Dream in Arabic

The Prophet (saw) said, “Read the Qur’an regularly.  By the One in Whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is, it escapes from memory faster than a camel does from its tying ropes.”  (Bukhari)

If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.  How have you used your Qur’an today?  There are so many ways to interact with it, just take a few minutes to:

• Listen to Qur’an in the car, on your iPod, on your phone, on youtube
• Read four pages after after salaah – you’ll finish the Qur’an in one month! Can’t do it? Start small.  One ayah even…it will add up.
• Study the grammar and meaning of each word of the Qur’an.
• Listen or read tafsir (Downloads for your device)

Here’s a great post from Productive Muslim on keeping a daily relationship with the Qur’an  http://www.productivemuslim.com/beating-procrastination-series-keeping-a-daily-relationship-with-the-quran/

So how did you use your Qur’an today? Leave comments with tips, resources and ideas to help and inspire others!

Over the past year a few people have written to me to ask about Bayyinah, asking how I found it and confiding in me their desire to go.

There’s something romantic in the idea of giving up a year of your life to devote purely to studying Islam. You feel you’ll be more focused than ever because all you will be doing is studying. No other distractions.

And maybe that will turn out to be the case for some. But for most of us, life doesn’t stop even if you move out of state. Distractions will pack their bags and make the trip with you, and more of them will be waiting to welcome you wherever you end up.

If you can’t focus on studies at home, don’t expect a new location to suddenly instill you with super studying power.

This applies especially to traveling abroad. Now that it’s the new year, I’ve received multiple emails advertising summer “intensive” studies in various Islamic countries. While the land of Sham may indeed be blessed, as the Hadith states, it doesn’t mean your studies will be.

Ah, but those who travel for knowledge are blessed you say- their path is lined by the wings of angels. Yes, but traveling to the masjid down the street to learn from the imam also applies in this context.

Studying abroad offers many adventures

If faced with the opportunity to travel, first ask yourself what your goal is. Is you objective to learn Arabic, Quran, Islam? Or is it it to see the world, brag to friends about studying in “authentic” conditions, with famous scholars?
Check your intention before you set out because it will determine what benefits you return home with. I’ve known many people who return from programs abroad who have many fascinating stories and pictures of the people, the food and the places. But ask them to demonstrate what they learned and they are at a loss.

Too many travel companies are cashing in on young people’s sincere desire to learn the deen. Seeing the prices for these excursions can lead us to believe that studying is not possible.

But remember that Allah will take care of you. When Allah loves a person, He will give him knowledge of His religion. So make Allah love you – draw close to Him by increasing your acts of worship. Make dua that He will grant you the opportunity, means, and ability to study. (Say ameen)

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It’s been awhile since my last post and after talking to some of my friends, it seems that I have given the impression that I have thrown in the towel when it comes to Arabic.  No way!

Arabic is a lifelong pursuit – even for Arabs!  It’s an ocean which once you begin swimming across, you can’t simply turn around and go back; you have to keep going even if you never reach the opposite shore.  (Maybe the opposite shore is jannah – May God grant us a place in His paradise, ameen!)

Since leaving the Bayyinah DREAM program I’ve been working with an Arabic tutor 2 hours a day, 4 days a week.  I’ve also had several Qur’an tutors.

I have worked with these tutors through Skype, and I have to say they are a GREAT resource for those who have no Arabic or tajweed teachers in their area.  Soon I hope to put up a resource page with links to the tutors I know of, and other beneficial programs, sites and links.  If any of you reading this have links to tutor services online or through skype, please leave them in the comments or email me so I can put them on the resource page.

I’ll try to update again soon with more details of how I’m studying Arabic from home, and with more resources.  With Ramadan around the corner, this is a great time to start an Arabic/Qur’an study plan.  If you already have one – let us know in comments!

Almost a year ago, I posted about my struggle to read Surah Al-Kahf.  Alhamdulillah this friday, with the Help of my Lord, I able to read through the entire Surah!!!

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I’ve put off writing this post because it is hard to know what to say.  In the West, when our plans fall through we are taught that it is a failure.  Even if we “pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off” afterwards, the failed event is seen as a blight on our personal achievement histories.

In Islam, it is not this way.  If this was the case, then it would be taught that RasulAllah (saw) was a failure for the first 13 years of his prophethood, and only succeeded when he came into political power in Medinah.  Obviously that is not true, because it was Allah who planned how the life and leadership of Prophet Muhammad (saw) would turn out.  And just as He planned the life of Muhammad (saw), He plans each and every one of our lives.  Every day.  Every second.  Even every “failure.”

They say for every window that shuts a door opens.  That’s true of every trial we face – it’s full of benefits and rewards for us, some that we may not see until the akhirah.

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It might sound crazy to be talking of giving up Facebook now.  2010 has been declared The Year of Facebook.  Time crowned FB CEO Mark Zuckerburg their person of the year.  Then there was the movie which has garnered Oscar buzz.  To top it off, the site took Google’s place as the most visited web-site in 2010.  Even my parents joined Facebook this year.

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Those interested in applying for the dream program 2011, Bayyinah now has a site up and they will be posting applications soon.  Go to http://www.bayyinah.com/dream/ to access information about tuition, student life, pictures of the campus and more.

And as always, I will try to answer any questions any of you have about being a Dream student this year.  The schedule is pretty hectic, but I will try hard to answer any emails and comments that are directed my way.  Look for more updates soon!