Post Ramadhan Reflections

(www.ajib.fr)

Assalamu aleikum,

Ramadhan came too quickly and went by in that same fashion. I was excited about Ramadhan like no other years masha’Allah. While my coworkers worried for me and the baby I was like, I’m on cloud nine people. I’m truly ok and happy. Don’t worry about me. I had a good spirit before it started and during the month alhamdullilah. This could be because I have a full family of my own now. It could be the result of Allah’s blessings. Either way, I felt blessed and glowing with love and renewed spirituality.

This time around, even though I’m a good planner at everything I do in life. I decided not to aim too high this past Ramadhan because nothing is guaranteed no matter how much we want to forecast things. If I learned one thing from motherhood is that keeping up full designed plans is a DAUNTING task! You’ll find yourself accomplishing things when you least expect it. Things just shape up as you go with the power of dua of course.

So it wasn’t until the second day or third day or so of Ramadhan that an idea hit me; reading the whole Quran in that holy and blessed month. For the longest time, I had mixed feelings about reading our book in French or English. I always thought that if you want to get the full benefit, just go Arabic. I would twist my face in disapproval every time someone would even think about reading in any other language besides Arabic. But then I realized that my opinion was half cooked. Half cooked because we all quote verses of the Quran day and night and when it comes to reading the whole thing in that same language, we frown. Then, it just didn’t make sense to me why it would be acceptable to quote it in one language and not read it wholly in that same language.

Anyways, I promised myself that I would give it a shot. So I looked up the different juz (parts) of the Quran, printed it and went for it. As a kid, we would listen to the whole recitation in our home. The tape recorder would play the verse in Arabic first then quote the transliteration (especially during the holy month). We even memorized some parts because we played the whole Quran so much. Remember there is no exact translation of the word of Allah. Only Arabic is true in this sense. The rest is a bunch of interpretations that seek to come close to the true meaning.

Every day during this past Ramadhan, I would diligently read a part in French, English, or Arabic, and take notes. When I came to surahs I knew by heart, I would read those in both Arabic and transliterated formats. I did good for the first half of the month until July 4th weekend came and we went out of town as a family. Then it was challenge to keep up with the daily parts. As soon as we came back, I buckled down and got back on track, alhamdullilah. And on day 29, I was proud to say that I read all 30 juz of the Quran masha’Allah. I figured I read so many books and it wasn’t fair I hadn’t read the Quran for myself yet. Ridiculous right? Now, that’s over, I can resume to read it in Arabic with no pressure. I started reading it slowly in Arabic after the month has ended and I’m still on Surah 2. My guess is that I’ll be there for a while as I try to read a page a day. Because it was easy during Ramadhan to be diligent with the reading, I hope and pray I can live up to my goals post Ramadhan.

Now, I have proof of stories that were told to me by my mom and husband. I’m an avid listener of stories if you didn’t know ;). I have been since I was a child and my grandma can testify as she is a great storyteller. Anyways, my mom and hubby didn’t even know some of the stories they all told me were in the Quran until I told them and gave them the references excitedly (But they have an advantage, they can read Arabic without any difficulty).

So, don’t let other people do your thinking for you when it comes to religion. Ikra! Find the knowledge and even if you have to read the Quran in another format once in your life, do it! I’m newly enlighten. Now, be careful of your naf whispering blaspheming thoughts in your ears as you read. It’s inevitable. It’s probably the reason, reading the Quran in other formats than Arabic is very discouraged because there is a chance you can turn and become kufar. Allah can gloat, be arrogant. He says it in the Quran and He can because we’re all his servants. He can do anything he desires. Our job is to be humble and submitted. It’s not our place to be full of kabir. Enough ‘talking’ now.

Above all, my Ramadhan was great alhamdullilah. How was yours? A failed one is perfectly ok. It means you tried.

Jazak’Allah khair for reading,

Papatia Feauxzar