Reconnecting with the Quran

Assalaamu Alaikum!

How have you been? So good to meet you again.

Have you started preparing for Ramadan yet? It feels like we were fasting last Ramadan just recently, yet here we are only four months away from the blessed month. May Allah allow us to reach it in good health.

If you have already started preparing for Ramadan, I would love to know how its going for you. If you haven’t, its not too late to start.

I understand that life might have changed quite a lot for many of you since last Ramadan and you might not be able to do things as you did in the past year. It has changed for me, leaving me with lesser free time than before for Ramadan prep. However, there is something we can all do to prepare our hearts for the arrival of Ramadan; giving time to Quran.

Why start with Quran?

Ramadan is a month in which we hear Quran being recited a lot more than all the other months of the year. It is also the month in which people try to recite more Quran. But if we wait until the first of Ramadan to start or increase our daily portion of Quran, we may find it difficult to keep up and not achieve our Quran goals for the month.

Before we start preparing our homes for Ramadan we should begin by preparing our hearts. Is there anything better than the words of Allah SWT to do this?

Just as athletes need to warm up before a big game, our hearts also need to “warm up” before Ramadan. Increasing recitation of Quran helps to soften our hearts and build momentum for worship when Ramadan arrives.

The Quran is the heart of Ramadan, its revelation in this month is what makes the month so special. When we recite more, we are strengthening our relationship with the book. Some of us might not have kept a strong connection with Quran since Ramadan, and this is the perfect time to start so we enter the month with our hearts ready.

Your time needs Quran

One of the first things people say when asked to commit to something that requires them to give a considerable amount of time is that they are too busy. Its quite common for people to think the same when it comes to Quran too. Life is so hectic already and you may think that there is simply no extra time to give to the Quran.

Maybe Shaytan is just too good at convincing you that if you spend time with Quran, its going to take so much of your time that you won’t be able to accomplis anything that day. But the reality is the opposite of this. Its neglecting the Quran that makes our affairs scattered. I once heard this phrase “the Quran doesn’t need your time, your time needs the Quran” and I've witnessed how true this is. I have seen how prioritizing Quran and giving it time brings barakah to people’s time and energy. The Quran is not in need of us reciting it, but we are in need of the barakah, healing and peace it brings.

I’d like to invite anyone who feels they don’t have time for the Qur’an to take a closer look at how much time they spend on their devices. There have been days when I told myself it was okay not to work on certain Qur’an goals because I was “too busy.” But even on those so-called busy days, the amount of time I spent on my phone was still quite high.

I’m not saying that everything we do on our devices is a waste of time — far from it. But it’s worth taking a critical look at how we actually spend that time.

Let us all reflect on this question.

Do we really not have time for Quran or are we not giving it time?

Setting Quran goals

Take some time to be clear on the Quran goals you want to pursue in these months leading upto Ramadan. Choose something that you can commit to given your season of life. Having friends or family you can do this together would help with accountability.

You can have

1. Recitation goals: increase the amount of daily recitation of Quran. Try to complete reciting the entire Quran one or more times.

2. Hifz goals: memorize some new surahs. Learning and reciting new surahs in salah by yourself will be a beautiful experience. Even if you end up memorizing just few short surahs, its a success!

If you have time to spare, going through the translation and tafseer of some surahs is also something that will help you strengthen your connection with the Quran.

If any of you choose to complete the recitation of Quran once before Ramadan, I have a tracker that you can use, lovingly prepared by a sister who wants to remain anonymous.

If you liked what you received with this newsletter, please share it with someone so they can benefit as well.

I would love to hear about your Quran journey as you prepare for Ramadan. Just hit reply to this email to share your experience.

Until next time,

Samar