Naseeha for the Hifdh Journey: avoiding ostentation

16 Jan Naseeha for the Hifdh Journey: avoiding ostentation

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullah,

Towards the end of 2012 I was on conference call with a group of experienced tahfeedhul Qur’aan teachers, most of whom voiced dismay on the rising challenge which students faced in remaining grounded & sincere in the hifdh journey. As if on cue, I soon thereafter received an email from one of our esteemed readers who posed a similar question for our monthly Q & A series:

Q: Assalamua’laikum Dear Sister in islam, How can I avoid riya’ (ostentation), pride and arrogance when doing my Hifdh?  Jazakillah Khayr

                                                            [Suhailah, your sister in Islam from Singapore]

A: Wa ‘alaykumus salaam wa Rahmatullah dear Suhailah. JazaakAllahu Khayr, your question is so important & I’m so pleased that you asked!

Check your intention: Niyyah is the ‘soul’ of your actions. Establish an intention and thereafter seek to regularly renew your noble intention of doing hifdh. Always introspect: (a). WHY am I doing hifdh? , (b). for WHOM am I doing hifdh?  Renewing the intention helps purify the soul  and also provides the much needed motivation for this spiritual pathway.

Spot your errors: “Hifdh is humbling.” – the realisation of many a hifdh student. The reality is that each time you make a mistake in memorisation or recollection of an aayat or surah,  one is reminded that more effort needs to be made, that there is room for improvement. Basically, a quite direct case of ‘eating humble pie.’ AlHumdulillah!

Seek refuge in Allah Ta’ala:  Shaytan will try every means possible to distract you from your goal of memorising for the Pleasure of Allah. One of his deceptive ploys is in engaging the mind, heart & soul in the spiritual illnesses of arrogance, pride and ostentation.

D -A – N – G – E – R!

Our intention should be to always remain humble, ever conscious of the incredible gift (of hifdh) upon us. Easier said than done. Nafs. Shaytaan.

Seek spiritual nourishment & purification of soul by:

• Making du’aa daily to Allah Ta’ala
• Expressing gratitude to Him
• Seeking His forgiveness
• Reflecting & recognising signs of spiritual illness
• Imploring for His divine acceptance of your humble ibaada of hifdh
• Regularly reciting the sunnan du’aa and athkaar

How tragic it would be for us to invest time in Qur’aan memorisation, only to find out on the Day of Resurrection that our good deeds have been erased by spiritual illness, the likes of which destroyed Shaytaan, Haamaan, etc.

Spiritual Sisterhood: Choose your friends. Seek out sisters who are humble, sincere & grounded in their hifdh strivings. Observe their ways; adopt the good. Know that we all have shortcomings. But the best are those who constantly reflect, rectify & purify that which is concealed from everyone but Him. Ideally, find such sisters in your hifdh class or circle. We tend to use ambition as a tool with which to make progress and create meaningful canges in our work & academic lives. Wy not extend that mode in becoming ‘spiritually ambitious’ for the Sake of Allah Ta’ala?

Understanding the Qur’aan:  This is a vital key in remaining grounded & sincere during hifdh. Study the meaning & explanation of te verses you commit to memory. Understanding the reasons for revelation, narratives on the powerful nations of old & reflecting on their end state, all prove to be sombre reminders.

We ask Allah Ta’ala to protect, safeguard & honour us, for indeed we are weak & helpless without His Aid & Blessings. And to Him belongs all praise.

Resource: Different Forms of Riya’

Q & A series link: Naseeha for the Hifdh Journey: the mother’s support

Stay Inspired!

PS: Do you have a hifdh question? Or are you seeking naseeha for your hifdh journey? Email: rayhaanah@gmail.com

Kindly state whether your question can be used on a future blog post. If so, please clarify if your name can / cannot be used. All privacy requests will be respected. JazaakAllahu Khayran.