Bond with the Quran | In the Shade of Ramadan 10.1 Hope to feel alive again? Breathe again? Cry again? Every broken device should be returned to its maker for repair. The words of God are the manual to our heart. But what if we have difficulty understanding the Quran? How can we make our time with the Quran more impactful? In this series, we’ll discover the small tips and tools that help us bond more deeply with the Quran. Small steps, big strides in faith. You can watch episode here: https://fb.watch/4QsNmVqNRr/ or here:

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS -Um ad-Darda’ said, 'The shivering of the heart is like the burning of a palm leaf.' That’s how she described the shivering or trembling mentioned in the verse quoted above (8:2). What emotions have you felt before when reading the Quran? What words would you use to describe them? -What compels you to pick up the Quran and try to seek answers from it? -Recount all of the benefits that the Quran can bring to us in our daily lives and in our faith. Continue reading below to uncover even more benefits of the Quran. PRACTICE Read or listen to something about the beauty and wonder of the Quran to get yourself in the proper state of mind to connect with the Quran this Ramadan. Some suggested resources: -Faith First by Magdy Al-Hilali (pgs. 137-217 specifically on how to connect with the Quran) -Last year’s season 9 of In the Shade of Ramadan -Way to the Quran by Khurram Murad -Abdul-Nasir Jangda’s lecture What is an Ayah? READ MORE (excerpt from Faith First pgs. 135-136) People who neglect the Quran are truly disadvantaged, wasting their efforts searching for some other way to reach God. Can you imagine the regret they will feel upon realizing what was in front of them the whole time! They spent so much time and energy looking for a path to God, coming up with all sorts of arbitrary routines and theories, but refusing to see how easy the Quran makes it. Some of us are impressed by these alternate routes to God, out of a sincere hope to come closer to Him. We might follow their regimens, hoping to find a faster route to God, but after a while we look down and find that we have not moved an inch. Ibn al-Qayyim draws our attention to this when he says: 'You must first remove your heart from being settled in this world to living in the next. Then expose it to the meanings of the Quran, uncover its hidden gems and contemplate upon it. You must understand what its objectives are and study its context, taking the time to look carefully into every single ayah for a cure for your heart. This, in reality, is the most direct, easy and accessible approach to the Highest Company. It is a safe path, protecting those who tread it from fear of any danger, sparing them the risk of hunger, thirst, and diseases that lie waiting for those who choose other paths. Allah placed on this path a guardian to protect and defend its travelers. Those who have been around, treading other pathsand surviving their dangers, know the true value of this path.' (Tahtheeb Madarij as-Salikeen, 293) As Khabbāb bin al-Arat once said, 'Come near to Allah however you can, but you will never come closer to Him through anything more beloved to Him than His own words.'