Ep. 5 Daily Prescription | In the Shade of Ramadan DISCUSSION -Watch the one-minute episode here:

-We are constantly being bombarded by new ideas, products, and people, each coming with its own test and trial. We live in an environment where our hearts are being attacked and require constant healing. What are you doing to protect your heart against this influx of challenges? Ibn Taymiyah was imprisoned and prevented from reading any books. He decided to dedicate his entire time in prison to reciting the Quran, and said about his experience, 'In this fortress of solitude and seclusion, God has opened up to me many of the Quran’s meanings. He has granted me a foundation in knowledge that so many other scholars wish they had. I regret wasting so much of my time with anything but the Quran!' (Faith First p. 16) Reflect on how busy you think you are and how that may have led you to neglect the Quran. -Our phones give us a weekly report of how we spend our time online. What if we had a similar report on our time with the Quran? Picture what your results would like. How would it reflect on us and how we are prioritizing our time? Just like a small activity accumulates into several hours at the end of the week, imagine how a daily appointment with the Quran would accumulate and impact us positively over weeks and months. PRACTICE -Come up with a list of the excuses you make that prevent you from reading the Quran every day. Write them down so you fully see them and are forced to articulate them. Think about these excuses and what it says about your priorities. -Make sincere duaa to Allah today that He help you establish a daily habit with the Quran, and that He plant in your heart love and attachment to the Quran. READ MORE (Faith First p. 160-167:

) In order to advance beyond just reciting the Quran with our tongue, you must be patient and persistent. Some hard work will be required - nothing ventured, nothing gained. As this chapter lays out the various recommendations that prepare you to be moved and shaken by the Quran, examine your motivations. Are you ready to stick to the plan and not give up at the first sign of resistance? The most essential component of the plan is an uncompromising commitment to a daily Quran habit. This daily appointment is indispensable to having a meaningful relationship with God’s revelation. In order for the Quran to have its effect, you must frequent your contact with it and increase the quality time you spend in its presence. Daily exposure to the Quran is as essential for your soul as sunlight is to your body. Giving up even one day of recitation has detrimental effects. Below are some of the effects of daily Quran: ***Daily Quran Keeps the Heart Firm: God says in the Quran, 'Say that the Holy Spirit has brought the Revelation with the Truth step by step from your Lord, to strengthen the believers and as guidance and good news to those who submit.'[16:102] The Quran is one of the greatest ways to attain firmness, as God says to the Prophet (s): 'So [Muhammad], We have told you the stories of the prophets to make your heart firm and in these accounts truth has come to you, as well as lessons and reminders for the believers.' [11:120] ***Daily Quran wards away doubts: On our long journey to God, we will certainly encounter some puzzling questions and obstacles to understanding (which are, in reality, due to our own biases and limitations). Our hearts may be confused by them, and we may consider compromising or even giving up on our goal reaching God. So part of the Quran’s role in our journey is to prevent these doubts from blocking our path. The Quran reassures us, reminds us of our limits, and exposes the flaws of our baseless skepticism. A regular dosage of the Quran keeps our vision clear and our hearts firmly grounded, as Allah says, 'Whenever they bring you an argument, We come to you with the right refutation and the best explanation.' [25:33] ***Daily Quran Reaffirms our Priorities: It can be easy to forget our foundational principles when we encounter adversity. How many times have we held assumptions about our own capabilities that proved wrong when put to the test? This is where a daily routine of reciting the Quran must come to play its role, for it reminds us to stay firm. When was the last time you were put under pressure, whether from your family, coworkers, or just your personal desires, to go against what you knew to be right? How many people do you know who engage in business practices that are dubious—or even outright forbidden— but absolve themselves of guilt by claiming that otherwise, they and their family would be out on the streets? . Perhaps if they came across this ayah sooner, they would have chosen to dedicate their lives to a job that would benefit them both now and in the afterlife: 'Say, 'If your parents and children and siblings and spouses and extended family and the wealth you have acquired and the trade you fear will decline and the homes you cherish— (if all these) are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and struggling in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about His Will. Allah does not guide the rebellious people.' (9:24)