A Juz' a day

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The odd weekend away without the kids is a rare treat when you become a parent. Especially when that involves attending a special event like a wedding. Just before dinner was served, a brother from our table was called up to the stage, I couldn’t make out his name but I recall the word 'hafidh' being mentioned. A beautiful recitation from the Holy Qur'an followed. At one point the brother paused to close the mus-haf he was following from, and continued reciting with what can only be described as an intense love and connection with the Honourable words. His eyes were focused on what he had committed to memory, his heart unfolding hours of study, dedication and guidance.

I looked down at the jewels on my dress and my gold with indifference. The same glitz that I had been admiring just minutes earlier now no longer appealed. That brother had the real adornment, and he was able to carry it around with him wherever he went: he knew the whole Qur'an by heart.

From the time I started to understand Arabic, I knew that there was no better feeling in this life than reading and hearing the Qur'an. There is no greater or more comprehensive discourse on life on this earth, nothing more true, nor more eloquent than what is in the Qur'an. By Allah, the great teachings of the AICP and its Shuyookh are in total compliance with the Qur'an and are representative of the wealth of knowledge within it.

In times of great sorrow and confusion I have turned to the Qur'an and always found guidance, a cure and perpetual happiness. It was through the Qur'an that I was able to endure labour and birth without pain relief, at home (Surah Al-Hajj and Surah Yusuf). Surah Yasin, the 'heart of the Qur'an' controlled my grief when people I loved passed away. When seeing the wondrous creation of Allah, things like the full solar eclipse, vast mountains and passing clouds during flights, I feel within myself an insistent longing to be close to the Qur'an – the passages on nature, the Oneness of Allah and non-resemblance of Allah to the creation take my breath away time after time.

A few years back, we went out to look for the new moon of Shawwal at sunset. Driving along the seashore the water had lost the stillness we had been used to that Ramadan. I felt the tears well up inside me, I had fallen short of completing by one juz'. The sky looked different, but I waited for news. The new moon had been sighted, Ramadan was over. From that day I promised myself that I would always put effort into completing this deed within the holy month, insha' Allah.

Each Ramadan, Muslims around the world make the effort to complete reading the whole Qur'an. Using a reciter like Muhammad Siddeeq Al-Minshawiyy, we can listen and follow and take benefit from the huda (guidance) and noor (light) within. One can complete a juz' a day and by the month's end insha' Allah one will find oneself in a richer situation than they were at the beginning. The secrets of the Qur'an are known by Allah, so strive to learn what you can from a knowlegeable teacher. Barak Allahu fikum wa ahsan Allahu ‘ilaykum. Ramadan Kareem.