So I’ve gotten messaged about “how do I get closer to Allah/ how do I feel pious”, and I’ve always given the same kind of advice - pray thahajjud (which also means getting five daily prayers done on time - but I always just assume everyone has that) & then learn the tafseer of the surahs you already know because it’s not a lot of effort, you already know the surahs, but you see them in a different light, and when you then use them in prayer, you actually slow down because you know what the ayah means and where it comes from and what it’s referring to. It’s no longer a strand of syllables, it’s now tangible.
But I have to paraphrase a talk from Ustaadh Nouman Ali Khan, because this is the most concise advice I have ever heard:
"Three areas you need to set goals for and actually do:
- Worship: Am I waking up for fajr on time, am I reading Quran at fajr. Youth, you can’t accomplish anything in life if you go to sleep late and then wake up at ten for fajr.
- Knowledge: It’s separate from worship because some people study a lot of tafseer and know a lot of tajweed but don’t even pay attention in salaah. What is that knowledge doing then? My recommendation is that at the end of the year you’ve:
a) studied the Seerah, any book, read all of them, one per year;
b) made substantial gains in Quran: memorize one surah or more per year - including reading it’s tafseer and understanding the vocabulary, focus and get it right.
c) memorize at least three or four duas: this is putting knowledge into practice, understanding the dua means you know what you are asking Him for. - Service: We don’t have to do things under our own banner, good causes are good causes. Personally, I recommend Muslims to be part of good causes that are run by non muslims so they get to see that Muslims care too. So volunteer, help out, don’t publicize it. It will make you a better human being. It will bring you closer to Allah.
We talk about changing the world, we can’t even change your day yet."
And if that ain’t the cold hard truth. How far we could go if we implemented this - we’d have a surah memorized per year, we’d have a few duas, we’d know some ayahs in depth, we’d have been a part of charitable causes.
But for most of us - by the end of the year we probably only read the whole Quran once - aka during Ramadan - volunteered that one time with some friends and took some pictures, heard a billion lectures but remembered nothing, watched a whole lot of movies and tv, just did a lot of schoolwork, a sprinkle of all-nighters, tried some new restaurants, and chilled.
Which is all fine of course. Alhamdulilah that we had the privilege and luxury of doing all of that.
But what did we cash in for Jannah?
Cause that beautiful place where happily ever afters and wild weed dreams come true - isn’t free.
drops of knowledge/fb