STRIVING TO INSPIRE WRITING COMPETITION: ENTRY 106

16 May STRIVING TO INSPIRE WRITING COMPETITION: ENTRY 106

Bismillah

Striving to Inspire

“We had made the Quran easy for rememberance; is there any that will remember it?”

(Surah Al-Qamar)

My inspiration lies in this very verse! As I sit here reminiscing my journey of Hifdh I am filled with a sense of peace, happiness and contentment. Why, you may ask? Because, today, Alhamdulillah I can say that I have fulfilled and reached my goal of becoming a Hafidha.

I began my journey at the young and tender age of 7, a time when I was the first female in my locality doing Hifdh, and needless to say there were obstacles to overcome and challenges to face! Entering the world of Hifdh and Quran was like entering a new world, as no other venture in life can be so momentous and crucial, so blissful and rewarding, as my journey to and through the Quran. I remember having to sacrifice family holidays and outings, playtime and most importantly, sleep! I remember shedding tears of frustration at not being able to remember a certain verse or page, and screaming from the rooftops everytime I completed a new surah or juz. Fond memories indeed!

For me, Hifdh and Quran are companions that stood with me at my darkest hours and at moments that were life-altering. In Al-Quran I found my answers, my guidance and my escape when life was hard and cruel. On the flip side, it was recitation of the Quran that calmed the butterflies in my tummy on the day of my nikaah, it was the words of Al-Quran that I was reciting lying on the hospital bed, watching the heartbeat of my unborn, tiny foetus. It was in madrasa whilst reciting Quran that I felt my unborn baby move for the first time and the first time I experienced Braxton-Hicks contractions was, yep, you guessed it, in masrasah whilst giving dhor to apa!

Hifdh is a journey that will take you through endless joys and riches of the words that Allah has sent to the Ummah of our Beloved, Muhammad صلي الله عليه و سلم.

For me Hifdh and Quran has opened up a world of untold treasures of knowledge and wisdom to guide me on the pathways of life and to mould my thoughts and actions. The Quran is a Divine Book in which deep insights to enrich one’s soul and to steer one on the right course are found. From the Quran a person receives a radiant light to illumine the deepest crevices of the heart and soul. Here you will encounter profound emotions, a warmth to melt your heart and bring tears running down your cheeks.

The Quran is Allah’s greatest blessing on me. It is the fulfillment of Allah’s promise to Adam and his descendants:

‘There shall come to you guidance from Me, and whosoever follows My Guidance no fear shall come on them, neither shall they grieve’ (al Baqarah 2:38).

The Quran is the only weapon your frail existence requires as you struggle against the forces of evil and temptation in this world. It is the only means to overpower your fear and anxiety. It is the only ‘light’ (nur) , as you grope in the darkness, with which to find your way to success and salvation. It is the only healing (shifa) for your inner sickness, as well as the social ills that may surround you. Al-Quran is the constant reminder (dhikr) of your true nature and destiny, of your responsibities and your duties.

The greatness and importance of what the Quran holds for a person cannot be described and it is beyond man’s comprehension. It was sent down from Allah Almighty in the Heavens to the most trustworthy and honest being, Muhammed صلي الله عليه و سلم.

The Quran tells us of Allah and His Supreme qualities, of how He rules and how we should relate to Him, to ourselves and to our fellow brothers and sisters. The Quran issues warnings and glad tidings, narrates incidents and stories and relates to us examples of the people of the past so that we may take warning and heed.

The reward of learning Quran that await you in this world are many, increasing manifold in the Hereafter, as Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه reports from the Noble Prophet Muhammed صلي الله عليه و سلم:

‘On the Day of Judgment it will be said to the hafidh of Quran: Read and ascend the storeys of Jannah and recite in the slow manner you had been reading in the worldly life; your final abode will be where you reach at the time of your last ayah’. [Tirmidhi]

Allah Himself describes Paradise, ‘That which the eye has not seen, nor the ear heard of, nor the heart of man ever conceived and no human being can imagine what joys are being kept hidden for them….’

[Narrated by Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه in Bukhari & Muslim]

As hafidhas we have to become ‘Walking Qurans’. We have to take the Quran and internalise its messages, make Al-Quran our living constitution. How do we do this? By reflecting over what the Quran is, and what it means to us, and bringing all our love, devotion and longing to act upon what this realisation demands. Secondly, we should recite the Quran as we were commanded to do so, as Muhammed صلي الله عليه و سلم and his noble companions did. Thirdly, we must bring each word of the Quran to bear upon our own realities and concerns by transcending the barriers of culture, time and change.

Travelling on the road of Hifdh constantly requires a hafidh or hafidha’s commitment to Allah. Reading the Quran is living the Quran, willingly, totally, sincerely and devotedly.

The outcome of life depends on how you heed Allah’s call. The journey is therefore decisive for your existance, for mankind and for the future of human civilization. A hundred new worlds lie in its verses, centuries are involved in its moments. Know then, my dear sister that it is Quran and only the Quran which can lead you on the path of success and glory in this world and the Hereafter.

“Oh Allah make us from amongst the people of the Quran- those who are Your family and special ones!’
Ameen

A Hafidha of 3 years, I am an aalima, a Child Psychology student and mum to a beautiful 2 year old daughter who I pray will be an inspiration to others, Inshallah. I reside in Durban, and spend my days doing chores, teaching madrasah, bonding with my daughter and being inspired!