The Circle Of The Qur'an #1[The Arkaan Series] ✓

Crescent 12: Alaa bidhikrillah..(1)

The signs of a newlywed were still present on her innocent features. Upon hearing Arkaan's name, her reaction was the most complex of all!

Her heart palpitated in severe shock as memories of a little boy from the past rose up.

A child who trailed her everywhere, with a childish grin "Aunt Tasnîma!", the boy would call with flickering green eyes.

A tear escaped her beautiful and innocent features. Maryam who was sitting nearby, noticed and asked in a soft discreet voice so the others would not hear," Is something wrong, Sister Tasnîma?..." She looked at her sister-in-law, Elder brother Ismail's wife.

No...it can't be him. That time, Lady Frieda - she said...Tasnîma thought, then suddenly she remembered something. Could it be?...she used her grudge against father and the tribes to lie to me?...Elder brother...

Deciding not to think deep about whatever matter it was again, she turned to Maryam and smiled as she responded," Everything is alright, younger sis."

Soon, everyone was settled, and the halaqah of taalim proceeded. Here, Arkaan suddenly realized how diverse Halaqât are, and the many things one could learn from halaqât; Qur'an, hadith, stories of the Prophet's companions, discourses of the salâf, heart-softening admonishment and many more.

The book she read was ArRiyadhus-Saalihîn(The Meadows of the Righteous) by Imam An-Nawawī.

In this halaqah, Arkaan heard many things he had never heard before because, he never once had been to such blessed gatherings, growing up.

He lived a Muslim life on the edge of Al-Islâm, learning only what was apparent, and what his mother had taught him before she gave up on her happiness.

The first real encounter he had with learning the Qur'an, the Holy Book of Revelation, was when he met Sheikh Inaayat who suddenly veered his life toward a path of not just a person born-muslim, but a practising and learning Muslim whose yaqîn in Islam stabilized.

From there, even when he had been taken by his maternal grandfather, he still held fast to the faith of Al-Islam in the presence of a largely disbelieving family...and boy! That was no small deal!

Arkaan sat, looking at the saintly old Lady as she read, her words filled with complete conviction of what she believed in - and they all did. She spoke of death, judgement day and its signs, paradise, and hell. She mentioned some aayat of the holy Qur'an, and supplemented with the ahadith of the noble Prophet.

Arkaan fell into deep contemplation even as the woman read on, as if he could see, and was experiencing everything she had read. As he listened, his faith and conviction increased...

As it is mentioned to us in the ahadith, seeking knowledge is compulsory on every Muslim. Ignorance is no excuse in Islâm, and deliberately remaining ignorant is sinful. The example of learning in Islam, if one would ponder, is that, with every increase in knowledge, comes unprecedented rise in faith.

This is always the characteristic of truth; knowing more unravels the confusion and lays the foundation of conviction.

In contrast, lies seal one in confusion upon confusion, making one more entangled in webs and unsolvable knots; thus, liars often prevent the seeking of more information on questions that are of extreme importance, and benefit - that must be asked.

Even as Arkaan relished in the ecstasy of the circle of taalim, he enjoyed what all believers receive when they hear of the words of their Lord, as said in the Holy Qur'an: The believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts, and when His verses are recited to them, they(the verses) increase their faith; and they put their trust in their Lord(Alone). [Qur'an, 8:2]