My experience with the Quran as a university student:
بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
My journey with the Qur’an has been the most impactful experience of my life. Allah surrounded me with people who had memorized, or were memorizing, the Qur’an, which inspired me to undertake the same mission. I was mesmerized by encountering individuals who excelled in their classes and careers while also being hufadh. Everyone claimed that the Qur’an brings Barakah, and I wanted to experience this too. SubhanAllah, within a short period, Allah answered my du’a, and I found this Markaz and my beloved Ustadha Shaima.
The transition wasn’t easy because I started university simultaneously, but memorizing the Qur’an kept me connected to Allah. Everything seemed to fall into place, and even when life felt chaotic, the Qur’an brought me Sakeenah. This past year took a massive toll on my mental health, as I lost two dear family members within a few months. I wanted to give up on everything because life seemed pointless. I lost motivation in many areas and naively thought that abandoning the Qur’an would resolve the matter. However, doing so only deepened my grief. Whenever I joined class or tried to recite, I couldn’t help but cry, SubhanAllah. The Qur’an was the cure for my heart.
This painful yet eye-opening experience made me realize how essential the Qur’an is in my life. In retrospect, I thank Allah for placing the Qur’an in my path, even when I tried to turn away. Without it, I don’t know where I would be. Listen, dear sister: come back to the Qur’an; that’s where you will find solace.
As you know, being a university student can be burdensome, and it’s easy to get caught up in secular studies, but I’ve learned that prioritizing the Qur’an brings Barakah to everything else. It also helped me steer away from the typical university lifestyle because I had to spend my extra time on other things, like revision. There is so much more I could say, but I will keep it concise. The main takeaway is: if you are thinking of embarking on this journey of learning the Qur’an, just do it. The best thing is that you develop a new relationship with Allah, and what could be better than that? And the worst thing? There isn’t any—because there is nothing greater than spending time learning the Words of the Most High.
