I’d like to share with you some pointers about the role of the Quran in the life of a new Muslim, someone who just reverted to Islam and is trying to figure out the path.
In the very beginning, because Islam is such an ocean of knowledge and the Quran itself is such an ocean of knowledge, it can actually be pretty intimidating to even think about where to begin.
Take it Slowly
So the first bit of advice I’d like to give you is as far as learning and understanding the Quran is concerned, take it very little at a time.
Don’t rush yourself, don’t push yourself into; and don’t stress yourself out that you don’t know everything yet, or you don’t know how to recite it properly yet, or you haven’t understood all of it yet… It’s okay. The Quran, and our relationship with it, is all about quality and it’s not really about quantity.
Take Time to Memorize
New Muslims feel the pressure to want to pray exactly the same way that all the other Muslims pray in Arabic…
That’s quite a long journey. You should take your time and memorize the chapters; even if it takes you months to do it, it’s fine. It’s okay for you to take a little bit at a time as far as memorization is concerned.
And the question might even arise, “Why do I have to pray in Arabic? Can I just pray in English or Spanish or any other language?
Well, you certainly can, but we believe that the Quran is the literal word of Allah; that it’s literally doesn’t matter what ethnicity or background you come from…
I myself am not Arab and actually the majority of people in the world aren’t Arab, but we consider the language of the Quran sacred because it’s directly from Allah and that’s part of its purity and so we give it importance.
So, even if it takes you time do try to memorize some of the short chapters towards the end, and Inshallah you’ll figure out a way to understand them better.
Study the Quran
Finally, in the short message what I want to share with you is in studying the Quran or reading even a little bit about the meanings of the Quran or listening to the explanation of the Quran in translation… just keeping that going a little bit at a time also and continuously is very important.
Not just for new Muslims but actually for every Muslim because it’s our spiritual life. You’re going to be praying with it, and you’re going to be reading it in eventually bit in a pretty short time, if Allah wills, even in the Arabic language.
But until that happens and even after that happens, you should be continuously trying to understand it in the English language. Just a little bit at a time, it will give you a spiritual boost, and even open up your mind to things, and expand the wisdom of Allah on to you in ways that you didn’t expect.
So, I pray that you’re able to do that and sustain a healthy relationship and a continuously growing relationship with the Quran and your life.
Congratulations on your Islam!
(From Discovering Islam archive)