Forwarding:
7 tips for improving your relationship with the Quran
Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Quran? 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 Quran.
**1. Before you touch it, check your heart
**
The key to really benefiting from the Quran 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 Quran”: in other words, he didn’t just read and
recite the Quran, he lived it.
**2. 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.
**3. Read only 5 minutes everyday
**
Too often, we think we should read Quran 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!
4. Make sure you understand what you’ve read
Five minutes of reading the Quran in Arabic is good, but you need
to understand what you’re reading. Make sure you have a good
translation of the Quran in the language you understand best.
Always try to read the translation of what you’ve read that day.
5. Remember, the Quran 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 Quran is not
like that. Remember that when you read Quran, you are interacting
with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.
**6. Don’t just read, listen too
**
There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Quran, 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 Quran reading, not as a
replacement for it.
**7. Make Dua (supplication)
**
Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Quran. 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.
May Allah guide us all to the path in which lies our salvation. Amen