07 Jul The Blessings of Youth & The Inspiration of the Wise
Bismillah
Assalaamu ‘alaykum,
One of the most inspiring Prophetic Gems emanate from the famous hadeeth that urges the believer to benefit from the period of youth before the time of old age.
SubhaanAllah! What a poignant reminder in my encounter with a well-read, highly-spirited octogenarian a fortnight ago. This elderly neighbour is clearly distinguished by her approach to life & her philosophy in ‘living to earn His Pleasure.’
“Have you thanked Allah Ta’ala for allowing you to memorise His Book in your youth?”
Dear sister, have you ever been asked such a beneficial question? Such a question of worth that requires thought & reflection? Yes, All Praise to Allah, who guided us to His Remembrance & His Praise..Teachers & older, wiser class-mates had always encouraged us to constantly thank Allah for this great blessing…The theme gratitude unto Allah flows beautifully in Sura Ebraheem, verses 7 & 34.
The more I reflected over this question- this reminder, I came to the realisation that SubhaanAllah, I had not fully realised the tremendous & manifold blessings that came with memorising Qur’aan in my youth! An abundance of free time, good health, no domestic or work commitments…the list is endless; Allah’s Bounties are never-ending!
But further introspection led me to seek refuge in Allah, in His Mercy & His guidance…for, perhaps there had been so many more blessings of which I had not thanked Allah for, had not utilised fully in my youth..but one thing is for sure: The best days of my youth had been in the memorising of the Beautiful BookJ The impact of my teacher’s wisdom, my class-mates encouragement & my parents’ spiritual support during memorisation of Qur’aan, have been a great part of shaping my adulthood..for, learning the Qur’aan inspires the journey towards self-determination, perseverance, courage & selflessness.
Be you from amongst the youth or the elderly, what stops YOU from memorising the Book of Allah?? I once hear a lecture in which the speaker deliberated, “Making an excuse for anything good, is a disease in itself…”
I remember youth who spent all of their free time in walking great distances to attend Hifdh class, who sacrificed the comfort of the world in exchange for the pleasures of the Hereafter..youth whose circle of friends vehemently opposed their learning of Qur’aan & whose family ostracised them, yet they strove in this path of learning…
For, when you rise on the Day of Questioning, how will you answer for the manner in which you spent your youth? Would you not wish to be from amongst those youth who are sheltered by the Throne of Allah Ta’ala, having spent your youth in servitude to The One? Having chosen consciousness over heedlessness? Devotion over deviation? Love over lust? Imagine! Climbing the ranks in Paradise, earning his (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) companionship! Witnessing His Divine Countenance!
‘Age is but a number’: I see this age-old adage come to life in my elderly neighbour. For, despite ailing health & physical weakness, she continues to make every effort in learning The Glorious Qur’aan. So, how then, can an increase in age prevent any believer from committing His Words to memory? What better, more rewarding avenue can one seek to undertake in journeying towards the Hereafter? I recall a teacher once encouraging visiting grandparents to memorise Qur’aan: “Even if you memorise 1 verse each day for an entire year, you will have learnt 1 juzz in a year..in 30 years, you will then have memorised the entire Qur’aan!”
The real-life story of a 50-year old Pakistani grandmother has inspired many of my older students in recent years: In her youth, this sister had memorised 13 juzz of Qur’aan..she then married at a young age & spent the next 2 decades in bringing up & educating her children..After her youngest child married, she turned towards her unfulfilled goal: memorising the remainder of Qur’aan..it took her another decade to realise this goal, but realise it she didJMay Allah Ta’ala keep her from amongst the family of Qur’aan, aameen!
Another inspiring account is that of the 82 year-old (according to other reports 80 year old) grandmother who became a haafidhah. It’s been on many forwarding lists & sites, but it nevre fails to inspire the seeker of knowledge. Click here to read the interview.
Long after the sound of her walking stick has ceased down the corridor, I’m inspired by my 86-year old neighbour: her passion for the greatest phenomenon, Al Qur’aan..her life-long desire to memorise, her efforts to understand its Words..her yearning to enter His paradise; i’m inspired to want to be a better memoriser of Qur’aan , to apply its beautiful teachings, to live its message & to die having made every effort to be ‘a walking Qur’aan’, inshaa Allah!
Really, it all boils down to the individual: it’s about what YOU want..how you wish to accumulate your good deeds..your desire to remember His Words & live its meaning..What effort, what means, will you go through, to achieve this end???
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