Quran, our constant Goal. Inspiration
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” (Bukhari)
Dear Salman Finishing حفظ,
During this long, arduous and admirable journey of yours, I’ve watched you from the sidelines as you have pushed through. On all those early mornings and bike rides to Quran class that became the everyday background noise of our lives. Hearing the low humming from your room has become a familiar sound in the Rahman residence and you being on this secret mission without giving anyone updates on your progress has become the norm. But there was one thing you did let us on in — “I’ll finish before year 12”. And on this monumental day, the 4th of October, a Monday, a public holiday spent enjoying with the cousins as lockdown restrictions ease — just as you said, the day before you begin year 12, you’ve finished memorising the entire Quran. Mashallah. Allahuakbar. Subahnallah. Alhamdulillah.
And I’ve been telling you it’s the happiest day of my life, and as of yet I really think it may be. I am so happy for you and I am so happy for any achievement that transcends this dunya. The excitement from yesterday when you ran in and spilled the fact you only few pages you had left, until now — the emotions still haven’t settled. I’m truly happy, in awe and inspired by this great achievement from the notorious baby of our family. Who would have thought. From the infamously naughty child in all spheres of your life (family, community, school), this is your epic come back, Salman. For the past 3 years (we could say 10 but that was very on and off with teenage tantrums, demotivation and breaks in between), Salman you have sacrificed sleep, gym, socialising, eating, mental space, time, spending time with friends and family, leisure, holidays and more to get here. And as a teenager with seemingly every other thing in life usually as the priority — I applaud you for persevering and having an insane amount of discipline that I often forget to give credit to.
There is so much dua I can make now in this letter. There is much praise I can give you. There is much that I can hope for you in the future. But just as you don’t want to overdo it, keep your achievements hidden, not deem them as an achievement without the hard yards of revision that comes after — I’ll follow in your footsteps and not overdo it with the super long and emotional dua. Instead we shall settle for something short (or try to), sincere and powerful. Ya Rab, Ya Allah, Ya Al-Wahhab today you have blessed our family, my parents and my little brother Salman with the greatest gift. I ask from the depths of my heart to preserve the knowledge you have bestowed upon Salman and only strengthen it with time. Let it be the foundations for everything he does in life, let his actions embody the wisdom of the verses he has committed to memory. Allow the Quran to be a guide, light, intercession, healer and constant companion in all these years to come Inshallah. Ya Al Fatah, open the doors of understanding and application for Salman — let his character be beautified through your verses. Ya Allah allow him to teach others, to teach me and for the Quran to be a sadakah jariya for him when he dies. Ya Allah reward my parents for their efforts, Ammu for her selfless care and support, Abbu for his religious upbringing.
Finishing memorising the Quran is inshallah one victory of the many that will come in your life. It is a testimony for the potential for greatness that lies within you — this individual discipline you have displayed will take you far if you continue to hone it. Don’t let it go, or stop now, this is only the beginning. These skills you have developed and this base you have founded must be the first step to many steps. This makes you beyond lucky and advantaged, don’t you dare waste it. Learn Arabic, learn the deen, learn the world of Islam in order for you to be a light, propagator and inspiration for our ummah.
May Allah allow you to achieve the unimaginable and accept these duas.
