Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim (In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful)
Part 1: Developing a relationship with the Qur’an
The prophet (peace be upon him) has left us with the greatest blessing of all time- the words of God (may He be exalted). The purpose of our five sessions will be to develop a relationship with the Quran by studying the verses that discuss the women in the Quran and reflecting on these verses. Allah (swt) says, "[This is] a blessed Book (the Quran) which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded." [Quran 38:29]. Some of us have spent this past Ramadan in reading and reflecting the Qur’an. Are we investing the same amount of time and putting in the same amount of effort as we did during Ramadan in developing this relationship with the Qur’an? It is important that we continue to put in the effort to maintain this relationship with the Qur'an beyond Ramadan (all 365 days of the year).
Some tips:
- Set a daily allocated time to read the Quran and study the meanings of the verses you read. Perhaps, set 10 minutes in day to read it- this can be before/after fajr, during your commute to school, or before you sleep. The point is to be consistent in reading it.
- Make it a habit: make reading and studying the Qur’an a part of your routine. It should be like brushing your teeth in the morning. Make it a habit that you continuously and consistently do and you feel unhappy and incomplete if you have not done it.
- But I don’t know how to read the Qur'an or I don’t understand it. Join a Qur'an class or attend a learning circle related to the Qur’an.
Friend analogy:
When you are trying to befriend someone and get to know him/her, what are some of the things you try to find out about him/her? Some of the things you may want to know about the person are where he/she was born, what are his/her characteristics, and what are his/her different names (first name, middle name, last name, maybe nicknames). Furthermore, if you want to keep a relationship with that individual, you invest time and put in the effort.
Similarly, if you want to develop and maintain a relationship with the Qur'an, you must first get to know the Qur'an.
Know the names of the Qur’an: Often times, names can reveal a characteristic of a person (but not necessarily). The Qur’an, however, has about 14 names and all of these names reveal a certain aspect and characteristic of the Qur’an. For example, one of its name is Al-Furqan, the criterion for right and wrong. As the name states, the Qur’an helps us to judge between right and wrong and guides us to make the right decisions.
Know its context: As we go through the verses, it is important to understand when and where these verses were revealed. In order to better understand the Qur’an, it is important to get to know who received the Qur’an [Prophet (pbuh)] and who sent the verses [Allah (swt)].
We must also realize that all the stories in the Qur’an are not just meant to be told as bedtime stories. These stories are there to be studied- to learn from them and apply all the wisdom we gain from them in our lives.
Part 2: Hajar (a.s)
Hajar (a.s) was the second wife of Ibrahim (a.s) and the mother of Prophet Ishmael (a.s). When Ishmael was still nursing, God chose to test the faith of his beloved Abraham and told him to take Hagar and Ishmael to a barren valley of Bakka, later to be called Mecca. Therefore, Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) travels with Hagar (a.s) and baby Ishmael (a.s) to the valley of Bakka and leaves them there with a skin of water and leather bag full of dates, as instructed by God. As Ibrahim begins walking away leaving them behind, Hagar gets anxious and confused about what is happening. Hagar calls after him, asking him, “O Abraham, where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we can enjoy, nor is there anything here?” Abraham hurries his pace. Finally, Hagar asks, “why are you leaving us? Did Allah (swt) ask you to do this?” Suddenly, Abraham stops, turns back and replies with an affirmative (“yes”). To this she says, “I am satisfied to be with God!”
Reflection: She is content with the decision and has full conviction that Allah (swt) will take care of them.
Hajar remains in the place while Ibrahim proceeds to leave them. When Ibrahim reaches a narrow pass in the mountain, he stops there and makes dua:
“Our Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in a valley barren from any cultivation, by you Sacred House, our Lord, so they may establish the prayer. So make the hearts of people yearn towards them, and provide them with all types of fruits that they may be grateful.” (Quran 14:37)
After a while, the water and dates finish and Hagar starts to worry. She begins to search for water as her baby is crying out of hunger and thirst. She leaves Ishmael under a tree and begins to climb a rocky incline of a nearby hill. In an attempt to find signs of water or help, she runs between the two hills of Safa and Marwa (one of the rituals of Hajj).
Reflection: when we have tests, we can’t just wait for something to happen, we have to be proactive. Just like how Hagar goes out and tries to find water and help to improve her conditions.
After running back and forth seven times, she becomes really tired and fatigued. Suddenly, she looks down in the valley and sees an angel (Gabriel) standing next to her son, Ishmael. The angel digs into the ground with his heel next to the baby, and water comes gushing out. It was a miracle! Hagar tries to make a basin around it to keep it from flowing out, and fills her skin. “Do not be afraid of being neglected,” the angel says, “for this is the House of God which will be built by this boy and his father, and God never neglects his people.” This well, called Zamzam, is flowing to this day in the city of Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula.
Reflection: When we are afflicted with calamities and difficulties, we should not give up and get overwhelmed. Realize that Allah (swt) will never give you something more than you can handle. These tests are meant to make us closer to Allah (swt). We have to have full conviction in Allah (swt) and also understand that there is wisdom behind everything he does- just because it is not apparent, does not mean that it is not there.
Hajj:
- Islamic unity is one of the outstanding features of hajj. This unity is based on Islam by holding firm to the rope of Allah.
- All men wear the same white piece of cloth; it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor- no distinction
- Everyone performs the same rituals
- Muslims from around the world- of all races, ethnicity, age- gather to perform Hajj- all differences aside. In front of God, everyone is equal and only distinguished based on their character and faith (iman).
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