This is a story shared by a 32-year-old man.
“I began Hifdh al-Qur’ān last year. I work as a full-time engineer and am thirty-two years old. Honestly, I had never read the Qur’ān before because I never had the time for it—or better still, I never created the time. Please pardon me, Allah. My life was altered entirely only after I was in a vehicle accident, SubhanAllah. I ended up in a wheelchair, had to leave my job, and could no longer lead an everyday life. My family was my only source of support. I became irritated. Imagine my surprise when I instantly lost all I had—a good job, a social life, and employment! I detested living.
My fiancé broke up with me during that time. She was not to blame. I turned into a nasty person. I was sick and weary of living this life, confined to a wheelchair and lacking activities. SubhanAllah, my life has turned around. I now say that it was a blessing in disguise, drawing me nearer to my Lord. Sure, it was difficult and discouraging, but I began to pray to God. I did not even realize I had forgotten how to read the Quran until I picked it up and began to read! I then sought my brother’s assistance. When I began to recite again, it was because I had attended Madrassah when I was younger.
“I started Hifdh al-Qur’ān last year. I am thirty-two years old and a full-time engineer. Honestly, I had never made the time, or rather, I had never had the leisure to read the Qur’ān. Allah, please pardon me. Only after I was in a car accident did my life entirely change, SubhanAllah. My life became unmanageable, requiring me to rely on a wheelchair and quit my job. My only source of support was from my family. I become agitated. You can only imagine my shock when I suddenly lost all I owned, including a solid job, a social life, and a job! I hated being alive.
I apologize, but I am going to end this narrative quickly. I would call the sheik, memorize a few ayahs from Juz 30, and he would test me before I moved on to the next. As the days went by, I grew to adore it! I would look forward to the day when I could contact my Ustaad and enjoy memorization! It must have kept me busy. I was in a good mood. I have a goal now! Something to carry out. Wallahi, that may sound corny, but this is the case! I went from Juz 30 to Juz 29, 28, 27, etc. Right now, I am on Juz 17. I am moving slowly. Every day as it emerges. My approach involves recording Sheikh Mishary Al-Afasy and then listening to it again to test and repeat myself literally.
It benefits me. I want to remark that you are never too old to learn by heart. Get started right now. Commence right now. Refrain from starting because of something like a disaster. Though I realize this accident was actually a blessing in disguise, I wish I had started sooner. Hold me in your prayers, please. Thank God my health is finally improving. I sense that I will soon begin to walk because for me—and perhaps this is what faith is all about—every letter of the Qur’ān feels like medication to me. Hehe! Yes, I realize it sounds corny, but believe me. I think so. God bless you for creating such an excellent page! Keep me in mind, Dawood, your brother.
His narrative is a potent reminder that it is never too late to develop a relationship with the Quran and that significant growth and transformation can occur even amid hardship.
“Imam Dad is my dad. When I was about 7 years old, we lived in a house 45 minutes away from the mosque where he worked. My father would read Surahs from the Qur’ān to me every morning and evening in the automobile. Thanks to this, I could study the 30th Juz in less than a month. I developed an affection for the Qur’ān after that, and I used reciting its lovely verses to distort myself from the outside world.
I memorized a few more Surahs after learning the 30th Juz, such as Surah Baqarah, Surah Yaseen, Surah Kahf, Surah Rahman, etc. However, my parents did not pressure me to memorize and learn the entire Qur’ān; they only wanted me to try my best and, most importantly, not forget anything. When I was twelve years old (in 2013), I began attending a madrassah in Nottingham, UK, and I decided to begin formal Hifdh from Juz 1. After learning 6 Juz by heart a few months later, my family and I relocated to Canada. Until last year, the significant change had upset my pattern and made it difficult for me to return to Hifdh.
Thank God, with the blessings of Allah Subhanaho wa taa’la, I have decided that becoming a Hafidhah is my top priority. By the end of the following year, I want to have practically all of the Qur’ān committed to memory. Being my father’s Ustaad is a blessing because it inspires me daily to see how proud he is of me. Insha’Allah, please keep my family and me in your prayers, and may I finish my Hifdh. I neglected to add that I like to remain anonymous. Insha’Allah, I will complete my Hifdh in Canada, but as for where in the globe I started, I am in the UK.”The narrative imparts several insightful insights. First of all, his father’s early introduction to the Qur’ān exemplifies how important it is to inculcate a love for the Qur’ān at a young age. A pleasant and meaningful connection with the Qur’ān is fostered when parents gently urge their children to memorize passages of the Qur’ān without applying excessive pressure. The trip also highlights Hifdh’s need for resiliency and perseverance because he had to deal with difficulties and setbacks while moving to a new nation. They eventually accepted their objective, nevertheless, with unyielding conviction. The Ustaad, or father, symbolizes the importance of familial solid leadership and support in reaching spiritual aspirations.