Perhaps we can all ponder on the Naseehaah of one of the Salaf, by name Sufyaan Ibn Saeed Ath-Thawree(RahimauLLAH)....
"My brother, use the time you have between dawn and sunrise to contemplate the previous day: Remain steadfast on the good deeds you performed the previous day, and abandon anything you did out of disobedience to ALLAAH (subhaanahu wa ta’aala).
Do not repeat the same mistakes, for you do not know whether or not you will live for the rest of your day! As long as you are alive, the option of repentance is available to you, but refraining from sinning is easier for you than trying to perform a sincere repentance. A sincere repentance involves regret and a firm resolve never to repeat the same sin again.
Wherever you are, fear ALLAAH. If you perpetrated a sin in secret, then repent to ALLAAH in secret. And if you perpetrated a sin out in the open, then repent to ALLAAH out in the open.
Do not let one sin lead to another (so that they pile up onto one another). Cry frequently and as much as you are able to, and do not laugh (frequently), for you were not created without purpose. Join ties with and be kind to your family, your relatives, your neighbors, and your brothers....
"When you intend to show mercy, show mercy to the poor, to orphans, and to the weak. If you intend to give charity…or to perform a good deed, then do it right away, before the Shaytaan (Devil) positions himself between you and the execution of what you intended to do. Act always on a good intention: eat with a good intention and drink with a good intention....
Do not be miserly, for miserliness corrupts a person’s religion. Do not promise someone something and refrain from fulfilling your promise, for in that case, the love you will have gained through your promise will be replaced by hate. Do not feel rancor in your heart towards your Muslim brother, for ALLAAH does not accept repentance from a person if there is rancor and malice between him and his Muslim brother. Do not be angry, for anger is like a shaver – just as a shaver shaves off hair, anger shaves off good deeds (unless one becomes angry for the sake of ALLAAH (subhaanahu wa ta’aala)).
Make it a practice to extend greetings of peace to every Muslim, for if you do so, hatred, deception, and rancor will all be purged from your heart. Shake hands with your Muslim brothers and you will, as a result, become loved by the people. Remain in a constant state of purity (by performing ablution whenever you pass wind or empty your bowels) and, as a result, you will be loved by the Al-Hafazah (the angels who record your deeds). Love only for the sake of ALLAAH, and hate only for the sake of ALLAAH: If you do not possess these two qualities, it means that you have on you the mark of a hypocrite....
Extracted from The Biography of Sufyaan ath-Thawree (RahimauLLAH), p175-176...
10 Steps to Memorizing the Quran
ReplyDeleteQur'an by admin
Memorizing the Quran is a great virtuous deed. It will intercede for the one who memorises it and will also act as prevention for one to enter Hell-Fire. According to ahadith, it is also narrated that Allah will never put a person in Hell-Fire who has any part of the Quran in his heart.
The ‘Golden Age’, as described by the classical scholars is between the ages 5 to 23 years. Definitely the golden age is the best time to memorise the Quran as it is the peak of a person’s memory. This age factor is a great bonus and aid for those wishing to memorise the Quran and should be utilised by the person immediately.
Below are 10 simple steps a person needs to practice in order to memorise the Quran fast and effectively:
1. Al-Ikhlas – Sincerity
The first step to ease the memorisation of the Quran is sincerity. The person must memorise the Quran for the sake of reward and to please Allah. Not to show off, aim to impress others or in order to get a Job (e.g. as Imaam of the Masjid).
2. Correct the pronunciation and recitation
Another factor that will help a person memorise the Quran is to correct the pronunciation and recitation of the Quran. This can be achieved by listening to a Qari whose style of recitation you like and makes you feel connected to the Quran.
3. Specify how many verses you want to memorise on a daily basis
For example, commit yourself to memorise 3, 5, 10, 20 verses per day.
If you give yourself a target to memorise 3 verses per day, read the three verses you have memorised along with the new three verses you are trying to memorise e.g. If you memorise 3 verses on one day, the next day you should memorise another 3 verses and repeat the verses you memorised the day before.
Another tactic to memorise the Quran is to keep repeating the verses at any opportunity with tajweed (tune). The tajweed will cause the person to enjoy the tune of recitation thus allowing the person to memorise that verse.
4. Do not exceed the limit of your day
If you have committed yourself to memorising 5 or 10 (for example) verses per day then do not exceed it.
Commit yourself to a regular number of verses you wish to memorise everyday and do not change this pattern.
5. Memorise from only one copy of the Quran
This is because in every Qurأan, the layout of the verses is different. If you memorise from one copy you will have a mental picture of the verse in your mind, whereas if you attempt to memorise from many different copies of the Quran, it could lead to confusion and difficulty in memorising the Quran.
6. Understanding is a mechanism of memorising
Understanding the verses will definitely increase memorisation and also khushoo (ritual fear and focus) during salah.
7. Do not go to another chapter until you finish the chapter you are on
Memorising the Quran in chapters is the best way to memorise the Quran as it will be easier to remember where you stopped last.
8. Do not listen to yourself all the time
It is advisable to recite in front of someone who is Hafiz ul Quran (who has memorised the Quran) as this will benefit the hafiz and he will correct him on any mistakes he makes.
9. Continuity – Always recite to yourself, wherever you are
It has been reported the Messenger Muhammad (saw) said that the Quran will run away from the tongue of a person faster than an untied camel. Make sure you are constantly reciting the Quran wherever you are e.g. on the bus, whilst travelling, relaxing at home etc.
10. Identify the patterns of the verses
The Quran is Mutashaabihaat, which means that it has a pattern. Verses often look and sound like each other, which is a great aid to memorising the Qurأan.
Difficulties in memorising the Quran
For those who have passed the golden age, have disability or any hardship in memorising the Quran, it is advisable to have plenty of honey and black seed, which are natural remedies that aid memorisation as-well as cure sicknesses.
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