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Alhamdulillah today we are going over the steps we take at Women of Qur'an Now when engaging in Tadabbur. I pray these steps help you get your Tadabbur on right away!

• Recitation

  We must start with the Recitation. If you do not know how to recite YET (I do mean yet because it is my job to encourage you to learn how), then my dear pick any reciter of your choice and listen to the ayah being recited. The recitation is the first step, the sound of the words of Allah is healing for us, it is also a shield for us, protecting us from the whispers of the devil. By engaging first with the Tilawah (recitation) we protect our understanding and pondering from being led astray. I should have preceded recitation with intention as that is truly the very first step before any act of worship. So have your intention in mind then seek refuge in Allah Azza Wajal against Shaytan, and recite the Basmalah and the surah or ayah you want to reflect on.

• Tafsir/Explanation

Intention ✅ Tilawah ✅ you are now ready to delve into the meaning.

What is it saying? What does it mean? Why and where was it revealed? To answer these questions, we use the following resources: 

📖 Translation of Sahih International or Mohsin Khan

📖 Tafsir of Ibn Kathir and As Sa'di

🔊 At times we also take notes from Tafsir lectures of Sr Taymiyyah from Al Huda and Nouman Ali Khan from Bayyinah. As a Tadabbur teacher, I usually use the lectures as additional material to the classical tafsir aforementioned but not in replacement of the classical resource.

For these lectures look up Al Huda Qur'an for All app (go to english lectures then  Qur'an detailed explanation then Taimiyyah Zubair). For Nouman Ali Khan's Tafsir download the app quranhive and click on the surah then the ayah and at the bottom of the ayah, click on the play button. 

• Tadabbur

  Now we are ready to do Tadabbur, to reflect and ponder. It is very important that we do not skip the Tafsir portion because we can only reflect correctly once we base our reflection on correct understanding. At Women of Qur'an Now, we use questions to aid the pondering. See the case study below:

What are some questions that come to mind? What is seeking help? When do we seek help? What is patience? What is Sabr, is it patience alone? How? Am I seeking help with patience and prayer? When something difficult happens how do I react? What are my first moves? Is my reaction pleasing to Allah? Is it a reaction that will bring in the help of Allah?

Do you see how valuable questions are? They drive the reflections further. While you answer these questions, you are able to internalize the concept and make the ayah a message that is relevant to your life right now. 

• Commitment we also call Step Forward

  In our Tadabbur classes, you will see step forward or commitment. This is where we act on what we learn. We make adjustments to our lives, we make du'a or we build a new habit or we refrain from a bad habit that is related to what we learned. Little by little you start changing your life and it feels as if you are being coached by the Qur'an on how to live a life that is pleasing to your Maker.

Someone can tell you "Oh the Qur'an says this and that" but Tadabbur really drives the point home. You have seen the ayah yourself, have recited it, have listened to it, have maybe repeated it countless times in order to memorize it, have studied its meaning and reflected upon it. Your relationship with this one ayah has been taken to a whole other level, a level which you can't just attain by merely hearing it once randomly. 

Abdullah ibn Masood, the Companion, said, may Allah be pleased with him:

When you intend to acquire knowledge, deeply study the Qur'an for in it lies the [principles] of knowledge of the ancients and future generations.

Source: Ghazali, Kitab Adab Tilawat ul Qur'an

 

Ibn Taymiyah said, Rahimahullah,

Whoever contemplates [tadabbur] upon the Qur'an [with the condition] of seeking guidance from it, [then] the path of truth will be made clear.

Source: Aqeedah tul Wasityah

 

We CAN NOT attain closeness to Allah without properly interacting with His speech. Tadabbur helps us do just that. 

Right now until January 10, 2023, we are giving free access to the Hifdh Class of Suratul Kahf when a sister purchases the Tadabbur Self-Study course. Click on this link to enroll now. Tadabbur Suratul Kahf

May Allah make us of the Women of Qur'an who recite, memorize, ponder and live by the Qur'an and the Sunnah. May He count us among His people. Aameen ya Rabbi!

Binta Umm Yahya

PS: Also read part one of this topic at this link: 

https://www.womenofqurannow.com/blog/what-is-tadabbur