Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." - Al Qur'an [39:53]

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Tajweed Resources

In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

The following resources are a compiled set of diagrams, poetry, and virtual Qurans that will assist you in learning Tajweed.

Diagrams of Articulation Points (Arabic):

Diagram of Tajweed Rules (Arabic):


The Jazariyyah (Tajweed) Poem:


Virtual Qurans (Translations, Interpretations, Tajweed, etc):


Saturday, December 5, 2009

Quran Memorization Assignments

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

Assignments are updated regularly on this post. When practicing the verses or reviewing them, be sure to follow the audios provided on the Quran Memorization Tips page to avoid repeating Tajweed mistakes and to make memorizing the verses easier. To speed up this process, you will be assigned short numbers of verses (typically 3-5) per session. As you improve, assignments will gradually increase to one half, and perhaps, a whole page. You may also visit the Virtual Quran website to read the Quran online while listening to the recitor. Remember to keep the translation of the verses in mind.

12 August 2010
Surat Al-Baqarah, Verses 206-210

17 August 2010
Surat Al-Baqarah, Verses 211-213

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions; feel free to post them here.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Learn the Language of the Quran


In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

Institute of the Language of the Quran is an institution based in Toronto, Canada. This website's aim is to educate those interested in the Language of the Quran and includes downloadable videos and books in English, Arabic, and Urdu.

Another great website is the Cresent Quran Corpus which outlines the word-for-word translations of the Quran, illustrates its syntactical structure, and provides an Arabic dictionary for the terminology of the Quran.

Both websites can also be found in the links at the top of the page.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions; feel free to post them here.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Ayman Suaid's Tajweed Videos

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

Below is a playlist of Ayman Suaid's Tajweed series on the Iqra' channel. It is entirely in the Arabic language. For those interested in keeping consistent with his lessons and need translations, feel free to leave a post stating so.


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Quran Memorization Tips

In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

Apart from the infamous "practice, practice, and practice!" advice, there are many other ways you can retain what you've memorized in this class. Here are a few tips and ideas that may help (have a copy of the Quran with you, we'll be going over a few examples):

Understand the Meaning:

Pay attention to the meaning of the verses. Outline the occurrences or course of events in the story, the characters, the location, the time, etc. Jot down these along with key words that will help you remember the order of the story on a piece of paper, practice the verses while going down the list to help you remember.
For an example, verses 30-37 in Surat Al-Baqarah outline the event of the creation of Adam (a.s.). My outline can look something like this:

The characters: Who is involved?

- Allah (swt)
- Adam (a.s.)
- The Angels
- Iblis (Satan)
- Hawa (Adam's wife)

The Location: Where is this taking place?

- Heaven (Jannah)
- Earth (Al-Ard)

The Course of Events: What is happening / taking place?

- Allah (swt) tells the angels that He is creating a successor/leader/vicegerent (Adam).
- Angels ask if this creation (Adam) will cause mischief and shed blood.
- Allah (swt) replies "I know that which you do not".
- continued...

Of course this would not be of much use to those who do not know Arabic in order to remember what the verses are in the Quran. Don't worry, you have other options!

Look for Patterns:

Pay attention to verses and stories that are repeated. Verses 32-35 in Surat Al-Baqarah is another good example, all of the verses begin similarly:

32 - Qaloo (They said)
33 - Qaala (He said)
34- Wa Ith Qulna (And when We said)
35- Wa Qulna (And We said)

Take verses 40, 47, 122 in Surat Al-Baqarah. Two of the verses are exactly identical, one is very similar. Or verses 47-48 and verses 122-123 in Surat Al-Baqarah. This helps a lot, but confuses just as equally. You can try to focus on the characters or the minute changes instead in these instances to avoid that confusion.

Visualize the Quran :

While reading and memorizing the Quran, pay close attention to the locations of the verses on the page. Take mental shots of the verses in the Quran and close your eyes when you recite it. Your goal is to memorize the page exactly as it is, being able to reference the verse numbers and recall the page so that you can read it off from your memory.

Listen and Repeat:

Listen to audio clips of your favorite reciter and repeat with her/him. Open up the page you are memorizing and play the clip at the same time, read along with the reciter. Test classmates, not only do they get practice, but hearing them several times alone can help you memorize as well. You can also download MP3's of the audio from online at IslamWay or listen to the Quran Radio by visiting the link on this blog.

Suggestions for reciters: Mahmoud Al-Husary, AbdulBasit AbdusSamad, Tawfiq AsSaaigh, Muhammad Jibreel.



Practice and Review:

Probably one of the most important means of memorizing the Holy Quran. Review the passages by reading them after Salah or reciting them during your Salah. Students in this class will be paired up with a partner for practice tests and reviews as well. Oh and of course: Practice, Practice, and Practice! :)

Have any suggestions, tips, advice? Feel free to share by commenting on this post!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Quran Memorization Program

In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

* Click on image to view in full.
Description

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): “The man amongst us used to learn no more than ten verses till he knew their meaning and acted upon them.” - Tafsir At-Tabari, volume 1, Page 80.

The Quran Memorization Program aims to provide a systematic approach to memorizing the Holy Quran as well as its comprehension and implementation. Using the Quran and various Islamic texts which include the Tafsir and Hadiths associated to the passages assigned, students will be able to retain the information through continuous memorization, review, tests, and exams that will be drawn from the materials covered in the program.

Organization

The first class will begin with readings from the Tafsir and Hadiths pertaining to the verses assigned. Students will then be given 30-45 minutes to memorize the verses and paired with other classmates for practice testing. Tajweed of the students will also be reviewed to ensure correct recitation. Prior to the beginning of the next class, students will be tested and the Tafsir and Hadith for the next verses will be introduced. This format may change to accommodate students.

Texts Used

- The Holy Quran
- Interpretation of the Meanings the Noble Quran (Hilali/Khan)
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir
- Sahih Al-Bukhari
- Sahih Al-Muslim


Requirements:

Must be proficient in reading the Holy Quran in Arabic.
Some knowledge of Tajweed preferable.
Must abide by rules of conduct.

Required Supplies

Notebook
Pencil/Pen

Resources

Memorization Tips
Virtual Quran
Quran Database
*
Compared Translations*
Hadith Database
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
Jazariyyah Tajweed Poem

Rules of Conduct

- To avoid distraction, arrive to class on time and stay for the entire class period (or until dismissed).

- All cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off (or on vibrate).

- Laptops are allowed for (quiet) note taking only: checking personal e-mail or browsing the Internet are prohibited.

- Food and beverages are NOT permitted in the musala.

- If a student misses a class, she is responsible for inquiring material covered in class from a fellow classmate.

- Talking and other disruptive behaviors are not permitted while classes are in session.

- Students are expected to do work for all assignments, including quizzes and exams.

- Students are responsible for their own conduct and all cases of dishonesty (e.g. cheating) will not be tolerated and will result in suspension from the program.


Grading

Grading will be based on weekly quizzes and monthly exams. The written tests will consist of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and/or essay questions drawn from the material covered in class from the Quran, Tafsir, and Hadith. The oral tests will be drawn mainly from the Quran and may also include material from both Tafsir and Hadith.

Tentative Schedule

The Quran Memorization Program will begin August 11th on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. until further notice. During Ramadan, the time will move to 4:00-6:00 p.m. and return to the original schedule after Eid. Schedule of assigned verses, quizzes, and exams will be posted shortly.

* Subscribe or follow group to receive email notifications on upcoming events and schedule changes.

* For registration forms, email alurwat.alwuthqa@gmail.com

* Visit the Translations of the Holy Quran page for more details on which translations are more reliable and accurate (coming soon!).