The Virtue of a Muslim Woman: Reading The Qur'an

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Surah Al-Muzzammil
“Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul) and most suitable for (framing) the word (of prayer and praise).”
When reading this surah I was reminded of the significance of “prayer and the practice of humility” in our spiritual life and the fate of those who reject faith and revelation.  

I noticed Muslim women avoided visiting each other especially before the time of prayer?  Maybe some were to busy with children but others felt the same way I used to feel. I was a little nervous and shy about leading the prayer in my home. Usually, my thoughts did not focus on demonstrating my best efforts or learning from guests in my home. I was self-conscious and lacked confidence in my recitation, my Arabic was poor, my knowledge of Islam was limited and I was  concerned about the size and comfort of our prayer space. Yes it was my foolish pride.  I also remembered being told that sometimes husbands or brothers would recite only the shortest surahs in the Qur’an, as fast as they could. Do you think they rushed to complete the prayer because they were busy with other things or had it become a boring ritual?   Also, some Sisters said they preferred not praying at a particular mosque or with a particular Imam. Other Sisters chose not to pray at any mosque. I believed these were cultural issues. “May Allah forgive us.”

When is the best time to study the Holy Qur’an with children?
They are called “teachable moments.” I understand how hard it is to make time to worship Allah as a family. Especially these days, our lives are filled with so many family or individual social activities.  When we were new parents, my husband and I never talked about how to raise Muslim children. Some of our Muslim Brothers told us they planned to marry a woman who had memorized Al Qur’an.

This was their plan for teaching Islam to their children.  Other parents decided to rely on private tutors and weekend schools at the mosque.  We decided to enroll our youngest child in a full-time Islamic school. Her recitation became much better than mine and she actually taught me. I also researched games, puzzles, books and toys to help us study? Some of the other questions included learning and teaching our young appropriate methods for responding to questions and comments from   friends and neighbors and also how to talk to others about Islam?  Before your child asks the question, be prepared with the answer, or search together.

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This article is part of the "Micro-Series", The Virtue of a Muslim Woman. ​ Stay tuned for the next part of this Micro-Series.