A good article, alhamdulillah.

I would like brothers and sisters at Muslim Matters to have a look at this recently initiated weblog on Qur’anic teachings http://yassarnalquran.wordpress.com/

Suggestions for improvement are welcome.

Vassalam.

Muqith

I AM GLAD TO FIND YOUR BLOG. IT IS ONE OF THE STORIES THAT I CONSIDER TRUE FROM GOD’S BLESSING. MY NAME IS JONNY. I AM FROM USA AND I HAVE THE DESIRE TO FIND A WAY TO FAITH THROUGH ISLAM. THE MAIN REASON I AM SENDING THIS MESSAGE IS TO REQUEST FOR AN ADVICE. I PERSONALY HAVENT READ THE WHOLE QURAN BUT I KNOW FROM PEOPLE THAT IT IS THE WORD OF GOD FOR OUR LIFE. ISLAM IS A WAY OF LIFE…IF QURAN TEACH US THE WAY OF LIFE DOES IT ALSO MENTION ABOUT THE WAY FOR RELATIONSHIP??? CAN YOU SEND ME BACK SOME SITES OR CHAPTERS WHERE I CAN AUTOEDUCATE MYSELF FOR MY RELATIONSHIP THROUGH QURAN?
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

I think there needs to be a balance though.

I’ve been to both types of Quran classes. The first was probably started at age 8 ish, the teacher would beat us with a stick if we didn’t do our memorization in class or were not behaving, everyone respected him and didn’t act up in class.

The surahs I got beaten for I find very easy to remember and are ingrained in my mind. At the same time Quran class was something I feared/dreaded, I would hide in closets and cry every week before class. Ten or so years later though I am very grateful that I went there because I ended up knowing how to read the Quran and having a signifigant amount memorized.

The next class from age 11 was wayy more chilled, we didnt focus as much on memorization/reading Quran but more on building up eman, learning lessons through stories, hadith..etc. That class got me to more build up my love for Allah subhanwat’ala and the prophet sallahu alayhi wasaallam. I began to pray 5 times a day which is the best thing I got out of my experience. In my first class I would ONLY pray on sundays the rest of the week not once would I even do one prayer.

I think both experiences helped me in different ways, the second class helped to me to actually WANT to learn the Quran while the first gave me the foundation of skills, so teachers need to have both approaches to be sucessfull.

One of my friends started memorzing at age 30 something and finished the complete Quran in about 5 years time along with his full time professional career and kids….he was living in a Muslim country which kinda helped (smile).

I kinda understand what you went through, the good old transliteration days…hahahehhe….but i think its just getting over the hurdle of being “ovewhelmed and/or intimated” with the new language…

Just wanted to share this interactive website that has multiple facets of Qur’an and it’s translations. Great resource to learn the qur’an and it’s translation at the same time (it has many use as well).

Allahsquran.com (and then Click the the LEARN-EZ link on the top and it will take you to the Qur’an page).

Upon the page feel free to browse for different reciters & surahs (top left) and different outlooks (top right).

I hope you will find it beneficial Inshallah.

As for the beating stories, I have witnessed everything from beatings done with Rolling Pins ie. what our moms make Roti with, to kids being hung out of the 6th story of an apartment building. The odd part is that this was predominantly the case in Indo-Pak circles and those kids were usually the best behaved. It was just when they didn’t know their “sabak” that they got the beatdown. Pretty horrible stuff, most of which never really happened to me…maybe that’s why I’m not a hafiz:)

But all of this has stopped presently. I don’t think Qari Saabs are allowed to hit anymore because kids are getting smarter and call 911.

Allah (swt) knows best.