Memorizing Quran?

Memorizing Quran? Don't hasten in recitation, while being recited. On Allah is its collection and recitation

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

Al-Qiyamah 75:16

لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِۦ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِۦٓ 

Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur'an.

Al-Qiyamah 75:17

إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُۥ وَقُرْءَانَهُۥ 

Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation.

Al-Qiyamah 75:18

فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَٰهُ فَٱتَّبِعْ قُرْءَانَهُۥ 

So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation.

A Litmus Test

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

Al-Anfal 8:53

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِّعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْۙ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ 

That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

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This ayah is like a litmus test for me. If something is changing that I dislike that means something is changing in my heart as well. Being grateful and being patient is the greatest favor of Allah. And if I dislike something that means either I am ungrateful or impatient. Subhan Allah. Oh Allah let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us. Indeed You are the Granter of bounties. Ameen.

Strengthening of empty heart

Assalamoalaekum

I am sharing an ayah that inspired me today.

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
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وَأَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَارِغًا ۖ إِنْ كَادَتْ لَتُبْدِي بِهِ لَوْلَا أَنْ رَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قَلْبِهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And the heart of Musa´s mother was free (from anxiety) she would have almost disclosed it had We not strengthened her heart so that she might be of the believers.
(Surah Al-Qasas,28:10)

وَأَصْبَحَ And became  -  فُؤَادُ (the) heart  -  أُمِّ (of the) mother  -  مُوسَىٰ (of) Musa  -  فَٰرِغًا empty.  -  إِن That,  -  كَادَتْ she was near  -  لَتُبْدِى (to) disclosing  -  بِهِۦ about him,  -  لَوْلَآ if not  -  أَن that  -  رَّبَطْنَا We strengthened  -  عَلَىٰ [over]  -  قَلْبِهَا her heart,  -  لِتَكُونَ so that she would be  -  مِنَ of  -  ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
the believers.  - 


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When I first read, that heart of Musa عليه السلام was free or empty, I didn't understand. On further investigation, I found out her heart was getting empty or free from every thought other than Musa عليه السلام.

It is hard to imagine loosing a child. Loosing a baby is beyond imagining. And she had to put her baby son in river. What an amazing servant of Allah was she! SubhanAllah. But she was a human. And it's natural for a human heart to be overwhelmed with thoughts. And that's what was happening with her. No other thought except of Musa عليه السلام was coming to her mind. And she was about to disclose her secret. But Allah strengthened her heart. Our problems or concerns are not at all comparable to what mother of Musa عليه السلام went through.

This ayah is an inspiration for me for the moments when I act in a certain way and then get overwhelmed by the thoughts of one thing and it makes my heart empty of all other thoughts. There is a reminder in this ayah that only Allah can strengthen our hearts. My job is to ask Allah to strengthen my heart in all these moments. May Allah strengthen the hearts of all of us. Ameen. This ayah is also a reminder that a strong heart is a sign of believer. May Allah help us all in obeying Him, serving Him thankfully and patiently. Ameen.

Allah comes in between a person and his heart

The more I think about it, the more I get convinced about the fact that the thing which fluctuates most is our heart. Allah said, Allah comes between a person and his heart. When i read the tafsir it said, Allah can keep away believers from disbelief and Allah can keep disbelievers from belief.  But somebody would say if Allah wills He would have straighten our hearts. But what do we achieve without effort? Are we able any materialistic amenity without effort? Then how can our heart be straightened without heart? It is scary. I spend my hours how my heart leads it to. And Allah comes between a person and his heart. So if we don't straighten our hearts, all our time is wasted. But Allah planned our hearts to fluctuate and we have to deal with it. But how? First step is realization.

We learn from following that hearts get hardened

Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 74:
ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الْأَنْهَارُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاءُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks, rather worse in hardness; and surely there are some rocks from which streams burst forth, and surely there are some of them which split asunder so water issues out of them, and surely there are some of them which fall down for fear of Allah, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do.

In another place Allah reminds that hearts get blind
Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 46:
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ

Have they not travelled in the land so that they should have hearts with which to understand, or ears with which to hear? For surely it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts which are in the breasts.

I also need to know Allah put seals on whose hearts.

Allah tells us that as well that it is those who are proud, haughty, those who follow their desires and those who transgress.

Surah Ghafir, Verse 35:
الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعِندَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ

Those who dispute concerning the communications of Allah without any authority that He has given them; greatly hated is it by Allah and by-those who believe. Thus does Allah set a seal over the heart of every proud, haughty one.

Surah Muhammad, Verse 16:
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا خَرَجُوا مِنْ عِندِكَ قَالُوا لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ مَاذَا قَالَ آنِفًا أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءَهُمْ

And there are those of them who seek to listen to you, until when they go forth from you, they say to those who have been given the knowledge: What was it that he said just now? These are they upon whose hearts Allah has set a seal and they follow their low desires.
Surah Yunus, Verse 74:
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ رُسُلًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَاءُوهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا بِهِ مِن قَبْلُ كَذَٰلِكَ نَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

Then did We raise up after him apostles to their people, so they came to them with clear arguments, but they would not believe in what they had rejected before; thus it is that We set seals upon the hearts of those who exceed the limits.



So now we need to know how to keep our hearts straight.

Allah taught us following dua.

Surah Aal-e-Imran, Verse 8:
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ

Our Lord! make not our hearts to deviate after Thou hast guided us aright, and grant us from Thee mercy; surely Thou art the most liberal Giver.

Allah doesn't change a favor until people change what is within themselves

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

ذٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِّعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلٰى قَوْمٍ حَتّٰى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ۙ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
[QS. Al-Anfaal: Verse 53]


What a great reminder! ALLAH O AKBAR الله اكبر. Allah favored me so much alhamdolillah by providing me everything I need and want. And yet sometimes it feels like Allah is taking back a favor He granted. If that taking back makes me sad, then that is a red flag for me. I need to check did Allah took that favor back because something in my heart changed. SUBHAN ALLAH سبحان الله.  what a great verification criteria Allah gave us to check our hearts. Nobody can do this for us. I believe one of the greatest favor of Allah is to be grateful. But if I have this sad feeling after Allah took a favor back then that is not gratefulness. And how can I be not grateful if I checked my heart already and nothing changed there and yet Allah took that favor back then that means it is written in my Qadr , my destiny. And I am sad on Allah took His favor but not on knowing something in my heart changed then that means I am a great looser now. But if I am grateful in any case and really reminding myself that Allah is free from every imperfection, then that's a win win scenario and that also proves that nothing in my heart changed. And Allah knows the best. May Allah forgive me and guide me if I misunderstood or misinterpreted anything. Ameen. Also I remind myself to keep asking Allah for favors and keep asking Allah not to take His favors back by making this duaa.


اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّیْ اَعُوْذُبِكَ مِنْ زَوَالِ نِعْمَتِكَ وَتَحَوُّلِ عَافِيَتِكَ وَ فُجَائَةِ نِقْمَتِكَ وَجَمِيْعِ سَخَطِكَ

O Allah! I seek refuge in You from a decline in Your bounties, and a change of state of well-being, a sudden onset of Your punishment and (from) all Your wrath.

اے ﷲ! بے شک میں تیری عطا کردہ نعمتوں کے زوال سے ، تیری عطا کردہ عافیت کے بدل جانے سے، تیری سزا کے اچانک وارِد ہو جانے سے اور تیری ہر قسم کی ناراضگی سے تیری پناہ چاہتا ہوں۔

( صحیح مسلم، کتاب الرقاق، باب اکثر اھل الجنة الفقراء واکثر اھل النار النساء وبیان الفتنة ۔۔۔: 6943

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