In today's world, many people are eager to increase their skills in speech and eloquence; they will even take classes or courses to improve their speech and communication skills. But, unfortunately, almost nobody is as eager as that to learn and adopt the humble quality of being silent. Words and good speech can certainly have profound effects on others: the act of speaking allows us to share our thoughts and feelings, it allows us to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, it allows us to teach and remind others, it allows us to oppose and speak out against injustice, and much more. But, for our own peace of mind and self-reflection, moments of silence and solitude are essential - pe

'Did you pick up a word?'

There is a game I play with my kids sometimes when we are on the road. I will play the Quran and we will see who can pick up the most words when the Arabic portion is recited. Then we listen to the English translation played right after it to see what we got correct. I hope this will help them in actively listening to the Quran and develop an interest in building their vocabulary, insha'Allah (keep us in your duas! 🤲)

Try out this game for yourself sometime and let me know how it goes! It only needs one participant - you (and your attentive heart ❤️)!

Do you have any tips to share that can help non-Arabic speakers connect with the Quran when we are listening to

In Ramadan, the recitation of the Quran was something that brought calm and peace to our hearts especially through listening to it with intent. Oftentimes, we may multi-task say in the kitchen or whilst driving or similar chores. Listening to the Quran, brings not only barakah in these moments, but it is one of the most convenient ways to earn Allah's mercy, forgiveness and reward.  Imam Ibn Al Kathir comments regarding the verse 204 of Surah Al-A'raaf: 'When Allah the Exalted mentioned that the Qur'an is a source of insight for people, and a guidance and mercy, He then commanded that it be listened to attentively during its recitation—out of reverence and respect for it.' He further a

I think this line of the episode strikes deeply: 'Don't give Allah the leftover scraps of your time.' Choose the best part of your day for the Quran - when you are most alert and engaged - perhaps the time you would normally dedicate as 'me time,' or for self-care. I also remind myself that more I have to do that day, the longer my to-do list, the more rewarding the time I carve out for the Quran will be. Allah knows the ins and outs of our schedule and all of the competing claims on our attention - we can show our love for Him by giving His book the best part of our day. Watch episode 3 here: