“Diapers cost a lot,” said my friend, when we met on her visit to her home country five months after she had her first baby. She looked into my eyes, searching for acquiescence,”….right?” As our children lay playing around us, I nodded, and stopped myself in time from insensitively blurting out, “But this is just the beginning”. I knew how inappropriate that would sound to a new mother who was assessing the extra expenses related to her baby for the first time in her life. Understandably, she was going through the initial adjustment phase of becoming a new parent, and needed only encouragement from her experienced friends.

We all have our expenses: the bills, the monthly payments, and the extra expenditures that crop up out of nowhere, especially for those of us who have families to support, viz. parents and siblings, or spouses and children.

Shortly after we pass the two-decade milestone in our lives, we wake up to real life, and realize that it is not all eat, drink, and be merry. For some, this wakeup call comes much earlier due to straitened circumstances. For others, it might come a bit late – when they finally start shouldering more responsibility.

Either way, one inevitably realizes sooner or later in life that money is the life-blood we need to be able to keep bringing food to our tables, and that this money is earned through hard work. We should neither waste it on frivolities, nor should we withhold it from ourselves or others out of miserliness.

Additionally, we should never undermine the relationships we have with our families, because these bonds were created by Allah, and He records and rewards even the small, seemingly insignificant bits of good we do to them – even what we see as trivial, of the things we give them, that are included in their rights upon us.

Recently, I came across a hadith that really opened my eyes to how we should all look at our family-related expenses and liabilities. It also reminded me of the importance of one’s intention whilst doing mundane, everyday tasks that we really don’t view as acts of worship, such as buying one’s child a small toy, or going out for the weekly grocery run.

[أخرجه أحمد، والبخاري ، ومسلم]

It is narrated from Abu Mas’ud al-Badri [رضى الله عنه] that the Messenger of Allah [صلى الله عليه و سلم] said,

“Without a doubt, when a Muslim spends money on his family while considering (the action as worship), it is an act of charity”.

[Reported by Imams Ahmad, Bukhari and Muslim]

This short but profound narration gives us tremendous consolation: if we renew and rectify our intentions regarding spending on our family, to do so for the sake of Allah as an act of sadaqah (charity), Allah will count these expenditures as such, insha’ Allah.

The key words in the hadith are وَهُوَ يَحْتَسِبُهَا - meaning that the spender, whilst spending on his or her family should, in his heart, intend or consider that spending as a sadaqah. The words احتَسَبَ يَحْتَسِبُ اِحْتِسَابٌ imply to reckon something, to seek reward from Allah for something, to count something as eligible for  reward. In a verse of Surah at-Talaq, Allah mentions:

وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ

“And He (Allah) will provide for him (the believer) from where he does not expect/reckon; (from whence does not occur to his mind).” [65:3]

In the above verse, the same word is used to imply that the believer doesn’t “reckon” from where Allah will provide for him.

Therefore, we can conclude from the above hadith that we should “count” or “reckon” our spending (نفقة) on our families (اهل) as charity (صدقة) when we spend on them in any way, whether big or small.

We find ourselves inundated by extra expenses during some months of the year. This is especially so around vacation season, with the costly Islamic summer camp, the plane tickets required for importing parent(s) for the summer, or the shiny new workbooks to keep the children constructively occupied. We dread receiving the doctor’s bill and having to fill costly medicine prescription, upon taking a sick dependent to the doctor’s clinic. And we anticipate with some foreboding, magnanimous four-figure bills, as our children grow older and prepare for college.

Graduation parties, Eid dinners, transatlantic flights to reinstate biological ties and bring smiles across elderly faces. School fees, fuel and rent charges, furniture and electronics costs. Clothes and accessories, a mini van, a bigger home for growing broods. The list is endless. Sometimes, when we see no end to the costs in sight, yet almost always come face-to-face with the rock-bottom of our monthly/weekly budget, we do tend to get a bit down in the dumps.  That is the time when we need positive reminders that our spending, depending on our intention, will be counted as a charity, even through we’ve seen it as an “expense”.

There is absolutely no way that we can guarantee provisions for the ones whom Allah has brought into this world, as He is the Provider. However, He has entrusted us with fulfilling our responsibilities towards them, and these duties are their rights upon us.

We should keep reminding ourselves of the intention behind each and every thing we do. This will enable us to renew this intention, and hence ensure that our book of deeds records all our actions, even those that appear to the world as “expenses” or “liabilities”, as deeds truly done to please our Creator (with full اِحْتِسَاب).

In Surah Al-Ahzab, Allah addresses the wives of Prophet Muhammad [صَلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَ سَلم] with specific commands to guard their chastity:

“And abide quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them in the old days of pagan ignorance; and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto Allah and His Messenger: for Allah only wants to remove from you all that might be loathsome, O you members of the [Prophet’s] household, and to purify you to utmost purity.” [33:33]

The word قَرْنَ stems from the root letters وق ر or, according to other scholars, the root letters ق ر ر, both implying more or less the same implicit meaning. According to Lane’s online Arabic-to-English lexicon, the root of the word قَرْنَ means –> to settle; be firm, steady, fixed, settled or established; be motionless, quiet, still, standing, stationary; to rest, remain, continue or reside in a place. Synonyms are ثَبَتَ and سَكَنَ which, when used for a man, also imply to reside or rest somewhere ’with authority or power’.

According to Tafsir ibn Kathir, ”And stay in your houses” means “stay in your houses and do not come out except for a purpose. One of the purposes mentioned in Shari`ah is prayer in the Masjid, so long as the conditions are fulfilled, as the Messenger of Allah [صَلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَ سَلم] said:

- “Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the masjids of Allah, but have them go out without wearing fragrance“.  According to another report:

“…even though their houses are better for them” [Abu Dawood: 567]” [End quote tafsir.com]

Tafsir Maududi expounds, “The word قَرْنَ in the original is derived from قرار according to some lexicographers and from وقار according to others. In the first sense, it will mean: “Settle down, stick firmly;” and in the second sense: “Live peacefully, sit with dignity”. In both the cases the verse means to impress that the woman’s real sphere of activity is her home; she should carry out her functions within that sphere peacefully, and she should come out of the house only in case of a genuine need.

This explanation makes it abundantly clear that what Allah forbids for women is to move out of their houses showing off their physical charms and beauty. He instructs them to stay in their houses because their real sphere of activity is their home and not the world outside. However, if they have to move out of the house for an outdoor duty, they should not move out as the women used to do in the pre-Islamic days of ignorance. For it does not behoove the women of a Muslim society to walk out fully embellished; to make their face and figure conspicuous by adornments and tight-fitting or transparent dresses, and to walk coquettishly.”

[End quote Maududi tafsir]

We need to keep in mind the context of the revelation of these verses of the Quran. The wives of the Prophet [صَلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَ سَلم] were being specifically addressed. Just before this verse, they were commanded not to soften their speech when conversing with non-mahrum men due to necessity. After being told to stay in their homes, they were commanded not to do تَبَرُّج (wanton display of charms and beauty).

Muslim women emulate the wives of the Prophet [صَلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَ سَلم], considering them role models. Any Quranic command addressed towards the latter, particularly one that aims to establish lofty moral character and conduct, automatically becomes a praiseworthy goal for the average Muslim woman, for all time to come. Therefore, the necessary traits of moral behavior of exemplary Muslim women, whom other women of the ummah would always look up to, viz. the Prophet’s wives, are being outlined here.

The question arises as to why the wives of the Prophet [صَلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَ سَلم], as the epitomes for all Muslim women, were commanded to mostly stay in their homes? Also, what falls under “genuine need” that allows a woman to emerge from her home in full hijab?

The purpose of this command is not the confinement of women to their homes out of a disdain for their intelligence or productivity as individuals. Neither does Islam consider a woman solely responsible for the moral vices that emerge in a society. If that were the case, men would not have been commanded to lower their gaze and guard their chastity [Reference: Quran, 24:30].

As the word meaning of قَرْنَ implies, a Muslim woman should keep her home as the focus of her attention and activities, and make it the base of her affairs. A cursory glance at women all over the world shows that, no matter how hard they work outside the home (whether in plantation fields, picking up the children from school, or for other pursuits), eventually they always return home. When they do, they have to run its affairs too, such as the sometimes mundane tasks of cooking and cleaning. Even if they choose to delegate these internal home affairs to employees or paid helpers, the task of supervision, planning and follow-up still remains their primary responsibility. Whether it is a rural lass in the valley of Chitral or a housewife in suburban California, matters such as what the family will eat for the day and when the clothes will be washed, are up to the women of the house to decide and execute.

Here are a list of necessities that allow Muslim women to leave their homes:

1. To perform salah in the masjid, especially the Jum’uah and Eid salah.
2. To perform hajj and umrah.
3. Pursuit of education/knowledge.
4. To visit sick relatives, or to respond to social calls and dinner/wedding invitations; to visit neighbors, extended family, and other people for the sake of joining relations; commiserating after a death and attending a funeral, or matchmaking/negotiating marriage proposals between families.
5. To visit the doctor or the hospital when sick and needing medical treatment, or to give birth.
6. To work at a job, if there is no mahrum man providing for them (out of chance or choice). For the conditions that allow a Muslim woman to work, please see: Guidelines on Women Working Outside the Home (IslamQA.com).
7. To teach or cater to other women and children viz. work as professors, primary school teachers, Montessori teachers, daycare providers, or institution administrators/program coordinators.
8. To work to provide medical services and other care to women and children viz. to work as  doctors, nurses, dentists, surgeons, physiotherapists, lactation consultants, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and necessarily, as obstetrician-gynecologists and midwives.
9. To work as domestic helpers/maids, nannies, cooks, personal assistants/secretaries, and as attendants to elderly or invalid women. We all know how often Muslim women need other women to help them in their day-to-day affairs. For example, a doctor’s office or ladies’ gym might need a receptionist or office assistant; a Professor at a University might need a teaching assistant; and so on.
10. To work for security. At airports, visa-issuing embassies, and other checkpoints, women need to be present to check other women for security reasons. This is extremely necessary in order to prevent Muslim women from being checked by male security personnel.
11. To work as technicians, trainers, fashion designers or beauticians. Again, the restrictions ordained by Islam need to be observed whilst pursuing this line of work, but it is a fact that women love to beautify themselves and they need/pay other expert women to help them out, for example, to achieve just the right shade of lowlights in their hair, or to have henna applied for a wedding. The beauty industry can actually be a very fruitful profession, especially for young artistically inclined girls, as it allows them to offer services for a fee to women clients even within private homes.
12. For passports and national identity documents, women need to be photographed and those who choose to cover their faces, should have the option to uncover their faces only before a female photographer. Unfortunately, because women do not usually enter these fields as professionals, veiled women have to have their pictures taken by men instead.
13. Similarly, in laboratories, trained female technicians should be present to serve female clients, e.g. to draw blood from their veins for blood tests,or take their blood pressure and other vital statistics.
    Although our scholars are quick to point out very quickly and all-encompassingly that “Muslim women have been commanded to stay in their homes!”, they do not point out those fields or professions, where some women should work, as a fard kifayah, in order to serve the other women of the ummah, especially to prevent them from going for the same services to men. For example, I know many women who were not exactly pleased to find out, after having chosen to take an epidural for childbirth, that a man will come in to administer it to them, right above their backside (which meant uncovering their lower back to him, and that too while in labor!). In Pakistan, at least, no women are trained to administer the epidural shot.

It becomes clear, then, that far from being confined to their homes twiddling their thumbs, Muslim women will need to emerge very often in order to fulfill the obligations of Islam - such as seeking and imparting knowledge - and to perform social and moral duties in their society. It is for this purpose that hijab has been ordained and they have been warned in the same verse not to do tabarruj as in the days of the first ignorance/jahiliyyah (implying that the same jahiliyyah would re-emerge in the future, which has unfortunately happened).

No matter what their religion, culture or ethnicity, women today who choose to pursue full-time, demanding careers almost always face a crossroads in their professional lives when they hear their biological clock ticking loudly during their thirties, especially if they have consciously chosen career over marriage and motherhood. Even after having babies, those women who choose to work, admit to living with a constant guilt; a nagging feeling of having let down their family, or not being there for their children when they need them (which is several times a day). And even those women who have achieved accolades and won awards for their accomplishments in their professional lives, admit to feeling a sense of desolation when, at the end of the day, they come home to a lavish but empty apartment/villa and have dinner alone.

In contrast, those women who keep their home their priority, or shall we say, their “primary occupation”, but continue to dabble in their professions and hobbies on a part-time or freelance basis – viz. at a level that doesn’t obstruct fulfillment of their responsibilities at home - lead a more satisfied life, entering into a win-win bargain. Their homes and families are taken care of, fulfilling their maternal and nurturing instincts, whereas their mental and intellectual faculties also remain stimulated because their spare time is used constructively for the benefit of others in society.

Bismillah

As a belated part-two to our Seeking Knowledge series, sister Mariam E. and I conducted an interview with Ustadhah Kareema Czerepinski on memorizing the Book of Allah as a follow-up to our advice on the proper methods of pursuing sacred knowledge. It is the perfect time for students to start or renew their memorization now that the summer break is upon us and Ramadan is right around the corner inshaAllah. We hope that these answers are beneficial to you and us. May Allah make us from the Companions of His Book and unite us with His righteous slaves in the highest gardens of Paradise. Ameen.

Ustadhah Kareema Czerepinski, author of the three part book series: Tajweed Rules of the Qur’an, memorized the Quran and went on to receive an ijaazah in the way of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, by the way of Shatibiyyah, and another ijaazah by the way of Tayyibat Al-Nashr. She then continued and received an ijaazah in the ten qira’aat min tareeq Ash-Shaaitibiyyah and Ad-Durrah. She is in charge of the non-Arab division at Dar Al-Huda Qur’an school for ladies.

What is your advice for the one who has embarked on the journey to memorize the Quran?

“Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.”

Assalaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.  First of all, I thank you for the good supposition you have about me, pray that this is for the benefit of the Muslims, and ask Allah to guide me in my answers to that which is best and helpful to the Muslims who wish to learn and memorize the Words of Allah.

This question alone is one that books could be written on. I will try not to, but it is hard. The main three points of advice surround intention, schedule, and being tested.

Intention

Of course the first step is to make one’s intention solely for the pleasure of Allah and not for any earthly gain.  I say “of course” thinking that it is hardly possible for one to embark on this journey without pure intentions, as it is one that requires great amounts of time, patience, and perseverance, continual supplication to Allah for success, and deep from the gut determination. Then again, lately there has been a rise in Muslims forging documents, claiming to have a certificate they don’t, or a chain of transmission that they don’t, all to charge others great amounts of money for the chance to recite to them.  The stories get more and more amazing as the years go by and some Muslims lose track of the fact that Allah is always monitoring, watching our every move and knows what is in our hearts.  For that reason, I feel like it is still the number one thing to say, even though it is obvious.  The Muslim brothers or sisters who have embarked on or are going to embark on this journey need to be honest with themselves and clear up any kind of wiswas (whispers) that may occur in their intentions.

The student may want to research the sound ahaadeeth on the benefits of memorizing the Qur’an and the honor those who have memorized receive on the Day of Resurrection. One may put posters up in different  part of the house with some of the ahaadeeth, then change them every week or so, to help refresh the intentions and feel motivated.

Schedule

The next is to set up a reasonable schedule, one including daily memorization and review.  It is of the upmost importance that this schedule is neither too ambitious, so the student of memorization doesn’t get frustrated and give up, nor too easy so the student feels unchallenged and loses interest.  It is always best that the memorization and review are sequential and not random. This helps give the memorizer a clear picture of where he/she is and where he/she is going.

The best way for most is to be in an organized group with a set curriculum, time and days of class.  This helps keep motivation up, as no one likes to be behind the class, and also formulates bonds of brotherhood/sisterhood between the students for mutual cooperation and assistance.  There are some who do better on an individualized program, but with a group where each person recites what he/she has memorized to the teacher or individually has a set date for reciting his/her memorization to a teacher.  Still others have the patience, perseverance, and self motivation and control to do the memorization by their selves. On the whole, this form takes the most struggle as it is easy to get distracted and fall out of the daily routine when there is no appointed time to recite to a teacher and no group for extra motivation.

It is important to set apart a specific time of day to memorize and review, the time of day when there is the least amount of noise, and least amount of chance of being bothered or distracted. This time is set by the individual circumstances, but if possible right after fajr is what I would recommend.

Review/Testing

Don’t be in a hurry to finish memorizing and whiz through it without the memorization being firm.  The student should be able to close the mushaf (copy of the Quran) and recite what he/she memorized completely without a mistake, then that same section should be repeated during the day.  It is very important, no, imperative, that someone who is proficient in the Qur’an listens to what has been memorized and checks it.  It is also crucial to be tested on a whole juz’ when finished, and then on groups of ajzaa, such as 3, 5, or 10 at a time as the memorizer progresses through the stages of putting the Qur’an in their memory.

The review part of the daily section is just as important as the new memorization. One cannot call himself or herself a haafidh when in fact he/she memorized piece by piece and never put it together or reviewed intensely.

How does one face a period of laziness that might attack in the middle of this journey?

The student of the Qur’an needs to realize before they start that shaytaan is going to come to them and try to dissuade them from their noble goal.  The wiswas can be in the form of making one feel like it is never going to end, or seeing others having “fun” while the student is struggling forth, or any other sort of tool.  Knowing this should keep the student on guard and help recognize the cause of the laziness or feeling of wanting to stop.
The worst thing to do at this time is take a break from memorizing.  This will make returning to the memorization more difficult and usually one will feel like the task has become harder.  The best thing to do is make dua’, renew one’s intentions, change the hadeeth on the wall to a new one and read all the previously hung hadeeth. Reading other’s stories of struggle can also help.

What is the best way to schedule memorization around work, school, and/or other responsibilities? Or is it recommended to take time off and devote oneself completely for it,  for better results?

As previously mentioned, the student of memorization needs to find a quiet, consistent time where he/she can memorize and review.  Memorization should have first priority in the day, and insha’Allah there will be barakah in the remaining activities.

It is hard to say whether it is better to take time off from studies and work to memorize or not.  Oftentimes with a tight schedule and well planned time control one can do more than freeing oneself completely to devote all one’s time to memorization.  For many, taking time off is not an option.  Others do better in a classroom situation with a set curriculum and complete devotion to memorization.

Any tips on the best way to memorize the Mutashabihaat verses? (i.e. those verses that are repeated, similar, etc.)

Memorizing them isn’t nearly as difficult as keeping them straight when reviewing.  Since memorizing is a slow build up, the first few mutashaabihaat are not too difficult to keep straight.  It is later when firming up memorization and reviewing that it can become difficult.  One tool is writing down the different  stories of the same content or groups of aayaat and comparing them.  As the same story comes up in different surahs, the memorizer can add the new aayaat to his/her comparative list and study them and review them all at the same time, finding the similarities and differences.  The stories of the Prophets is one area in which this is especially needed.

There are numerous books in Arabic which help with the mutashaabihaat and there are poems.  One specific poem which helped me personally was As-Sakhkhaawiyyah.  I didn’t memorize the whole poem, but learned some parts and read through it and that helped keep many things straight.  For example the lines outlining the places in the Qur’an which have  abadan after khaalideen feeha really helped.

Some Muslims just can keep them straight by themselves, though, masha’ Allah and don’t need mnemonic devices to keep them straight.

Many Muslims feel that learning tajweed is not necessary; can you shed some light on why it is a critical part of learning the Qur’an?

The Qur’an was revealed in the Arabic language and was recited by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, and the Sahabah with tajweed.  Why would one want to recite it another way?  The Arabs at the time of revelation spoke with idhgaam, ikhfa’, etc, all the rules we now study to be able to read the Qur’an with tajweed.  There are parts of tajweed which were not in the normal Arab speech such as the lengthening of the sounds in the mudood, and this was then passed down in authentic chains of transmission to us and documented in the old books on tajweed.
There are parts of tajweed which are vital to know, since without applying them the actual letters can change in sound and a major mistake is made.  This is the basic tajweed knowledge that all Muslims should apply in their reading, whether they are memorizing the whole Qur’an, or just memorizing a few for their prayers.

What level of tajweed does one need to possess before embarking on the journey to memorize Quran?

This would depend on one’s ultimate goal. If one is memorizing with the intention of never teaching anyone else and just to get the honor and reward, then it would be enough to know the basic rules such as the laam saakinah, mudood, noon saakinah, makhraj, and meem saakinah.  I would caution however, that many times Muslims memorize, then later decide they want to teach or find themselves in a situation in which they are the only ones around who knows any amount of Qur’an, or change their mind and want an ijaazah, and then have to go back and learn everything in detail.  This can be quite difficult.

For most Muslims I would say that they should learn the above, plus all the rest of detailed tajweed because those who have memorized are usually called upon to teach and have a duty to help other Muslims.  One cannot teach properly without having a strong basis of knowledge themselves.  One can start memorizing at a slow level while learning the tajweed rules and being corrected on its application in recitation, and later after learning the required tajweed step up the memorization quantity.

Is it possible for one to perfect their tajweed and pronunciation without a teacher, perhaps through listening to recorded recitations only?

It is possible, but not very likely. The way the Qur’an has been taught from the early days of this nation and will continue to be taught is by oral transmission, being taught and listened to and corrected by a trained, mastered Qur’an teacher.  There are a few who are very good at imitating sounds and have the ear to pick up the small minute changes in sound heard from recordings and produce them with their own mouth, but this is not the average person, not even some, instead it is a rare case.  Again, it can happen, but the general rule for the vast majority is that it is extremely important that one is corrected by a trained teacher.

Is it required to memorize the last harakah of each ayah if one does not have a solid background in Arabic grammar?

One doesn’t need to have a solid background in Arabic grammar to memorize the last harakah of the aayah.  One needs to have a solid Arabic grammar background to explain the reason for the harakah.  When we memorize the Qur’an we should pay attention to the last harakah and try to memorize it with the rest of the aayah.  Many shuyookh giving ijazaah request the student of the ijaazah to join aayaat together particularly in the shorter surahs to make sure the student knows the vowel on the last letter of an aayah. Knowing the vowel on the last letter of the aayah becomes particularly important in learning and applying the different qira’aat.

Many people associate memorization with being young. Is it possible for someone to begin memorizing after the ‘golden years’ of memorization? And what is your advice for such a person?

Youth on the whole can memorize easier, but age should not stop anyone from memorizing.  Sometimes Muslims have a mental picture of those over 40 or 50 not being able to memorize, but there are many stories of Muslims memorizing the Qur’an later in life, some even starting in their 60’s and succeeding in completion.

With purity of intention, lots of dua’ asking Allah to make it simple, and determination, nothing is impossible with Allah’s help.

I know of a sister in her 30s with 5 children who memorized the whole Qur’an in 3 years and went on to get an ijaazah.  She had to sacrifice sleep and many other things we generally hold important, but she did it for Allah, and by His will, she accomplished her goal. My advice is to never give up.

What advice do you have for new Muslims and older Muslims who face difficulty with memorizing and pronunciation?

The same advice as above, do not give up.  Turn to Allah, don’t be afraid of the struggle and devote yourself to the Qur’an.  You do have to sacrifice, but the reward of Allah is great for all your efforts.  Some give up too easily, but be stubborn in your pursuit of reading the words of Allah correctly and keep trying.  Don’t make excuses for yourself and don’t let your ego get in your way.  The students who do the best on the whole are those who are eager to be corrected, do not complain, and are not afraid to make a mistake.

What are some habits that a student of the Qur’an should implement?

You probably mean study habits, but more important is improving themselves as Muslims and making that a habit.  Pray tahajjud, fast extra fasts, make sure you implement the aayaat of Qur’an in your life and are a shining example of those of the Qur’an.
Stay away from sin, repent for all your sins and stop anything that is not suitable for “ahl al-Qur’an.” (the people of the Qur’an)

Do not waste time, it is a precious commodity for the student of the Qur’an, so use it wisely and use it for the sake of Allah. This is something I can’t say enough.  Many Muslims have lofty goals, but lose their precious time searching the Internet for different recordings of recitation from multiple shuyookh, looking up details of the qira’aat and other advanced details of tajweed when they themselves are relatively beginners or have not progressed far in their memorization.   Focus on the task at hand, and listen to one of the masters of tajweed such as Sheikh Al-Husary or Sheikh Abdullah Basfar.

What should be the goal(s) of a student who has completed their memorization and what should they do after this?

This is really up to the student for most aspects, but the goal that should be shared by all after memorizing the Qur’an is to firm up the memorization and have a very strong review program to keep themself a hafidh. Once the memorization is complete it is not the end, it is just the beginning.

If the student of the Qur’an would like to achieve an ijaazah of the Qur’an after memorizing and firming up the memorization, they should approach a sheikh or sheikhah with an ijaazah and be evaluated by them.  If the student has not memorized the Jazariyyah poem, and wished to get an ijaazah in the Qur’an, he/she should memorize the Jazariyyah and study its meaning.   After the evaluation, the sheikh or sheikhah might give them points to work on, or start an ijaazah with them.

After an ijaazah in one riwaayah or qiraa’ah, the student can then pursue knowledge of the 10 qiraa’aat.  There is much to learn and each step is more beautiful than the previous one.

In your opinion, what is the best method of reviewing the Book of Allah, so as not to lose it by Allah’s will?

The scholars say, “[Review] five, you won’t forget” (خمس لا تنسى), meaning if you review five ajzaa’ per day, you will not forget.  This is a very true statement.  If one cannot keep up reviewing 5 per day all the time, they should try to do this strong program of review for at least six months after completing memorization.  After that the student who cannot keep up with five ajzaa’ per day can decrease the amount to 2 or 3 a day, or the very minum, one juz’ per day; any less than this will not keep the memorization strong.

How much repetition is required for one to completely solidify the hifdh? What has worked for you/your students?

It is hard to quantify and varies from individual to individual.  Suffice it to be said that it requires a lot of repetition, and for six months the review should be quite intense with five ‘ajzaa per day reviewed, if at all possible.
The school I studied at has special classes for tathbeet (firming up memorization).  As a class we went through the Qur’an six times, the number of students in the class, and each day recited three ajzaa’ to the teacher as a class, but we didn’t know which section we were going to be asked to recite as individuals.  We were required to recite at a quick pace, trying to keep our tajweed up as much as possible, so the memorization needed to be quite firm. The teacher would keep track of which sections we had recited to her and at the end of the year, each of us had recited the whole Qur’an to her, but in pieces.  This was and is a very good program and I thank Allah for giving me the opportunity to be in this class.

Please recommend a Tafseer suitable for beginners. Which tafseer did you benefit from the most?

The translations into English of the meaning of the Qur’an give only a general idea of the aayaat, and it is quite important that a deeper understanding of the Qur’an and the background for a surah or aayah be known, as well as any explanation given by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, and the Sahaabah.  Ibn Kathir is a great tafseer and al-hamdu lillah it has been translated into English.  May Allah reward those who did this with a great reward and make it of the deeds which continue accumulating for them after their deaths.

How important do you think it is to study tafseer along with memorization? Does it aid in memorizing?

It is extremely important and yes it aids greatly in memorization, especially if word by word meaning is given to the students as they memorize.  There needs to be study of vocabulary words along with the memorization and tests given on the vocabulary words.

How can we instill love for the Qur’an in our children and youth?

By showing them how much we love it and by employing the Qu’ran in our life in every aspect. Teaching them that Qur’an is first is something they will carry with them to adulthood.  I heard a lecture once recommending that parents always start their children with Qur’an homework, then any other deen related subjects, then the other science, math and literature subjects.  This will show the children the importance of Qur’an.

There is no doubt that one who carries the Book of Allah must also carry beautiful conduct and character. Can you please shed light on some of the most important characteristics of Ahl-al-Quran?

There are so many, as “ahl Al-Qur’an” should be examples of the best in character and conduct.  We should aim to have our manners as [what is in] the Qur’an as Aisha may Allah be pleased with her, described the Prophet peace and blessings of Allah upon him.  Even though we are far from his example, we should try our utmost.

I think the one encompassing characteristic is that of Taqwaa.  If one has taqwaa, everything else will be correct, insha’ Allah.

The following are what came to my mind, and are under the category of taqwaa:

First and foremost, those who are “carriers” of the Qur’an should have truthfulness and honesty.  It cannot be that ahl al-Qur’an tell lies or are dishonest.

Another very important characteristic is standing up for the truth and not wronging anyone or allowing someone to be wronged.

The inside of Ahl Al-Qur’an should be like their outward appearance, meaning there should be no hypocrisy.
Patience is also a very important characteristic which those who are carriers of the Qur’an should have.

May Allah grant us the best of manners and characteristics, may He purify our intentions in all that we do, may Allah make us of “ahl al-Qur’an,” and give us the honors promised those who have memorized the Qur’an on the Day of Resurrection. I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him alone.

By Arif Kabir (Crossposted from Muslim Youth Musings)

“Come in”, Shaykh Haroon Baqai said.

I walked in slowly, shaking from head to toe. I had only applied for the Hifzh School a few days ago, and now I found myself entering his office for a scheduled interview. Alhamdulillah, it went smoothly and after answering a few questions and memorizing an Ayah from Surah Saad and reciting it to him, the interview came to a close and I quickly sprinted out of the office in relief.

By the grace of Allah, I was accepted.

For the next few years, I went through an indescribable experience with a close knit circle of friends. It was truly a time that clearly solidified my identity and clarified for me my purpose in life. In light of these  experiences, I have observed that there are certain qualities that are essential in one’s quest to memorize the Book of Allah:

A Hafidh:

H- Has a good intention at all times.

“Actions are (judged) by intentions, so each man will have what he intended.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

Jannah is promised for the one who memorizes and acts upon the Qur’an. Crowns and coats of light are promised for the parents of those that memorized the Qur’an. In order to attain these high honors, one must make sure that their sole intention is to please Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and that their primary aim becomes Jannah. A lot of attractions and temptations will come in the way, but it’s important to sidestep them for Jannah, the highest attraction of all.

A – Always remembers Allah

“The people of the Qur’an are the people of Allah and His special servants.” (An-Nisa’i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim with a Hasan chain)

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) holds the people of the Qur’an in special regard and they become equated, perhaps synonymous, with the people of Allah, as shown in the aforementioned Hadith. One of the many names of the Qur’an is Dhikr, a remembrance and reminder, and therefore, it’s essential that we remember Allah through our recitation and memorization of this Divine Book.

When I was getting close to finishing my Hifdh (memorization), I tripled my efforts and kept on reading and memorizing throughout the day and night, taking breaks only for eating and sleeping. SubhanAllah, I sincerely felt at that moment that the Qur’an was speaking directly to me; it was as if the events in the Qur’an were taking place right in front of me, and I found myself dually anticipating and trembling when Jannah and Jahannam were mentioned. It was a state of mind that heavily drained me physically, but it was one of the best times of my life as I felt very connected with the book of Allah.

F – Finds himself in the company of good Friends and with the support of his Family.

“A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend.” (reported by Abu Dawood & Tirmidhee).

The first time that I seriously thought of dedicating myself to memorizing the entire Qur’an was actually during an Arabic class. I had a friend in that class with whom I had some serious rivalry; we used to compete in essay competitions, debate tournaments, science fairs, and various other activities and alhamdulillah, one year he would win first place and the other year I would win first place, and this continued for several years. So when he slipped in to the teacher, “Y’know, I think I might join the Hifzh School this summer”, I immediately exclaimed, “Yeah, I’m actually gonna do the same too insha’Allah” without a second’s thought. Only later did I fully realize that I had committed myself to a long journey in a split second, and that was due to a close friend. Alhamdulillah, to this day, we lead Taraweeh together in masajid during Ramadan, teach alongside at a weekend Qur’an school, and play on the same soccer team. It takes good friends to inspire you and push you to accomplish greater levels of achievement than you ever thought possible.

In addition to good friends, it’s very necessary to garner the support of your family. After I had suddenly committed myself to memorize the Qur’an, I sought to get the support of my family.

“Ammi, can I join Hifzh School?”, I eagerly asked.

“No. It’ll be too much work for you”.

Hmph. For me, I had to memorize the Qur’an because my friend was doing it (talk about positive peer pressure!) and because I had grown up hearing the various rewards of a Hafidh. My mother also wanted me to memorize the Qur’an but she also knew the amount of struggles that we’d have to go through, and she wanted to make sure I was firm in my decision.

“Please? Please? Pleeeeease?”, I begged her.

I guess that was enough for her.

“Fine. But I’m warning you; there’s a lot of work involved.”

Try explaining that to a 12-year-old.  I just excitedly nodded and dashed out, whooping loudly.

My mom turned out to be correct; it was a lot of work, but she was there for me every step of the way. Once she was on board with the idea, she was the one that used to test me on my homework, the one that had to politely decline dinner party invitations on my family’s behalf whenever I’d have a lot of homework or upcoming exams, and the one that was always there whenever I needed her. My father did no less; he used to have to drive 15 miles each way to work, but that doubled as we moved to a house near the masjid. It used to be only about 20 minutes to drive to work, but it was now taking him almost 2-3 hours each way, but he never complained and made these sacrifice for the sake of Allah (May Allah reward them both with Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen).  Get your family to support you, and the path towards memorizing the Qur’an will become much smoother.

I – Is Involved in the community.

“Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied. (Surah Aali Imran, Ayah 79)”

It takes a village to raise a child. Because of this, and because we have an obligation to help those that have raised us, it is important for all of us to give back to our communities. When you start reciting and memorizing the Qur’an, you will realize that your mission is to be a Khaleefah, one who concerns himself with providing help and support to all those around him, on this Earth. What better way to help others than to share the beauty of the Qur’an? The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said, ““The best of you are the ones who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others” (Al-Bukhari). If we hope to attain the highest ranks of Paradise and to be among the best, it’s important that we follow the necessary steps in order to achieve that high honor.

D - Distinguishes himself with exemplary Discipline.

“O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger, and those entrusted with authority over you” (Surah Nisa, Ayah 59).

This must be the biggest excuse that I always hear when one shies away from devoting themselves to memorizing the Qur’an: “I don’t think I have the proper discipline. I don’t know how I’m going to memorize and also homeschool. I don’t have any support so it’s basically impossible.” The answer to this, and a huge chunk of our problems for that matter, is that we simply have to work on our discipline. Why do you think we go through more than 16 years of school? It’s because we don’t have the discipline to learn ourselves and we need all these years to merely gain an introduction, otherwise known as a Bachelor’s, in that respective field of study.

When I was first taking my college entrance exam, I was surprised that the exam, as well as the SAT, only comprises of three sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. I felt very sad as I realized that all those people that went to 12+ years of elementary, middle, and high school, spent all that time for just these three concepts. Sure, they may have taken high school classes in biology, physics, social sciences, humanities, calculus, and much more, but they were going to have to retake that material all over again for the next couple of years. If somebody went to school for that many years just to learn mathematics, reading, and writing, then the sad truth is, all of those years were wasted. One can easily accomplish much more, and all of this is possible with discipline. The difference between an A student and a F student, even in the secular academic field, is discipline; teachers recommend 3-4 hours of study for every hour that one is in school, and it is mainly those that are disciplined and abide by these guidelines that turn out to fare well in the class.

A great example of someone who had exemplary discipline while memorizing the Qur’an is none other than AbdulBasit Khan, a fellow MYM writer. We were classmates in Al-Huda School for a year and two years later, he started memorizing the Qur’an from home, while I began in the local Hifzh School. It was hard enough for us that were memorizing in a school setting, but masha’Allah, he was able to memorize the whole Qur’an from home. He used to memorize at least two pages per day (his small ‘break’ on weekends consisted of memorizing one page), and on Sundays mornings, he used to recite what he memorized for the week to Br. Karim, a teacher of ours and a local Imam at that time. Alhamdulillah, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) blessed him with a lot of ajr, and after memorizing the Qur’an and immersing himself with studying knowledge with a high level of discipline and dedication, he became the youngest Imam in the DC Metro Area, leading the congregation of PGMA at the age of 17, masha’Allah. The giants of our ummah also accomplished great feats in their early years, many memorizing the Qur’an and several thousand ahadith before even becoming an adult, because they were focused and had great discipline on their part.

I firmly believe that every single Muslim has the potential to memorize the Qur’an. However, it is only those with discipline that will actually memorize the Qur’an.

H – Holds the Qur’an to be a part of their life.

“It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an: Recite and rise in status, recite as you used to recite in the world, for your status will be at the last verse that you recite.” (Classified as Saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 5/218, no. 2240)

Aisha (radhiAllahu anha) reported that the Prophet’s (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) character was that of the Qur’an; he fully lived out the commandments and teachings of the Qur’an. It is our role to follow in his footsteps and to also try making our characters that of the Qur’an. I once received one of those chain emails, and the title was like, “What were to happen if you treated the Qur’an like your cell phone?” and then went to describe how we’d always carry it with us and check it everyday. The fact that this was taken off of a Christian Bible site is besides the point; it should make all of us reflect on what is our relationship with the Qur’an. Rasulullah (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said,

““The Qur’an is an intercessor, something given permission to intercede, and it is rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise; whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire.” [An authentic hadith found in At-Tabaraanee, on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood]“

Out of the six billion people in the world, only one and a half billion people were chosen to be Muslim. Out of that billion and a half, there are only millions that know how to fluently read the Qur’an. Out of those millions, there are only a select few that were destined to become Huffadh, to become protectors of the Qur’an. Will you make it your mission to be among the best?

I pray that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) accepts our good deeds, makes us among the Huffadh, and destines our final dwelling to be in the company of the Prophets in Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen…

by Shaykh Asif Husain Farooqi of England
Allah’s Nabi(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) has intimated that each ummati of his is beautiful. But this beauty is not due to colour or any such thing; rather the beauty of an ummati is from his (or her) akhlaq (character). Allah Ta’ala has said that a person’s akhlaq is a tremendous thing.

Today I am at fault – I was late and I apologize for it. Your prayer has been delayed by 15 minutes and my conscience is reproaching me. I ask your forgiveness since apologising is also a part of akhlaq (character). May Allah forgive us for our bad akhlaq (character). Akhlaq is that you do not cause the slightest suffering to the creation of Allah; Allah’s Nabi(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) himself gave a beautiful definition of it in the hadith:
“Love for your brother what you love for yourself.”

What a fine criterion. Think, would you like someone to swear at your mother or to abuse your brother or sister? Whenever you are about to say something bad to anyone, then immediately think how bad you would find it if it were said to you. Similarly, if you decide that you like something then wish the same for your brother.

It is not simply a matter of performing sajdahs(prostration), reciting the Quran and staying hungry all day long. Rather in this month of Ramadhan we should try to improve our akhlaq. We should try to improve relations with those whom we do not get on; we should seek forgiveness from those who are angry with us; and we should create such a feeling of brotherhood that the ummah becomes one in reality. Today this is the cause of the disunity which we have, though we pray in one row our hearts are filled with feeling like hate and insincerity. In fact this community of ours is so dirty that we are ashamed to ask one another for forgiveness.

Excellent akhlaq is that of Nabi Kareem (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam). He lived in this type of society – with Christians and Jews. And he showed what is good akhlaq – not even enemies could fault him for his akhlaq. To this day no writer or historian has been able to criticise Nabi Kareem(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) for his akhlaq. And this is the one sign of a good person – that their akhlaq is excellent.

My friends from today let us make a promise to ourselves that we never let our akhlaq fall. Let us love the young and respect the old and if we have any insincerity or bad feeling in our hearts then let us ask Allah for forgiveness. Remember Allah Ta’ala has said, “If you take less from someone in this life then I will give you more in Paradise. If you ask someone to forgive you then I will give you a higher rank then them in Paradise. The more you make yourself humble amongst creation, the more I will raise your rank in Paradise.” So do we want the dunya or do we want Paradise? I say we should wander the streets looking for people and apologising to them.

Now let me say that bad akhlaq is an illness of our inner selves. If you have heard one part of the Quran then have you become pious? Are your inner illnesses cured? The Quran is a cure for all humanity (not just the believers). And the Quran is there to cure our akhlaq. If I place a bottle of medicine before you, it can sit there for days and it will have no effect on you – until you eat it.

When the light of the Quran and Sunnah shines on a gathering then people’s hearts melt like wax. But when a person leaves the company of the friends of Allah Ta’ala , the hearts become hard again. So is there a medicine which will keep hearts soft even after leaving the company of the friends of Allah ? Rasoolallah said that if you want to keep your hearts soft and cure the illness of bad akhlaq then you have to perform the dhikr of Allah !

Dhikr of Allah Ta’ala is the thing to improve akhlaq, do sincere dhikr of Allah Ta’ala and such a light will enter your heart that people will say what good akhlaq this person has.

Source: Al-Islaah publications

Related posts:

1. Characteristics of a Pious Wife
2. Virtues of performing Hajj
3. Characteristics of a Pious Husband

| Part 1 |

After a long, tiresome journey, this great army has finally reached their destination. They are prepared to meet their enemy. But their leader, the leader of a nation, sits and recalls that one Companion dear to his heart is not among them.

Allah’s Apostle did not remember me till he reached Tabuk. So while he was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk, he said, ‘What did Ka’b do?’ A man from Banu Salama said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! He has been stopped by his two Burdas (i.e. garments) and his looking at his own flanks with pride.’ Then Mu’adh bin Jabal said, ‘What a bad thing you have said! By Allah! O Allah’s Apostle! We know nothing about him but good.’ Allah’s Apostle kept silent.”

When a leader knows his followers well, and knows from among them one of good and diligence, he will also notice his absence. Although there were others who stayed behind, the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) particularly mentioned Ka’b (radhiAllahu anhu) out of care and seeking goodness for him as a true believer. This concern of the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) for Ka’b in such a tense time, is in fact testimony to the virtue of Ka’b and his usual presence with the Muslims.

We know that our Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) was a role model in every way, and leadership was no exception. It was from his custom to remember his followers, the Companions, ask about them in their absence, seeking to ensure their well-being in the affairs of this world, as well as in their faith. To carry the worries of an entire nation, as well as being in a place far away from home, in anticipation of an enemy, he remembered one man; he was truly a man of humanity.

Similar is the example of his companion, Thabit ibn Qays (radhiAllahu anhu) who stayed away from the company of the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam), fearing that because of his loud voice, his deeds were nullified after the revelation of the second verse of Surat al-Hujurat (49:2). The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) noticed his absence, sent a messenger to seek him, and then sent him glad tidings that he was actually from the inhabitants of Paradise (Bukhari).

Scholars, community leaders, educators, and family leaders can easily have a great effect on the hearts of those under their care by simply asking about them consistently, advising them if they notice them straying and seek their well-being, particularly in the case of notable absence.

In the responses of the Companions around him, there are lessons. And in his silence to their replies, there are lessons.

The words of the first Companion who spoke were not a result of a personal grudge he had with Ka’b (radhiAllahu anhu) that would have led him to find the situation an opportunity to get back at him. Neither were they words stemming from desire or pride. They were words spoken only out of gheerah (praiseworthy protective jealousy) for this religion, in an effort to elevate the way of Allah and His Messenger, and advice to the Muslim nation as a whole.

His words are similar to those trustworthy scholars of Islam throughout the centuries, who spoke to point out a major mistake, error, or misguidance in the methodology of one of their counterparts in order to defend the religion and protect it. The truthful ones of such scholars are those who speak only in sincere advice to the Muslims, not wishing thereby to gain any personal benefit or avert from themselves personal harm.

It is a hideous mistake for us laymen to let our tongues loose in speaking about the inheritors of the prophets in ignorance, lies, mockery and for personal purposes, seeking attention, fame or attempting to lower their status and knowledge in the eyes of the Muslims.

As for the reply of Mu’adh ibn Jabal (radhiAllahu anhu), it was defense for his brother in his absence based on what he knew of him of previous good. Likewise, should be our reply in defense of our scholars and du’aat, from whom we have seen only virtue and knowledge when we see others jumping to attack them. We should not be quick to repeat every rumor spread about them, without first verifying and seeking the truth of the matter.  This is particularly applicable in our time when information, be it false of truthful, may reach thousands in a few seconds.

The Prophet’s (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) silence in this incident is evidence that he did not place blame on any of them, and that they both spoke for the sake of Allah. He (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) would not remain silent in response to a statement of falsehood.

Meanwhile, back in Madinah, Ka’b was engulfed in worry, as the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) was on his way back to Madinah. How would he meet him? What would he tell him?

Kab bin Malik added, “When I heard that he (i.e. the Prophet ) was on his way back to Madinah. I became preoccupied in my concern, and began to think of false excuses, saying to myself, ‘How can I avoid his anger tomorrow?’ And I took the advice of wise member of my family in this matter. When it was said that Allah’s Apostle had come near, all the evil false excuses left my mind and I knew well that I could never come out of this problem by forging a false statement. It was then, that I decided firmly to speak the truth.

So Allah’s Apostle arrived in the morning, and whenever he returned from a journey., he used to visit the masjid first of all and offer a two-rak’at prayer therein and then sit for the people. So when he had done all that (this time), those who had failed to join the battle (of Tabuk) came and started offering (false) excuses and taking oaths before him. They were something over eighty men; Allah’s Apostle accepted the excuses they had expressed, took their pledge of allegiance asked for Allah’s forgiveness for them, and left the secrets of their hearts for Allah to judge.

The true certainty (yaqeen) and faith of Ka’b (radhiAllahu anhu) illuminates this portion of his hadeeth. His faith in Allah led him to know and firmly believe that if he could escape the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) that day with a lie, he could not escape the punishment of Allah, the All-Knowing. Even if the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) believed his false excuse, Allah would be angry with him, and perhaps even revelation would descend from the heavens regarding his case, recited in the Quran until the Day of Judgment. He knew that it was Allah who heard the story of the woman who complained to the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) and revealed verses about her complaint (Al-Mujadila 58:1).

Such thoughts of absolute certainty and faith, if established in our hearts, would ultimately lead us to give up everything that leads to the displeasure of Allah, even in the most dire of circumstances.

The Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) established the sunnah of starting with the masjid upon arrival from travel, praying therein 2 rak’ahs through his action as narrated in hadeeth. He would start with the House of Allah before his own, check on the affairs of the believers, then finally attend to his family.

In accepting the excuses of the hypocrites, although they were nothing but lies, our Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) taught us to only judge by what is visible to us on the outside. As for what is in the hearts, Allah is the only Judge. The rulings of this life are based on what appears to us, as for the reward or punishment of the hereafter, it is the result of what lies in the hearts.

As for the assumption of the hypocrites that they were saved by the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) seeking forgiveness for them, this forgiveness will be of no benefit to them as Allah says,

Ask forgiveness for them, [O Muhammad], or do not ask forgiveness for them. If you should ask forgiveness for them seventy times – never will Allah forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people. (al-Tawbah 9:80).

Taking into account the fact that the hypocrites seemed to get away with their excuses, would Ka’b go with the flow and take the ‘easy’ way out or would he really adhere to the truth once he faced the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam)?

How is our situation when we are about to speak in the presence of someone we respect, love and follow in almost their every word and deed? Would we suddenly forget that Allah hears and sees all, in an effort to please this person? Or would our love for Allah lead us to please Him alone, even if that meant the anger and annoyance of this highly esteemed person?

As for this truthful Companion, he said, “Then I decided firmly to speak the truth.”

Reflect, we shall, on our own answers until the next part, inshaAllah.

Surah Al-Hadid (its title meaning, ‘the iron’) talks about the reality of the transient life of this world. Several descriptive words are used to reveal to us its true nature. After that, Allah warns us to remember that the life of this world is nothing but a ”deceptive enjoyment”.

“Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children, as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment“. [57:20]

In order to see the real picture being painted by our Creator as He details to us the reality of the life of this world, it would be beneficial to ponder on the root meanings of the several Arabic words He has used in the above verse. All the meanings have been taken from Edward William Lane’s online Arabic-to-English Lexicon:

(i) Play, sport, game, fun, joke, prank, or jest.

(ii) Diversion, pastime, sport, or play; especially that which is frivolous or vain; that which occupies a person so as to divert him or her from that which should render him sad or solicitous/anxious/concerned.

(iii) Decoration, finery, show, pomp, or gaeity.

(iv) Glorifying or boasting (viz. to each other), praising or commending own selves for certain properties or qualities, such as enumerating or recounting the particulars of their own ancestral nobility or eminence; or their honorable deeds. Contending for superiority by reason of honors arising from memorable deeds or qualities, or from parentage or relationship, and other things relating to themselves or their ancestors; also: boasting of qualities extrinsic to themselves such as wealth, rank or station.

(v) Contending, one with another, for superiority in number of (different types of) wealth and children.

(vi) The word مَتَـاعُ means anything useful or advantageous viz. utensils, furniture, or food, and the word الْغُرُور means that by which one is deceived; something false and vain. In other words, the life of this world is a provision that is deceptive. It can be used to achieve the best end i.e. Allah’s pleasure and an abode in Paradise in the Hereafter, but is very deceptive in and of itself.

Allah has used a total of five terms and phrases to describe to us the reality of the life of this world in the Quran. Analysis of their meanings clearly reveals that indeed, the life of this world is such that it makes a believer lose focus of the Hereafter.

Consider this – games are fun to play. They cause us to get really involved in them, whether as participants, or as onlookers. The aspect of winning versus losing, or earning more points by achieving a target, enthuses the more keen ones among us to a state of physical and mental euphoria.

When anyone is involved in a game as a participant, whether he is playing outside, or playing a computer game indoors, he is distracted perhaps from more pending matters that require his attention. For some sports enthusiasts, tearing themselves away from a game to answer a call of nature, eat a meal, or pray an obligatory prayer also becomes difficult.

Now, with this picture in mind, we can see why Allah has called the life of this world “a game.” We get so involved in the “game” itself, in its short-term goals and enjoyments, that we tend to lose focus on the importance of the Hereafter. As an example, someone might postpone performing Hajj if important events related to his career are scheduled to take place at the same time in the calendar.

Allah has next called the life of this world “لَهْوٌ” - a “diversion.” It has the potency to make a person lose focus of the goals of the Hereafter. Imagine a person driving  a car; if he or she spots something interesting on the side of the road that will “divert” him or her from driving, he or she will definitely lose focus of the road, resulting in a possible collision.

Another interesting point about the word ”لَهْوٌ” is how it has been used in Surah Al-Jum’uah to refer to a caravan that was beating its drums. When the Muslim congregation gathered in the mosque for Friday prayers heard these drums, they rushed towards the caravan:

“Yet [it does happen that] when people become aware of [an occasion for] worldly gain or a passing delight, they rush headlong towards it, and leave you (O Muhammad) standing [and preaching]“. [62:11]

According to a narration that Imam Ahmad recorded, Jabir [رضى الله عنه] narrated, “Once, a caravan arrived at Al-Madinah while Allah’s Messenger [صلى الله عليه و سلم] was giving a khutbah. So the people left, and only twelve men remained. Then Allah revealed the above verse”. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

It is clear that in this incident, the word “لَهْوٌ” was used to indicate the beating of the caravan’s drums. However, its effect was such that worshippers immediately got diverted or distracted from their goal of listening to the Prophet’s [صلى الله عليه و سلم] sermon whilst attending Friday prayers. With this perfect simile in mind, we can see why Allah has used this word to refer to the life of this world. It can easily distract us, with its short-term goals, from the more important objective of success in the Hereafter.

The word زِينَةٌ means beauty and decoration; anything that is naturally pleasing to look at, or beautified to attract our attention. This could include everything that falls under the umbrella of natural beauty e.g. scenic landscapes, lush vegetation, flowers, and waterfalls, to those things that are made beautiful; which the human heart enjoys.

Bring to mind festivals, celebrations, jewelry, interior decor, architecture, branded/stylish couture, glamour, fashion, luxuries, accessories and diverse cuisines. Human beings love to create, experiment and play around with every conceivable kind of raw material provided by Allah, to transform it into something beautiful for their adornment  or consumption- animal hides are transformed into plush seating; edible textures and tastes are whipped up into sweet and savoury delicacies, and threads are transformed and weaved to produce a myriad of clothes and dresses! Yes, the life of this world definitely revolves a lot around  زِينَةٌ !

The words تَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُم  imply boasting to others, and being boasted to, as the above explanation has stated, about intangible assets of prestige and value, such as honorable lineage, awards and achievements, or righteous deeds. Anything that can cause a person to become proud in and of themselves, can be boasted about. It is important to note here, that a person’s intention makes the difference – perhaps a graduation party thrown to genuinely celebrate one’s happiness at an adult offpsring’s educational milestone with loved ones, could instead become a means of تَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُم , if done with the intention of boasting of this achievement to relatives in order to up oneself in their eyes.

Similarly, several people display their honors, awards and plaques in their drawing rooms or offices, where they receive guests. This, too, if done to establish one’s credibility in one’s profession, for example, as a practicing doctor whose patients want reassurance that they are coming to a reliable person, would not be blameworthy. However, if it is done to make oneself appear better than others, than it would be تَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُم. This mutual boasting starts from childhood (“I have more dolls than you!”) and goes on, increasing in type and intensity, well into adulthood and old age (“All my children are qualified doctors who graduated summa cum laude from top-notch universities.”).

Similarly, تَكَاثُرٌ فِى الاٌّمْوَلِ وَالاٌّوْلْـد , quite simply put, means the “rat race” we are all inadvertently so familiar with, and to an extent, also involved in. This usually starts when a person enters their twenties and beyond, which is a time in their lives when they get married, start having children, and also start earning money through their careers.

Beyond one’s twenties, there is a distinct “keeping up with the Joneses” aspect in one’s life, that subtly creeps in. Whenever one hears of a neighbor, sibling, relative or friend moving into a bigger, luxurious house, acquiring foreign citizenship (this applies mostly to us Eastern dwellers of developing countries), having another child, getting promoted, or adding an SUV to their drive, we immediately start imagining how wonderful it would be if the same happened to us.

It is interesting how Allah has combined two of the words He has used in this verse of Surah Al-Hadid to describe the life of this world, in another verse in the Quran: the first verse of Surah Al-Takaathur:

“The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things)“. [102:1]

Since تَّكَاثُرُ means contending to increase in numbers of tangible blessings, it is clear from this verse too, that human beings are naturally “diverted” in this life by this, from their primary goal – which should be success in the Hereafter.

Allah goes on after this, in the above verse, to elaborate the simile of this world’s life: of it being like the vegetation or herbage that grows on earth, and pleases its tiller/farmer when it reaches its lustrous, colorful peak viz. the plants or crops become strong and fully grown, bearing fruit or grain. However, after a short period of this lustre, color and vibrance, the plants eventually wither, become dry, lifeless straw, and die. The same earth that was alive with crops a while ago becomes empty and plain again; the color, leaves, fruit, grains or flowers are nowhere to be seen, as if they never existed!

That is, in reality, the same thing that happens to everyone and everything during the life of this world. The young, beautiful face becomes wrinkled and haggard; the lustrous hair becomes limp and grey; the strong bones become brittle, and strong muscles give way to weakness; the eyes lose their sight; the erect spine becomes bent. Moreover, every inanimate thing also goes into decline: the architecturally sound mansion becomes depleted and worn over the years, erosion causing its dilapidation and ruin; the clothes lose their newness, shine and glory, withering away; ’new’ technology loses its value and becomes obsolete and unwanted; the flashy vehicle goes out of vogue and  ends up in a junk yard as rubble. The list is endless.

Now that our eyes have been opened to the truth about the life of this world; about how its adornments and distractions are alluring but deceptive in nature, because they divert our attention from the Hereafter and make us think that all this ‘glitter’ will last forever; when in fact, everything on this earth will turn to dust as Allah has promised, we should remember the importance of consistently reciting and reading the Quran as a daily routine, so that we are reminded of this important fact about this transitory life. That way, the reminders such as this verse, that tells us in the end about the two options we have before us – either painful torment, or the forgiveness of Allah and His pleasure - will help keep us focused on those deeds that will enable us to enjoy the truly enjoyable, beautiful, desirable, and eternal life, insha’Allah — the one in the Hereafter.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

At several places in the Quran, Allah has described events in history by mentioning some details and leaving others out. It is interesting to note, especially for any ardent student of knowledge who loves to ponder on the Quran, how Allah chooses specific Arabic words to describe actions, objects, events, or all,  in a way that reveals certain details.

Arabic is a very comprehensive language, in which, for example, you will find several words apparently used to denote the same thing, yet, each is unique because it describes a particular aspect or characteristic of that thing. Just as an example, the words قلب and فؤاد are both used for “heart” in the Quran, yet, each has subtle differences that would necessitate entire sentences in English to get the full translation of their meaning across!

When I was an official student of Quran tafsir [exegesis] for the first time in my life, I used to wonder how a Muslim woman, who observes full hijab, should behave in front of non-mahrums.

I had a myriad of confusing notions in my mind, which became endless questions that I wish someone could answer for me in detail.

As we know, hijab is not just the physical attire that a Muslim woman dons before men who are not her mahrums. It also includes her mannerisms, gait, tone of voice, facial expression and overall demeanor/body language, when out and about in public.

After some years of pondering on the Quran, I have realized that this Book doesn’t provide direct, clear-cut instructions to us, the way, for example, a user manual for a washing machine would tell us how to load it with laundry. It is a Book that invites us to ponder and reflect; to use our intellect and grasp the inner meanings of the verses that Allah revealed to us.

I love the way Allah mentions people in the Quran – highlighting their good points when He is pleased with them, so that we indirectly identify the stamp of approval He has given to their behavior, in order to incorporate that behavior of theirs in our own actions.

As a young Muslim woman who had just started hijab, who was seeking answers to questions about how women should carry themselves in public, I was fortunate to grasp the innate meaning of a two-word phrase (highlighted below) used by Allah to describe a shy young woman’s praiseworthy demeanor, whilst narrating an incident in the life of Prophet Musa [عليه السلام] in Surah Al-Qasas [28: 23-28].

Below is the explanation of these verses taken from Tafsir Ibn Kathir at tafsir.com:

وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ امْرَأَتَينِ تَذُودَان

“And when he arrived at the water (a well) of Madyan,” which means, ‘when he reached Madyan and went to drink from its water,’ “for it had a well where shepherds used to water their flocks,” meaning he found there a group of men watering, “and besides them he found two women who were keeping back,” which means, they were stopping their sheep from drinking with the sheep of those shepherds, lest some harm come to them. When Musa saw them, he felt sorry for them and took pity on them.

قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا

“He said: “What is the matter with you?” meaning, ‘why do you not water your flocks with these people?’

قَالَتَا لاَ نَسْقِى حَتَّى يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَآءُ

“They both said: “We cannot water until the shepherds take…” meaning, `we cannot water our flocks until they finish.’

وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ

“And our father is a very old man,” which means, “this is what has driven us to what you see.’

فَسَقَى لَهُمَا

“So he watered (their flocks) for them,”

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّى إِلَى الظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

“Then he turned back to shade, and said: ‘My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!”’

إِلَى الظِّلِّ

“Towards the shade,” Ibn `Abbas, Ibn Mas`ud and As-Suddi said: “He sat beneath a tree.” `Ata’ bin As-Sa’ib said: “When Musa said:

رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

‘My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!’ the women heard him.”

When the two women came back quickly with the sheep, their father was surprised that they returned so soon. He asked them what had happened, and they told him what Musa [عليه السلام] had done. So he sent one of them to call him to meet her father. Allah says:

فَجَآءَتْهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْشِى عَلَى اسْتِحْيَآءٍ

“Then there came to him one of them, walking shyly” – meaning, she was walking like a free woman, as it was narrated from `Umar bin Al-Khattab [رَضِىَ اللهُ عنه]: “She was covering herself from him with the folds of her garment.”

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Amr bin Maymun said, `Umar [رَضِىَ اللهُ عنه] said: “She came walking shyly, putting her garment over her face. She was not one of those audacious women who come and go as they please.” This chain of narrators is sahih.

قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِى يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا

She said: “Verily, my father calls you that he may reward you for having watered (our flocks) for us.”

This is an example of good manners: she did not invite him directly lest he have some suspicious thoughts about her. Rather she said: “My father is inviting you so that he may reward you for watering our sheep,” i.e., give you some payment for that.

Imam Sa’di [رَحِمَهُ الله] says in his tafsir, “This [description] points to her proper upbringing and her good character, for indeed haya is from the most honorable of manners, and is a special trait in women. It also shows that Musa [عليه السلام] did not assist them to receive a payment; but rather, it was because of the honorable and strong nature of his soul and his upright manners.”

فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ

“So when he came to him and narrated the story,” means, he told him about his story and why he had to leave his country.

قَالَ لاَ تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ

He said: “Fear you not. You have escaped from the people who are wrongdoers.”

He was saying: ‘calm down and relax, for you have left their kingdom and they have no authority in our land.’ So he said:

نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ

You have escaped from the people who are wrongdoers.

قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا يأَبَتِ اسْتَـْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَـْجَرْتَ الْقَوِىُّ الأَمِينُ

“And said one of them: ‘O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.’” One of the two daughters of the man said this, and it was said that she was the one who had walked behind Musa [عليه السلام]. She said to her father:

يأَبَتِ اسْتَـْجِرْهُ

“O my father! Hire him!” as a shepherd to look after the sheep. `Umar, Ibn `Abbas, Shurayh Al-Qadi, Abu Malik, Qatadah, Muhammad bin Ishaq and others said: “When she said:

إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَـْجَرْتَ الْقَوِىُّ الأَمِينُ

“Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.”

Her father said to her, `What do you know about that?’ She said to him, `He lifted a rock which could only be lifted by ten men, and when I came back with him, I walked ahead of him, but he said to me, walk behind me, and if I get confused about the route, throw a pebble so that I will know which way to go.”’

`Abdullah (Ibn Mas`ud) said, “The people who had the most discernment were three: Abu Bakr’s intuition about `Umar; the companion of Yusuf when he said, `Make his stay comfortable’; and the companion of Musa, when she said:

يأَبَتِ اسْتَـْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَـْجَرْتَ الْقَوِىُّ الأَمِينُ

“O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.”

[End quote Tafsir Ibn Kathir at tafsir.com]

Lessons for us in Haya:

There are several points to glean from the above narrative for our own actions:

- The two women strove to prevent their sheep from mingling with those of the other shepherds. They were ready to wait, adding to their already difficult task of herding the sheep (a job usually performed by men), so that they would have more privacy and ease whilst watering their sheep. What other reason could there be for their waiting? This shows to us modern-day Muslim women that places in which crowds of men are found thronging to get to something, should be avoided until there comes a lull, in which we can achieve our objective without fear of being touched/shoved/pushed within the crowd of men.

- The women had the confidence of speaking to a non-mahrum man when he asked them a question about their situation. This shows us that when the need arises, women should possess the self-confidence to speak to a non-mahrum in a business-like, dignified manner. As was the case with our mother A’ishah [رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنهَا] in the incident of Ifk, there can be times when a lone woman needs the help of a non-mahrum man to get her to safety. At such times, Muslim women, even if they are unmarried and shy, should possess the skill needed to communicate confidently with a man.

- Neither of the women endeavored to stick around to talk to Musa [عليه السلام] after he did them a favor that saved them a lot of trouble and time. Rather, just as he shied away from them, and returned to the tree’s shade without asking for any compensation, they also likewise hurried back home to their father, after the errand for which he had sent them was done. This is a vital point to be noted, especially for the single youth of today: even in situations when you need to interact with members of the opposite gender to get help with something, you should not hang around chit-chatting or flirting after the favor has been done. You should also not expect or demand any compensation in return.

- As the shyness of both the old man’s daughters and Prophet Musa [عليه السلام] (all three of whom were single) shows, haya entails that we minimize any unnecessary communication with the opposite sex, even in situations when we are thrown together out of necessity, and are unsupervised by elders or mahrums.

- For Muslim women, this incident shows that returning home after outdoor errands have been done, is something they should hurry in doing. Loitering around in public places without necessity goes against another Quranic command that was sent down by Allah, when addressing the wives of the Prophet Muhammad [صلى الله عليه و سلم]:

وَ قَرْنَ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ

“And stay quietly in your homes…” [33:33]

- When the time came for Prophet Musa [عليه السلام] to be summoned to the two women’s father, the daughter who was sent to ask him to come walked with shyness towards Musa. The words عَلَى اسْتِحْيَآءٍ imply that her gait and demeanor when walking towards a strange, lone man sitting under a tree was one “seeking haya.” The Arabic Grammar words based on the structure of استفعال imply the action of “seeking” in their meaning. E.g. استغفار means seeking forgiveness. So her manner of approaching Musa was such that she sought haya. This proves that when the need arises, a woman can become an intermediary between men, especially for a noble/good cause, but she should seek the maximum possible haya when she appears before a man who is not her mahrum, particularly if they both are single, young adults.

- This daughter also gave her advice to her father after Prophet Musa finished telling his story. It was a fact that their family needed a ‘manager’ to do the outdoor work, as the father was weak due to old age. She saw an opportunity to do a good deed too i.e. provide Musa with a livelihood and shelter, as his story had revealed that he was, at that point in his life, on the run and homeless. This shows us that despite being shy, women can, and should, give their opinions to the mahrums in their house, when major decisions are being made. She recounted her observation of Musa’s physical strength and his trustworthiness which became apparent by his handling their sheep well. Furthermore, her father took her counsel and accepted her testimony. Haya therefore, does not necessitate complete silence before non-mahrums, especially with a woman’s mahrum in the same room. It should also not become a barrier in the sharing of knowledge, in consultation and decision-making, or when negotiating the terms of a contract.  Haya should, by no means, negate self-confidence and elocution.

It is thus beautifully apparent that, when Allah narrates a story in the Quran, it is not just for mere transmission of information or of facts related to events that took place in history. Just like the parables He puts forth for us to ponder on, His recounting of historic events in the Quran involving people gone by, hold valuable and insightful lessons for us to benefit from and apply in our day-to-day lives. Each and every word, line of dialogue, detail, or physical description that our Creator has recorded in His Glorious Book is meaningful and important.

However, He opens up the wonderful secrets and innate lessons of the Quran only for those who reflect:

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ

“(This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto you, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect.” [38:29]

Bismillah

Below is a short compilation of a few gems from various surahs in the Qur’an from Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen’s (rahimahullah) tafseer collection.

Facing Each Other on Thrones

“And We shall remove from their chests any deep feeling of bitterness (that they may have). (So they will be like) brethren facing each other on thrones.” (15:47)

Mutaqabileen, means they will be facing one another. This shows the vastness of the area because if it was a small space, the people would not be able to sit facing each other. Jannah is as wide as the heavens and the earth – and can any of us imagine the vastness of the sky above us? So how about the size of the seven heavens one on top of the other?! And who can comprehend this except for Allah azza wa jal!  So from this ayah, we learn that the believers will be facing one another because their place in Jannah is very vast. They will have the best manners because it is not proper that one should face one’s back to another. They will all be of good manners having pure hearts; and from this ayah, the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) discouraged facing one’s back to another.

The Honor in the name ‘Abd

“All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave the Book, and has not placed therein any crookedness.” (18:1)

Allah calls the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) ‘abd, a slave, attributing worship to him because he (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is the best worshiper of Allah. Allah calls the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) ‘abd in three instances:

• During the revelation of the Qur’an, such as in this ayah from suratul Kahf.
• When Allah defends him (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), He says:

“And if you are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to Our slave, then produce a Surah of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful.” (2:23)

• Regarding the Night Journey (Al-Israa’), He says:

“Glorified (and Exalted) be He Who took His slave for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram to Al-Masjid-al-Aqsa , the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him of Our proofs. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” (17:1)

During the most honorable positions of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) describes that he is a slave – and how good is this description that a person is a slave to Allah – so much so that even a poet in love describes:

Do not call me except by, “O her slave”!            For it is the most honorable of my names.

The Hearing of Allah

“Verily! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (49:1)

The hearing that our Rabb describes is divided into two types: the hearing of awareness and the hearing of response.

As for the first type of hearing, it means that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) hears every voice said secretly or openly. He ta’ala said to His Prophet:

“Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her that disputes with you concerning her husband, and complains to Allah. And Allah hears the argument between you both. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.” (58:1)

A’ishah (radi Allahu anha) said regarding the revelation of this ayah, “All praise be to Allah, Who hears all voices. “The woman who disputed” came to the Prophet and argued with him while I was in another part of the room, unable to hear what she said.”

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mentions in this ayah that He heard the conversation between this woman and the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) – this is the hearing of awareness. Furthermore this hearing of awareness is of three types:

• Firstly, to declare that Allah surrounds and is aware of everything, as mentioned in the first ayah above from Surah Mujadilah.

• Secondly, to admonish and threaten, as Allah says:

‘Indeed, Allah has heard the statement of those who say: “Truly, Allah is poor and we are rich!” We shall record what they have said and their killing of the Prophets unjustly, and We shall say: “Taste you the torment of the burning (Fire).”‘ (3:181)

Allah says, “We shall record what they have said” after their attribution of deficiency to Allah. Then He says, “and their killings of the Prophets unjustly,” this shows that attributing deficiency to Allah is greater than killing the prophets.

• Thirdly, for assistance and support. Allah says to Musa (alayhi salaam) and Harun (alayhi salaam):

“Verily I am with you both, hearing and seeing.” (20:46)

The goal of the hearing mentioned here is for support, as if Allah is saying: “I Hear you, I will Assist you and I Hear what you both say and what is said to you both.”

As for the second type of hearing, the hearing of response, it means that Allah answers the one who calls upon Him, as Ibrahim (alayhi salaam) said:

“Verily! My Lord is indeed the All-Hearer of invocations.” (14:39) Allah is Mujeeb al-Du’aa (the One who responds to the supplication).

We also see this used in prayer, سمع الله لمن حمده, Allah heard the one who praised him, meaning He responded to the one who praised Him and He rewarded him. This does not mean that Allah only hears, because Allah hears the one who praises Him and the one who does not praise Him, but it means here that Allah answers the one who praises Him with reward and this hearing is the kind that points to the hearing of response.

Hakeem before ‘Aleem

After the Angels give the glad tidings to Ibrahim (alayhi salaam) and Sarah (alayha salaam) of their son and she expresses her shock and amazement, the angels say to her:

They said, “Thus has said your Lord; indeed, He is the Wise, the Knowing.” (51:30)

Here the Name of Allah ‘Al-Hakeem‘, The Most Wise, comes before ‘Al-’Aleem‘, The All- Knowing, because hikmah (wisdom) precedes ‘ilm (knowledge) in this situation. Hikmah here is for two things:

• the delaying of a child for her – Allah did not delay a child for her until she reached this old age without wisdom.
• giving her a child after she gave up hope in having children and she thought she was barren.

So here we see two wisdoms - hikmah in what has already happened and hikmah in what is to come.

Al-’Aleem comes before Al-Hakeem in most of the ayat in the Qur’an that connect these two Blessed Names, but in this ayah, the situation of Sarah necessitates that Al-Hakeem precedes Al-’Aleem.

Seeing with the Heart

“The (Prophet’s) heart lied not in what he saw.” (53:11)

The fu’aad is the heart, and this means that the what the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) saw with his eyes during the night journey and ascension, he also saw with certainty in his heart. It could be that the eye sees something but the heart does not confirm it, and it could be the that heart sees something that the eye does not confirm. As for what the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) saw during the night of Mi’raaj, it is the truth – in both his sight and in his insight, and that is why Allah ta’ala says: “The heart lied not in what he saw.” (53:11)

The Perfection of the Messenger’s Character

“The sight turned not aside, nor it transgressed beyond the limit.” (53:17)

This ayah is referring to the sight of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) during the ascension to the heavens, and the scholars say ”zaagha” means turning to the left and right. As for “wa ma taghaa“; this means he did look past what was in front of him.

The Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) had the best of manners in this high standing; he did not turn his eyes to the left or right, and he did not look to what was not permitted for him to look at and this is from the perfection of the character of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam).

Normally, you will find people looking around to their right and to their left when they enter a place that is strange to them, especially if this place is a great change from what they are used, such as in this regard (i.e., ascension into the heavens). A person will not be able to keep themselves from looking around to see what is happening but because of the perfection of the Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) character, manners, his calmness and self-control, he did not turn aside or transgress the limits.

By Aarij A (Cross-posted from the True & Good Words blog)

Bismillah.

Introduction

For students of Arabic, there are a lot of wonderful dictionaries and resources available online and in-print. However, the wrong dictionary at certain stages of learning could lead to a lot of frustration, unnecessary expenditure of time and even ultimately a loss of motivation to study Arabic.

Thus, here is a list of dictionaries and resources in English that students of Qur’an and Arabic can use in their studies. For each resource, the following aspects are expanded upon:

• where is it available from,
• what are some of its main features (not exhaustive by any means),
• some pros and cons,
• a personal review (if applicable), and
• a final verdict.

The pros and cons, personal review and final verdict should help a student decide which dictionary is appropriate for them, insha Allah. The resources are categorized in two ways:

1. Arabic-English/English-Arabic dictionaries and resources,
2. Qur’an-Exclusive dictionaries and resources.

This categorization should further help a student decide which resource is most suited for their educational needs. The list is in no particular order. At the end of the article, there is a small concluding note as well, insha Allah.

Reading Time: 20-30 minutes.

Intended Audience: Students/Budding students of Qur’an and Arabic, preferably those with a little background.

Arabic-English/English-Arabic Dictionaries and Resources

Executive Overview

AlMawrid Dictionary

Available from:

Available in PDF. Available for purchase at Amazon. Software available from Amazon and the electronic version also from Amazon.

Features:

The Mawrid has words that are arranged alphabetically, instead of by root words (which is more traditional). Moreover, unlike many Arabic-English dictionaries, the Mawrid also offers a synonym in Arabic for each Arabic word. The Mawrid, unlike most dictionaries, comes in print, in a software package and in a very handy electronic device that is easy to carry around.

The Mawrid comes in two types: Arabic-English only and in Arabic-English/English-Arabic, which makes it supremely useful for a student who is learning how to speak and write in Arabic.

Pros:

1) Ease of Usage. It requires very basic knowledge of grammar to benefit from it. For example, for Arabic verbs, if you don’t know the root of the verb or you don’t know the form of the verb, you can still utilize this dictionary as long as you can figure out the past tense of the verb. So there is some basic grammar required, but not a lot.

2) Arabic Synonyms. These help a student quickly build up a very strong vocabulary.

3) Electronic Version. Easily one of the most useful tools for a student of the language. The time to search words is drastically reduced when using the electronic version, which makes reading Arabic texts much easier and faster.

Cons:

1) Missing Information. The Mawrid does not provide the masdar of a verb, the forms of the verbs, the present tense of 3-letter verbs and the plural of nouns.

Personal Review:

I have used the Mawrid extensively and have found it to be one of the best dictionaries. It helped me increase my vocabulary, helped save my time when I was looking up words quickly and it explained many words beautifully and concisely.

Verdict:

Essential for beginners, excellent for intermediate students but not too much value for advanced students/researchers. A dictionary that should be in every one’s library.

Hans Wehr

Available from:

Available in PDF. Available for purchase at Amazon.

Features:

Hans Wehr arranges its entries by root word, giving many applicable meanings, commonly used phrases, usage of verbs with prepositions, how verbs effect the objects (مفعول به) (if applicable) and how the meaning changes with different forms of a verb (numbered II-X). Moreover, it provides the meanings of the masadir of verbs, meanings of many of the derivatives from verbs (المشتقات) and also the present tense of 3-letter verbs. All of these are done in a code that is explained in the preface of the dictionary. Furthermore, Hans Wehr provides a transliteration for most words which helps in pronunciation.

The Hans-Wehr does not come in English-Arabic, only in Arabic-English.

Pros:

1) Thoroughness. The dictionary is very thorough and comprehensive, providing a wide range of meanings, usages, associated phrases in a very succinct manner.

2) Completeness. You can find relatively complete information about the basics of a verb (present, masdar, different forms, usages) and plurals for nouns. This makes it very beneficial for anyone who delves deeper into the language for studying the Qur’an or the ahadith.

Cons:

1) Difficult Usage. Hans Wehr requires some intermediate knowledge of grammar to fully benefit and utilize it. Thus, it can be intimidating and time-consuming for beginners who do not have too much mastery over grammar.

2) Notation. There is a lot of notation in the dictionary that takes a lot of time and reading of the preface to get used to. This is another hurdle for the beginner, but once you get used to it, the notation is very useful.

Personal Review:

I have used the Hans Wehr a lot and still use it as my first reference whenever I research a word. It is not something to use when you want to quickly look up a word, rather Hans Wehr is useful when you have some time to read the entire entry concerning the word, its usages, phrases, etc.

Verdict:

A little background in grammar is necessary to fully benefit from this work. A challenging book for beginners, essential for intermediate and advanced students. Another dictionary that should be in every one’s library, in my opinion.

Sakhr

Available from:

Available online at: http://dictionary.sakhr.com/

Features:

Very similar to the Mawrid, but completely online. Sakhr allows words to be searched alphabetically (as well as by root words). Like the Mawrid, it offers an Arabic synonym for each word. Also like the Mawrid, there is an English-Arabic version available online as well. Unlike the Mawrid, it distributes the search results by verb, noun, verbal noun (masdar), etc. which makes it very helpful.

Pros:

1) Ease of Usage. Exactly like the Mawrid, basic grammar knowledge is required to benefit from this resource. For example, as long as you can find the past tense of a verb, you can search for it.

2) Arabic Synonyms.

Cons:

1) Poor Translations. Unlike the Mawrid, the English translations are sometimes confusing and inaccurate.

2) Missing Information. Like the Mawrid, the masdar of a verb, the forms of the verbs, the present tense of 3-letter verbs and the plural of nouns is not provided with each entry.

3) Typing in Arabic. You must know how to type in Arabic to benefit from this. There are a variety of Arabic (online and for install) available, so this should not be too much of a deterrent.

Personal Review:

I have used Sakhr for quickly looking up words until I installed VerbAce (see below). It is still my go-to resource to look up words quickly when I don’t have VerbAce available. I have found it to be extremely useful and easy, despite its shortcomings.

Verdict:

Excellent resource for beginners and intermediate students. A worthy bookmark.

VerbAce Pro

Available from:

Available for trial download here. More details here.

Features:

VerbAce Pro is a dictionary which comes as a computer software (i.e it has to be installed on your computer) that provides Arabic-English/English-Arabic translations. It enables searching by root words, searching by whole words, searching by verbs in their present/command tense and provides exact matches and partial matches.

The exact matches for verbs include basic information like form, present tense (in notation) for 3-letter verbs, synonyms in Arabic and usage with different prepositions. The nouns are provided with the plurals as well. The search results are nicely separated by verb/noun.

A very impressive feature is a hover-over translation for Arabic and English words, which makes reading Arabic articles incredibly easy and fun.

Pros:

1) Ease of Usage. Very easy and intuitive to use. The amount of knowledge of grammar you need to fully benefit from VerbAce is roughly equivalent to the amount you need for the Mawrid. However, since you can search verbs in their different tenses and many times with attached pronouns, VerbAce benefits those beginners who cannot benefit from Sakhr and the Mawrid yet. Moreover, the hover-over translation is absolutely incredible.

2) Arabic Synonyms. Helps build up the vocabulary.

3) Completeness. Unlike the Mawrid and Sakhr, VerbAce provides much more complete information about verbs and nouns. It also provides commonly used phrases (mostly contemporary) which clarify the meanings further.

4) Accuracy. The search engine of VerbAce is far superior than Sakhr or that of the electronic Mawrid. It returns results faster and much more accurately.

5) Speed. The results are displayed very speedily, yet accurately.

Cons:

1) Masdar. The VerbAce does not, sadly, give the masdar for verbs.

2) Typing in Arabic. VerbAce comes with a built-in keyboard so this should not be too much of a problem.

3) License. The software is licensed and the trial is for 14-days only.

Personal Review:

I installed VerbAce recently and I have found it to be supremely useful. Since its install, I have stopped using the Mawrid and Sakhr, which were two resources I used extensively in the past. VerbAce, in my opinion, is a very complete package and offers quality at a fast speed.

Verdict:

Essential for beginners and intermediates, useful for advanced students (due to its speed and accuracy). The hover-over translate sets it apart from all online dictionaries. A must have for all students.

Google Translate and Dictionary

Available from:

Google Translate and the related dictionary.

Features:

A very simple interface for English-Arabic/Arabic-English translations. It is surprisingly accurate and amazingly fast. Some of the words are listed in the dictionary, which is useful on occasion. The Arabic words can be typed in transliteration, which is quite impressive.

Pros:

1) Speed. It is amazingly fast and the interface is very sleek.

2) Ease of Usage. There is literally no knowledge of grammar required to use this tool making it supremely easy. This, naturally, limits the benefit.

Cons:

1) Inaccurate. Words are still inaccurately translated (even though Google keeps improving the tool).

2) Limited Information. The translation is a very basic translation with no grammatical explanations (exception being some entries in the dictionary, and even these are basic).

Personal Review:

Google Translate is surprisingly good. It’s not a bad idea to use it in conjunction with Sakhr. I was recently reading an article about making tayyammum (wudu without water) and the Shaikh mentioned a word that I could not find on VerbAce or Sakhr. The word? بوية (Paint)! So Google Translate has its uses, even though they are limited.

Verdict:

Handy resource for beginners when used in conjunction with Sakhr/VerbAce. Too limited for intermediate or advanced students.

Arabic-English Lexicon (Lane)

Available from:

Fully online here. Can be downloaded from StudyQuran or ordered on a DVD from StudyQuran.

Features:

The granddaddy of all Arabic-English dictionaries, a short introduction for the dictionary is presented:

The most scholarly dictionary of the Arabic language available. This work is the product of over thirty years of unrelenting labour. It is a work of such unique greatness that, since its first appearance almost 150 years ago, it has remained to this day supreme in the field of Arabic lexicography. No scholar or group of scholars has produced anything to supplant it. As it originally appeared and was later reproduced, the Lexicon consisted of eight large, cumbersome volumes, which made it difficult to use. Now, for the first time, the Islamic Texts Society has, with no loss whatsoever of clarity or legibility, brought together the eight large volumes into two compact volumes; it is now possible to keep the Lexicon on the work desk and refer to it with ease.

To get a glimpse at the detail that this work provides, take a glimpse at this page.

Pros:

1) Thoroughness. The dictionary covers a huge amount of details that cannot be matched by other dictionaries in English.

2) Completeness. Not only does it provide the necessary Sarf-related elements, it also provides references to other dictionaries.

Cons:

1) Extremely advanced. It is certainly not meant for beginners.

2) Humongous. The dictionary comes in 8 huge volumes. Not something that you can’t travel with.

3) Notation. The notation used in this dictionary is like calculus. It is extremely involved and verbose.

Personal Review:

N/A. I have not used this dictionary for any work, but I have glanced through it. The main reason for that is the notation that has put me off. Nevertheless, I hope to utilize it in the future since it is a gem.

Verdict:

A treasure for the advanced students.

Glossary of Madinah Books

Available from:

Available on Google Books and in PDF.

Features:

This is a complete glossary of the famous books of Arabic instruction (Durûs al-Lughaħ al-‘Arabiyya ħ li-Ghair al-Nâtiqîna Bihâ) popularly known as the Madinah Books. The glossary is very similar to Hans Wehr in organization and presentation, except it is much smaller and only comprises of the words in the Madinah books. Thus, it is a stepping stone to Hans Wehr and other advanced dictionaries for the students who study the Madinah books curriculum.

Pros:

1) Ease of Usage. The glossary is fairly straightforward to use for a student of the Madinah books, despite being similar in organization to Hans Wehr.

2) (Relative) Completeness. The glossary only contains the words used in the books, and for those words, the complete Sarf-related elements are presented using a similar notation to Hans Wehr. The notation is introduced in layman’s terms in the preface by the author.

3) Additional Examples. The glossary gives additional examples and usages of words that are not in the books, strenghtening the understanding of the student.

Cons:

1) Limited. Only limited to the Madinah books.

Personal Review:

I used this glossary when I studying the curriculum and found it to be an essential companion, especially in later parts of book 2 and all of book 3.

Verdict:

A must-have for students of the Madinah books. A perfect first-step before taking on more advanced dictionaries like Hans Wehr.

Qur’an-Exclusive Dictionaries and Resources

Project Root List

Available from:

Completely online, courtesy StudyQuran. Just click on a letter (at the very top) to begin.

Features:

This project aims to organize all the words in the Qur’an by their root letters. For each root word, the meanings, the occurrences in the Qur’an and grammatical notes about derivatives from the root word are mentioned. Each entry has a link to Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon for more details. Moreover, each entry is click-able and all occurrences in the Qur’an containing the root word are subsequently displayed.

Pros:

1) Examples. Examples of occurrences in the Qur’an are mentioned, which makes it very useful for referencing.

2) Organized. The organization of this resource makes it very easy to research usages of words and their meanings in the Qur’an.

3) Link to Lane. Since each entry has a link to Lane’s Lexicon, it is a great time-saver. Rather than going through pages after pages in Lane’s to find the desired word, only the necessary pages can be browsed through quickly.

Cons:

1) Incomplete. The project is still not complete yet. There are volunteers working on the completion of the project.

2) Inconsistent. Since the project is a collaboration by a bunch of volunteers, it is inconsistent in its formatting on occasion. However, it still is very usable.

Personal Review:

The project is a great resource for students of the Qur’an. The organization by root words, the examples of usage in the Qur’an and some explanatory notes make it a very useful resource. It’s a pretty good idea to just read the dictionary because you end up learning a lot about words you thought you knew.

Verdict:

A little advanced for beginners, but a great resource for intermediate and advanced students.

Vocabulary of the Holy Qur’an (Dr. Nadwi)

Available from:

For purchase from Islamic Bookstore. If someone has a PDF or online version, please add it to the comments.

Features:

This is a dictionary of all the words of the Qur’an. The organization is by root words. If the word is a noun, its occurrence in the Qur’an and its plural is mentioned (most of the time). If the word is a verb, then only its Qur’anic usages are mentioned and explained, along with the basic tasreef (grammatical distribution) of the verb and examples from Qur’an. Since the author (Dr Nadwi) is a scholar of the Shariah, there are some notes on tafsir as well that are very intriguing.

At the end of the book, there is an index of root words that help a beginner in identifying the root words.

Pros:

1) Focused. The dictionary is concise, to the point and very succinct. Moreover, it is focused on usages of words in Qur’an and not their general usage, which makes it perfect for those beginning their studies in Qur’an and an useful reference for more advanced students.

2) Explanations. The grammatical explanations are very helpful and small tafsir notes greatly help in understanding.

Cons:

1) Basic. Due to its intended audience, there is a lack of depth in explanation of difficult words.

Personal Review:

This was the first dictionary I ever used and I greatly benefited from it. Despite knowing almost no grammar, I benefited immensely from the dictionary and the explanations. I like this dictionary so much that I included it in the list despite not having an online copy available (unlike all the other entries in this article).

Verdict:

A must-have, essential resource for beginners, a useful resource for intermediate and advanced students.

Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an

Available from:

In PDF here. For purchase from Islamic Bookstore.

Features:

The dictionary is organized traditionally and detailed explanations of each word and its derivatives is given. For verbs, the basic grammatical distribution is given. In addition, a fabulous comparison between similar words and their usages is provided, along with examples from the Qur’an.

Pros:

1) Deep and Concise. The dictionary is concise, yet very deep in its analysis. The comparisons between words and the examples of usages from the Qur’an are very profound.

2) Notation. The notation used in the dictionary is very intuitive, clear and non-confusing.

3) Straightforward. The English used in this dictionary is very easy and straightforward.

Cons:

1) Ahmadi. This book is written by an Ahmadi scholar. The Ahmadi’s are by consensus not Muslims, so tread with caution. Nonetheless, it is an excellent resource on the Qur’an.

Personal Review:

N/A. I have not used this dictionary. It was recommended to me recently and I read portions of it for the purpose of including it in the article. Insha Allah, I hope to utilize it in the future.

Verdict:

A great resource for all types of students. The beginners can benefit from its simple, straightforward style. The more advanced students can benefit from the word analysis, word comparisons and examples from the Qur’an.

Conclusion

This list is not exhaustive by any means. There are other resources available that have not been included either due to the unfamiliarity of the author or unavailability online. If you are familiar with any other useful resource online, please contribute it in the comments below, insha Allah.

Moreover, for advancing one’s understanding, a student must use Arabic-Arabic dictionaries as well. The Arabic-Arabic dictionaries are an ocean that require a lot of time to get used to. A superb resource for Arabic-Arabic dictionaries online is Al-Baheth Al-Arabiy.

Lastly, A question often asked is, “What is the best dictionary to use when studying fiqh?” The answer to this is that many Islamic sciences have specialized terms that aren’t generally mentioned in dictionaries.

For example, the word انحراف (inhiraaf) means declination, deviation, skewness, inclination, skew. However, in tajweed, it is a characteristic of certain letters. So, often a dictionary does not provide a suitable definition to terms that are specific for Islamic sciences.

Thus, a student must either: 1) ask a qualified person in that science for an explanation, or 2) refer to an advanced Arabic-Arabic dictionary like Lisaanul Arab, where Islamic science-specific words are often explained. WAllahu alam (and Allah knows best).

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