Walaykum Assalam waRahmat Allah,

Glad tidings to you, sister! The harder the effort, the greater the reward; we ask Allah to make your scale heavier this year than all the rest as a result of the hardships you faced.

Not a moment of hardship goes unnoticed or unrewarded by Allah (Glorified and Exalted). Remember, it is not about how easily we perform the acts of worship, but how sincerely and earnestly we seek Allah (Glorified and Exalted) and struggle for His Sake with love and patience because He is worth it!

And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (Qur’an 29:69)

Perhaps a moment of sincerity with Allah Almighty you had this Ramadan will be heavier on your scale than everything you’ve done for the past 3 years.

So, rejoice and have hope in Allah!

Now, regarding your question, I have one request: please love the Qur’an!

Don’t look at it as a chore or a task that you have to check off your list. Look at it as the haven you resort to in order to heal you, purify you and elevate you… The Qur’an is the Direct Word of The Most Merciful and He says,

Allah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light… (2:257)

 

Every second you spend with the Qur’an is heavily rewarded. You can’t get that many rewards per second with anything other than the Qur’an, every letter equals a reward and Allah multiplies the reward by ten folds. Look at His Generosity! SubhanAllah. He is giving us this opportunity to help us, encourage us, guide us and connect us with Him. So, don’t look at it as a burden.

Now for the practical tips:

First and foremost, no one will ever be able to progress in this path without the Help of Allah Almighty. Allah literally can make things easy beyond your own imagination or expectations.

This is why He taught us to say in Surat Al-Fatiha –which we recite at least 17 times a day throughout the five daily prayers-

“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” (Qur’an 1: 5)

 

So ask Allah for His Help, and this process will deeply connect you with Him.

Next, Remember Allah told us,

So when you recite the Qur’an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].” (Qur’an 16: 98)

 

So, if you’ve been finding it difficult to read the Qur’an, then maybe you haven’t been taking proper precautions against Satan. So, make sure you do that, especially now that shayateen have been unchained after Ramadan.

Also, pay attention to the daily adhkars that protect you from the evil whispers. If you’re not reciting the morning and evening adhkar that are there to protect us against the evil whispers, weakness, and weariness, then you’re making yourself an easy target to Satan.

So, protect yourself and maintain your morning and evening adhkar. Download them on your phone and read them, or keep a copy of the “Fortress of the Muslim” and read them when their time comes. You’ll find in our previous answer here more tips from the Qur’an and Sunnah on how to take precautions.

Also, try to set a small number of pages that you read every day from the Qur’an. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Start with small portions and enjoy them. The best deeds in the Sight of Allah are those that are performed regularly even if they’re small.

Narrated `Aisha:

The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked, “What deeds are loved most by Allah?” He said, “The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few.” He added, ‘Don’t take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability.” [Sahih Al Bukhari]

If you’re looking for more tips to help you with the Qur’an, I’ve written a short reminder here on how to read the Qur’an productively. Please take a look at it, and I’m hoping insha’Allah it will have some useful tips for you. Also, please find our previous answer on “How to Get The Most Out of Reading The Quran?” for more tips.

Lastly, so as not to get overwhelmed, exhausted or feel underachieving in worship, try to seek easy acts of worship that are effortless, yet heavily rewarded, like dhikr.

Dhikr is immensely elevating spiritually. Keeping yourself and your tongue constantly in remembrance of Allah has a deep impact on your heart. Find more information on this in our previous answers here:

What’s the Importance of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)?

Effortless Acts with Great Rewards

I hope this answer helped you even a little bit, you can find more ideas here as well:

How to Maintain the Ramadan Spirit Post Ramadan?

Jazaki Allahu Khairan, and praise be to Allah alone.