Noha, I've been simmering on this piece (as I am wont to do) for a few days because I've been trying to put shape to what it planted in my mind. The rhythmic nature of the writing is, yes, beautiful — and I can't help but notice the parallels to something I experienced when I began exploring more historically grounded Christian traditions in my 20s. A bit of context: I grew up in what would be considered an offshoot, independent and very unstructured Christian church. Imagine pentecostal but more subdued; it had a loosely defined statement of faith but nothing rigid; it was a ripe playground for financial mishappenings because no one but the pastor saw the books. While I can understand why many people in the 80s and 90s (my parents among them) were drawn to a religious experience that had none of the ritualistic trappings (like structured days of fasting, repentance, daily and weekly prayers), I do think something was missing from the rhythms of our family life because it was so wide open and unstructured. In fact, I've had many religious friends in my life convert to Catholicism or Orthodox Christianity and talk about the "breath of fresh air" and the "weight lifted off their shoulders" — much of which I think is owed to the structure of religious life being reliable and creating a sense of communal, connective prayer.
In the context of your piece here (thank you for sticking with me!), I felt a certain resonance around the visual invitation to pause for prayer five times a day and to sink into the rhythms of life and also the rhythms of the intentional, heartfelt spoken word that prayer becomes. It helped me feel a sort of connection with you and to also wonder: what is prayer but a knocking on an invisible door? How often do we go through life and feel drawn to the invisible and unseen and long for a way to step even an inch closer? That invitation to knock intentionally really feels so full of potential to me, even as I'm not religiously affiliated anymore. I do feel as though when you and I pray we are knocking on that same invisible door. And it's just nice to know I'm in such good company.
Amanda, this comment really moved me. I completely understand what you're saying about the rigidity, because I resented it as a child. I wished I was in a loose, anything goes environment. As I've gotten older, I've realized that I need that structure. Every time I try to do something, my success depends highly on a certain amount of structure (learning - need a course, writing - need a platform, etc)
I'm also very interested in exploring the idea of communal / collective prayer, probably in a future essay of the salah series, or maybe in another way... We are actually taught that we get more rewards for praying in "jama'a" - aka congregation - than praying alone. I think the idea there is that we're stronger in community. It's much easier to rush through the prayer alone and not to feel connected to a group. That said, when I am dialed in and really feeling that connection to God, sometimes the individual prayer is so much more rewarding. I can read at a slower pace, spend more time in sujood - which is the most important position in the prayer where our heads are to the ground, and where we can essentially ask God for anything and really linger. All of that. I'm not on someone else's clock. It's a balance of the two I think, that really works.
The idea that only the pastor saw the books - I have to ask, do you mean the religious books, or the financial books? There's a huge opportunity for abuse of power in either case. Something I really value about my religious tradition is that we don't have to go through anyone to pray to God. We can, as I said, pray in congregation, and we can get advice from scholars, but our relationship is direct, and we're reading the book, the same book, that was sent at the time of the Prophet. Of course there are still clerics that are used by corrupt governments or groups to justify bad behaviour, because that is a tale as old as time...
I've rambled a lot but I just want to touch on the way you described prayer as knocking on an invisible door. I love that description so much. I spent so many years really sticking to making sure I "followed the rules logistically" but feeling so little. Now I try to balance the rule following (which adds that reliability) with the actual connecting. I do the ritual prayer, and read the Quran, but I also just talk to God. Just talk. The way I'd talk to a friend who I know really cares about me. And that combo seems to work for me on this continuum. I think we are knocking on the same door. I think God sees, hears, knows all, and I think he loves to have us knock. And that's beautiful to me.
Thank you for such a heartful reply! I love the idea of expanding your explorations around communal prayer in this series. I have a lot of interest in this especially as someone who doesn’t have a community to pray in and maybe wouldn’t want something in the formal sense … but maybe if it was … a little formal. Did you even follow any of that? ;-) We are knocking on the same door, Noha. I so appreciate that image.
Also to answer your question: the “books” I’m referencing were the financial books. Our church wasn’t really concerned about one translation of the Bible over another (Are translation politics a thing with the Quran?). And yes, it was a hugely abusive situation and lots of people were taken advantage of. If I ever write a work of fiction it will probably be largely based on my religious experiences and observations of adults behaving VERY badly. (They really underestimated how much I soaked in from a young age … to their own peril! 😂)
Lol I totally followed that... Re the books, thanks for clarifying. The reason I was asking, (and I realize now it sounded funny) is that there are stories, not so much of local mosques using clerics as a cover, but more of dictators and bad politicians using clerics as a cover for their bad behaviour. This is less about the translation from language to language and more about the interpretation of certain verses. So they might take verses out of context of the story they're about and then say "it's forbidden to not follow your rulers" - and the ruler is a dictator or completely corrupt, or "it's forbidden to protest" - all of that general using the church (or mosque) to abuse the trust of the people.
I would TOTALLY read that work of fiction, if you're looking for more motivation to write it 😅😅
Ahhh I see what you're describing. We have that in Christianity too. Everybody gets to put their spin on whatever they read, and it does open the doors to some bad actors. Also, duly noted on my fiction idea. 🫠 Your message made me pull up one of my "memory vaults" and while I was running through it, I thought a good title could be, "What I learned going to church" ... but it's all the adults setting very bad, sneaky, passive-aggressive, sometimes downright criminal examples... We'll see. Appreciate you and this thread!
@Noha Beshir ... what a beautiful explanation of prayer. I am neither Muslim nor Christian nor Jew. but feel a deep yearning for the connection that comes from the practice of prayer from an early age.
Read.
Such a simple command.
Poetry and prayer.
The elegance and gentleness of your words will stay with me.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. The ritual aspect of prayer and having it as a regular practice is a big part of the allure. It brings it alive from being just a concept to being ingrained in your daily life, and when you're feeling far from God, it pulls you closer again.
I don’t read the Bible as much k should, but I always come back to it faithfully. This piece makes me think about the power of community in family. How much stronger my faith would be if someone took the care to teach me to prioritize it. Social question- is there an an element of looking down on other Muslims who have not memorized the Quran. Like one is more devout if they know it by heart?
I totally agree with you that the community element strengthens it. Not sure that I was clear in the piece, but a lot of us did most of our memorization as kids, when our minds were still fresh and malleable. As in, whatever you memorized when you're little, that's what you know by heart. So I probably memorized up until about 13 regularly, then memorized at a much slower pace until maybe the middle of uni. After that point, I've memorized a verse here and there but not been at all consistent with it. The fact that you can't pray (perform Salah) without some Quran makes it so you have to know at least a handful of short chapters. And I mean short - some are nursery rhyme short and the verses are lyrical and follow a melody, so they're pretty easy.
In terms of devoutness, I haven't found any issues with people looking down on others (in fact, those who have the Quran memorized are usually the most soft spoken, humble people I know - I only have a little memorized). What I think we focus on more is reading regularly. Again, no one has looked down on me for not doing it, but it's definitely a judgment I make on myself. It's always extremely soothing when I do go back to it. Not sure if that answers the question? We're always taught that the only relationship we can assess is the one between ourselves and God, not anyone else's.
When I was a child I memorized many scriptures, mainly because we received little prizes for reciting them to the class. I learned them as if they were simply information, not knowing I would be reciting them from memory in front of a congregation some day. I receive great comfort just letting the poetry flow over me. I have turned many of these pieces memorized in times of challenge and injustice. When I am with people who are dying, or a family in the hospital, it creates room for a shared longing for God by having common words. Thanks for your reflections.
Todd, that experience really mirrors mine. A lot of my memorization in childhood was first at home, and then at Saturday school once there were enough of us in the city so that my mom actually worked with the Board of Education to start a Saturday school in Arabic and rented the rooms for a couple of extra hours after for religious studies. The verses I learned at a younger age are permanently ingrained in me. I open my mouth and they just flow out, like muscle memory, like riding a bike but with holy words.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences as well.
Me too, Todd. I love looking for and finding the commonalities. I remember reading somewhere that ISIS and the hard core alt-right folks have more in common with each other than either of them have with their supposed co-religionists, which is hilarious because they all hate each other so much. I suppose that would mean that those of us who are more spiritually focused and believe in compassion have more in common too. It's a comforting feeling.
Noha this is beautiful. Thank you for your generosity of explanation. I hold spiritual connections that are very personal to me rather than specifically aligned to a particular faith, but I find such riches in reading, learning and deepening understanding of a variety of faiths. The call to ‘read’ is so very poignant and powerful 🙏💕
Thanks so much, Emma. I've found that while my alignment is with one faith, I've done a lot of growing and reading on spiritual practices more recently and it's helped me understand certain things in my own faith at a deeper level instead of just the routine element of going through the motions at the surface of it. This is part of what I love about continually going back to visit a concept or an idea as I grow and evolve.
Noha! This was an incredible piece. And I couldn’t ever imagine that it would be of any value to people outside of the Muslim community but I’m stunned! The narration was beautiful and I absolutely loved every bit of it.
Beautiful, Noha. I've always admired the cultural practice of memorizing beautiful parts of the Quran -- I'm interested in learning more about the text in part because of the pure poetry of it. Thank you for this series.
Beautiful, Noha. I've always admired the cultural practice of memorizing beautiful parts of the Quran -- I'm interested in learning more about the text in part because of the pure poetry of it. Thank you for this series.
"The words are familiar every time you read them, and yet they are different. Because you have changed, they also take on new meaning."
Because YOU have changed. So much yes!
A friend told a story of how she chastised her elderly mother for not telling her certain things earlier in her life. Her mother said, "I did tell you. But, you weren't ready to listen."
Thank you for the openness and faith you bring here.
OMG that conversation!! Amazing. I know there’s a lot my mom told me that I thought I understood at a younger age but the meanings got so much deeper as my life experiences changed.
Thank you for sharing so beautifully. I think reading about other people's experience of faith is so sacred and illuminating as it means something so different to each of us yet for me too (a verging Buddhist) it has the same soft, nebular edges that I feel from this piece, that I think define everything sacred.
This is such a beautiful piece Noha, and timely for me as I start to read the Quran with increasing desire to connect with its poetry (via translation). Although I have a few Surahs memorized, I feel like the amount to learn from the Quran is daunting. I appreciate and connect with your writing here, glad to be a reader and to learn from your experiences!
Saalik, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I get the feeling of being daunted but really really, if you can, try to let that go. As long as you have enough Quran to pray with, which can be the same two surahs or few verses over and over, you are good!
Beyond that, my recommendation is just to continue exploring via translation, and to listen to Quran recitations that make you feel something (I usually aim for serenity or calm because I'm pretty highstrung and anxious). Have you read "The Clear Quran"? It's my go to English translation because the language is so accessible. Also, I love lectures by Imam Omar Suleiman that explore some Surahs or Ayas... they go deeper than I would naturally think to go by myself. This is the start of one of my favourite series by him that goes into the meaning behind the last few verses of Surah Al Furqan, which describes the characteristics of "Servants of the Most Merciful" - Ibaadul-rahman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kfDmMFWbMs
Thank you for this comment and this invitation. I'm committing to let that daunting feeling go. A dozen Surahs is a better starting point than nothing. 🙏🏽
And thank you for these recs, I will definitely be checking these out. I've been reading the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation, it really speaks to me. I would love to read "The Clear Quran" as well. Currently, I'm reading and re-reading Surah An-Noor. I'm interested to read Al-Ghazali's commentary on it (via his book The Niche of Lights) and hope to write something about it!
Being on sabbatical this year is such a gift, as I intend to read lots this Ramadan. Thank you again, glad to have found your work!
Thank you so much for this generous window into your prayer life, and for your invitation to share. The commandment to “Read” speaks so much to my heart. I adore reading mystical texts. I am in love with Attar’s “Conference of the Birds” and have read it multiple times in multiple translations. The poetry is divine and has given me such an appreciation for the Arabic poetic and mystic tradition and lineage. Attar’s expression of love for the Beloved is so inspiring and heartbreaking in a healing way. The other mystical text I return to over and over again which is also very poetic is the “Bhagavad Gita”. Krishna’s multifaceted description of the Unmanifest reveals more layers each read.
Definitely not different languages ... all English, but different translations to English which vary considerably so it helps me understand the essence more and pick up different nuances. Sholeh Wolpe’s translation of The Conference of the Birds is a work of art. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
I don’t have the mind/talent for learning multiple languages, and so admire people who do and so appreciate their genius that makes wisdom from around the world accessible.
I only know multiple languages because I was taught Arabic as a child at home and French as a child at school. My French is passable because I barely practice, but my Arabic is a bit stronger. My English is definitely the language I am best in. I can't imagine learning a new language now!
Surah al Rahman is so rhythmic, and the repeated verse is so poignant - so which of the favours of your Lord will you deny? When I stop to think about it I get shivers.
I also really love Surah Al-waqiya for it's rhythm, and the verses about the Servants of the Most Merciful (Ibaadul-Rahman) at the end of Surah Al-Furqan. Imam Omar Suleiman has an incredible lecture series about those verses that I loved so much..
-- Verses of Surah-Al-Infal (About how the remembrance of Allah affect the hearts of believers)
-- Surah Yousaf
-- Middle of Surah Asra
-- Last verses of Surah Kahaf
-- Verses of Surah Ta'ha --The prayer of Prophet Moses when he was about to embark on journey to talk to Pharaoh
-- Initial verses of Surah Hajj
-- Initial verses of Surah Momenoon where the qualities of people (who have found the true success) mentioned. And last verses of this surah. (Have we created you without any purpose?)
-- Verses of Surah Noor (Starting from -- Allah is the light of the heavens and earth
-- Last verses of Surah Al Furqan
-- Surah Luqman (Full of wisdom)-- especially the last verse
-- Surhan Yasin -- The heart of Quran
-- Surah Saa'faat -- I just love the way Allah acknowledges His prophets. Full of love and affection.
-- Surah Al-Rahman
-- Surah Al-Waqiya -- Where Allah mentions about the people who goes above and beyond. And how they get closer to Allah with their actions.
-- Last verses of Surah-Al-Hashar -- Beautiful name of Allah.
-- Surah Jummah
-- Last verses of Surah-Al-Munafiqoon
-- Last verses of Surah-Tahreem
-- Surah Mulak
-- Surah Nooh
-- Surah Muzammil
-- Surah Muddassir
-- Surah Aa'la
-- Surah Aduha
-- Surah Alam Nashrah
-- Surah Asar
-- Last ten Surahs
May Allah help us to learn Quran and understanding the meaning of it.
Noha, I've been simmering on this piece (as I am wont to do) for a few days because I've been trying to put shape to what it planted in my mind. The rhythmic nature of the writing is, yes, beautiful — and I can't help but notice the parallels to something I experienced when I began exploring more historically grounded Christian traditions in my 20s. A bit of context: I grew up in what would be considered an offshoot, independent and very unstructured Christian church. Imagine pentecostal but more subdued; it had a loosely defined statement of faith but nothing rigid; it was a ripe playground for financial mishappenings because no one but the pastor saw the books. While I can understand why many people in the 80s and 90s (my parents among them) were drawn to a religious experience that had none of the ritualistic trappings (like structured days of fasting, repentance, daily and weekly prayers), I do think something was missing from the rhythms of our family life because it was so wide open and unstructured. In fact, I've had many religious friends in my life convert to Catholicism or Orthodox Christianity and talk about the "breath of fresh air" and the "weight lifted off their shoulders" — much of which I think is owed to the structure of religious life being reliable and creating a sense of communal, connective prayer.
In the context of your piece here (thank you for sticking with me!), I felt a certain resonance around the visual invitation to pause for prayer five times a day and to sink into the rhythms of life and also the rhythms of the intentional, heartfelt spoken word that prayer becomes. It helped me feel a sort of connection with you and to also wonder: what is prayer but a knocking on an invisible door? How often do we go through life and feel drawn to the invisible and unseen and long for a way to step even an inch closer? That invitation to knock intentionally really feels so full of potential to me, even as I'm not religiously affiliated anymore. I do feel as though when you and I pray we are knocking on that same invisible door. And it's just nice to know I'm in such good company.
Amanda, this comment really moved me. I completely understand what you're saying about the rigidity, because I resented it as a child. I wished I was in a loose, anything goes environment. As I've gotten older, I've realized that I need that structure. Every time I try to do something, my success depends highly on a certain amount of structure (learning - need a course, writing - need a platform, etc)
I'm also very interested in exploring the idea of communal / collective prayer, probably in a future essay of the salah series, or maybe in another way... We are actually taught that we get more rewards for praying in "jama'a" - aka congregation - than praying alone. I think the idea there is that we're stronger in community. It's much easier to rush through the prayer alone and not to feel connected to a group. That said, when I am dialed in and really feeling that connection to God, sometimes the individual prayer is so much more rewarding. I can read at a slower pace, spend more time in sujood - which is the most important position in the prayer where our heads are to the ground, and where we can essentially ask God for anything and really linger. All of that. I'm not on someone else's clock. It's a balance of the two I think, that really works.
The idea that only the pastor saw the books - I have to ask, do you mean the religious books, or the financial books? There's a huge opportunity for abuse of power in either case. Something I really value about my religious tradition is that we don't have to go through anyone to pray to God. We can, as I said, pray in congregation, and we can get advice from scholars, but our relationship is direct, and we're reading the book, the same book, that was sent at the time of the Prophet. Of course there are still clerics that are used by corrupt governments or groups to justify bad behaviour, because that is a tale as old as time...
I've rambled a lot but I just want to touch on the way you described prayer as knocking on an invisible door. I love that description so much. I spent so many years really sticking to making sure I "followed the rules logistically" but feeling so little. Now I try to balance the rule following (which adds that reliability) with the actual connecting. I do the ritual prayer, and read the Quran, but I also just talk to God. Just talk. The way I'd talk to a friend who I know really cares about me. And that combo seems to work for me on this continuum. I think we are knocking on the same door. I think God sees, hears, knows all, and I think he loves to have us knock. And that's beautiful to me.
Thank you for such a heartful reply! I love the idea of expanding your explorations around communal prayer in this series. I have a lot of interest in this especially as someone who doesn’t have a community to pray in and maybe wouldn’t want something in the formal sense … but maybe if it was … a little formal. Did you even follow any of that? ;-) We are knocking on the same door, Noha. I so appreciate that image.
Also to answer your question: the “books” I’m referencing were the financial books. Our church wasn’t really concerned about one translation of the Bible over another (Are translation politics a thing with the Quran?). And yes, it was a hugely abusive situation and lots of people were taken advantage of. If I ever write a work of fiction it will probably be largely based on my religious experiences and observations of adults behaving VERY badly. (They really underestimated how much I soaked in from a young age … to their own peril! 😂)
Lol I totally followed that... Re the books, thanks for clarifying. The reason I was asking, (and I realize now it sounded funny) is that there are stories, not so much of local mosques using clerics as a cover, but more of dictators and bad politicians using clerics as a cover for their bad behaviour. This is less about the translation from language to language and more about the interpretation of certain verses. So they might take verses out of context of the story they're about and then say "it's forbidden to not follow your rulers" - and the ruler is a dictator or completely corrupt, or "it's forbidden to protest" - all of that general using the church (or mosque) to abuse the trust of the people.
I would TOTALLY read that work of fiction, if you're looking for more motivation to write it 😅😅
Ahhh I see what you're describing. We have that in Christianity too. Everybody gets to put their spin on whatever they read, and it does open the doors to some bad actors. Also, duly noted on my fiction idea. 🫠 Your message made me pull up one of my "memory vaults" and while I was running through it, I thought a good title could be, "What I learned going to church" ... but it's all the adults setting very bad, sneaky, passive-aggressive, sometimes downright criminal examples... We'll see. Appreciate you and this thread!
@Noha Beshir ... what a beautiful explanation of prayer. I am neither Muslim nor Christian nor Jew. but feel a deep yearning for the connection that comes from the practice of prayer from an early age.
Read.
Such a simple command.
Poetry and prayer.
The elegance and gentleness of your words will stay with me.
Hi Joyce,
I'm glad you enjoyed it. The ritual aspect of prayer and having it as a regular practice is a big part of the allure. It brings it alive from being just a concept to being ingrained in your daily life, and when you're feeling far from God, it pulls you closer again.
I don’t read the Bible as much k should, but I always come back to it faithfully. This piece makes me think about the power of community in family. How much stronger my faith would be if someone took the care to teach me to prioritize it. Social question- is there an an element of looking down on other Muslims who have not memorized the Quran. Like one is more devout if they know it by heart?
I totally agree with you that the community element strengthens it. Not sure that I was clear in the piece, but a lot of us did most of our memorization as kids, when our minds were still fresh and malleable. As in, whatever you memorized when you're little, that's what you know by heart. So I probably memorized up until about 13 regularly, then memorized at a much slower pace until maybe the middle of uni. After that point, I've memorized a verse here and there but not been at all consistent with it. The fact that you can't pray (perform Salah) without some Quran makes it so you have to know at least a handful of short chapters. And I mean short - some are nursery rhyme short and the verses are lyrical and follow a melody, so they're pretty easy.
In terms of devoutness, I haven't found any issues with people looking down on others (in fact, those who have the Quran memorized are usually the most soft spoken, humble people I know - I only have a little memorized). What I think we focus on more is reading regularly. Again, no one has looked down on me for not doing it, but it's definitely a judgment I make on myself. It's always extremely soothing when I do go back to it. Not sure if that answers the question? We're always taught that the only relationship we can assess is the one between ourselves and God, not anyone else's.
I love that. This answers it perfectly.
When I was a child I memorized many scriptures, mainly because we received little prizes for reciting them to the class. I learned them as if they were simply information, not knowing I would be reciting them from memory in front of a congregation some day. I receive great comfort just letting the poetry flow over me. I have turned many of these pieces memorized in times of challenge and injustice. When I am with people who are dying, or a family in the hospital, it creates room for a shared longing for God by having common words. Thanks for your reflections.
Todd, that experience really mirrors mine. A lot of my memorization in childhood was first at home, and then at Saturday school once there were enough of us in the city so that my mom actually worked with the Board of Education to start a Saturday school in Arabic and rented the rooms for a couple of extra hours after for religious studies. The verses I learned at a younger age are permanently ingrained in me. I open my mouth and they just flow out, like muscle memory, like riding a bike but with holy words.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences as well.
I love the image of letting the poetry flow through you. It's such a beautiful metaphor for that spiritual feeling of connection
same! Thanks so much for adding your thoughts, Daniela.
It makes me hopeful to find much in common between a Christian pastor and a Muslim writer. I'm enjoying following your writing.
Me too, Todd. I love looking for and finding the commonalities. I remember reading somewhere that ISIS and the hard core alt-right folks have more in common with each other than either of them have with their supposed co-religionists, which is hilarious because they all hate each other so much. I suppose that would mean that those of us who are more spiritually focused and believe in compassion have more in common too. It's a comforting feeling.
Noha this is beautiful. Thank you for your generosity of explanation. I hold spiritual connections that are very personal to me rather than specifically aligned to a particular faith, but I find such riches in reading, learning and deepening understanding of a variety of faiths. The call to ‘read’ is so very poignant and powerful 🙏💕
Thanks so much, Emma. I've found that while my alignment is with one faith, I've done a lot of growing and reading on spiritual practices more recently and it's helped me understand certain things in my own faith at a deeper level instead of just the routine element of going through the motions at the surface of it. This is part of what I love about continually going back to visit a concept or an idea as I grow and evolve.
Noha! This was an incredible piece. And I couldn’t ever imagine that it would be of any value to people outside of the Muslim community but I’m stunned! The narration was beautiful and I absolutely loved every bit of it.
Thank you so much Ayesha! That comment made my night.
Beautiful, Noha. I've always admired the cultural practice of memorizing beautiful parts of the Quran -- I'm interested in learning more about the text in part because of the pure poetry of it. Thank you for this series.
Beautiful, Noha. I've always admired the cultural practice of memorizing beautiful parts of the Quran -- I'm interested in learning more about the text in part because of the pure poetry of it. Thank you for this series.
Thank you so much Anderson. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Messages like this motivate me to write the next essays in the series
"The words are familiar every time you read them, and yet they are different. Because you have changed, they also take on new meaning."
Because YOU have changed. So much yes!
A friend told a story of how she chastised her elderly mother for not telling her certain things earlier in her life. Her mother said, "I did tell you. But, you weren't ready to listen."
Thank you for the openness and faith you bring here.
OMG that conversation!! Amazing. I know there’s a lot my mom told me that I thought I understood at a younger age but the meanings got so much deeper as my life experiences changed.
...as you've changed. :)
Thank you for sharing so beautifully. I think reading about other people's experience of faith is so sacred and illuminating as it means something so different to each of us yet for me too (a verging Buddhist) it has the same soft, nebular edges that I feel from this piece, that I think define everything sacred.
It really is beautiful - there is so much overlap - as Amanda Hinton said in another comment, we're all knocking on the same invisible door.
I really love that 😊
A beautiful essay, Noha!
Thank you, my friend.
This is such a beautiful piece Noha, and timely for me as I start to read the Quran with increasing desire to connect with its poetry (via translation). Although I have a few Surahs memorized, I feel like the amount to learn from the Quran is daunting. I appreciate and connect with your writing here, glad to be a reader and to learn from your experiences!
Saalik, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I get the feeling of being daunted but really really, if you can, try to let that go. As long as you have enough Quran to pray with, which can be the same two surahs or few verses over and over, you are good!
Beyond that, my recommendation is just to continue exploring via translation, and to listen to Quran recitations that make you feel something (I usually aim for serenity or calm because I'm pretty highstrung and anxious). Have you read "The Clear Quran"? It's my go to English translation because the language is so accessible. Also, I love lectures by Imam Omar Suleiman that explore some Surahs or Ayas... they go deeper than I would naturally think to go by myself. This is the start of one of my favourite series by him that goes into the meaning behind the last few verses of Surah Al Furqan, which describes the characteristics of "Servants of the Most Merciful" - Ibaadul-rahman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kfDmMFWbMs
Thank you for this comment and this invitation. I'm committing to let that daunting feeling go. A dozen Surahs is a better starting point than nothing. 🙏🏽
And thank you for these recs, I will definitely be checking these out. I've been reading the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation, it really speaks to me. I would love to read "The Clear Quran" as well. Currently, I'm reading and re-reading Surah An-Noor. I'm interested to read Al-Ghazali's commentary on it (via his book The Niche of Lights) and hope to write something about it!
Being on sabbatical this year is such a gift, as I intend to read lots this Ramadan. Thank you again, glad to have found your work!
Thank you so much for this generous window into your prayer life, and for your invitation to share. The commandment to “Read” speaks so much to my heart. I adore reading mystical texts. I am in love with Attar’s “Conference of the Birds” and have read it multiple times in multiple translations. The poetry is divine and has given me such an appreciation for the Arabic poetic and mystic tradition and lineage. Attar’s expression of love for the Beloved is so inspiring and heartbreaking in a healing way. The other mystical text I return to over and over again which is also very poetic is the “Bhagavad Gita”. Krishna’s multifaceted description of the Unmanifest reveals more layers each read.
Stacey that is so cool that you’ve read it in multiple languages!! I haven’t read enough that of these books but you’ve piqued my interest
Definitely not different languages ... all English, but different translations to English which vary considerably so it helps me understand the essence more and pick up different nuances. Sholeh Wolpe’s translation of The Conference of the Birds is a work of art. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
oh ha! well thank you for clarifying that - makes it a little less terrifying 😂😂
And thanks for the recommendation too. It'll be easier to look up a specific recommendation.
I don’t have the mind/talent for learning multiple languages, and so admire people who do and so appreciate their genius that makes wisdom from around the world accessible.
I only know multiple languages because I was taught Arabic as a child at home and French as a child at school. My French is passable because I barely practice, but my Arabic is a bit stronger. My English is definitely the language I am best in. I can't imagine learning a new language now!
I think of Iqra too...how, if people learnt to read, they would understand more.
Surah Rahman is one of the most poetic...in its structure, with the images.
Surah al Rahman is so rhythmic, and the repeated verse is so poignant - so which of the favours of your Lord will you deny? When I stop to think about it I get shivers.
I also really love Surah Al-waqiya for it's rhythm, and the verses about the Servants of the Most Merciful (Ibaadul-Rahman) at the end of Surah Al-Furqan. Imam Omar Suleiman has an incredible lecture series about those verses that I loved so much..
The images, the way they’re put together, and juxtaposed, make it poetic. Aaah, it’s my favourite to start the day.
If I may add more (from my own experience):
-- Last verses of Surah-Al- Baqarah
-- Verses of Surah-Al-Infal (About how the remembrance of Allah affect the hearts of believers)
-- Surah Yousaf
-- Middle of Surah Asra
-- Last verses of Surah Kahaf
-- Verses of Surah Ta'ha --The prayer of Prophet Moses when he was about to embark on journey to talk to Pharaoh
-- Initial verses of Surah Hajj
-- Initial verses of Surah Momenoon where the qualities of people (who have found the true success) mentioned. And last verses of this surah. (Have we created you without any purpose?)
-- Verses of Surah Noor (Starting from -- Allah is the light of the heavens and earth
-- Last verses of Surah Al Furqan
-- Surah Luqman (Full of wisdom)-- especially the last verse
-- Surhan Yasin -- The heart of Quran
-- Surah Saa'faat -- I just love the way Allah acknowledges His prophets. Full of love and affection.
-- Surah Al-Rahman
-- Surah Al-Waqiya -- Where Allah mentions about the people who goes above and beyond. And how they get closer to Allah with their actions.
-- Last verses of Surah-Al-Hashar -- Beautiful name of Allah.
-- Surah Jummah
-- Last verses of Surah-Al-Munafiqoon
-- Last verses of Surah-Tahreem
-- Surah Mulak
-- Surah Nooh
-- Surah Muzammil
-- Surah Muddassir
-- Surah Aa'la
-- Surah Aduha
-- Surah Alam Nashrah
-- Surah Asar
-- Last ten Surahs
May Allah help us to learn Quran and understanding the meaning of it.
I love this list and I agree. So many of these are beautiful - thank you for reminding me of these verses. Aameen Aameen
I felt so welcomed in by this piece. Educational and accessible. I felt like I was talking to you as I read
Robert that is the highest of compliments! Thank you thank you thank you!
Thank you for shining the light, Noha! xo
So glad you enjoyed, Sandra!