He said that Arabic is too hard

Several years ago, I was just starting to learn Arabic. And while taking a class at the mosque to learn the Arabic script, I went to a bookstore and found a few books on learning Arabic. I was a big fan of bookstores in those days, and would spend hours in there reading parts of different books that I couldn't afford to buy. But on the day that I happened to pick up these books on Arabic, an Arab man found me and asked me about studying Arabic. Then he went on to tell me how difficult the Arabic language is and how nobody can learn it unless they learn it from birth.

But I believe he was wrong.

I had a lot of opportunities for learning the Qur'anic Arabic in my first few years as a Muslim--not something that everyone can boast--and alhamdulillah now I can understand the vast majority of the Qur'an when I read or hear it, and hope to gain 100% comprehension within the next year. I'm certainly not going to be composing any Arabic poetry, or writing books in the language, but I'm pretty close to completing my goal of being able to understand the entire Qur'an in Arabic, without requiring a translation.

And I think that many Muslims have that same goal--to be able to read the Qur'an in Arabic and understand it. And honestly, it's a reasonable and realistic goal. Allah made it easy for us. Even though we might hear teachers say that the Qur'an is the most eloquent of Arabic language, and hear random Arabs say that Arabic is the most difficult language ever, we shouldn't buy into a myth of an unreachable Qur'an. No, we might not all be scholars of Arabic language, producing awe-inspiring poetry or even conversing in the language fluently. All we need is to be able to understand the Qur'an--not every last detail, not writing a tafseer, but to comprehend the text even at a basic level. And that is an amazing gift.

Don't be turned off by the naysayers, skeptics who think that Arabic is too hard. If your goal is the Qur'an, then inshaaAllaah you'll find it well within reach.

Memorizing Translation

I once knew a boy who has made to memorize some surahs from the Qur'an from listening to Yusuf Ali's translation on audio tape. And he was made to recite what he had memorized in a tajweed class (of all places, right?) to an imam who was shocked and tried to explain to the boy's parent why this was not a good idea.

Presumably, the intention was that the boy would learn the text in meaning this way, rather than "just" a text which he wouldn't be able to fully understand. But a translation is not equivalent to the Qur'an. Having spent the last few weeks reading the Qur'an in Arabic and trying to discern the meaning from it without relying on an English translation has taught me to appreciate the difference, and what is lost through translation.

But think of a community that doesn't have the ability to understand to Arabic. Without it, they might lose even the appreciation of the Arabic and place more value on the translation, even to the point that they would memorize it as though it were the words of Allah.

We're supposed to have a relationship with the Qur'an but how can we if we can't even understand it? We shouldn't let children grow up without at least a basic understanding of Arabic. Because without Arabic, as a community we lose the Qur'an.

No More Answer Keys

Because I studied engineering in college, I developed a certain kind of study habits which served me well in technical courses. For the most part, my "studying" was built on acquiring a skill--the skill to solve the problems on which I would be tested. It meant becoming familiar with a procedure--how to find an answer to a problem with a particular set of given information. However, the tools necessary to answer the problem would usually be available--that is, the equations and constants--and I just needed to know how to use them.

So most of my study time was spent practicing rather than actually memorizing anything. If I would use something often enough, I might memorize it naturally but I didn't spend much effort towards memorizing.

And it was common to find, in my engineering (and math and science) textbooks, that the answers would be available in the back of the book. Because the point of the problem was never to find an answer, but rather to learn how to solve it. So having the answer available was really important--even if it was just a number. Because it could indicate whether or not I was solving the problem correctly. It never mattered what the answer actually was, but whether or not I could solve the problem. Instructors often let us bring in our own formula sheets--a page or more of formulas, diagrams, constants, whatever we thought we might need--for an exam, knowing that no amount of data we could fit on a sheet of paper would serve us any good if we hadn't learned how to use it.

So I have developed this approach to studying that I've found is not actually serving me very well right now. Learning a new language, quite obviously, requires a lot of memorization. And it seems that theory (never stated, just my observation) is that with memorization, the skills will come.

Suppose you want to write a sentence in a language you're studying. You'll need to know the meanings of the words to use--the equivalent vocabulary in both languages. You'll need to understand something about grammar, how to actually construct the sentences and use the words. And you might need to know something about conjugation and morphology in order to use the words correctly in the proper places.

So the way I have been accustomed to studying would familiarize me with grammar, and how to construct the sentence, and the conjugation and morphology would get me the right word forms. When I was working on writing, answer keys would have been really helpful, to make sure that I was getting the sentences right. Being able to check the solution while still solving a problem is incredibly useful--you can note the mistake right away, rather than continuing to make the mistakes for days or weeks before seeing the answer or taking an exam to find out that you were wrong. Never underestimate the power of immediate feedback.

Now this much aside, where I struggle is with knowing the words to use in the first place! And in this, an answer key won't help so much as a dictionary. How long does it take to grow a dictionary in your brain? I have a habit of just looking things up that I don't know, rather than memorizing them to use later. I'm used to being able to look them up. But that's not going to gain me fluency in a new language.

So right now I'm trying to train myself to squeeze all these words into my brain with flashcards and repetition, and I'm finding it very hard to retain it all. Now, I'm told that there is a solution to this problem--to speak (or even write) in the language as frequently as possible. I believe it's true, because I know that every time a word is recalled in the mind, it is reinforced, more likely to "stick," if you will, and recalling the word in different ways (through listening, reading, writing, and speaking) will reinforce stronger than using it in just one of these ways.

On the other hand, I don't actually know enough vocabulary in the first place to be able to use it regularly. I can't actually express my thoughts in the language--though I know a few words, there are so many more which I don't know, but need in order to express my thoughts. When reading or listening, I hear far more words that I don't know than ones which I do. (This goes for regular speech, not for Qur'an, where the situation is reversed.) Which means I'm constantly having to look things up, and missing the meaning altogether--extremely frustrating.

And I'm hoping that the more I learn, I'll get out of this really uncomfortable phase of being almost able to use the language to using it in earnest. Any tips to move on, and get over this hump?

A Funny Thing Happened When I Learned to Type in Arabic

When I started studying Arabic, I made a point early on of typing in Arabic. Then, most of the lessons were in English, but frequently used some Arabic vocabulary. And so at first I only learned to type those words in Arabic, and it was slow going, having to shift back and forth between keyboards, frequently having to check the keyboard location of some letters. But I was persistent.

I labeled the keys on my keyboard with a permanent marker (black keys, silver marker) and kept a "key" of their locations on my screen whenever I would be typing in Arabic--basically a list showing which English character corresponded with an Arabic character, laid out like a keyboard. I used it for a couple weeks before not really needing it beyond the addition of harakaat, and now I don't need it at all.

And the characters I drew on my keyboard have long since rubbed off. Because I started early, I was already typing away in Arabic while many of my peers were just ordering stickers to put on their keyboards to help.

But the more frequently I would type in Arabic, the more I began to notice a peculiar problem. On the occasions when I would like to type an Arabic word in flowing English and with Roman characters, I would find myself automatically striking the keys corresponding to the Arabic spelling. For instance, in trying to type out the word استعانة by spelling it as "isti'aanah" I would actually reflexively type "hsjuhkm" and keep going. In fact, it takes me at least two or three times longer to type the transliterated word than to type it in Arabic, because I have to stop and sometimes even (gasp!) look at the keyboard to check the English letters! And without surprise, I have a similar problem transliterating into Arabic, (eg, New York becomes نيو يورك,) albeit the difference is less pronounced since my Arabic typing is still slower than my English typing.

So I can type in English fine and in Arabic well but when I try to mix the two my brain has a really hard time coping with the transformation, and transliterating becomes a real difficulty, trying to make what are letters in one language correspond to sounds in another. It gets easier if I am able to see or look at a word already transliterated--then I can easily find the correct characters to represent it. But the first time writing it, I frequently end up with a weird jumble of letters that don't make sense either way, and have to slow down and think it through before I can type it.  Has anyone else had a similar problem?

A Tentative Return

It's been almost six months since my last posting and I think it might now be time to start blogging again. But before I begin, I would like to cover some of the reasons which have kept me away.

On the day of Eid al-Fitr, just after last year's Ramadan, my husband and I again loaded up my little red car and set out for another exciting road trip. Our first road trip, if you remember, was our honeymoon, when we took over two weeks to drive across the United States, passing through 15 different states and five national parks before arriving at our new home in Seattle, WA. But this time we went south, through seven states in six days (visiting three national parts along the way) to arrive in Dallas, Texas, where I would begin 10 months with one particular goal in mind--learning Arabic.

Unfortunately, my husband wasn't able to stay with me the whole time so I've been on my own a lot. And one reason I didn't want to blog the experience is so that I wouldn't be come a sole blogging authority on the program I'm in--which, if you didn't know, is called Bayyinah Dream.

I think when anyone becomes so invested in such a program, it's hard not to form opinions about the good and the bad. But I'm afraid it might disrespectful to my teachers if I took to the internet to complain, because they work very hard every day (honestly, I don't know when they find time to sleep) to make the program a success. If anyone has specific questions about it, I would like to invite your questions by email.

The other main reason I haven't been blogging is that I'm actually quite busy. (And when I'm not, I probably should be.) Since the program does make up such a large part of my life right now, I'm going to be somewhat limited on subject matter and time for writing, so I'm going to try to post at least once a week, which will be my current goal for now. It might be a good idea to subscribe to my RSS feed if you haven't already, so you don't have to check in regularly to see if there's anything new.

I'm hoping to write about studying Arabic generally, life away from my husband, and general issues that come up. I have written a couple of articles for/about converts/revert which have been published at a new website, onislam.net. I will try to repost my articles here as well inshaaAllah.

Thanks for sticking with me so far; I'm looking forward to writing again.

Planning Practice

After spending months of idling in Washington, my life is picking up speed. My days are filled with more tasks, requirements, more things I need to accomplish. And so it seems like time is becoming short.

In the past several months I've been able to enjoy being a newlywed, focus on my health, and become lightly involved with the local Muslim community. In the past several weeks I've been able to visit my family in North Carolina, and have my husband's family (who are also my family, I love them so dearly) visit me as well. In fact, they just left today.

Up until now I've been living very much "in the moment" without planning too far ahead. And it's time for this habit to change, abruptly. In little over a month, I'll be leaving Washington for Texas to spend 10 months studying Arabic. And I need to maintain some of the good habits (health-wise) I've developed here in Washington.

I will have to transition from a free and spontaneous lifestyle to one with a strictly regimented schedule. And yet find time to prepare home-cooked healthy meals like I'm used to, and also exercise on a daily basis. During this transition, I have to prepare for a cross-country move and a week-long vacation with my husband, and maintain a schedule of teaching at halaqas in addition to preparing a few iftars at my home, all while fasting.

So my new lifestyle (the one in Texas) will require careful planning on a daily basis to fit in classes, studying, exercise, and meal-planning. My intermediate lifestyle requires careful planning to accomplish all my tasks in a relatively short period of time with the disadvantage of being fasting during the day and occupied at night inshaaAllaah with prayers.

So for the next month (or so) I am going to practice and perfect the art of planning and scheduling until it is easy for me. May Allah make it easy and put barakah in my time.

Ramadan Webinars

I realized today that I've been "invited" to more webinars for Ramadan than it's going to be possible for me to attend. But in case any of these spark the interest of my readers, I'll just post a list of Ramadan webinars if anyone is looking for some motivation or preparation for the upcoming month of fasting and worship.

If I get any more I'll try to update this list. I have listened to the first one, which is on replay, from Quran for Busy People, and really appreciated it. As for the rest, I can't really say. There's a second upcoming webinar from Quran For Busy People that I might tune in for, or listen if it's on replay inshaaAllaah.

Enjoy!

On Replay:

The Quickest, Easiest, Most Productive Way to Understand the Entire Quran In Arabic... For FREE!

Available at: http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=13815993

Monday, August 2nd, 7pm EST

Advice to Make This Ramadan the Best Ever

Register at: www.roctraining.com

Tuesday, August 3rd, 7pm EST

Spiritual Management

Register at: www.mumlovesme.com/webinars

Thursday, August 5th, 5pm EST

The Strongest Link

Register at: http://www.habibihalaqas.org/2009/02/fill-out-this-form-to-join.html

Saturday, August 7th, 2pm EST

Healthy Hearts, Healthy Communities: the life and teachings of Imam al-Ghazali in the modern world

Register at: http://www.mishkatmedia.com/travellinglight/

Sunday, August 8th, 7pm GMT

How To Use This Ramadan To Jump-Start Your Personal Journey Through The Quran

Register at: www.quranforbusypeople.com/jtq.html

Sunday, August 8th, 7:10pm EDT

The Fasting and the Furious: how to drive your motivation throughout Ramadan

Register at: http://www.almaghrib.org/ilminar/

Learning or Teaching Arabic?

Alif, Baa, Taa, Saa, no, Thaa...

Learning Arabic to understand the Qur'an didn't seem like that big of a deal to me until I attended the 10-day Bayyinah grammar course (Fundamentals of Arabic, I think) a few years ago back in North Carolina. And afterwards I didn't really see how anyone could think otherwise about learning Arabic.

Consequently, it surprised me when I found new Muslims who wanted to learn conversational Arabic--local dialects to speak with their Arab friends--instead of focusing on just the Qur'an. But why should they, if they don't even know what kind of a treasure trove the Qur'an is for students of classical Arabic?

So when I started a class for new Muslims myself, a lot of the early feedback was that they wanted to learn Arabic. Nothing fancy at first, but they needed somewhere to start--how to read the language at least. And while teaching Arabic, my focus was learning the alphabet with the sole purpose of learning to read the Qur'an.

Over the past few weeks my attempts to teach have been plagued with various hurdles, including inconsistent attendance and lack of any practice or study between meetings. I'm thinking that the first problem should be fixed by having a class devoted to Arabic for a shorter duration (in terms of weeks of meetings) but with greater frequency, instead of having it appended to a class teaching Islamic studies. Students should know that they have to go a little bit "beyond" to learn Arabic--they need to study it, I can't give it to them.

The second problem could possibly be fixed by having weekly assignments, somewhat like back in second grade. Draw the letter, match it with the name, match it with the connected form of the letter, for instance. That might encourage students to pull out their notes between class times and review--the only way they'll learn it.

Since my in-laws are staying at my home right now (alhamdulillah, it's such a blessing) I've had the opportunity to work on Arabic with my nephew, who is about 5 years old. He's using a standard book that just teaches kid to look at each letter, say it, identify any markings on it (like a madd, fatha--zabur in Urdu, tanween) and then sound it out accordingly. And he's doing a pretty good job of reading and identifying. All he struggles with is proper pronunciation of some of the sounds, especially since many of the letters appear in the Urdu alphabet he's more familiar with but have a different sound in Arabic than in Urdu.

The new Muslim students I've been teaching Arabic are at a completely different place, but I wonder if it wouldn't be best to teach them the same way? Just looking at blocks and reading: alif-fatha "a," alif-kasra "e," alif-dammah "u," and so on. I really worry that I'm just confusing them more than helping them. I've expected that they will review during the week but when we meet again some students are missing, the rest haven't practice, and I feel like I'm back at the beginning. And the next week, it's a different batch of students and I have to repeat, without moving forward (or else leaving almost everyone behind.)

So it's become abundantly clear to me that I'm not qualified to teach Arabic, at least not yet anyway. I can help my nephew review but really I'm not teaching him very much, just reading with him and making him practice. I was teaching a student privately for a few weeks, and by meeting more frequently with her she was able to progress rather quickly as compared to the class. But the only reason she was able to at first was because she practiced everything we went over together during the days we didn't meet.

Any students of Arabic who are just getting started should keep that in mind--they'll only get out of it what they put in, and putting in an hour of class time once a week isn't nearly enough. But practicing and reviewing regularly, that will make the lessons stick so the student can progress to reading and eventually understanding inshaaAllaah.

Anyone have any tips for me for teaching Arabic to adults? The class is pretty much over, but suggestions are welcome.

Finishing the Qur'an

A few weeks ago I met a sister who was planning to finish memorizing the Qur'an by the end of this year. I was at a halaqah where I was supposed to be "teaching," though I didn't feel like I had much to teach while she was there. She was about the same age as me, and didn't really know anyone else at the halaqah, and I don't know anyone there knew what kind of person was sitting among them.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for sisters who have memorized the Qur'an, and the magnitude of the endeavor. Over the past few years I have tried to memorize the Qur'an, little by little. I was embarrassed to spend time around my peers knowing only a handful of surahs from the end of the Qur'an. I heard Yasir Qadhi say about applicants to IlmSummit that the amount of Qur'an memorized was a factor in admission, and being a hafidh was ideal. After learning to read Arabic and studying tajweed, memorization became a bit easier, but I still wasn't really headed towards becoming a hafidhah or anything, and didn't even have one whole (or even half) juz in my head. I was just trying to learn about as much Qur'an as kids learn in Sunday school. And that's not exactly the same level as "serious" students of knowledge, even though I considered myself as serious as the rest. I've just gotten a late start and have to make up a few (like 20) years.

I still know about that much Qur'an, but for now my focus has changed. On applying to Bayyinah, while taking a reading/tajweed test, the sister I was speaking to suggested that I start reading the Qur'an in Arabic more frequently. She suggested I start with about half a page a day, and work up to two pages a day and just read every day.

So I started doing that, making gradual progress and trying to read a page or two daily. But on my recent trip back to North Carolina to visit my family, with plenty of time spent on planes and in airports, my reading of the Qur'an improved tremendously, just by reading it much more, and more often. When I left, I was still reading Surat al-Baqarah, and now alhamdulillah I'm reading Surat al-Ma'idah. Perspective? I had been reading Surat al-Baqarah since April.

And then I got this crazy idea that I would try to keep reading more, and try to have completed it by the end of Ramadan. I'm still not reading very quickly, and unfortunately I don't understand much, but I can tell that my reading has improved--speed and accuracy. Now that we're into the month of Sha'ban, I don't have much time to get there, but I think I'm going to at least try.

So for now I've stopped memorizing to focus on reading. And as I said, it is making a difference.

When I first came to Seattle, I talked to some other convert sisters about this particular struggle, reading Qur'an with enough proficiency to be able to read on a regular basis. For instance, there is a hadith about reading Surat al-Kahf on Fridays--but imagine if it took you from the time of jumu'ah until maghrib to finish it? That is, if you could commit yourself to sit there and struggle through the pages for that long.

And at the time, it bothered me that even though I was memorizing short chapters I still couldn't sit down and read something like Surat al-Kahf on Fridays, or Surah Ya-Seen in the morning, or Surat al-Mulk after 'isha. And I don't think I'm there yet still, but I am getting closer. Although, for now all my reading time is pretty much devoted to getting through the Qur'an the first time.

Even though now I'm reading it with understanding, I can't help but appreciate that I'm forming a habit that will continue through my study of Arabic. And once I have learned enough Arabic to understand it inshaaAllaah, I hope that the meaning will unfold as I continue to read it, over and over and over.

I have heard that the Companions used to finish reading the Qur'an in a week--though now we might finish it only once in a year at Ramadan, or less than that. And although I've read a translation completely, I don't think it's quite the same as reading the Arabic. So here I am publicizing my goal--to finish reading the Qur'an for the first (but hopefully not last) time. And then, to maintain a habit of reading the Qur'an daily, and eventually to memorize it in entirety.

Day Dreaming

Around the country, the instructors from Bayyinah have been helping Muslims to appreciate the Qur'an and Islam through understanding of the Arabic language. After offering traveling courses, weekend seminars, and summer programs across the US, now they are taking one more step--a full-blown full-time 10-month Arabic program. How many Muslims across the country have dreamed to be able to study Arabic at that intensity, at that level, without going overseas?

By the grace of Allah, I was admitted into this program, aptly called Dream. So I will be traveling after Ramadan from Seattle, Washington to Dallas, Texas for ten months. I've been in Washington only 7 months but have come to love it. I have made friends and gotten involved with the community, even starting a project that will probably stop for as long as I am away. And by the time I move back, inshaaAllaah, I will have spent longer in Texas than in Washington, and more time away from my husband than with him.

Unfortunately, he won't be coming with me--and that is the greatest drawback of all. But at the same time he's been incredibly supportive, even urging me to apply in the first place, when I didn't think I was likely to get in. Before we got married, we both stressed how learning Arabic was important for us, and especially for teaching our children (inshaaAllaah!) because of the impact it has on our ability to understand Qur'an.

For me the Dream program is the answer to a du'a I've been making for years--since the first time I took an Arabic grammar class with Br. Nouman. And my prayer is to understand Arabic so I can understand the Qur'an. Alhamdulillah, He has made it easy for me so far, and I pray that He continues to make it so.

Learning to Read

It can be intimidating for a new Muslim to be told that the Qur'an has to be read in Arabic when he or she can't make heads or tails of the Arabic script in the first place. So learning not just letters but pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary seems a daunting task.

But if I may say so, it is one of the more rewarding endeavors in which a person can dedicate his time. And in actuality, it's not as difficult as it might seem at the start. In fact, throughout the Qur'an, Allah describes Arabic and the Qur'an as easy.

So, [O Muhammad], We have only made Qur'an easy in the Arabic language that you may give good tidings thereby to the righteous and warn thereby a hostile people. 19:97

Verily, We have made this (Qur'an) easy, in thy tongue, in order that they may give heed. 44:58

54:17, 22, 32, 40 And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? 54:17, 22, 32, and 40

So before we start complaining about it being hard, we should remember that Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, is making it easy for us. Making it easy to learn to read Arabic, to speak it, and to understand it in the Qur'an.

Now, for some people the motivation for learning Arabic is more to learn spoken Arabic--perhaps to communicate with Arab Muslims, maybe new family members. In that case, I can't promise it will be as easy, but the person whose intention is solely for the sake of Allah, to learn the Qur'an, I know will have the help of Allah.

I think it's sad that to see Muslim who have had years of opportunities to learn and still haven't made any progress regarding the Arabic language. Do they know the blessings they are missing out on, that they can't even read the Qur'an in the original Arabic?

Moreover, I know many converts struggle in trying to memorize the Qur'an, and we know from a hadith that Allah will reward their struggle. But for years to go by having memorized only one or two surahs? Is it necessary to spend hours listening to audio over and over and over to try to pick up the sounds? For anyone who wants to start memorizing more Qur'an, I would say they should focus their energy on learning to read Arabic. I can say from my own experience that memorizing became much faster, easier, and fulfilling, once I could read the Arabic. Sounds became words, words became phrases and phrases took on meaning. Being able to read the Qur'an in Arabic while trying to memorize can only facilitate memorization.

So I have come to the opinion that one essential component of any program for helping new Muslims must be helping them to learn the Arabic language--not for speaking, not for conversation, but to start reading the Qur'an. And the minimum responsibility should be to teach them the letters--recognition and pronunciation--and proper recitation of the Qur'an.

A class for new Muslims to teach Arabic, starting with letters, should actively involve the students--reading writing words as soon as they know the relevant letters. Seeing letters on a board or in a book is not enough to learn them. Worksheets, tests and quizzes are good motivational tools to keep the students practicing the letters consistently. Consistency is the only way to make it stick--constant use.

For students trying to learn the Arabic alphabet, flashcards are an exceptionally useful tool. Correcting the pronunciation requires a teacher with a good ear and lots of practice. The articulation of some letters is an acquired skill--children can learn easily, but with dedication adults can become equally proficient and should not be deterred because a letter is difficult or not present in their native language.

But a person cannot stop their Arabic after learning the letters--they must progress immediately to learning tajweed. This is to correct and improve their articulation, and to help them begin in reciting Qur'an. When able to actually read and recite the Qur'an, even if only for barakah (without understanding), a person is at least establishing a connection with the Qur'an, and is consistently practicing the Arabic already learnt. This "practice" keeps the knowledge (of the alphabet, articulation, tajweed, etc.) in the front of a person's mind, building a skill that will undoubtedly brighten his or her heart and mind. It is a skill that opens up the Qur'an, and opens the heart to the Qur'an.

So I would suggest for new Muslims who haven't started learning any Arabic yet, to make it a priority. And for anyone involved in educational programs for new Muslims to incorporate some Arabic into those programs to help our communities build and strengthen their relationship with the Qur'an.

Meaningful Prayer

For the students of Qabeelat Nurayn, the recent Al-Maghrib seminar on Fiqh of Salah (Divine Link) followed another Bayyinah seminar called Meaningful Prayer, Vocabulary of Salah. So before learning all the fiqh (legal rulings) pertaining to the performance of the salah, the students had the chance to enrich their salah by improving their understanding of the Arabic phrases used in the prayer.

I was afraid I wouldn't have the opportunity to benefit from this most recent Bayyinah seminar since it wasn't coming to Raleigh, even though I was planning to attend Divine Link in DC. But alhamdulillah, now that I've taken Divine Link, I have the opportunity to take Meaningful Prayer as well, since it was announced about a month ago that the class would come to Raleigh, inshaaAllaah. Alhamdulillah. And the class is scheduled for this weekend.

So now that I know I'm performing my prayer properly, at least from a fiqh perspective, I can explore in depth the meaning of what I'm saying to enhance the sweetness of the act, inshaaAllaah.

Course Trailer. Message to Raleigh students from Instructor, Shaykh Abdul Nasir.

What kind of Arabic?

So I've been trying to learn Arabic for a while now. Specifically, I've been trying to learn Qur'anic Arabic--to understand the Qur'an, obviously. Spoken Arabic has been for me something of a lower priority. Mind, I still try to pronounce Arabic properly--something that learning tajweed really helped with--but I haven't tried to use it for conversation, nor do I have the vocabulary for conversation. I'm getting better at understanding the Qur'an when reading it or listening to it, but listening to speech? I just can't make out most of the words, and if you ask me what I ate for dinner I would probably just look at you with an eyebrow half-raised.

And that's why I'm kind of frustrated that the Qur'anic Arabic class I've been taking for the last few weeks decided to adopt a few minutes for conversation at the beginning of the class.

Many of the students welcome the challenge and opportunity, and while I probably should also, I can't help but get irritated that in order to "prepare" for a dialogue session I would need to spend probably hours studying vocabulary that isn't related to the Qur'an at all, when the point of the class is to learn the Qur'anic language. So it would take away from the time I use to study Qur'anic Arabic.

Am I right to be upset? Should I grin and bear it? Is there any real benefit to 5 minutes of Arabic conversation twice a week to learning Qur'an?

The Smell and Taste of Knowledge

Have you ever caught a whiff of something that smelled really tasty? Maybe walking down the mall past a Cinnabon store, or early in the morning while your mom cooks breakfast? Maybe a coworker's lunch while you're fasting? It can be frustrating at times, to be able to smell something you know you can't taste, especially when it smells so delicious that it makes your mouth start to water.

A few weeks ago I asked a person of some knowledge a question about Arabic grammar--and to be quite honest, I didn't understand his answer. I felt like I could smell it but not taste it. I kind of knew what it would take to try to understand it--I vaguely remembered hearing the terms before, although I couldn't quit reconstruct their meanings in order, in step with his explanation. But I did really want to understand. I felt like it was right there in front of me and I just couldn't grasp it. Like some sweet-smelling food that I just couldn't taste.

I think many Muslims are this way--that their experience with knowledge is only at that level where they are exposed to it. They can smell it, for instance, and get the gist of what it's about, but they don't really comprehend it. They can't taste it, chew it, and digest it--so they aren't able to really benefit from it.

But the more knowledge a person acquires, the more he is able to grasp. I've heard an example, about a book describing chess strategies were given to two groups of people, one being expert chess players, the others not knowing anything about chess. Now you might think that the second group, which has the most to learn regarding chess, would benefit the most. But really, it's the expert chess players who benefit most because they are able to understand what the book is talking about and apply the strategies described therein. Whereas the novices had no background to help them understand the material in the first place.

So when people take the path to acquire knowledge (and here I mean specifically knowledge about Islam), they start filling in the gaps little by little, and when they are presented with something new they can do more than just smell it. They can taste it. And they can chew it--by chew it, I mean they can think it over, ponder and reflect on what they have just been exposed to. And then they can digest it--and by digest it, I mean that they can take that knowledge and benefit from it, the same way that food nourishes the body. So they aren't just smelling it, they are actually able to benefit from it.

On the other hand, I think the average Muslim who goes to Jumu'ah khutbahs, and goes to conferences and seminars, really only gets to smell the knowledge. He can tell it's there, and he can appreciate it at a somewhat superficial level--and it can either attract him or repel him.

And then there are some people who have a little more knowledge who are able to taste it--and sometimes, you know what? I think they spit it out, and decide they don't want to benefit from it. And sometimes they will take it and reflect on it. They will consider it from all possible angles and perspectives, and try to grasp the fullest possible meaning of it. And then it can nourish them, spiritually, as they are able to completely digest and benefit from it.

So I could smell that knowledge, the answer to that Arabic grammar question. And I really want to taste it, instead! I want to reflect on it, and I want to benefit from it.

Oh my Lord, increase me in knowledge! And oh my Lord, let it benefit me.

Arabic Pronouns

I came across this neat blog today, which was recommended to me by Google Reader. How did he know I'm trying to learn Arabic? Anyway, the blog has a cool image of a hand with the Arabic pronouns on them so you can learn them (if you don't know them.)

I remember when I was taking the Bayyinah 201 (Arabic Grammar) class with Br. Nouman, we had to learn these pronouns. And alhamdulillah, much of what I actually learned in that class I can still remember and grasp when reading Qur'an--including pronouns.

One exercise we did in the class to learn the pronouns was that the brother would recite the Arabic pronoun (for instance, "huwa") and the class would recite the meaning (in this case, "he.") Now mostly the class was Desis and some African-Americans but mostly Desis. I mean, why should Arabs need to take a class in Arabic grammar? So if you can imagine listening to a class full of desis following along after the instructor like this:

Huwa-->He

Huma-->Those 2

Hum-->Them

Heya-->She

Huma-->Those 2

Hunna-->Those women

Anta-->You (m)

Antuma-->You 2

Antum-->Y'all

...

Welcome to North Carolina. :-)

And Continuing with the Qur'an

I always find it kind of strange if someone asks me to lead salaah. And no, I'm not talking about Amina Wadud-styled congregations, but just a group of women (only). And since there are times I spend with women only, I have upon occasion been asked to lead salaah.

Why is it strange, you might be wondering? Well, because I don't know very much Qur'an. At all.

In a previous post, Starting with the Qur'an, I talked briefly about my relationship with the Qur'an. And if you didn't notice, memorization hasn't exactly taken off for me yet. I know only a few surahs from the 30th juz by heart. And I have only just started learning proper tajweed so I can tell you that my recitation certainly leaves plenty to be desired.

But that caused me to wonder why, especially when I'm around other converts (who have been Muslim sometimes much longer than I have), I might be asked to lead the prayer. Maybe some people are shy and don't want to be heard, or for other reasons feel uncomfortable leading it. But what I really wonder is how much Qur'an do other converts know? And how did they learn it?

In fact, I've been too shy to ask anyone (i.e., converts) this question--how much Qur'an they know, and how they learned it. I'm afraid of sounding kind of pompous when I ask (how could that be possible, when I am counting surahs I know, instead of juz?) since I actually think that they don't know very much. And obviously, I'm not talking about converts who go on to become our imams and scholars, but the average sister who probably learns just enough for her prayers.

The only way I can imagine they will learn is how I started learning--by listening to a recording over, and over, and looking at a transliteration of the Arabic. And really this isn't a great way to learn--if a person makes mistakes, there is nobody to correct them, and what happens over time is that the recitation begins to sound more and more anglicized such that the meaning in many places is lost or changed.

What would be great for me, at least, and maybe for others, would be if adults (specifically converts but others as well) could attend the kinds of classes which are presently only available to children--those which teach students in memorization along with proper pronunciation and possibly even while reading, with someone who can correct them. But so far, as great as I think my community is, I have not seen any program at all which aims to help adults to memorize the Qur'an--even to memorize very small chapters for their salaah. I'm not sure if other communities have such a program, or teachers, but I do think that there should be some more priority overall given to learning the Qur'an--for adults, and not just children.

And yes, I know that many adults have learned this already while they were children. Alhamdulillah. But many adults have also forgotten it, and we should also remember to teach those Muslims who have been guided from other paths and did not have the advantage of memorizing Qur'an at an early age.

And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? 54:17

Starting with the Qur'an

It's a common question for people to ask--how I found Islam, or why I converted. And usually I don't have time to answer in 3 parts, so I instead share my short answer, which is basically this: "The Qur'an."

Yeah, I know, it's not even a complete sentence. But all the da'wah given to me (prior to Islam) was not even nearly as effective as the time I spent reading the Qur'an on my own. It was convincing to me that Islam was the truth--cleared any questions of doubt about the authenticity of the Qur'an or of the Bible, and inspired in me a hope and faith that simple reading had never done for me before.

And because I grew up as a Christian, I already believed in God and Messengers and Scriptures--all I had to do was progress from belief in Jesus as the son of God to belief in him as a Messenger (4:171) and to accept the Qur'an (2:2) and believe that Muhammad was a messenger (36:3.) And just reading the Qur'an helped me get there.

So since embracing Islam, I have felt like I had a special relationship with the Qur'an. To start with, I had read the whole thing. Now that doesn't seem like a very big deal to me now, since I know people who read it every week, or every month, or at least ever year--but having read it once was significant to me. However, progressing up that ladder presented a challenge for me from the very beginning. You see, I read not the actual Qur'an but I read an english translation. Not quite the same thing.

And of course, after converting my relationship with the Qur'an had to take on a number of dimensions. To start with, I had to learn (i.e., memorize) at least some for my prayers. And for months, I recited "Qul huwa Allahu Ahad..." twice in every salaat, because after Al-Fatihah, it was the only surah that I knew. And even memorizing that little bit was difficult. Memorizing these surahs for me basically meant listening to them repeated throughout the day (maybe even a hundred times or more) while looking at a transliteration and following along. In the end, it meant trying to reproduce the sounds I heard on a recording.

So by then I had two dimensions--first, I had read a complete translation in English, and secondly, I had learned to reproduce sounds using the aid of transliteration to memorize very small sections of the Qur'an. Using this same method, I was able to learn two more short chapters that year (Al-Falaq and An-Naas.)

For the most part, memorization took place without comprehension. But then I was able to add a third dimension to my relationship with the Qur'an, and that was to learn the meanings of the chapters I was reciting, word by word. Being able to understand the meanings (especially of Al-Fatihah) helped me immensely to concentrate more during the prayer.

Unfortunately, eventually I forgot the specific meanings of some verses and didn't end up memorizing anything new for a while. But I did take a beginner's class in Arabic for sisters at the masjid. Yep, we used that "Alif Baa" book everyone seems to be using, and we did 1-2 letters a week, or so. I say "or so" because sometimes we wouldn't do any letters at all. But we learned how to write the letters and how to recognize them (skills that seemingly go hand-in-hand), and how to construct words, and a little bit about how to pronounce the letters as well--though practice makes perfect on that count.

Having constructed my own flashcards to learn these letters quickly on my own, after getting 3/4 through the class I rushed to the end so I could register for the Bayyinah class that was coming to town. And I am so glad I did that--because even though by the time the class started I was a tremendously slow reader (slower than instructor Nouman Ali Khan suggested would be good enough for this class), I was still able to benefit, innumerably. And since that particular class has not returned to Raleigh, I can't imagine what wealth of knowledge I might have missed entirely had I never enrolled. (Although, I should add that several of my friends almost had to drag me to this class, as due to other commitments I had actually missed the first 3 days--a mistake I don't plan to let happen again, for any such class.)

So at this point I hadn't really learned any more Qur'an but I was able to read--albeit slowly. Taking the class with Br. Nouman helped me to recognize words, types of words, and meanings of words while reading and while listening. It helped me concentrate more during my salaat (especially during Salaat ut-Taraweeh the following Ramadan) and it did actually improve my ability to read. I attempted then to memorize a few more chapters of the Qur'an (from the 30th juz)--and I succeeded. But now instead of following a transliteration, I would actually read the Arabic while listening to a recording.

As helpful as Br. Nouman's class was, because I didn't follow through in the end (i.e., attend all the seminars--a challenge while working two jobs and going to school full-time) I wouldn't say it added a new dimension to my relationship with the Qur'an, although it did increase my love for the Qur'an and multiplied my desire to study it more.

This year, however, I was able to add a new dimension, and that was through taking the Bayyinah 101 Tajweed class with Br. Wisam Sharieff. Allah has made it possible for me to continue the follow-ups so that the class has truly been able to benefit me. Alhamdulillah. Studying tajweed helped me in a few ways--the first of which was correcting my pronunciation of a few letters. I had been practicing these letters for years now but in some cases simply did not understand the distinction between some letters. But in very short time I was able to pronounce them from the correct places, with the proper sounds. The next way the class helped me was by improving my reading. Mostly, just reading more helped--but with a new surah each week (from the 30th juz), time to practice and review it slowly at my own pace, along with the rules of tajweed, by Ramadan I was able to read new sections of the Qur'an without the painstaking construction process which in the past had been such a hindrance to me in reading and reciting and even memorizing the Qur'an. So since taking the class (and especially in Ramadan) I've been able to about double the amount of Qur'an that I had memorized--but with substantially less effort. It became much easier to read, to recite and to memorize. And the more I read, the easier it becomes to recognize words and attach meanings to them. But I really can't describe the feeling of being able to recite, on my own, something from the Qur'an--and that is the next dimension for me, reciting.

So I was able to (1) Read the translation to grasp at meaning, (2) Memorize by hearing without comprehension, (3) Read the Arabic without comprehension, and (4) Recite the Arabic without comprehension.

And now I have two things to work on--comprehension, and memorization--essentially combining all four of those dimensions. In fact, those are the same things I had to work on at the beginning, but now both have become easier. I feel like I have the tools in place, tools that some other people had at their disposal from an early age--and I want to write about that next. But at this point in my life, I feel like my relationship with the Qur'an has taken shape and now it only needs to grow.

Helping New Muslims in Ramadan

Sometimes I get the impression that especially in this blessed month of Ramadan, my brothers and sisters would like to help any new converts to Islam that they know.

And it makes Ramadan a great time to be a new Muslim!

Alhamdulillah, this is my third Ramadan and by far it has been my most isolated one, mostly because I've needed so much time to myself to do the homework I have been assigned this semester. But I wanted to share (for new Muslims and "veteran" Muslims) some ways that my new family (of brothers and sisters in Islam!) has made Ramadan really special for me in the past.

One thing I love about the community here in Raleigh is that the masjid makes an effort to feed singles and travelers every night in Ramadan, ensuring that they have someone to break fast with, and some food to eat. It was nice to know that even if I had nowhere else to go for iftar, I could always go to the masjid. A few years ago it was only a few days out of the week and subhanallah now they do it every day. And because it's at the masjid, this provides a nice opportunity for Muslims to come to the masjid to break fast, pray maghrib, eat a meal, and then pray isha and taraweeh as well--although the best benefit is getting to be around other Muslims at iftar time. My first Ramadan, that brotherhood/sisterhood environment at iftaar time was what made the biggest impression on me, so I hope that we Muslims don't take it for granted. (And if you attend the IAR I think you should definitely consider donating to this cause!)

Aside from iftaars at the masjid, I also benefited from the iftaars held by the MSAs (Muslim Student Associations) at my university (NCSU) and other local universities (UNC-CH.) They are once a week, and again there's a big turn-out of Muslim students to break fast, and usually a short talk or program as well. As a new Muslim (and college student) this was a great opportunity for me to simply meet other Muslims on campus.

Now in addition to these iftaars which were held regularly, I was also invited to people's homes for iftaar--even people who I didn't know that well. So at these I had the benefit of breaking fast with lots of Muslims I didn't even know before, or didn't know well. I would encourage anyone who is planning to host an iftaar at their house to invite any new Muslims you might know. A lot of times a new Muslim doesn't have a large social network to break fast with and this is a great way to make them feel like they are a part of the community.

So, after taking care of the food, how else to help a new Muslim? I am so indebted to my former roommate for helping me establish three really good Ramadan habits--taraweeh, qiyyam, and suhoor. Suhoor is on to the food again so I won't spend much time on that--except to say that it's hard to start a new schedule of getting up really early to eat so encouragement on that point was really helpful to me.

About the taraweeh--I have to admit, the first times I went to pray taraweeh I was bored, and it was very difficult for me to stay. And I mean, to stay for 8 rakaat. I was uncomfortable and exhausted and understood none of what was being recited. I spent most of the time thinking about how hot it was, how much my legs or feet hurt, and wondering when it would be over. When we would make it in to ruku' I could feel my back cracking, and when we went into sajdah I was thankful for the relief it gave my legs. So it was very difficult to go, every night. But even my first Ramadan I went to Taraweeh about a third to a half of the nights in the month, and the people around me continually encouraged me to go. By the end of the month it did start feeling better (spiritually... my legs still hurt) just to go and pray, but I don't think I would have kept it up unless people had kept telling me to go.

The next year I went and it was easier--I couldn't really understand the recitation but since I had taken a class in Arabic grammar at least and I knew some vocabulary, I would distinguish some words and so listening was different. And this year I have tried to go most nights, and I actually end up standing much longer than I ever had before (standing on carpet now makes it so much easier!) and understanding entire phrases that are recited, and sometimes even whole ayaat since I've been following a word-by-word translation outside of taraweeh. So really it is getting easier--but I don't think I'd be able to say that if I hadn't kept going even when I didn't understand.

And the other big habit was praying qiyyam ul-layl at the masjid in the last 10 nights--they pray this in the last third of the night, in addition to the taraweeh. And that made a huge difference for me every time I did it--especially making lots of du'a in the long prostrations. Without my roommate I don't think I would have prayed all that much in previous Ramadans, or even in this Ramadan since now it's getting easier.

So I think 2 main ways to help a new Muslims this Ramadan would be, inviting them for iftaar or making sure they have somewhere to go, and encouraging them to perform extra acts of worship.

A new Muslim might not understand all that happens in his first Ramadan--the i'tikaf, the qiyyam, the taraweeh, the suhoor even, and might not be able to take advantage of all this extra worship for that reason. So to be encouraged, and invited to these activities is really helpful.

And this way the convert can start to feel like they are benefiting more from Ramadan, and also that they are a real part of the community, and partake in the wonderful blessing of brotherhood and sisterhood among Muslims. :-)

Music Lessons

I started playing the clarinet in 6th grade, determined to be good at it. And not just good, but exceptionally good. The best. I practiced every day. And I excelled far above the students in that beginner-level class. In fact, when I was in 7th grade I was placed in the 8th grade (advanced) band instead of 7th grade (intermediate) and actually placed above some other 8th grade students. By 8th grade I placed 5th in the county, and being somewhat disappointed with that performance, I placed 1st in the district (which is larger than the county, about 1/5 of the state and my district had some of the strongest schools.) A few months after that I went on to place 4th in the state. So I wasn't the very best, but I was up there with the best. In high school I went on to consistently place in the top 3 in district and the top 10-15 in the state until my senior year when I placed in the top 10 at district (can't remember exact placement).

So for those seven years, I set my aims to be the best I could, and consistently performed at the top level for clarinetists my age. In my youth I spent a lot of time alone, in my room, practicing. It took hours of practice. Hours a day. And I learned a lesson: hard work pays off. Practicing pays off.

The lesson has reinforced lately--I don't play the clarinet anymore. In fact I sold it for twice what I paid for it last year and still feel like it was stolen. But I do play the piano. I never had formal piano training as I did with the clarinet, so I'm mostly self-taught. Although, I do think that only a real pianist would be able to tell the difference. Just like I had to spend hours playing the clarinet, I found that practicing piano consistently would make me better. I can literally see the improvement. I can play a song faster, I can play it more accurately, I can sing along. I can begin to perfect it by just spending some time and effort on it, on a regular basis. I may pick a song to play, and really butcher it the first time through. But then I can come back the next day and it'll be better. And I can come back a third day and it begins to feel natural, and each day it gets better and better--if I keep practicing.

This is the lesson--even if I have to suffer through something painfully slowly, just to finish it, I know that if I do finish it, and make myself get through it, I know that putting that effort in will yield marked improvement. I know that regular consistent practice is key, and I know that it pays off. I know it does, I have the experience to prove it.

So for the last week, I have been studying tajweed. There were basically two levels offered by Bayyinah when they were here--101 and 102, but I seemed to be between the two.

The first level, 101, was instruction in the basic letters and accents in the Arabic language. It was for people who had not been exposed to Arabic before, and/or were not able to recognize letters and their sounds in the Qur'an. I was past that--I could pick up a mushaf and read it, albeit very slowly.

The second level, 102, was instruction in the rules of tajweed, beginning with phonetics, moving on to accents, rhythm, and stopping/starting. The basic prerequisite was the ability to read a mushaf... although I think my slowness put me early on in the bottom of the class.

So you want me to say that I practiced for a week and now I'm an expert? Uhh, nope! But since I have been reading Qur'an every single day for about 10 days now, I have noticed that I am reading much faster. Of course, since a lot of time I'm reviewing what I've already read I can read those parts much faster, but even new material I can read faster than I could at the beginning of the class. Alhamdulillah.

So I did take the second class and learned the basic rules of tajweed, and I'm glad. The first class ended with reading single words together. The second class we were reading whole surahs, one ayah (or part of an ayah at a time) instead of sounding out each letter. I won't say that my tajweed is great or anything (it's definitely not) and I'm not proficient at reading either. But I can get through, and the practice is only making me better. And because of my experience in music, I know that consistent practice is necessary to improve performance, and I know that consistent practice does improve it. It works.

And because I am talking about Qur'an now, the book of Allah, I know there are other benefits to making an effort to read it.

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (PBUH) said: Allah the Almighty said:

I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than
it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

The fact that I am going toward Allah (SWT) an arm's length--i.e., by trying to read the Qur'an--means I know that He will come nearer to me--by making it possible to read and understand it. and I know that because I am trying to get closer to Him, that He will come closer to me. I am doing what little I can, but I have the confidence of knowing that even the little steps I take towards my Lord are multiplied, and that He is taking large steps towards me.

So I am practicing reading Qur'an--even though I'm not perfect at reading, and worse at reciting, I do want to get better. So I keep trying, keep practicing. One benefit is that I get better. Another is that I'm rewarded for my effort (of course assuming my intention is to sincerely worship Allah (SWT).) Another is that I can soon read and recite even better--to worship Him more. And that I can more easily learn the meanings, and understand what I am supposed to do. It's a win-win-win situation. There's no reason not to try to read Qur'an, even if it's hard now, even if it's slow, even if I make mistakes. There is only the submission to Allah (SWT), and that is every reason to keep practicing.

Tajweed Time!

It isn't just a piece of cake trying to learn Arabic in a country like America, especially if you're learning to better understand the Qur'an. Which is strange, considering the fundamental importance of understanding Qur'an for all Muslims. And also, I think it's sad, even scary, to see what seems to be only superficial treatment given towards in-depth studies of the Qur'an. Isn't that how knowledge is taken away?

Those who want to study Arabic at a later age have limited opportunities. They might be able to take classes at a local college or university--undoubtedly this method will teach "Modern Standard Arabic" which might be useful for reading the news but probably isn't proper for learning Qur'an. Another option is to travel overseas--often expensive, but the immersion tends to help a student quickly gain familiarity with the language. A third option is internet institutes offering virtual classrooms to students--I can't say one way or another how successful these tend to be. And some Muslims can subscribe to classes offered by someone in their community for adults (instead of children) which lead the students through a painstakingly slow process of learning the language--often without much ability to advance in their study, and with constant repetition as old students drop out and new ones begin.

That being the case, a program like Bayyinah's is very useful because it offers certified instruction, opportunities to advance through the program (without being stuck in a loop repeating the same material) to higher levels of understanding. It offers the personal touch of an instructor, but one who is also qualified, and who travels around so the local Muslims don't have to resort to college-taught Modern Standard Arabic as a substitute, or to travel abroad which is too expensive for many.

So I'm really happy that Bayyinah is visiting my community again, offering classes in Tajweed. I think this is something really important, and which also has not been available (especially for sisters) for the time I've been here. A few months ago, a tajweed class for brothers was started with the imam... only for brothers. I inquired about having one started for sisters as well, as I really wanted to learn tajweed and had not been presented with an opportunity at all simply because I was a woman. I found that the imam had agreed to teach such a class but that I would be responsible for finding enough students and scheduling it, in order to make it happen. At the time I was overwhelmed with other activities--namely, the 4-week da'wah course I was planning--so I just gave up on the idea.

But alhamdulillah, a much better alternative is now available, and that is the class for brothers and sisters being taught by Wisam Sharieff inshaaAllah in just a few weeks. It is a short and intensive program, but the instructor promised a variety of follow-up options for those who take the course to continue practicing and improving upon what they learned.

He came here last Friday, supposed to give a talk about whether Tajweed was part of the Revelation. Instead of tackling that topic, he just sort of gave it an aside at the end--of course it was, he said, supposing nobody had really come wondering what the answer to the question was. So his focus was on preserving the Qur'an (which includes pronunciation!), understanding it properly, and using it to know Allah better, and to show gratitude to Allah.

So I am, of course, eagerly waiting for the course to begin, encouraging as many folks as I know to join it. And those of you who live in/near Raleigh and read my blog--yes I'm talking to you--you should definitely check out this class. If you somehow don't know what I'm talking about, email me and inshaaAllah I'll forward you the flyer.