Let’s teach the Quran!
Umm-e-Hani Bint-e-Isma’eel Badayooni
(Jami’ah-tul-Madinah ‘Itr-ul-Madinah Balighat Millat Town)
Ayman: ‘اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْکُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَکَاتُهٗ’
Sister Aribah: ‘وَعَلَیْکُمُ السَّلَام وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَکَا تُهٗ’
Ayman: ‘کَیْفَ حَالُکِ یَا اُخْتِی’, My sister! How are you?
Sister Aribah: ‘اَلْحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْن عَلٰی کُلِّ حَال، وَ اَنْتِ؟’, In every state, all praises are for Allah Almighty who is the nurturer of all worlds. How are you?
Ayman: ‘اَنَا بِخَیْر وَ عَافِیَة’, I am well.
Sister Aribah: Ayman! Have you received the teaching certificate for teaching the Quran?
Ayman: Yes, sister Aribah! I have received it.
Sister Aribah: So when will you start teaching the Quran?
Ayman: The Nazimah suggested that I should immediately start teaching the Quran to adult sisters in Madrasah-tul-Madinah.
Sister Aribah: That is fantastic news! Good deeds should not be delayed. I think you should start teaching the noble Quran from today.
Ayman (lowering her head): No sister Aribah! Not yet.
Sister Aribah: Why Ayman? Why won’t you teach? You are also a Hafizah of the Quran ‘مَاشَــآءَالـلّٰـه!’
Ayman: Where can I find the time, sister Aribah!
Sister Aribah: What do you mean? You have time for everything else, but not for teaching the Quran? This is not a valid excuse. One needs to make time for the work of the Deen. Don’t we make time for worldly tasks? Then why can’t we make time for religious works? And this is only a matter of a mere one hour and twelve minutes – time that we might easily waste in chatting, but if we were to use that time to earn reward, then that’s fantastic. Nevertheless, a believer is greedy for reward anyway!
Ayman: That’s fine Sister Aribah! But there is also another problem…
Sister Aribah: Problem? What problem?
Ayman: The problem is that I have to revise my schoolwork too.
Sister Aribah: It is definitely challenging, but it’s not impossible, is it? And you know that the more difficult an act is in this world, the heavier it will weigh on the scale of deeds on the Day of Judgment.
Ayman: You’re right about that for sure, Sister Aribah.
Sister Aribah: Teach the Quran once at least, in order to seek the pleasure of Allah Almighty and the happiness of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه you’ll see blessings in your time. And when you teach the Quran, you’ll attain an unimaginable amount of reward! You know that reciting a single letter of the Quran earns ten good deeds. There is a beautiful hadith regarding this: The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said that whoever recites one letter from the book of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, he earns ten good deeds; I do not say that ‘الٓمّٓ’ is one letter, rather ‘اَلِف’ ]Alif[ is one letter, ‘لَام’ ]Laam[ is one letter and ‘مِیْم’ ]Meem[ is one letter, (Tirmizi, vol. 4, p. 417, Hadith 2919).
Ayman: سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه
Sister Aribah: So if you teach someone ‘الٓمّٓ’, then you will attain the reward of this as long as she keeps reciting it. And if you teach her the entire Quran with Tajweed, then as long as she recites the Quran, you will continue receiving the reward for that. And if she acts upon the Quran, having learnt it from you, then you will also receive the reward of her actions, without any reduction in her reward. Reciting the Quran is rewarding, teaching the Quran is rewarding, learning the Quran is rewarding, and even looking at the Quran is rewarding. The cycle of receiving reward does not stop here! In fact, as long as she continues to teach it further, you will also be rewarded for that, and whoever she has taught, you will receive the reward of their recitation, teaching, and acting upon it. Like this, by teaching just one person, the Quran will become continuous reward (Sadaqah Jariyah) for you, and how pleasing is that!
Ayman: No doubt! This is a very honourable matter.
Sister Aribah: Yes! Exactly! This status is not given to everyone. Fortunate are those who teach the Quran with sincerity. The Final Prophet of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: The best from among you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it. And it is mentioned in another narration: Superior is the one who learns and teaches the Quran, (Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 410, Hadith 5027-5028).
Ayman: سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه Definitely! Sister Aribah!’
Sister Aribah: One day Sayyiduna Ali Al-Murtada رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ heard voices of people reciting and teaching the Quran. He remarked: Congratulations to these people! For these were the people most beloved to the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, (Mu’jam Awsat-lil-Tabarani, vol. 5, p. 274, Hadith 7308).
Ayman: Sister Aribah! اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه I am intent on teaching the Quran from today. Pray that Allah Almighty grants me steadfastness.
Sister Aribah: اٰمین
Comments