever before. It's when I'm no longer in that
beautiful and sheltered environment in which everyone is
remembering Allah and pushing me to become the best version of
myself, that I value the ability to understand Allah's word even
more. You know, it's in these challenging moments when society
is pressing a notion that doesn't quite really line with my.
Values that I can quite literally understand Allah's words and lean
on for support. It gives me a sense of confidence and a sense of
empowerment, knowing who Allah is, knowing who God is, and that, in
turn, defines my purpose and gives me a sense of mindfulness. And
every thought and action and every word that leaves my mouth. And one
of the most important takeaways that I would want to shed light on
from my experience in completing Daniel is that I will forever be a
student of knowledge, right? I will always be on taste of self
betterment, you know, and in that case, that will result in familial
and societal improvement as well. You know, when I begin to change
myself, to please Allah right, to please God, that is when
everything translates as well. And just a side note, when you
complete your Quran journey and the first Ramadan comes around,
maybe during or after your journey, just make sure to grab a
pencil and write down how you feel, because spoiler, it's going
to be the best experience of your life. Inshallah.
Jazakamal Hayden, kathila, I want to thank everybody who was with us
today. I ask Allah, subhana Tara, to make this you know, gathering
really a means of earning more Hassan at more rewards. May this
gathering be a source of forgiveness for us, and I hope
that, Inshallah, all of us have been encouraged to to up our game
to reconnect with the Quran at an even stronger level. Inshallah,
any questions that you may have about the program, you can you can
find answers to those. The links have been shared with you again.
It's an 18 month long program, a full time program for sisters by
sisters, in which we study the Quran word by word, from the
beginning all the way to the end, as well as some supplementary
texts in order to enhance our understanding of the Quran in a
very practical, realistic way, where every verse of the Quran is
related with your Personal life, so that you're able to understand
it, you're able to really benefit from it, and including and as well
as that, you know, there's so many practical things that are taught
so that we are able to practice the Quran in our daily lives. So
sorry, Mo Quran program, in a nutshell, is really translating
theory into action, helping us first understand the Quran and
then also be able to learn how to practice it in our daily lives.
May Allah make us all among the Hamil Quran, the carriers of the
Quran. I mean JazakAllah, Subhanahu, wa salamu, alaykum,
warahmatullahi, wabarakatuh.