Back then,
I never really understood when people say “make the Quran your best
friend.” To me, it is just a book. In a language I unfortunately do not
understand. And growing up, there were so many taboos (pantang-larang) associated with this one book.
“Ablution is compulsory! (Wajib berwudhu!).
Wear your praying garments! (Pakai telekung!).
Read only on your praying mat! (Mengaji atas tikar sejadah!).
Put it on the top most cupboard! (Letak atas almari paling tinggi!).
Do not be in contact with it when you are on vacation!” And I am not talking about the literal vacation.
Thus I
wondered, how on earth is one supposed to be in this “madly-in-love”
relationship if one is only allowed to see it five times a day, in a
position one might not be comfortable with (Duduk bersila masa mengaji!) and....
one cannot be in contact with it when one is on vacation. Do you know that one is in her worst murderous mood when she is on vacation? Again, I am not talking about the literal vacation.
So yes, I never really understood when some people say “make the Quran your best friend.” (T T)
My
curiosity towards the concept of turning your Quran into something more
than just a holy book began when one of my favourite authors wrote “All the verses in the Quran are like personal love letters from God to us.”
[1]
This single statement struck a chord inside me. All this while I
thought the sole purpose of completing the recitation of the Quran (mengkhatamkan Quran) was so that we could have a khatm Quran
ceremony.
It was just one of life’s goals to achieve. “You have to
finish reading your Quran before you turn 12!”. And once the ceremony is
over, so is our connection with the Quran.
We missed out on the chance
to bond with our Quran.
We missed out on the opportunity to make the
Quran as our best friend, the one that will help us get through our
trials in life, through sadness and downfalls.
The one that will remind
us not to forget to thank Allah when something good comes our way or to
remind us that we have a purpose in this life, that we were not born or
placed on this earth to grow, eat, sleep, work, get married, produce
offspring and die peacefully. Because if these are what we are only doing, what differentiates us from the animals then?
A couple
of years ago I met two women who changed my entire view on this matter.
These two inspiring women taught me and guided me on how to commit
myself to a relationship like no other. That it is not too late for me
to chase after the Quran and make it my best friend.
Just like how you
have to know someone to be in love with someone, the same concept is
applied in wanting to be in a relationship with your Quran.
Two years
and with this relationship growing strong, I have found some tips and
tricks that have helped me in learning how to connect with the Quran. My Quran.
10 Easy Steps To Kick-start Your Relationship
(Disclaimer
: Tips shared are from a newbie for a newbie who intends on learning
how to fall in love with the Quran. Quran here refers to the copy of
Quran Translation. The writer acknowledges that there are certain Adab (أدب)
/ Islamic etiquettes that have to be maintained when dealing with a
copy of a proper Quran / kitab / mushaf or مصحف (non-translation).
1.
The first step is to go out there and get a decent copy of the
translation of the Quran in a language you are most comfortable with :
Malay, Indonesian, or even English.
Let’s face it, Arabic is not our
mother tongue (in Malaysia it is not). If you want to make this
relationship work, you have to start with the basic.
This can only be
done with a copy of a Quran’s translation. Unless you are fluent in
Arabic, you will not be able to understand a single thing Allah is
trying to tell you in the Quran.
It will become something that you read
for the sake of completing reading it. Not because you truly want to
know what Allah is trying to tell you.
Image courtesy of Google
2.
Step 2 is optional but probably one that you are going to love.
Get
yourself a handbag that will fit your Quran translation.
I remembered
going to a program in Masjid Al-Mukhlisin, Cheras, where the speaker
told us that when women are choosing a bag to buy, they never considered
the “Will this bag fit my Quran?” requirement.
We usually think
and consider whether the bag will fit our purse, our keys, our praying
garments, our makeup bag but never the Quran.
This being said, it does
not mean you now have to chuck away all those bags you currently have
and get new ones just because those bags could not fit your Quran.
What I
am trying to emphasize is not to forget the requirement mentioned above
the next time you are out on a quest for a new bag.
3. Step 3 is a continuation from step 2. Guys reading this are probably thinking,
“What does buying a bag has anything to do with reading the Quran? That
is typical of a girl to use any kind of excuse to justify herself into
buying a handbag.”
Well, hold your horses guys. The only reason I
mentioned step 2 is because in step 3, you are required to bring your
Quran with you wherever you go. EVERYWHERE you go, always have your
Quran with you.
When you go to school, when you go to work, when you are
out for leisure purposes, never leave the house without your Quran.
Why? Because at any chance you could possibly get, read the Quran. You
are waiting for your bus? Read the Quran to kill time. Waiting for your
friends at that cafe you love to hang out together? Read the Quran over
your favourite cup of mocha. Stuck in a traffic jam on your way to work?
Read the Quran.
In
movies, there is always a character, a girl who is sitting alone deeply
engrossed in her copy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
There is
something somewhat very mysterious about her, as if she is one of a
kind. But we rarely see anyone here reading the Quran while waiting for
her train at the train station or even when enjoying an afternoon in the
park. Be that one-of-a-kind person.
Change the
“you-can-only-read-your-Quran-privately-in-your-home” culture !
Images courtesy of Google
4.
Go crazy and wild with your Quran.
I am talking about sticky notes,
highlighters, scribbling on the pages of your Quran with new things you
have learned about.
There are words of wisdom, motivational quotes so
profound it will put that “bowl of soup for the soul” book series to
shame.
There are Quranic verses that tell you about the rewards of
Jannah and the wraths of Jahannam. There are stories for you to take
lessons from (the story of Ashab e Kahf from Surah Al-Kahf, chapter 18
and the story of Prophet Yusuf from Surah Yusuf, chapter 12.)
There are
verses so beautifully composed and rhymed as though it is a poetry
written especially by Allah for you that your heart breaks softly when
you read it (Surah Ar-Rahman, chapter 55).
The list of exciting things
you will encounter with the Quran goes on and on. Trust me, it will be
one exploration that you will have the most fun with. Go crazy with
your Quran. Go wild in exploring your Quran.
For
me, my most favourite part of getting to know the Quran is when I
stumble upon supplications of the prophet and the believers.
Mark them.
Try to memorize them. Do not let your Quran be that book kept prim and
proper on your bookshelf, the pages pristine white because you fear of
writing anything on it.
6.
Highlight frequently read phrases to familiarize yourself with the
beautiful sayings of the Quran. La tahzan (Don’t be sad = لا تحزنا) or Afala Ta’qilun (Do
you not think? = افلا تعقلون) are some of the example of phrases
mentioned numerous times in the Quran that you cannot help but notice
it.
Take note of it so that the next time you see it, you would be able
to recognize it and you would get that sense of familiarity and feel as
if you are personally connecting with the Quran.
7.
Know the benefits of reading the Quran.
The more you know about the
benefits that you will reap, the more you want to spend time with it.
The rewards of reading and reciting the Quran are many. An authentic
hadith in At-Tirmidhi states:
Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah,
he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am
not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that
“Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.” So
increase your recitation of the Qur’an to gain these merits, and to gain
the following merit as well.
In another hadith, ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, relates that the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W said:
Verily
the one who recites the Qur’an beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he
will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the
one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its
verses, then he will have TWICE that reward.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Apart
from that, another advantage of being best buddies with your Quran is
that it will become your saviour on the day of judgement. In a hadith
narrated by Abu Umamah, he said that he heard Allah’s Messenger S.A.W
say:
Recite the Qur’an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite it. [Sahih Muslim Hadith 1757]
8.
Personalize your Quran.
Qurans nowadays are printed and published in so
many different designs and colours.
Get one that matches your
personality.
Pink, red, green, leather bound, hard cover bound.
Make
some fancy cover for your Quran. I know some will argue by saying it is
the act of reading and reciting the Quran that matters, not whether the
cover matches your bag or the colour of your hijab.
But if these things
help motivate you, help get you excited about opening your Quran and
reading it, I say “Why not!”.
If one could constantly upgrade the
accessories of one’s smartphone, what is wrong with doing the same with
one’s Quran?
Image courtesy of Facebook [4]
9.
Take it a step further. If is not merely enough that you upgrade the
“external” aspect of your Quran.
Enrol yourself in a tafseer class.
Learn with teachers and scholars that can deepen your knowledge and
understanding about the verses of the Quran.
Then take it another step
further : Enrol yourself in an Arabic class. It will do you wonders.
Often times I get really envious of a person whom upon reading a verse
of the Quran, burst into tears because he or she actually understands
what was being read. He or she knows how terrifying Jahannam is and how
beautiful Jannah is described. Unfortunately, the rest of us do not have
the same effect and we could only blame it on our lack of proficiency
in Arabic.
10.
The final tip : Istiqamah. To be steadfast.
Strive to always be in the
company of the Quran. Strive to read the Quran every single day.
Treat
the habit as though it is a supplement, a vitamin to nourish your soul
(a sister I know calls it her Vitamin Q).
Start small. For the
beginners, start by reading a page each day and keep adding as you feel
you are spiritually progressing. It is not about finishing the race (to
complete the reading of the Quran).
It is about enjoying the journey at
your own pace. To feel how the verses of the Quran will change you.
.....So there
you go. I really hope you benefit from these ten tips as much as I have.
Also a point to always remember is to never stop making du’a to Allah
to help ease your journey with the Quran. I ask Allah to enter the Quran
into our hearts and to let us turn to the Quran before anything else. I
also ask Allah to make you and I amongst those who “speak” the Quran. I
am reminded of what Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan once said in his lecture[6], “Before you want Quran to be your companion on Judgement Day, you have to first be its companion here in this life.”
So my question to you now is : Are you ready to be in this special relationship?
By,
copy from The Girl with The Pink Quran
MIZAN WEBSITE
![IMG_0954[1]](http://mizan.my/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_09541.jpg)
