We all know that we should pray tahajjud, aka qiyaam-ul-layl. It's well established in the deen that this is a very, very rewarding thing to do (but it's not fard, so don't sweat it if you're not doing it). Some motivational factors for this include:

• The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) used to pray Qiyaam-ul-Layl until his legs swelled. When asked why--since Allah has forgiven all his past and future sins, he said: Should I not be a grateful slave? [Agreed Upon]
• Do you have goals you're trying to achieve? Is there something you really, really want? Are you willing to pray Qiyam and cry in front of Allah for it? Because nothing will turbo-charge your success like Qiyam.
• On the day of Judgment, Allah will ask about YOUR salah. If it's not 100% perfect, He will not even LOOK at your other deeds. BUT! If your Fard salaah is not perfect, Allah will patch it up with your nafl and sunnah prayers--including Qiyaam-ul-Layl. [There's a hadith related to this recorded in the collection of At-Tabari]

So what are some creative, unorthodox, unusual timers you use to wake you up? Share it in the comments! Some of the one's I've seen (that are effective) are:

1. Crying Babies: If there's a young child in your family (under two years), chances are they wake up crying in the night. Take advantage of this--get up and pray!
2. Bad Dreams: In one narration, the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said that if you have a bad dream, you should wake up and pray. Shaytan will get discouraged from sending you more bad dreams--because it's resulting in you doing MORE good deeds!
3. Drink Water: Drink lots of water--about a liter. You will FOR SURE have to wake up to use the washroom in the night. Make wudoo' while you're at it!

What are some other creative, useful, effective methods you use to wake up for Qiyaam?

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I write these words not as one who has any superiority over you , whether in knowledge or deeds. I do not say these words to you as your parent or your teacher. I speak to you as your brother. Your brother, who was sitting amongst you just yesterday. Ask Mahmood, ask Abdulwahid , ask 'Umer , 'Umair, Rizwaan , Tawseef , Raza , Yasin. Ask all of them and ask those whom I failed to mention: Was I not sitting in the exact same spot that you are sitting in these days ? They will all reply in the affirmative. So I write these words to you not as someone distant, but as someone amongst you... one of you.

Ya Shaab al Islaam! Think about why you are here , ask yourself and ask yourself again. And I mean why are you physically present, why are you breathing, why does your heart beat, why unlike any other creature , can hear these words and intelligently decipher them into clear and concise thoughts? You know the answers to these questions because you've heard them before. You already know that Allah (swt) says " I have not created the Jinn and the Ins except to Worship Me." But have we ever actually arrived at these conclusions ourselves ? Have we utilized these facilities of hearing , seeing and understanding to come to this Absolute truth? The answer is that most of us have not... so when you hear these words tonight, do not let someone else think for you, but pay close attention and use the blessings bestowed upon you by Allah to come to your own conclusion.

To start off Alhamdulillah , you are all Muslim. You are all of those who proclaim the Kalimah of Tawheed. Laa Illaha Il Allah. You were taught it when you were young, and by default you have it memorized by heart. But do you know the weight that these four words carry. These are the same words that each and every Prophet was sent down to spread, the same words that saved Yunus (as) from the whale, the same words that if they are put up against everything in the universe on a scale , the former would outweigh the latter. However this Kalimah cannot just be paid lip-service to; it has rights and responsibilities... So learn these rights of Laa Illah Ill Allah. This is not a joke . It wasn't just idle talk when the Prophet (saw) taught us that this Kalimah is the prerequisite to enter Jannah.

Allah (swt) says in the Quraan:

"Has not the time come for the hearts of the believers to engage in the dikr of Allah ? "

My Brothers and Sisters , Allah is directly asking you a question to ponder over it. The Quraan is collecting dust right in front of you while Allah has said it is Hudallil Mutaqeen "Guidance for those who have Taqwa". Take it as your criterion. Use it as your reference. Study it and benefit from this miracle in times of ease so that it may be your companion in times of hardship. By Allah , and believe my words, when your hearts are shook, and you are experiencing real difficulty. It is only the words of Allah that will bring solace and comfort to your soul.

Take care of those who have rights over you, especially your parents. Honour them and treat them well. Cherish the fact that they are with you and take advantage of their wisdom.

Honour the masjid and be frequent in your visitation to it. Know that there are some who would do anything to just be able to pray 2 rak'ah, in the same spot that a lot of you are praying in right now.

Set goals and prepare for tomorrow. Prepare for the day when you will meet your Lord all alone. Think about this for a second.  Visualize what will happen. All the "halla gulla" of this dunya will be a distant thing. None of it will matter. They only currency in your hand will be your deeds even some of these will be taken away by those whom you abused, backbit or slandered in this dunya.

Take care of your body and health. Eat modestly and stay healthy. Be grateful for all the variety of foods that are available to you. Again, think of those who are right round you, but cannot regularly nourish themselves with a proper meal. Think about the millions who go to sleep hungry. Have you EVER in your life experienced that – having to sleep on an empty stomach because there is nothing to eat? NO, we can always go to the kitchen fridge and find something... anything to fill the stomach even if it doesn't taste great. Do shukr to Allah for this blessing before its taken away from you.

This leads to my final piece of Naseeha. My dear Brothers and Sisters,  Wake up and stop wasting your time. Remember, there is a reason why Allah (swt) created you. Distance yourself from laziness and be of a benefit to others. Stop living in a state of unawareness, for you don't know how things can change in a blink of an eye. You have a role to play in the Ummah... so discover that role, Whatever it is, and work towards it.

"Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning , yet they turn away in heedlessness."

If you're not already, visit Toronto18.com to make a difference in the lives of these young men and their families. May Allah grant them and their families sabr.

عن انس قال النبي ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏لا يؤمن ‏ ‏أحدكم حتى أكون أحب إليه من والده وولده والناس أجمعين ‏

Anas radi Allahu anhu narrated that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "None of you truly believes (has emaan) until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child and all of mankind." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Loving the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam is a part of emaan, and Allah ta'ala has made it obligatory for us to love the Messenger alayhi salaam. Why? It is because loving the Prophet shows that you love Allah. It is because Allah sent him sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam that we are Muslims. There should be no one in this world more beloved to us than Allah and His Messenger.

We all claim to love the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam with our tongues, but do our actions show this?

When we love someone, how do we act? We want to be just like them. We think about them a lot. Whenever we remember them, we become happy. Their words comfort us. Their actions teach us. We love to hear about them all the time.

Do you really love the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam? Do you practice his sunnah? Do you read his words? Do you learn from his teachings? Do you read about his life? Do you defend him? Do you spread his message? alayhi Salaatu Rabbuna wa Salaam!

There are so many stories displaying the love of the sahaba for the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam that we can regurgitate them all, because we have memorized them and not internalized them.

Here are some stories of non-human living beings that loved him alayhi salaam based on a lecture by Shaykh AbdulBary Yahya, "things" that loved the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam more than we do!

The Tree Stump

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah radi Allahu anhu: The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam used to stand by a tree or a date-palm on Friday. Then an Ansari woman or man said. "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we make a pulpit for you?" He replied, "If you wish." So they made a pulpit for him and when it was Friday, he proceeded towards the pulpit (for delivering the sermon). The date-palm cried like a child! The Prophet descended (the pulpit) and embraced it while it continued moaning like a child being quietened. The Prophet said, "It was crying for (missing) what it used to hear of religious knowledge given near to it."
Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma narrated: The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam used to deliver his sermons while standing beside a trunk of a datepalm. When he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. The trunk started crying and the Prophet went to it, rubbing his hand over it (to stop its crying).

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam used to stand by a stem of a date-palm tree (while delivering a sermon). When the pulpit was placed for him we heard that stem crying like a pregnant she-camel till the Prophet got down from the pulpit and placed his hand over it.

These ahadeeth are classified as mutawaatir, meaning so many sahaba narrated it that it cannot be fabricated. The different narrations show that they all witnessed it in the masjid. This is a miracle of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and the narrations of the sahaba are all authentic, found in Bukhari and Muslim. This tree trunk, which seems like a lifeless being to us, is actually alive and was so affected by the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah ta'ala says the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam is a "rahmatan lil 'aalameen", a Mercy for all that exists, and we see this in how he comforted this stump. Imagine the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam soothing and hugging this tree stump!

Mount Uhud

Narrated Anas radi Allahu anhu: Allah's Apostle sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam ascended the (mountain) of Uhud with Abu Bakr and 'Uthman and it shook. Allah's Apostle said, "Be calm, O Uhud!" I think he stroked it with his foot and added, "There is none on you but a Prophet, a Siddiq and two martyrs." (Bukhari)

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam was traveling one time: "and when Uhud was within sight, he said: This is the mountain which loves us and we love it." (Muslim)

This is a mountain, made up of rocks and stones, yet we are made of flesh and have been given hearts that beat...do we love the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam as this mountain? Do we shake like this mountain out of love for him?

A Stone

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “I know a stone in Makkah that used to salute (give salaams) me before I received the revelation, I still know it now." (Muslim)

How often do we salute/send salawaat on the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam? The Prophet knew this stone, and if we send salawaat on him, especially on Fridays, they will be presented to him from us.

A Tree

Narrated by Ya'la ibn Murrah ath-Thaqafi radi Allahu anhu said, "one time we were walking with the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and he stopped at a place to spend the night. When the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam went to sleep, a tree uprooted itself and came to the Prophet and enveloped him. When the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam woke up, he said: 'this is a tree that when it saw the Prophet, it asked Allah to give salaams to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and Allah gave it permission.'" (Musnad Ahmad, Tabarani and Bayhaqi: Saheeh)

Do we ask to see the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam in our dreams? Yet a tree is asking to send salaams on the Prophet alayhi salaatu wa salaam.

These are not the only stories mentioned in the sunnah and witnessed by the Companions. Let us strive more to love the Prophet alayhi salaatu wa salaam: learn about his life, read about his companions, act upon his authentic statements and teachings, send salawaat upon him and defend him, alayhi salaatu wa salaam.

May Allah ta'ala shower His peace and blessings upon our Messenger, and fill our hearts with love for Him and his messenger, bless us to see him in our dreams and to grant us his companionship in Jannatul Firdaws, Ameen.

The two most common names for the Book of Allah are: Qur'an and Kitaab.

We learn when studying the Qur'an that even the words chosen are a revelation from Allah with divine wisdom. So, in that case, what do these two names mean and what is the difference between them?

The word 'Qur'an' is said to be from two roots, one of them qaaf-ra-hamza, this root qara'a means to recite. So Qur'an would be: the Recital.

On the other hand, the word 'Kitaab' is from kaaf-ta-ba which means something that is written.

If we look in the Qur'an, we see that Allah ta'ala uses different words to point to it:

ذَ‌ٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ

That is the book! (2:2)

إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ

Indeed this Qur'an. (27:76)

Why does Allah azza wa jal use 'thaalika' for Kitaab and 'haatha' for Qur'an?

Thaalika is a word that is used to point to something far. The meaning of kitaab again is something WRITTEN, and the Kitaab's ultimate written location is Lawh al Mahfoodh (The Preserved Tablet) with Allah ta'ala, so Allah ta'ala uses thaalika to point to it because it is with Him above the seven heavens.

Haatha is used to point to something that is close. The meaning of Qur'an is something that is recited, the recitation is taking place HERE, so Allah ta'ala uses a closer pointing word.

How about this ayah?

وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ

and this is a Book. (6:92) Allah ta'ala uses haatha (the close pointing word) for Kitaab. This is one place in the Qur'an where Allah ta'ala uses haatha to point to the Kitaab...What's the connection?

At the time of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, the Qur'an was not written as a book that we have nowadays...but of course Allah azza wa jal KNEW it would be in a book form one day, so He azza wa jal said: this book, pointing to it as if it was close.

But to keep the rank and status of the Qur'an, and to dispel any doubts that it was written by a man, Allah ta'ala says right after:

وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ

And this is a Book, We have sent it down. (6:92)

SubhanAllah!

Why did Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) create seasons? All of this--snow, leaves changing, hot summer days and freezing winter nights. In some countries--like Canada, and the US--you have places where Isha time starts around 11pm, or 12am (midnight), and Fajr starts arond 2-3am! You also have days where Isha starts at 6pm, and Fajr starts around 7am.

What can we learn from this?

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) gives this away when he narrates: "Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) made the night short so you can pray, and the day short so you can fast."

Think about it! Have you ever fasted those long, hot summer days--days that are a shadow of the Day of Resurrection? Sure you have! But what about praying Tahajjud, when the night lasts only 3-4 hours? That's easy! You don't even have to sleep and wake up, you can even stay up a couple of hours and enter the blessed last third of the night, when Ar-Rahman (سبحانه وتعالى) descends!

But try praying Qiyam the long, cold winter nights. It's tough--Isha is at 6pm. By the time you get home, eat, relax, etc. it's already almost 11pm or midnight; try waking up early and you can't! But how about fasting the short winter days, when the fast lasts only 8-9 hours? Easy! (Getting up a bit earlier to pray Tahajjud before Fajr is easy, too!)

So fast the short winter days, and pray in the long summer days--these are the two extremities where times are short and the deeds are easy.

And it's not a loophole--Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) designed the universe like this for this exact reason! It's in the above hadith! So take advantage of it!

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) allow us to become people of Tahajjud and Sawm and to get these deeds accepted by Him throughout our lives, ameen!

Who is he?

He is your biggest enemy Satan, out from his imprisonment, ready to mislead and take revenge from the sons and daughters of Adam. He wouldn't stop until he carries all of us with him to the hell fire. He hates all of us. Let us study his profile:

• He is working 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No rest. Non stop. He is plotting and working against YOU all the time even while you are sleeping, eating, drinking, praying, having fun - all of the time. Find out how you can protect yourself from him while sleeping (see hadith#530)
• He has experience of thousands and thousands of years working full time to deceive and mislead the humanity.
• He has his whole army waging WAR against the mankind
• He has a dedicated battlefield where he distracts people and causes lots of fitnah. This is the marketplace and this is why reciting this dua has many rewards
• He and his army attack you from all directions not just through navy, airforce and ground forces and their weapons are even more deadlier than machine guns, F16s, submarines and what not
• Lets look at some of the case studies to analyze his techniques, patterns and war strategies:
  • His first clients were our own great grand father Adam (AS) and mother Hawa(AS) when he was able to trick them into eating from the forbidden tree. How did he manage to do it? Did he just told them to eat from the tree? No, but rather he exploited the weaknesses and desires of the humans. He made them false promises
  • Fast forward 10 generations from Adam and we see this enemy working again to mislead people from the worship of one Allah.  Following upon the death of their righteous men, Satan inspired their people to erect statues in the places where they used to sit. They did this, but these statues were not worshiped until the coming generations deviated from the right way of life. Then they worshipped them as their idols.
  • The story of the worshipper Barsisa where he mislead him one step at a time each time bringing him closer to shirk. This pious worshipper who spent his entire life worshipping Allah finally fall into the traps of Satan and prostrated to him!
  What do we learn from these case studies? Observe how is very clever in deceiving people, exploiting the desires and weaknesses, giving false promises and hopes, beautifying the wrong deeds, make the right seem wrong and making the wrong seem right! Most of them his victims don't even realized that they are being deceived and tricked by Iblees and his army
• His techniques can be grouped into seven levels

Knowing all this, wouldn't you want to take him as your enemy, wouldn't you want to fight against him and his army, give him the black eye. Inshallah in the next post, we will expose this enemy even further.

"On the Day of Judgment, the Qur'an and its people who used to act by it in the world shall be brought, being lead by Surat ul-Baqarah and Al-e-Imraan, which shall be arguing on behalf of their companions." (Reported by Muslim)

We all strive to become a companion of the Qur'an, but who are its true companions? The companions of the Qur'an are those who studied it, memorized it, implemented it and lived by it. It is not possible, in the least bit, for one to become a companion of the Qur'an and not know Arabic. Learning the language is the starting point of a life long journey with the Qur'an. Allah ta'ala chose this blessed language, as He states 11 times throughout the Qur'an: "A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail as an Arabic Qur'an, for people who know." (41:3), "An Arabic Qur'an, without any crookedness, so that they may have Taqwa." (39:28), "We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an, in order that you may gain understanding." (12:2).

For those who do not know the language of the Qur'an, they will be deprived of its true sweetness, of its blessings and most importantly, understanding the words of Allah ta'ala. It is a cause of much grief and sadness to know that the majority of our ummah has lost the connection with the Book of Allah because the language has been lost, as the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Allah raises up peoples by this Book, and puts down by it others." (Saheeh Muslim) We have abandoned this book, and the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam will testify to Allah ta'ala on the day of judgment: "And the Messenger will say, O my Rabb, indeed my people deserted this Qur'an!" (25:30)

The righteous companions and scholars of the past have testified to the importance of learning this language and they themselves, who were native Arab speakers, were concerned with studying this language. Umar radi Allahu anhu said, "Learn Arabic for it is a part of your deen." (Iqtidaa' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 2/207) It is also reported that Ubay ibn Ka'b radi Allahu anhu said, "Learn Arabic just as you learn to memorize the Qur'an." (Ibn Abî Shaybah, Al-Musannaf Vol.7 p150)

Many of us want to take the proper steps to learn Arabic, but do not know where to start. What is the solution? Where do we begin? The best option is to study overseas, however many of us do not have that option to learn Arabic, so inshaAllah we'll cover in this article some easy steps one can take to begin the process of learning Qur'anic Arabic if they cannot travel to do so.

Before these steps are mentioned, a few points need to be raised:

1. First and foremost, we have to purify our intentions for the sake of Allah ta'ala. We learned from Imam Suhaib in Sacred Scrolls that ibn Qayyim rahimahullah said the scholars and righteous of the past would always ask themselves two questions before doing a deed, one of them was "li ma?", "for what/why?". So ask yourself: why do you want to learn Arabic? Is it to be known by the people, to be called a student of knowledge, to speak Arabic in the masjid lobby, or is it for the sake of Allah, to understand His words and implement them? Remember that the first person thrown in hell-fire will be the scholar.
2. Seek help from Allah ta'ala Alone. Not even the greatest Arabic book or teacher can help you if Allah ta'ala does not will it for you. The believers have been given the most powerful weapon of duaa, so use it and ask Allah for assistance. "When you ask, then ask Allah, and when you seek help, then seek help in Allah." (Tirmidhi)
3. You must remove from your mind the notion that learning Arabic is difficult…because guess what, if you think it's difficult then it will be! Allah ta'ala states FOUR times in surah Qamar that He has made this Qur'an easy. Learning this language is indeed something great and tedious, and will need a lot of time and effort put into it, but do not set yourself up with having negative thoughts. Whenever we intend to do an action for the sake of Allah azza wa jal, we are immediately tested. Why? Because it is a purification process; fitnah literally means the act of purifying gold with fire. So these tests purify the fools gold from the real stuff. Do not get discouraged if you face difficulties, but rather remind yourself of how the gold will look after it is put through the burning flames: pure, clean and shining. Remind yourself of how sweet it will be to finally understand everything that is being recited in prayer, instead of counting how many patterns are on the masjid carpet.
4. Understand your goal, and have a clear vision. Why do you want to learn Arabic? If your goal is just to learn Arabic to speak in a modern dialect, then the Qur'an will not assist you. But if your goal is to understand the Qur'an and increase in your attachment, then learning Arabic will greatly assist you inshaAllah. We have to realize that different intentions require different approaches. Our goal for this article is to focus on Qur'anic Arabic only. The best recommendation any teacher can give you is to limit yourself to the Qur'an first. By focusing on the Qur'an, you will be able to reinforce what you have learned during salah, memorization, reviewing and reading.
5. Constantly make tawbah and refrain from sins. In the famous poem of Imam Shafi'i rahimahullah, we learn that knowledge is a light and Allah does not give this light to sinners. The Qur'an is a pure book and can only be carried in a pure container, so always purify yourself and refrain from sins so that you can retain this knowledge and increase in it.

Where do I start?

Everyone has different opinions on where to begin the journey of learning the language, so I will only mention what has helped myself and others I know and inshaAllah the discussion can continue in the comments. Learning Arabic has two main steps. Firstly, learning grammar and secondly, learning vocabulary. A student can either begin with grammar first, and then move on to vocabulary or study both at the same time.

Grammar in any language is a huge subject, and in Arabic, grammar is definitely the foundation, so it is best to study grammar with a teacher. Once a student receives a good hold of grammar, they can continue studying by themselves. If there is absolutely no way they can study with a teacher, inshaAllah I will be listing some books and resources that can be used instead. Many books that teach grammar use some hard core terminology that most of us have never even heard of, like transitive, superlative, or imperative, which can be hard for some beginner students to follow. On the bright side, once you have grammar down, everything else is easier. By learning grammar, one will be able to break down a sentence before understand what is being said…just by looking at it! This may seem odd for us English speakers, because we don't have this in our language. Grammar, with dedication and effort, can take as little as a few months to really grasp.

Vocabulary on the other hand is long term and takes memorization, reading and researching. Realize this fact: no matter how much we study, we can never learn all the words of the Arabic language. It is next to impossible. Gaining vocabulary can be done in several ways, but the most helpful way is to read and study the Qur'an itself, and use some supplementary resources to guide you.

So now we know where to start: grammar and vocabulary.

How?

Grammar

If one is able to take local classes for grammar, then this would be the best. If not, alhamdulillah we have many resources that one can use for self-study. There is no excuse nowadays to NOT learn the Qur'an or Arabic. Even if you're in Antarctica, if you have an internet connection, you can learn. So here are some online institutes that are available to students:

Foundation for Knolwedge and Development - Institute based in New York

Institute of the Language of the Qur'an - Institute based in Toronto (these videos are based on the first two books of the Madinah Arabic series, see next section)

Shaykh Jamaal Zarabozo's Classes - based in California

Bayyinah Institute - Classes taught by Brother Nouman Ali Khan. MashaAllah Bayyinah is an awesome institute because brother Nouman will come to your community for 10 days and teach a crash course in 40 hours worth of basic grammar. Although he doesn't offer beginner classes online, I strongly recommend bidding for him to come to your community if he hasn't already inshaAllah.

Grammar Books and Resources

Books that are easy to follow that one can use for self study include (but are not limited too):

Qur'anic Language made Easy - Iffath Hasan.This book is amazingly easy to follow. It is the perfect book for everyone, especially someone who may not have a strong command in English, or for younger students. This book can definitely be used by someone who is engaging in self-study. I really love the exercises she uses because it teaches students how to use the Qur'an as their ultimate textbook. It is a great beginner book for someone who has no knowledge whatsoever of Arabic.

Access to Qur'anic Arabic - AbdulWahid Hamid. These books are used for the sister's classes at my masjid and they are great for students of all ages. The best part is that it comes complete with audio tapes/CDs as well as workbooks.

Madinah Arabic Books - Dr. V Abdur Rahman. Personally, I have not studied from these books but I know many people who have and mashaAllah they're very good. The only point about these books is that these books were not designed for self-study but to be taught with a teacher, so alhamdulillah the videos above are a great help to follow along with these books. There are many places where these books can be bought as well as downloaded.

Modern Standard Arabic - Peter Abboud. This is the book that is used throughout universities in America, and this is the book that Shaykh Jamaal Zarabozo uses as well. It comes in two volumes, and takes students through the ins and outs of grammar and has many exercises. However, this book has some seriously hard core vocabulary that can be difficult to follow, so a dictionary will come in handy if one decides to use these books.

A very nice website that breaks grammar down in simple terms is Arabic Tree, mashaAllah it's awesome and is based on classes by a graduate of Madinah university.

Many students like to begin their Arabic studies with the classic texts of Arabic such as Ajarumiyyah, although they are great, they are too heavy for the modern beginner student who doesn't have any knowledge of Arabic. InshaAllah when a student becomes more advanced in their studies, they can uses these classical texts to gain more understanding.

I would encourage students to check out these books listed above, and pick ONE that they would like to use and go through it thoroughly, instead of buying all of them and not being able to really focus. Each author/teacher has their own style of teaching, so find the style that caters to you the best and use it as your main source.

Vocabulary

Arabic vocabulary is very overwhelming, and it is important for us as students to change our mindset: instead of thinking 'I'm going to master the whole language', a better approach would be to have tunnel vision when it comes to vocab. Limit the amount of vocabulary you study and set realistic goals.

Remember: the Qur'an is our number one textbook, and the best one at that. Although we know there are about 2000 words in the Qur'an, the vocabulary of the Qur'an cannot be simplified –these words contain wisdom and gems that we can never enumerate or fully grasp. One of my teachers said that if someone said they completely understood the Qur'an, then they don't know what they're talking about. There is always something to learn from the Qur'an. This is a book full of Hikmah (wisdom), Allah says it is Al-Hakeem. Our goal is to become better students of the Qur'an, because we will never be able to derive total wisdom from it, only a few specs or drops. As br Nouman Khan mentioned: quality, when it comes to the Qur'anic vocabulary far outweighs quantity.

The best surah to gain understanding of vocabulary is Suratul Baqarah. You would think it would be logical to start with the shorter surahs of Juz 'Amma, but actually, Juz 'Amma is one of the hardest sections of the Qur'an, if not the hardest, when it comes to vocabulary and literary style. The first four ajzaa (plural of juz) in the Qur'an will be very helpful in gaining vocabulary.

So what are the resources needed for vocabulary?

Firstly: a good translation is needed. The best one out there is Saheeh International. You can purchase it here and read it online here. This translation is very accurate, it flows very nicely and is easy to follow and is recommended by most shuyookh and students of knowledge.

Also, I would highly recommend purchasing a word for word translation of the Qur'an. Alhamdulillah we have many variations of these translations available. The best two word for word resources would be Mohar Ali, a three set publication which can be purchased here, and even better are some free online pdfs available for download here which are also very nice, a translation of the work by Shaykh AbdulKarim Pareck. (There are even some duaas with word for word translations in this book here.)

Secondly: some good dictionaries. Alhamdulillah, there are many awesome sources available to us.

• Al-Mawrid - by Roohi al-Ba'albaki. This dictionary is great for students who are used to the English way of using a dictionary.
• The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic - This is said to be the best Arabic-English dictionary out there. The only "issue" is that the words are categorized by root words, which may be hard for a beginner to use. A student will have come a long way once a student grasps the root word system.
• Vocabulary of the Holy Qur'an - Dr. Abdullah Abbas Nadawi, this book contains the words of the Qur'an in order of roots but is easy to follow and gives basic definitions. It is a very nice resource to have alongside reading the Qur'an.
• Easy Dictionary of the Qur'an - This is a translation of the work by renowned Urdu speaking shaykh Abdul Karim Pareck. This book can also be purchased for about $10 or less, only $8 here.
• Lane's Lexicon - Awesome, probably the best lexicon in English. It was written by a non Muslim Arabic scholar back in the 1900s and it's more than a dictionary because he discusses roots in detail and cites examples for each connotation. Some roots go on for pages. It is available online here, and can be purchased (it's about 8 volumes). The language is quite ancient, which can be distracting at first, but you get used to it.
• 80% of the words in the Qur'an - self-explanatory Student should memorize these word slowly, or at least use it to follow along while reading the Qur'an. It is a miracle of the Qur'an that the words repeat again and again, yet we do not tire or reading them or get bored.

I would recommend that students purchase hard copy of books versus solely relying on online books (unless you print them), because for one, it's too much strain on the eyes to always learn from the computer and also with a hard copy, you can take your notes directly on the page as well as take it with you if you happen to travel. Not to mention you won't be distracted by emails or IMs. Of course this is only my personal opinion, and you should do whatever suits you best inshaAllah.

The last point that needs to be mentioned is how to learn Arabic. This involves two steps:

• Analyze. Analyzing means go over the texts thoroughly, use dictionaries to gain deeper meanings of words (literary research) and making sure you have the proper understanding (tafseer) according to the scholars of Islam and not your own interpretation, and also studying a science of Arabic known as sarf (the science of morphology). A note about tafseer: studying tafseer is a lost science just as the Arabic language, because tafseer is an integral part of studying the Qur'an and is the crux of all the sciences of the Qur'an. Iyaas ibn Mu'awiyyah rahimahullah gave a beautiful parable, "The example of a people who recite the Qur'an and do not know its explanation is like a group of people who have a written message from their king that comes to them during the night, and they do not have a lamp. Therefore, they do not know what is in the message. The example of one who knows tafseer is like a person who comes to them with a lamp and reads to them what is in the message."
  
• Memorize. Simple! It is important for students to continue with memorizing the Qur'an during their studies if they haven't already as it gives instant review of what they learned when they recite it. Furthermore, memorizing includes memorizing basic vocabulary words, grammar terms and rules.

MashaAllah, so there you have it, an easy guide to beginning the journey of learning Qur'anic Arabic inshaAllah! Just in case you're lost or confused, here is a short summary:

1. Work on getting a basic foundation of grammar, either through courses in your neighborhood or online classes or self-study.
2. Begin building your vocabulary. Limit yourself to the Qur'an and focus on the first four juz of the Qur'an as a starting point.
3. Analyze and memorize. Use dictionaries, works of tafseer, and other literally tools to analyze, and memorize words and terms you have learned.

Finally, here are two tips for every student of Arabic, at any level:

1- Motivation. If you lose your motivation to learn this language, then you will get nowhere. Period. It is very easy to become de-motivated when learning, so what's the remedy? Turn to the Qur'an as your source of motivation.

2- Tunnel Vision. Arabic is a massive language which can be overwhelming and there is always something to learn. So as a student of this language, do NOT look at what you still need to learn, but focus on your lesson at the moment. Br Nouman gave the example of a student memorizing the Qur'an: if he is only on page 5 of Suratul Baqarah, and then he starts flipping through the other 600 and some pages left in the mushaf…how will he feel? Motivation wil disappear, and he thinks he can't do it. So steer clear of these thoughts, don't worry about what you don't know, worry about what you do know. Everything else will come in due time inshaAllahu ta'ala.

InshaAllah with the help of Allah, by taking these steps, you can begin understanding the words of your Rabb and you'll never want to go back! If you follow these steps NOW, inshaAllah by next Ramadaan you will be tasting the sweetness of the Qur'an and will be crying with the imaam, instead of wondering what he's crying about.

As a last and final reminder for myself and you, I would like to mention the ayah that is repeated four times in surah Qamar–FOUR times:

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ

We have indeed made this Qur'an an easy remembrance, so there is any to remember? (54:17) Think about it. Seriously.

Please forgive me for anything wrong I have said, and all good is from Allah and for Him is all thanks and praise.

Please feel free, if you found this beneficial, to share it with anyone inshaAllah and post it anywhere. All I ask is that you include the above 'disclaimer' as an important note. Jazakum Allahu khayran.

I ask Allah ta'ala to make us companions of the Qur'an, and to return us to learning its language, and not make us among those who abandon it. Ameen.

Ar-Rahman: The Entirely Merciful, Ar-Raheem: The Especially Merciful

Both of the names Rahman and Raheem come from the root Ra-ha-meem (ر ح م), these names are similar so they require a parallel explanation. What is Rahmah? Rahmah is mercy. In the dictionary it means: compassion, kindness and gentleness. Also when a person is kind, compassionate and tenderhearted towards the other. So Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem: The One who has a lot of Rahmah, The One who shows a lot of rahmah, He expresses a lot of Rahmah. There are two Names of Allah with the same root, to emphasize that Allah is really the MOST Merciful, there is no one else who is more merciful than Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Ar-Rahman is structure of fa’laan, Ar-Raheem is structure of fa’eel. They both have mubaalaghah (intensification). What is the difference? Rahman has more mubaalagah (intensification) than Raheem. So ar Rahmaan indicates the One who has extensive and great mercy. Who is Ar Raheem then? He is the One who has extensive and great mercy but He expresses it on the ones whom He chooses. So Ar-Rahman extends to all of His creation including disbelievers, and Ar-Raheem extends to Allah’s special mercy only for the believers.

Examples from the Qur’an

20: 5->Ar Rahman ‘alal ‘arsh istawaa’. The Most Merciful, upon the throne He rose. He established His throne and showed Mercy towards all His creation.

55:1-5->  Ar Rahman, Who is He? ‘alamal Qur’an, He taught the Qur’an,  khalaqal insaan and He created mankind. This mercy is not just for the believers, but for everyone (insaan).

Raheem only to the believers: 33:43-> wa kaana bil mu’mineena raheema. One who is especially merciful to the believers.

2:37-> Innahu huwa at-Tawwaabur Raheem. Indeed He is the Greatest Acceptor of Repentance, the especially Merciful. Tawwaab is for those who turn to Allah, ie the believers.

Combinations of these Names:

These Names appear many times together. First example, the basmalah, and second verse of Fatihah. They appear together to express a lot of Mercy, Allah is the One who is  THE MOST Merciful.

When we look at Ar-Raheem, it appears with other Names:

At-Tawwaabur Raheem, Ar-Raoufur Raheem, Ghafoorur Raheem, Al-Azeezur Raheem (surah Shu’ara). Remember His mercy, but also remember His might.

Ar-Rahman

Appeared many times in surah Maryam and Furqan. Why so many times? These surahs were makkee surahs and they were introductions to the deen, so one of the first ways of how Allah Introduces Himself is by which attribute? The attribute of Rahmah, which is why the Qur’an opens up with these Attributes as well (Basmalah and Faatihah). Why, what’s so important about them? First of all, when people learn about Allah, they shouldn’t learn He is the One who puts them into hellfire but that Allah is Ready to accept people and forgive people. This is why messengers are basheerun (giver of glad tidings) and natheer (warner). Of the first ways to introduce Allah ta’ala in da’wah is by His Mercy. Specifically for the believers, they should remember His Mercy then they should abstain from wrong actions. Think: ‘If Allah is SO Merciful to me, why should I disobey Him and do wrong? Allah is so Rahman and I am so disobedient.’ The siffah (characteristic) of Rahman and Raheem remind the believers that they should remain firm on Allah’s Obedience. Allah is So Merciful, So kind towards you, so why won’t you obey Him?

A Hadeeth in Bukhari states: “Verily Allah created Mercy. The day He created it, He made it into one hundred parts. He withheld with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent its one part to all His creatures.” Allah has saved the 99 parts for His true believers on the day of judgment, that is when Allah will be ar Raheem. Allah will say to the disbelievers: do not even speak to Me, remain in hell-fire (23:108). Why? Because they do not deserve the rahmah of Allah.   So if a person does not not benefit from His Mercy in this world, they do not receive in the aakhirah. To benefit is not to just receive it in this world, but to accept the guidance and stay away from disobedience.

How to Receive Allah's Special Mercy?

Ismul Jalaalah, The Grand Name: Allah الله. This is Allah's Personal Name. His Identifying Name. This Name only belongs to Allah, no one else can have besides Allah. Allah is the Title, the Name, of the One True Ilaah. The Name of Allah, you cannot play around with: there is no plural, there is no feminine. The Name Allah appears over 3000 times in the Qur'an.

When we mentioned the Name "Allah" linguistically, we don't say "the word Allah" or "the Name Allah" because it is not appropriate. It is only for Allah ta'ala, so we say: Lafdhul Jalaalah, لفظ الجلالة، the word that is Grand.

There are 4 opinions of the linguistic meaning of lafdhul Jalaalah:

1. The first opinion is that it is Allah's Proper Name and it is not derived from any root, any noun, and has no meaning to it. It is just a Name that has no meaning to it, and this opinion is the minority opinion.
2. The second opinion is that it comes from hamza-laam-ha, and the verb from the root is a-li-ha ََََاَلِهَ and it means to astonish, surprise and amaze someone. So Allah, from aliha, is the One who Astonishes and Amazes His Creation. How? Firstly through His Attributes, when you know about Allah, you are amazed. He is Ar Rahmaan (The All Merciful), and yet Al Azeez (The Mighty) and yet Al Jabbaar (The Compellor) all at the same time, it's amazing! When you know about the Names and Attributes, you are astonished and impressed. Another way how Allah amazes us is through His creation, all that He has created. When we learn about a bird or an ant, we are amazed and we say SubhanAllah (How Perfect is Allah and Far from any imperfection!), because Allah is truly Amazing and He Amazes His creation. Also, He amazes through His Decisions, Words, Rulings, Actions and Planning for us. When things don't work out the way we planned, or we see great coincidences, we think: how did this happen?! It is Allah, He amazes us by His words and decisions for us. When we practice the ahkaam (rulings), we realize how much benefit there is in them. So truly He is the One who should be submitted too.
3. The third opinion is that it is from the same root, hamza laam ha, and the noun is al-la-ha اَلَهَ with a fathah (not li, with a kasrah, as the second opinion) and alaha means to worship, be humble and show dedication to someone. The noun would be ma'looh. Allah is Ma'looh: One who is shown dedication too, One who everyone is humble too, One who is worshipped. Everyone is humble to Allah, and on the Day of Judgment the Mulk (Sovereignty) is only for Allah ta'ala. We also learn from this that Allah is the Only One we should show humbleness too, we should be ‘ebaad, servants, to Allah. In surah Furqaan ayah 43, Allah tells us: أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ ara ayta man ittakhatha ilaahahu hawaahu, have you seen the one who takes his desires as his ilaah? This ayah shows us the meaning of taking something as your ilaah, God. It meant that they gave their desires the utmost priority and everything else became unimportant and secondary. Their ilaah is the one whom the person never turns down. It became what they loved and feared the most. Allah is the One we should love most, fear most and give the most importance too. According to some linguists (ibn Manthoor of Sibawyh) this opinion is the strongest. Furthermore, when you attach 'al' with aliha and alaha, it becomes al-Ilaah, and that becomes Allah. According to this definition this translation would be: The One Only Worthy of worship, Allah is the Only One worthy of worship. Notice: even His Name has tawheed in it, so how can there be other beings attached to Allah?!
4. The last opinion is that this word is from wow-laam-ha, the noun wilaah وِلَه comes. (the way you write ilaah, write a wow instead of hamzah/alif) Wilaah then turns to ilaah (based on an Arabic grammar rule), so wilaah means to turn to for protection. So Allah is the One Whom everyone turns to for help and protection. The One whose help and assistance is sought by the creation. This teaches us in times of difficulty and hardship, we turn to Allah azza wa jal, because the Name of Allah is the One whom ppl turn to for help and worship.

Review of the 4 opinions:

i.      There is no meaning, just a Proper Name

ii.      From aliha meaning to astonish and amazes, so Allah is the One who Astonishes the creation by His attributes, His creation, His Planning and His Rulings.

iii.      Allah is from alaha, so Allah is Ma'looh, One who is Worshipped.

iv.      Fourth opinion is from wilaah, so Allah means the One whom everyone turns to for help.

اسم الله الاعظم-Ismul Allahil A'tham: mentioned in hadeeth in Sunan Tirmidhi (saheeh): "To Allah belongs a Grand Name (Ismul A'tham), that, if you make du'a with it, it will be responded to. And if you plead or request with it, it shall be answered." Several opinions on what this Name is, read Yasir Qadhi's explanation here. Majority of the scholars say it is the Name "Allah" itself, that this is His Greatest Name. When a person makes duaa through this Name, it will be responded too.

wa Allahu ta'ala alam.

Reference: Ta'leem Al Qur'an course for women: Asma ul Husna class.

We know that Allah ta'ala Name's Ar-Raheem is specifically for the believers, so how is it that one can receive this special Mercy from ar Raheem?

• Obedience to Allah and His Messenger. "and obey Allah and His Messenger so that you all may receive Mercy." [3:132]
• Taqwa of Allah ta'ala, fear and consciousness of Allah. "And this is a book, We have sent it down as one blessed, so follow it and fear Allah so that you all may receive Mercy." [6:155]  Similarly Allah says: "and My Mercy encompasses all things, so soon I will write it for those who have taqwa." [7:156]
• Doing ihsaan (utmost good) towards Allah and the creation. "Indeed the Mercy of Allah is near to those who do utmost good." [7:156]
• Praying four rak'aat before 'Asr prayer. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “May Allah have mercy on one who prays 4 raka’aat before the ‘Asr Prayer.” Narrated by at-Tirmidhi no. 395 and he declared it a hassan, Al-Albany rated the Hadith as hassan in Sahih al-Jami’ No. 3493.
• Listening to the Qur'an attentively and remaining silent. “And when the Quran is recited, listen to it with attention, that you may receive Mercy.” [7:204]
• Having rahmah towards the creation of Allah. A hadith in Musnad Ahmad states, "Show mercy so that you may be shown mercy, forgive and Allah will forgive you." There is another hadith narrated in Sunan Abi Dawood that states, "The merciful will be give mercy by the Most Merciful. Have mercy to those on earth and the one in the heavens will have mercy upon you."  Also Allah ta'ala says in the Qur'an, Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?  [24:22] So if you want mercy, you want knowledge of the Qur'an, you want Jannah, you want Guidance? Show mercy to others.

May Allah ta'ala shower His mercy upon us, Ameen.