what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

Peace Sajania786

Thank you for responding.

In my responses I did say that it was a stepping stone in the right direction, my complaint was on the "pitch" of the sale of the course. It should be pitched exactly as your latest post. An Arabic vocabulary enhancer course featuring terms from Al-Qur'an. To understand Al-Qur'an is different from knowing the meaning of terms and this may sound like semantics to some. Understanding does not come from study - this way we can say the best Muslims are the Orientalists who know more Arabic than many of us. That "Understanding" is a gift from Allah (SWT).

Again if it is just a matter of getting an idea of the meaning then a good translation will also achieve this ...

There are other ways to feel the Qur'an during recitation. Instead of trying to read 1 juz in 45 minutes ... Read a quarter of a juz in 20 minutes trying to pronounce each word correctly. The beauty of Al-Qur'an is in the correct pronunciation. Beautiful ideas indeed come from the meaning, but the aspect that transcends all levels of understanding is the beauty in the spoken word of the holy scripture.

Quality versus Quantity

Let me leave you with some anecdotes please ...

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The Qur’aan will come on the Day of Resurrection like a pale man saying to its companion, “Do you recognize me? I am the one who made you stay up at night and made you thirsty during the day…” Then he will be given dominion in his right hand and eternity in his left, and a crown of dignity will be placed upon his head, and his parents will be clothed with garments which far surpass everything to be found in this world. They will say, “O Lord, how did we earn this.” It will be said to them, “Because you taught your child the Qur’aan.”’”
(Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, 6/51).

It was narrated that Buraydah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever reads the Qur’aan, learns it and acts in accordance with it, on the Day of Resurrection his parents will be given a crown to wear whose light will be like the light of the sun, and his parents will be given garments which far surpass everything to be found in this world. They will say, “Why have we been given this to wear?” It will be said, “Because your child learned the Qur’aan.”’”
(Narrated by al-Haakim, 1/756)

Concerning the virtue of the hafiz who memorizes the Qur’aan, al-Bukhaari (4937) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The likeness of the one who reads Qur’aan and memorizes it is that he is with the righteous honourable scribes. The likeness of the one who reads it and tries hard to memorize it even though it is difficult for him, he will have two rewards.”

'Aa'ishah reported that the Prophet said, "The person who reads the Qur'aan fluently is with the honourable and obedient scribes (i.e. angels), and he who reads it with difficulty, (even) he shall get (at least) a double reward" (Aboo Dawood)

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

I find it hard to believe and in fact offensive. I would appreciate if you can provide some authentic references.

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

I can see what Sajania means. I think that many children are sent to masjids to recite the quran but as they have no clue what they are saying, many of them find it boring. Kids are kids after all, i can see why many would find it hard sitting reading something they dont understand. Myself i was made to recite quran till i finished it by my parents and sadly i never enjoyed it, it felt like a chore and something i wanted to get over and done with as quick as possible. Reading a story book however, in a language i knew well was a different matter! I therefore think also its very important to teach kids the meaning of what they are reading, it captures their interest and also makes them more respectful of the quran. I have a cousin who was forced to be a hafiz and he has no respect for the words of the quran, reading them as fast as possible so that he can get done and go do something else.
Recitation is good yes, but understanding enhances it a lot more.

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

Thanks alot for that psyah,

I’m very sorry if i dont sound nice in my posts, and really the advice you have given is very useful. Just maybe I’m thinking about my upbringing too much and still feel bitter about it. Brought up in a household where the quran was wrapped up in a cloth and put on top of the cupboard and it was hard for me to reach as a child. Forced by my parents to read hours and hours of it. getting beats at madrassa, and the worst part is alot hasn’t changed, I was born in the USA but my parents moved to UK and now im living here now and still in a lot of pakistani (especially mirpuri) communities its all the same still. Inshallah i wont make the same mistake with my daughter, I’ve been teaching her at home and tried to make everything fun and interactive as possible

http://www.muslimbase.com/childrens-section/books-media/quran-workbook-p-4805.html

there is a great selection here for children.

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

I find this very part interesting, in my community alot of pakistanis seem to resent arabs, and there is a certain arrogance about not wanting to learn the language, accusing the jilbaab of being a merely arab dress, rather than being something part of islam (i will open a discussion on that in religion and scriptures) sometimes i think they even forget that our Prophet (peace be upon him) was an arab. Even the arabs are just as bad, recently this arab woman told me how arabs have more connection with the quran as they speak the language, obivously i set her in her place, telling her sure Allah rewards us more because we strive hard to learn even though arabic isnt our first language and that there are a lot of great reciters who are non arab.

I wonder if there has been any non arab people who've recited in the Grand mosque in makkah?

I wish they taught arabic at more madrassas rather the madrassa i got taught at were teaching us urdu instead (though most kids were mirpuri and dont speak urdu). Has this alot to do with pride in identity?

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

For children and teenagers, I think more emphasis should be on loving The Quran rather than memorizing it or understanding it.

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

sanjania- i see your point. however reading even without understanind still has sawab, secondly not everyone can afford to learn to understand......thirdly-what little we DO understand we dont utilise, what understanding the entire quran turn us into perfect muslims?

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

We strive to be better then what we are, perfect is static, which we cant be.

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Re: what is the joy of reading quran if we cant understand it.

one should surley put effort to understand what he/she is saying when reading quran and namaz. however it doesnot say anywhere in islam that you cannot read namaz/quran without understanding each and every ayat..u still get sawab. but again that doesnot mean one should just let it go.