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John (not his real name) lives in Birmingham and has Muslim neighbours. He was interested to learn more about their faith and practices.

When researching Islam, he came across the Islamwise website and decided to contact the team.

Coming from an Irish Catholic background, he found it very natural to accept the tawheed (oneness) of Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala).

After a few emails and a phone call, John was adamant that he wanted to take his shahadah straight away. Alhumdulillah!

John has now been Muslim for just over a week and is already learning the basics. He is in regular contact with the team and will now have a mentor to help him learn the essentials inshAllah.

May Allah guide John and us all.

Do you want to be a part of the reward for all the work we do?

Reap the reward by donating HERE

‘The month of Ramadan, in which was revealed the Qur’an – a guidance for mankind…” Al Qur’an 2:185

Ramadan is the month of the Quran and many of our activities over this holy month are focused around the Quran.

The Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wassalam) would complete the recitation of the Quran with the Angel Gibraeel (as) each Ramadan, and twice in the year preceding his death.

Many of us listen to the melodious recitation during normal prayers and taraweeh (congregational evening prayer in the mosque in Ramadan) and long to be able to recite like the imam.

Most Muslims will know how to recite the Qur’an fluently from when they attended the madrasah as children. But what if you’re new to Islam? How do you improve their recitation?

Here are a few simple steps to help you recite the Qur’an better:

Step 1 – Find a quiet place

Try and find a quiet, clean place in your home where you can focus your attention and hear yourself reciting. It will be difficult to concentrate if you’re sitting in a loud, busy environment. Avoid TV rooms or busy communal areas and switch off your phone so that you don’t get distracted.

Step 2 – Learn How to Pronounce the Arabic Letters

“…and recite the Qur’an with measured recitation” Qur’an 73:4

The above verse implies reading the Quran with ‘measured recitation’ and care. So learning the correct Arabic elocution is very important. In other words, how to correctly pronounce and recite each word.

This is sometimes referred to as ‘Tajweed’ in Arabic, meaning ‘to make well, to improve or to make good’. Tajweed is the rules of recitation and teaches you how to pronounce the Quranic words in the same way that it was recited by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Through tajweed, you will learn that each Arabic letter is pronounced from a certain part of the mouth, which will allow you to create a clear and consistent sound.

It can seem overwhelming to learn the many rules of Tajweed so it’s important not to overload yourself. Take it one rule at a time.

Step 3 – Get a Quran that is easy to read

Get yourself a Quran that is easy to read. Qur’ans come in many different sizes. Obtain one that has the right font size for you to easily read.

You may prefer to get a Tajweed Quran, which have letters and words colour-coded so you can identify some of the rules.

Step 4 – Make a regular time and be consistent

Try and be consistent in your learning. Dedicate regular times in your day or week to read the Qur’an and make it a habit. As they say, excellence is not an act but a habit.

There will be times when you’re busy and you may miss a session but try and make it up and don’t do it too often. Be consistent, even if it is small.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him) said:

“The most beloved of deeds to Allah are the most consistent of them, even if they are few”  Al-Bukhari & Muslim

If you don’t put the effort in, you’ll always struggle to recite the Qur’an perfectly. So use every opportunity to read the Quran, even if it’s just a little at a time.

Step 5 – Listen to video or audio recordings

There are many Islamic and you-tube channels which have recordings of famous Qur’anic recitors (known as Qari’s). 

Pick someone with a slow recitation that you can easily follow and you enjoy listening to.

Listen to those with a distinct and a melodious tone, such as Mishary bin Rashid Al-Afasy, Saad El Ghamidi and Abdul Rahman Al Sudais. Their voices are distinct due to their Tajweed and the melody in which they recite the Qur’an.

Listen to their recording and follow along as you recite the Quran. It may initially be a struggle but you will get quicker. Try and pick up rules from their recitation.

Alternatively, find a Quran recitation app in which you can learn one sentence/ayat at a time. Replay the recitation of the ayat until you’ve mastered it.

Step 6 – Learn short chapters

Start with short chapters. Many of the short chapters are at the end of the Quran, like Chapter 112 (Al-Ikhlass). Pay attention to the rules and recite gently.

Step 7 – Get a teacher

Find a teacher or an imam who is willing to teach you. Learn a specific rule and then practice using that rule.

If you don’t have a teacher than use the internet to find lessons online or a obtain good tajweed book to learn some of the basics.

Step 8 – Don’t worry if your progress is taking longer than you hoped

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honourable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward.”

Don’t worry if you aren’t progressing as quickly as you’d hoped. If you try your best and still genuinely struggle with your recitation, you’ll receive double the reward.

Step 9 – Learn the meaning

Try to learn some of the more common Arabic words that are used in the Qur’an. This will also help with memorization.

Furthermore, read a translation to understand what Allah is saying to you

Learning how to recite and perfect the sounds of some letters and words can take a little time. Don’t give up. Be patient and just keep going, even if it’s just a little at a time.

We hope you found this article useful. Whatever you decide to do, make a firm intention to learn, ask Allah for help and start your journey!

We pray Allah makes things easy for you.

Islamwise launched a 1:1 Quran service for reverts teaching them how to recite the beautiful book of Allah (SWT) and the response has been phenomenal!

We were overwhelmed with applications from our revert brothers and sisters and we now have over 100 new Muslims on our waiting list for this service.

However, we have a problem!

Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, we cannot accommodate all the students due to our financial situation.

We want to be able to deliver this service effectively in sha Allah but to do so we need to urgently raise £17,000 to pay for the tuition of our new Muslim brothers and sisters.

Just £170 will support a new Muslim receiving two private one to one Quran lessons a week along with Islamic guidance and mentoring for 12 weeks. Alhamdullilah.

We are asking you to help us deliver this service and earn the reward.

‘The most beloved of people according to Allah is he who brings the most benefit to people..’ (Tabarani – Hasan, Silsilah Saheeha, Al-AlBani)

Earn the reward of teaching the book of Allah (SWT) 

The Prophet (sallalahu alaihi was salam) said:

“The best of you are the ones who learn the Quran and teach it to others” (Bukhari)

This project is eligible for your Zakat.

Find out more here

DONATE HERE

 

Wouldn’t you like to receive 10 rewards every time a new Muslim recites a letter from the book of Allah?

The Prophet (sallalahu alaihi was salam) said:

“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.” (Tirmidhi)

If you fund the cost of a new Muslim to learn the book of Allah, you will receive the same reward as them, without diminishing their reward at all!

What an amazing deal. 

DONATE HERE

In the following videos, Shaykh Yahya Adel Ibrahim explains the six articles of faith.

Episode 1 – Belief in God

 

01.Belief in God

Episode 2 – Belief in Angels

 

02.Belief in God

Episode 3 – Belief in the Revealed Scriptures

 

03.Belief in the Revealed Scriptures

Episode 4 – Belief in the Prophets and Messengers

 

04.Belief in the Prophets and Messengers

Episode 5 – Belief in the Day of Judgement

 

05.Belief in the Day of Judgement

Episode 6 – Belief in the Divine Decree

 

06.Belief in the Divine Decree

Alhumdulillah the IslamWise team had been communicating with sister Emma (not her real name) for some time.

Over the lockdown period, Emma didn’t want to delay things any longer and called the IslamWise team to take her shahadah over the phone!
Emma said that she had been ready for a while and didn’t want to delay it further.

She has already been allocated an IslamWise mentor who will support her in learning the basics of belief and practices and is very eager to learn the Quran.

We pray Allah continues to guide her and us all. Ameen.

Donate HERE so that we can support more people like Emma.

If you are interested in taking your shahadah then you can find out more about The conditions of the Shahadah here.

If you would like to speak to someone the please do get in touch with us here.

IslamWise presents: The Joys and Challenges of Ramadan.

Sisters online discussion.

An opportunity for revert sisters to get together and share their experiences.

We know that Ramadan is a joyous month for Muslims but it can pose it’s challenges that are unique to revert Muslims.

Sister Amal and Sister Haniya are both reverts and have been through the challenges you may be facing. We have arranged this opportunity to give you a platform to learn from their insights, experiences and listen to the advice they will share.

Join and share your experiences or listen to others in this informal discussion.

Date: Friday 15th May
Time: 7PM – 8PM

This event is by registration only.

Please register HERE

In the following videos, Shaykh Navaid Aziz explains the six conditions of shahadah.

Episode 1 – What is the Shahadah?

 

01. Understanding the statement of the Shahadah.

Episode 2 – Having certainity in the Shahadah.

 

02. Having certainty that Allah (SWT) is our creator, our sustainer and the only one worthy of worship.

Episode 3 – Acceptance of the Shahadah

 

03. Accepting Allah (SWT) legislation and living our way that has been obligated by Allah (SWT).

Episode 4 – Compliance of the Shahadah

 

04. What does compliance of the shahadah mean and entail?

Episode 5 – Being truthful with the Shahadah

 

05. Trying our utmost best to live up to all the conditions of our shahadah.

Episode 6 – Being sincere

 

06. Being sincere when taking your shahadah and following the example of Bilal (RA).

Episode 7 – Having true love

 

07. For whom is this love for and what does it entail?

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