Looking Back

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Someone brought to my attention to an old posting Completing The Qur'an and I thought I share with you here. It's been more than 18 months since it was posted and many things have changed in our lives since then (and we are that much closer to our graves) but have we improved in our relationship with Allah?

If someone were to keep up with reading and learning the meanings, even a page a day, it would have definitely improved his connection with Allah, inshaAllah, and he should by now about to complete reciting the entire Qur'an, the Book of Guidance. And if he read a juz (about 20 pages) or half a juz (about 10 pages) a day, he would have completed the whole Qur'an many times over, and would have reaped tremendous blessings, by His mercy and generosity.

If you have neglected to read the Qur'an everyday, it is never too late to start. Think about this. How long really does it take to read a page or two of a book. Many people can finish reading a novel in a day and some children complete reading a Harry Potter book, which some are thicker than the Qu'ran, within a few days.

One of the best ways to motivate yourself and keep on top of this is to gather your family members (and friends) and assign a number of pages for each person to read on a daily basis and do a khatma after everyone has finished their portion--it can be weekly or bi-weekly, monthly or bi-monthly depending on how many committed people you have. And each person will continue reading the next pages for the next khatma. In that way each person would complete reciting the entire Qur'an after a few rounds of khatma. If Allah has blessed you with a few children and they can read, you already have your own group. If you are married, you and your spouse can start this. It is a great means to keep your loved ones together and a good preparation for Ramadhan.

We cannot bring back the moment that has gone by. Remember, "Verily, Man is in loss, except those who believe, and do righteous deeds, and counsel each other to the truth, and counsel each other to be steadfast. (Qur'an al-Asr) So make sure we are acutely aware of what we do from this moment onward and not waste time but rush to do good.

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), who said:

Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, filling that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When the people in the gathering depart, the angels ascend and rise up to heaven. He, Allah bless him and give him peace said: Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - though He is most knowing about them: From where have you come? And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (SubhanAllah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favors] of You. He says: And what do they ask of Me? They say: They ask of You Your Paradise. He says: And have they seen My Paradise? They say: No, O Lord. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise! They say: And they ask protection of You. He says: From what do they ask protection of Me? They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord. He says: And have they seen My Hell-fire? They say: NO. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire! They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. He (the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace) said: Then He says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection. He (the Prophet, Allah bless him and gran him peace) said: They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them. He (the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: And He says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).

May Allah give you tawfiq. Ameen. Please remember us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam