Want to Memorize Qur'an?

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone, I'm hoping that everyone's in the best of health and the highest of iman today, insh'Allah!

So the topic of memorizing Qur'an came up on sister Daisy's blog post here:

http://americanpolygany.blogspot.com/2011/04/pick-3-any-3.html

Mash'Allah, it got me thinking about how recently, I've been neglecting my memorization, astighfirallah. Anyways, I wanted to share with you a couple of great websites that I found a few months ago that are really useful to use when you want to memorize Qur'an.

[SIDE NOTE]

I want to take the time out to mention that it is a lot easier to memorize the Qur'an if you can read Arabic script, instead of using the transliteration, so insh'Allah, if you don't know how to already, you should concentrate on learning how to read Arabic. Insh'Allah memorization will come so much faster, and you will know how to properly pronounce the words just by reading them. I know that personally, it became so much easier for me to memorize Qur'an once I learned how to read Arabic...I know it might seem like a daunting task, but insh'Allah it will definitely be one that is completely worth all of the effort in the end. Insh'Allah I want to do a post in the future about why exactly it's better to learn to read Arabic over using the transliteration, because I feel like it's a crutch a lot of us non-Arabic speakers use (myself included once upon a time) that we really should get out of the habit of using. And I digress...

[/SIDE NOTE]

Anyways, the first site I want to mention is http://www.qurantracker.com/. Mash'Allah this is a GREAT site! It allows you to create a free account where you can track your memorization progress. It's a great motivational tool, a wonderful way to review the surahs you already have memorized, and it's a great way to stay organized.

This site also links to another great site: http://tanzil.net/. This is a place where you can really work on memorizing Qur'an in a way that it will have meaning to us non-Arabic speakers. You can choose to have many different translations of the Arabic text in several languages displayed at the same time as the Arabic text (so you can read, and know the meaning at the same time, something that I find really helps memorization!). In addition, you can play a recording of the surah recited by the qari of your preference, and as the qari is reciting, it will actually HIGHLIGHT the ayah that he is on, so you can FOLLOW ALONG!!! How cool is that?!?

I highly suggest checking both of these websites out if you're trying to memorize Qur'an! May Allah(swt) reward the developers with jannat al firdous, ameen!

p.s. I'm working on Surat At-Tin ^_~

Spiderweb: a Small Reminder

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone, insh'Allah you're all in the best of health and the highest of iman today.

So, while preparing the table for a delicious dinner with hubby last night, I noticed that a spider decided to make a new home just outside of our salon window. Now call me weird or whatever, but I found it really beautiful! I know a lot of people don't like spiderwebs because they think they're creepy/dirty...and because spiders live in them, and some people (like my dad lol) are quite the arachnophobes. Now, if said spiderweb were inside of the appartment, I probably would have promptly removed it with a broom, but since it was outside...I really saw no point in getting rid of it. Also, I will admit that some cobwebs (and spiders...like big hairy ones) do give me the creeps...but only the narsty-looking horror film kind...and those, thankfully, are few and far between. However, the one outside the salon window is pretty, and the spider who made it is small; therefore it is welcome to stay as long as it likes ^_^

Also, looking at it reminds me of this ayah (verse) from the Qur'an:
"The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses is the spider's house;- if they but knew." (Qur'an 29:41)
Looking to things other than Allah(swt) to protect us is just like the delicate spiderweb outside of my salon window that can so easily be destroyed. So often we will try to build structures that are "indestructable." We will put extra locks on our doors to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe at night. We will work hard, long hours in search of financial security and stability, and we will store our hard-earned money in a secure place. We will lock our valuable possesions away in safes and keep them behind glass...put them on high shelves where they cannot be easily reached. However, what use is all of this if we do not, first and foremost, put our trust in Allah?

Qur'an Recitation: New Video

Salaam alaikum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh everyone,
as usual I hope that insh'Allah you're all in the best of health and the highest of iman!

Anyways, I've finally gotten around to making videos and posting them to my YouTube channel again. Little did I know that it would take so long for them to upload, subhan'Allah O_o Just this simple Qur'an recitation video that's under two and a half minutes, with a file size of around 16MB took six hours to upload! Perhaps I should start compressing the files when I publish the video in Movie Maker so that I'll have an easier/quicker time uploading them? I don't know. Insh'Allah I will continue to post videos, but I hope that they don't all take as long to upload as this one did. It's a recitation of Surah Al Aala by Mo'eed al Mazeen. Please enjoy, insh'Allah ^_^