A Path To Strength And Reflection: Quran Journaling

Ramadan is a time of reflection, mercy, and spiritual growth; making it the perfect opportunity to begin Quran journaling. It is a truly beautiful way to deepen your connection with the Quran and turn its guidance into a personal experience.

My journey with Quran journaling started during a personal hardship. I challenged myself to improve myself spiritually during this dark time, and this led me to focus my heart on my commitment to Allah . The words of Allah accompanied me through this phase, and I eventually saw light at the end of the tunnel. 

The first chapter of the Quran I journaled was Surah ad-Dhuha. Through journaling and reflection on this chapter, I learned about optimisation and hope that Allah had not forgotten me. This chapter speaks to a period during which the Prophet did not receive any revelation from Allah , which was the very cause of the revelation of this chapter. The verse that comforted me was where Allah says,

“Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you.” [93:3]

He goes on to say,

“The next life is far better for you than this one.” [93:4]

“Did he not find you needy then satisfied your needs?” [93:8]

On days where hardships can overwhelm us, it is natural for us to instinctively question, ‘Why me?’, ‘Has Allah forgotten me?’, ‘How do I get through this?’, etc. Journaling Surah ad-Dhuha was a gentle reminder for optimism, hope for a better future (whether in this life or the next), confidence in success, and most importantly, the control Allah has over everything.

Benefits of Quran Journaling

Quran journaling offers more than just reflection, however. It can become a source of strength, healing, and personal growth. Some of the benefits I’ve experienced:

• Deepens one’s connection with Allah and the Quran. For this, I undertook some Quran courses to understand what I was reciting and strengthen my connection with the Divine.
• Helps navigate hardships with clarity
• Enhances reflection
• Builds patience and gratitude

My Approach To Quran Journaling

Of course, there are numerous other ways to approach journaling, and you should feel free to do what you feel works best for you, but here’s how I went about it:

Quran Journaling as a means to get closer to Allah [PC: The Dancing Rain (unsplash)]

1. I become creative in my Quran journaling, so I first create a title page followed by my reflections.
2. I like to begin by reading a small chapter or section, exploring where it was revealed, when it was revealed, and why.
3. I reflect on a verse that touched my heart, write it down, and allow the meaning to settle within me.
4. I start to journal around it and allow myself to express my thoughts and emotions freely. What does this verse teach me? How does it relate to my life? This is my space for honest self-feedback and a mechanism to develop my connection with Allah .
5. I always end with a supplication, asking Allah to fill any gaps in my heart through His Mercy and Guidance.

Nine Key Lessons I Learnt From Journaling

Although I still am on my journaling journey, here are a few key learnings I picked up along the way:

1. Exercise beautiful patience and express gratitude for the ability to go and grow through these hardships, for the trees that are rooted in gratitude will only yield positive fruits.

“Do you not see how Allah makes comparisons? A good word is like a good tree whose root is firm and whose branches are high in the sky, yielding constant fruit by its Lord’s leave.” [Surah Ibrahim: 14;24]

2. The hardship I am facing was discussed and revealed hundreds of years ago: “Allah does not burden a soul with more that it can bear.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 2;286]

3. Have faith in Allah and He will bring forth help from where you could not even imagine it: “Anyone who believes in God and the Last Day should heed this: God will find a way out for those who are mindful of Him And will provide for him from where he does not expect.” [Surah at-Talaq: 65;2]

4. Do everything to the best of ability, which is known as Ihsan. Live with that purpose:

“Shall the reward of Ihsan be anything but Ihsan?” [Surah ar-Rahman: 55;60]

5. Allah has created us to make choices. He watches how we make those choices. We are not created to be irresponsible and unanswerable:

“Do people think they will be left alone after saying ‘We believe’ without being put to the test?” [Surah al-Ankabut: 29;2]

6. A believer should place his trust in Allah , not in one’s own power or the strength of others:

“I commit my case to Allah. Allah is well aware of His servants.” [Surah Ghafir: 40;44]

7. Remain steadfast on good: “Be steadfast like those Messengers of firm resolve.” [Surah al-Ahqaf: 46;35]

8. Process and regulate emotions through patience: “So be patient – your patience comes only from Allah.” [Surah al-Nahl: 16;127]

9. Recognise spiritual growth by understanding that hardship is not a setback but rather a step towards strength:

“Exalted is He who holds all control in His hands; who has power over all things; who created death and life to test you and reveal which of you does best.” [Surah al-Mulk: 67; 1-2]

A little after I started Quran journaling, I began with a gratitude journal as part of my initial enthusiasm with Quran journaling. My gratitude journal is ‘letters’ I write to Allah every day. I write about anything that made my day easy, brought a smile to my face, and filled my heart with joy. This is how I strengthened my reliance (tawakkul) in Allah . This gratitude journal is my personal reminder of the bounties that Allah has blessed me with. It is something I turn to on the days where I feel forgotten. 

If you are planning on starting Quran journaling this Ramadan or anytime soon, remain persistent. Every day brings something different, and each entry will be uniquely different to you. Do not compare your work with another – think of it as your personal spiritual journey. You can be as creative as you want to be with your Quran journal. Most importantly, enjoy the process as much as you can.

Related:

– Making Sense Of The Quran Through Journaling

– Quran Journaling For Kids