11802773_sClass 1 -  April 1, 2013:

The first class was introductory session to begin preparing and re-igniting our hearts as proper vessels to receive the Quran.
We discussed the heart as a physical organ, but also as the spiritual and intellectual seat of the human being.  We reflected on a few Quranic ayas and a hadith regarding that.  And we listened to the story of Salim Mawla Abi Huthaifah – a companion of the Prophet (saws) who was one of the foremost Quranic scholars and teachers.

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Homework due next class:

  1. Study and learn the meanings of these ayas:  39: 22-23, 8:2 and memorize or read in Arabic.
  2. Study and learn the meaning of the dua from aya 3:8 and memorize or read in Arabic.  Make this dua part of your daily life.
  3. Find another quranic dua to learn and share with the class
  4. Find an aya in the Quran that is particularly moving to you – memorize which surah it is from and what aya number it is.  Memorize or read in Arabic.
  5. Pick one thing that you do often that you know is harming your heart; try hard to cut down or stop it this week.  Observe and reflect upon the imapct of this.
  6. Learn the following Arabic vocabulary words from the ayas above:  qalb – heart; qulubum – their hearts; sharaha – opened; sadrahu – his breast; thikr – remembrance, mention, admonition; kitaab – book; al-mu’minoon – the believers
  7. Find each of the above words (or a similar word from the same root) in at least one other aya in the Quran.
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Class 2 – April 15, 2013:

Today we reviewed some of the concepts from last class.  We also shared experiences with our practical homework and how it impacted us.  We shared Quran verses that particularly move us and discussed the importance of developing a Quranic literacy; to be able to mention an aya we love and quote it – surah name, aya number, Arabic recitation, and meaning.  We will keep working on that as well.  The same applies to favorite Quranic duas.

[insetleft title=”Wisdom”]In each letter of Quran there is a reward, even when reading without understanding and in perfecting the reading there is reward; and the greatest reward is in understanding and applying.[/insetleft]

The main topic today was purify ourselves in order to benefit from Quran.  [insetright title=”Wisdom”]What you get from Quran depends on what you come to it with.[/insetright]  Importance of correction intention.  Importance of pure source of sustenance, wealth, food, and clothing.  These issues are also pre-conditions to dua.

We also discussed the story of the sahabi Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas. He was famous for his two weapons – an answered dua and an arrow that didn’t miss.  He was one of the 10 sahaba that were promised janna.  When asked, he told the other sahaba it was because he never slept bearing a grudge against another Muslim.  His army marched across the Tigris River and walked on water!

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas was asked: Why is it that your duas are answered amongst all the other companions? He said, I do not raise to my mouth a morsel except that I know where it came from and where it came out of.

We spoke of the importance of setting aside a quiet time each day for worship, including Quran, thikr, dua, and prayer.  A blessed time for worship is the time before fajr or the time after fajr before the sun rises.  Also, we should each set a minimum amount of Quran to read daily, even if it’s only 1 page or 10 minutes.

 Homework due next class:

  1. Study and learn the meanings of these ayas:  2:26, 2:121, 56:79, 16:98, 2:200
  2. Learn what surah they are from and try to memorize the aya or read it well in Arabic
  3. Learn the following dua, from aya 2:201
  4. Find your quiet time for worship and begin establishing that daily habit.  If you already have that established, review what you are doing and see if you can use your time better or increase it.
  5. Set a minimum for yourself of daily Quran reading and begin to hold yourself to it.  For those already established in this, increase it or add something, such as memorization or learning meanings.
  6. Learn the following Arabic vocabulary words from the ayas above:  rabb – lord; aamanu – believed; haqq – truth, right, full due; kafaru – disbelieved; mathala – example, simile, parable; katheera – a lot, many; yudill (dalal, daalleen) – cause to go astray; tilawa – recitation, following; aatinaa – give us; aataynaahom – we gave them.
  7. Find each of the above words (or a similar word from the same root) in at least one other aya in the Quran.

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Class 3 – April 29, 2013:

In this class we discussed the principles of faith, focusing on the belief in the revealed scriptures and previous prophets.  The Quranic ayas referring to those principles were discussed.  We also discussed the Quranic theme of spending in the way of Allah.

Homework due next class

  • Reflect on how the Quran is timeless – how it is for all peoples, times and places, how does this manifest in your life?

  • Choose 2 Quranic duas to use throughout the next 2 weeks

  • Find an aya where a Prophet is mentioned – memorize which prophet, surah name/number, aya number, and practice reciting the aya well, learn its meaning, and memorize in Arabic if possible.

  • Choose some messages from that Prophet’s life which you can relate to and share with group.

  • Choose an aya from those that mention other scriptures (87:14-17, 5: 44-45, 21:105, 48:29) to study. Reflect on why Allah might have chosen that message to mention in the Quran, memorize surah name/number, aya number, and practice reciting the aya well, learn its meaning, and memorize in Arabic if possible

  • Continue working on establishing your quiet time for worship, add something new to this time, increase it in length, and review the “minimums” that you’ve set for yourself in terms of worship (Quran, thikr, dua, nafl, etc) and consider if they are sustainable, too little or too much.

  • Read my teacher’s article on charity:   http://www.peacespective.org/2013/03/16/prophetic-principles2/

  • Choose an element of charity from the article to implement into your life and discuss with us next class.

  • Vocabulary from aya 40:78: Arsalna – we sent (root is raa-seen-lam, same as for Rasul); Rusulan – messengers; qablika – before you (root is qaf- ba-lam; qabl is before); qasasna and naqsos – we told the story (root is qaf-sad-sad, like in word Qasas – stories – title of Surah 28); ya’teya – bring (hamza-ta-ya); ithnee – my permission (hamza-thal-nun); jaa’a – comes (jeem-ya-hamza); ‘amr – command/decree/matter; qudiya – decided/decreed (qaf-dad-ya, like Qada’ – destiny); mubtiloon – those steeped in error (ba-Taa-l, like baatil). There are some words in that aya that we’ve taken before – make note of them.

Next class will be inshaAllah May 13 from 12-1:30. That will be our last for this series.

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