7 tips for improving your relationship with the Qur’an
Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Qur’an? Or do you
read daily, but don’t find it is having the impact on you that it
should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that
can help you connect with the Qur’an.
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Before you touch it, check your heart. The key to really
benefiting from the Qur’an is to check your heart first, before you
even touch Allah’s book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading
it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from
you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be upon him) was described by his wife as a “walking Qur’an”: in
other words, he didn’t just read and recite the Qur’an, he lived it. -
Do your Wudu (ablution). Doing your Wudu is good physical and
mental preparation to remind you you’re not reading just another
book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a
priority when communicating with Him. -
Read only 5 minutes everyday. Too often, we think we should read
Qur’an for at least one whole hour. If you aren’t in the habit of
reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five
minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God
willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten,
then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more! -
Make sure you understand what you’ve read. Five minutes of
reading the Qur’an in Arabic is good, but you need to understand
what you’re reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the
Qur’an in the language you understand best. Always try to read the
translation of what you’ve read that day. -
Remember, the Qur’an is more interactive than a CD. In an age
of “interactive” CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people
think books are passive and boring. But the Qur’an is not like that.
Remember that when you read Qur’an,you are interacting with Allah.
He is talking to you, so pay attention. -
Don’t just read, listen too. There are now many audio cassettes
and CDs of the Qur’an, a number of them with translations as well.
This is great to put on your walkman or your car’s CD or stereo as
you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily
Qur’an reading, not as a replacement for it. -
Make Dua (supplication). Ask Allah to guide you when you read the
Qur’an. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact
with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words.
Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for
doing this.