Who has your trust

Who do you trust? Who is that one person that gives you an internal tranquility, no matter what you entrust them with? For some of us it might be our mother or father, perhaps a best friend or our spouse. That trust gives us confidence, conviction and peace.

In reality though, we do not trust them in a fully comprehensive sense. We might trust them to be there for us, or trust them not to judge us harshly when we make a mistake. But would we trust our best friend to be our lawyer in court if she is a fashion designer and is not particularly eloquent? So our trust is in regards to certain things. What elements would have to be there in order for someone to have our trust 100%?

There are three main elements:

The person is an expert in what they do: you might not trust your fashion designer best friend to be your lawyer, but you would trust the Harvard-educated lawyer who is known never to have lost a case (let’s call him “Adam”).

The person is a moral person: Even if Adam is an amazing lawyer, if you weren’t sure about his moral character, you still wouldn’t be completely at ease. You might be afraid that he would cheat you out of your money for example. But if Adam is also an amazingly upright human being, you would be happier to give him a power-of-attorney.

The person cares about you specifically: now imagine if Adam happens to be your close uncle who always treated you as his own child. Doesn’t that increase the trust, confidence and certainty? You absolutely know that Uncle Adam will you get you through it all.

While Allah is far above any analogy, the above example just breaks down the concept of trust for us. While I can simply introduce Allah as al-Wakeel, or the Trustee, many of us don’t know what truly trusting in Him means—or what it means when He tells us that He is the Ultimate Trustee. Al-Ghazali explains that al-Wakeel “is the one to whom the matters have been entrusted. But one who has received such a trust may be either one to whom some matters have been entrusted—that one is deficient, or one to whom all matters have been entrusted—and that pertains only to God Most High.”

Trusting someone in that complete sense in all circumstances can be hard. We can’t even trust ourselves that much. But that’s why Allah puts us at ease. He says:

“And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.” [Qur’an, 4:132]

Allah is telling us that everything in this world is His. He is reminding us of that fact. He also says:

“And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die, and exalt [Allah] with His praise.” [Qur’an, 25:58]

As well as:

“[He is] the Lord of the East and the West; there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Disposer of [your] affairs.” [Qur’an, 73:9]

In these verses, Allah is reminding us of His Power. To Allah belongs everything, and moreover, He doesn’t die. Even the human being you trust the most could pass away. Allah does not. So when you trust in Him, don’t worry, “And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.” [Qur’an, 33:3]

In practical terms, this means two things. Firstly, that we work as hard as we can with the means given to us. This might seem like a reoccurring theme, and it is. Allah is teaching us through His Names and attributes that we need to work. But being intimately acquainted with Allah means that conviction, confidence and internal tranquility as we strive, because we have already surrendered to Allah. And this is the second element. While we work for a particular result through the avenues available to us, we have absolutely no doubt that Allah will get us through to whatever is best, because indeed He is the Trustee. The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) says:

“If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full.” [Tirmidhi]

The bird does its part. It flies out in the morning in search for food. Now the bird has no reason to believe that she will find any food. She wakes up without any food at all. But still she leaves her nest. And Allah provides. Most of us stop ourselves from doing the right thing because we are afraid that we won’t be able to follow through, or that something is too difficult. But Allah is telling us to strive and have trust. The result is on Him.

Hajar, the wife of the Prophet Ibrahim `alayhi sallatu wa sallam (may God send his peace and blessings on him), is truly an epitome of what it means to have trust. When Ibrahim left her and their infant son in the desert, she was baffled. But then she asked him, “did Allah command you to do this?” and he (as) responded in the affirmative. So she accepted the decree. She knew God would not leave her or her son. She was a person who knew Allah. This didn’t stop her from striving. When baby Isma’el started crying, she ran back and forth between the mounts of Safa and Marwa seven times. Never once do we hear her bitter or resentful. She continued to search. Because she knew Allah would not leave them. And Allah rewarded that trust with the well of Zamzam, which we still drink from today. And Allah does not want us to forget that lesson, which is why when we go on Hajj [great pilgrimage] or Umrah [lesser pilgrimage], we follow in the steps of Hajar, going seven times between the mounts of Safa and Marwa. It is called the “sa`y”, which means “the striving”.

A question that may be on people’s minds is that what if we work, but after the striving we are in a worse off position—does that mean that Allah has not fulfilled His trust? To answer this question, let’s go back to the example of our seasoned lawyer Uncle Adam. If Uncle Adam tells you to enter into a plea bargain instead of fight, wouldn’t you trust his advice? It might seem like a temporary failure and it definitely isn’t what you want, but in actual fact, that is actually the best way to get you to your goal. Of course, with Uncle Adam it could just be that he can’t help you, and the plea bargain is the best he can do. But you still trust that he knows what he’s doing. With Allah the concept of impossibility does not exist. So our trust in Him should be infinitely greater, because whatever happens is out of His wisdom and has nothing to do with His ability.

Look at the example of the Prophet Yusuf (as). He went to jail for years. ‘Where was Allah?’ Some may ask. Allah was there all along. Allah brought to Yusuf (as) the two prisoners. It was through the prison that he then interpreted the dream of the king, everyone knew he was innocent, and then he was reunited with his family. While from the outside it seems like a punishment, it is simply one of the stops on the road. The journey hasn’t ended. Having tawakkul (trust in God) is the difference between despairing in those moments and pushing through with a tranquil soul and hopefulness.

Moreover, sometimes we make mistakes in our striving. Uncle Adam can still win the case, but we also have to deal with the consequences of our mistakes and learn from them. So if we miscalculated in our striving, it does not mean that Allah will leave us. When some of the Muslims disobeyed the Prophet ﷺ in the Battle of Uhud and as a result suffered severe losses, that wasn’t the end for them. It was a setback. But they learned. So don’t let your own mistakes make you lose hope—but don’t ignore the fact that you made a mistake either. Learn from it, move on, and have trust.

The Signs of Tawakkul

Amr Khaled mentions some of the signs of tawakkul:

The remembrance of Allah, even in difficult circumstances.

A person who has tawakkul is a person who is connected to His Lord. The remembrance of Allah is a constant, whether that person is in situations of ease or hardship. Look at the Prophet Ibrahim (as). He was sixteen years old when his people were going to throw him in the fire. Ibrahim (as) was calm; he simply said, “Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the Best Trustee.” He was always with Allah. So Allah said “O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham” [Surat al-Anbiya, 21:69]. This wouldn’t have been possible if Ibrahim (as) was not a person who remembered Allah.

Your hope does not decrease when your means do.

Sometimes our hope is dependent to our means. If we see that we have few means, then we do not strive. We lose hope. But tawakkul means that the conviction in our hearts does not falter even when our means do. Imagine someone who was so hopeful in Egypt after the January 25th revolution, yet is now faced with another military government. Tawakkul means this person is still hopeful, despite the odds. When Allah took Khadija radi Allahu `anha (may Allah be pleased with her) and his uncle Abu Talib from the Prophet ﷺ, he didn’t give up. He went to Ta’if to seek shelter. Even after he was kicked out, he sought help from the tribes during the Hajj season. The means had to change, there was a period of waiting, but in his heart, the Prophet ﷺ still had complete trust in Allah. Ten years after having to leave Makkah, he returned to it victorious and merciful.

You do not use sin as your means.

Your income has to be halaal (from permissible means). If you pursue haraam livelihood (i.e. by the forbidden means), you don’t truly have trust in Allah because you do not believe that He can provide for you from halaal means. The only exception is in circumstances of dire need (a technical term that has its own conditions in Islamic jurisprudence).

You are not excessive in your fear of the future.

All of us worry a little, and that is natural. But some people are paralyzed by that fear, constantly in a state of worry about their future, whether it is fear for their livelihoods, children and so on. That is not healthy for us. Worry will not help us in any practical sense. If we do have a problem with our livelihoods, for instance, being in a state of agitation simply adds another problem. Why have two problems instead of one? Allah reminds that “Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” [Qur’an, 13:28]

Striving with the limbs, submitting with the heart.

The Prophet ﷺ planned and worked hard. He put Ali (ra) in his bed as decoy when he was going to migrate to Madina. He waited until the evening so that they could leave discreetly. They covered their tracks. This is the external effort that is required of all of us when we undertake a task. At the same time, he knew that only Allah could save them. This is where the internal component comes in. Allah shows us what happened when they were in the cave as they were hiding from Quriesh, and Abu Bakr (ra) was worried that they would see them:

“Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.’ And Allah sent down his tranquility upon him and supported him with angels you did not see…” [Qur’an, 9:40]

See which of these five signs you can tick off, and work on strengthening them and adding to them. The result will be a content heart and wise actions, insha’Allah.

Some Du`a’ (Supplications)

The Prophet saw trains us to have this trust in some supplications that he used to make:

The Prophet saw said: “Whoever says, when he leaves his house,

بسم الله توكلنا على الله و لا حول ولا قوة الا بالله

Bismillah tawakalna `ala Allah wa la hawla wala quwwata ila billah

‘In the name of Allah. I have relied on Allah and there is no power nor strength except by Allah’

will be told, ‘You have been guided, spared and protected,’ and Shaytan will be kept far from him.” [Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and others]

The Prophet saw said whoever says:

حسبي الله لا اله الا هو عليه توكلت وهو رب العرش العظيم

Hasby Allah, la ilaha ila huwa, ‘alayhi tawakalt wa huwa Rabb al-’arsh al-’adheem

Sufficient is Allah for me, in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the formidable throne

seven times in the morning and evening, Allah will spare him what worries him. [Abu Dawud]

Make Allah make of those who embody true trust in him, like Muhammad ﷺ, Ibrahim (as), and Hajar (as).

Lesson On quality and quantity

  

One of the most common mistakes that occurs in a pop-cultured understanding of Islam is that we tend to focus entirely on numbers. How many people are attending? How large was the event? What did the stage look like? However, this is a massive mistake that has major consequences for people’s spiritual development and growth. When we look at the life of the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) we see a commitment to quality over quantity. The quantity did not really come until the end of his life and was actually a sign that his death was near. The quality is what he focused on for the many years of his life that were spent in developing the model Muslim community.

The call to Islam went through several stages; its earliest is often referred to as ‘private da`wah’ stage. During this time only a small handful of people accepted the message and grew under the Prophet’s care. These were the closest to him and they included Khadijah (radi Allahu `anha, may God be pleased with her), Abu Bakr (radi Allahu `anhu, may God be pleased with him), Ali (ra), and Zayd ibn Harithah (ra). The call was extended to relatives and clansmen and then after that it became public. Even after becoming public however the message was embraced by only a small number of people. It is said that when Umar (ra) embraced Islam (six years into the message) the Muslims did not exceed over forty in number. Their quality, however, was top notch.

Even after nearly 15 years of da`wah and a migration to Medina how many warriors fought in the Battle of Badr? Most estimates put the figure at 313. The opposing army consisted of just over a thousand fighters, a nearly 3:1 ratio. However, again, the lesson is quality over quantity and those 313 were able to defeat the thousand fighters in one of the most important victories in the history of Islam. When the quality is high, the aid of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala, exalted is He) is near and that is more important than anything else.

This is a lesson that is repeated in the life of the Prophet saw over and over again. It is a lesson that we must remind ourselves of constantly. This message is not about numbers, it is about having the blessing of being a cause for drawing someone closer to God. That closeness has to be real, intimate, and lived. It is not about hype, it is not about numbers. In all of the organizing and planning the actual people must never be forgotten. It is their development that is the actual work and if there are only a handful but that handful are of the highest quality then they can change the world. Conversely, if there are large numbers but those large numbers have no substance, no confidence, no history, no self-esteem, no dignity, then we have nothing.

So always, always, quality over quantity.

The two towers of ta'if

On this day you will find a wide variety of perspectives across the kaleidoscopic amalgam of thought which is the Internet. From mourning, to patriotism, to conspiracy theory, someone has something to say and, by God, you are going to hear it. Sometimes you’re glad that you did and other times, not so much. Yet, when I woke up this morning, a vivid realization stuck out in my mind that was so lucid it felt as if it wasn’t my own. It involves a piece of history practically every single Muslim knows. So if you’re Muslim and thinking “I’ve heard this before, dude,” just please bear with me as I briefly summarize it for those —Muslim and non-Muslim— who may not have heard it.1

Early in the mission of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him), he and the Muslims had been turned out of every refuge they had ever known. Mecca had been persecuting and torturing them for calling the people to worship One God instead of the idols of their forefathers. Ultimately, they threw them out and forced them into the harshness of the arid desert. There, Muhammad’s uncle, Abu Talib, who had protected him like a father following the deaths of his father and grandfather, died. There, Muhammad’s one and only wife, Khadija, who married the much younger Muhammad for his honesty, and who had been his main source of emotional support and comfort during the confusing times of his first revelations from God, died. The visceral sense of dejection he felt at that point would drive even the firmest believer to hopelessness and despair. So many times have so many people wondered, “If there is a God, why doesn’t He hear me? Why isn’t He answering me? Why does He let this happen?” Yet, Muhammad was a man driven by the Spirit of God and, in being so, was always solution oriented even in the bitterest times of woe. Such morose laments were simply alien to his personality.

He went with Zayd, a former slave whom he had freed and then adopted as his own son, to the neighboring city of Ta’if in hopes of having an audience amongst the 3 brothers who shared control of the city. It was difficult not to respect Muhammad and feel compelled to lend him an ear. He wasn’t a nobleman, but he wasn’t a commoner either. He just had one of those faces that drew you in and much of it —based upon numerous reports— was due to his constant and contagious smile. Above all, he was known as “al-Amin” or “The Truthful”.

So the 3 ruling brother’s of Ta’if gave him audience. Soon, however, they realized that what he called for would make enemies out of their neighbors in Mecca. Regardless of the truth of what he spoke, it was in no way politically or economically in their benefit. Seeing that danger, and knowing that the Meccans would eagerly want to know what their allies in Ta’if did to secure their loyalty, they repulsed Muhammad and Zayd and let hooligans of the street drive the children to bludgeon and pummel him with stones. Zayd did his best to shield his foster father but to no avail. The crowd was simply overwhelming. In the pursuit of truth, holy blood is always shed.

Suffuse with blood to the point that even his shoes were filled with it, he just walked and walked. He would later be asked if there was a day worse than the Battle of Uhud. The Battle of Uhud was a crushing defeat the Muslims faced wherein Muhammad was struck in the head so hard his helmet split and pieces of chain mail were embedded in his face. It was a day of losses too great and innumerable to list here. Yet, he would say that this day was worse than even that.

So as he walked, he raised his head to the sky and saw the archangel Gabriel descending from a cleaving in the clouds accompanied by yet another angel he had never seen. Gabriel called out to him, “God Almighty has witnessed what the people have done to you and how they have rejected you. So he has sent the Angel of Mountains to do as you command.”

The other angel greeted him and called out to him, “O Muhammad! Verily, God has witnessed what the people have done. I am the Angel of Mountains and your Lord has sent me to do whatever you shall command. What do you command? If you wish it, I shall topple upon them the two mountains that tower over them!” The word for “two mountains” in the Arabic text is “al-akhshabayn” which means literally “The two rockies”2 . It indicates that had those two mountains been brought down upon the people, they would have faced a hailstorm of boulders and stones that would have ripped them to shreds before the mass of the mountains crushed them.

At that very moment it was Muhammad’s call. The fate of those people who had mercilessly bludgeoned him to a pulp was placed in his hands. But there was no momentary silence wherein he pondered his decision. There was no thought process. There was only the answer that came naturally to the man who was Muhammad:

“No! Rather it is my ardent wish that God raise from amongst them a people who will worship Him alone and place nothing before Him.”

Though abused, broken, disrespected and bloodied, he had placed his hope in those people’s future being better than their present. He had placed hope in their children being better than their parents. He had placed hope in them.

On that day, when he could have easily given in to rage, and revenge could have easily been his, he decided not to bring the two mountains down upon a people —some of whom had harmed him and probably most of whom had not— to redress the abuse he had been dealt that day. Make no mistake, when the time came to fight, Muhammad and his companions proved formidable as soldiers with a disciplined ferocity that struck fear in the two superpowers of his day: Rome and Persia. Yet, for this affront at Ta’if that was centered primarily at him, he would not punish them.

It was the way of our beloved Prophet to not hold accountable an entire people for the injustices of their leaders and those who followed them in oppression. It was the way of our beloved Prophet to not bring those two towers down upon them.

We weren't born knowing ... we have to learn

Bismillah (In the Name of God)

It is reported that Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (radi Allahu ‘anhu) said: “Every day we are told so and so has just died. Most definitely, one day it will be said: “Umar has died.””

Let’s take that in for a second. One day, it will be said: [Insert your name] has died.

Death means time is up, opportunities are done, actions have ended. Except…              

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ (peace be upon him) said: “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); knowledge which is beneficial; or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (the deceased).” [Sahih Muslim]

Insha’Allah (God willing) many of us are able to donate or volunteer for the first method and perhaps have offspring to cover the last method, but how then do we tap into that second goldmine of reward when most of us are not scholars? Well, there are a lot of ways one can leave behind beneficial knowledge; from organizing halaqahs (study circles) or conferences to verbally sharing the knowledge that we have with others.

There is also another way we can tap into the second gold mine of good deeds – one that can be even higher in reward than gifting a mushaf (written Qur’an)—though that is an amazing act of sadaqah jariyah!.

Learning & Teaching the Qur’an

For all the readers who read the subheading and are about to stop reading because they feel this article is no longer applicable to them – hold on, this article is exactly for you.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  said: “The best among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it (to others).” (Bukhari)

Perhaps when some of us read this hadith (narration), we automatically dissociate ourselves from ever possibly being included among such people and assign the promised reward to those sheikhs and sheikhas, the huffadh (those who have memorized the Qur’an), the ones born into pious, religious families – but perhaps we never thought that we could work hard and that could be us.

Are you thinking: “Me!? Become a Qur’an teacher?.. Me!?”

But then to whom is this hadith directed, if not you, O Muslim with so much potential?

A Qur’an teacher once aptly pointed out that she and other teachers of the Qur’an were not born knowing the Qur’an, they too had to learn and make mistakes. But in the end, they learned.

The Unimaginable Rewards of Teaching Qur’an

Think about it: if you teach just 1 person the Arabic alphabet and/or tajweed (rules of recitation), you could have an entire lineage and future generations of good deeds insha’Allah. This is not taking into account the good deeds accumulated through seeking knowledge and learning the Qur’an yourself.

How?

Insha’Allah you and those taught by you would at the minimum teach their future children. They would then teach their children, who would teach their children, and on and on insha’Allah. For every person in your lineage and your student’s future lineage, you could get reward for every letter of the Qur’an they recite insha’Allah.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Allah (swt) is so Merciful (Ar-Raheem) and Generous (Al-Kareem).

Pursuing the Pleasure of Allah Ta`ala (Most High)

At this point, I would like to remind us to keep the bigger picture and goal in mind when studying the Qur’an and Islam. Here, the goal and vision is not to achieve the status of being an Ustadh (teacher) or Haafidh in and of itself. As we well know such pursuits are not for certificates, titles, or praise. It is for Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala  (exalted is He)–  to worship and please Him.

The purpose of this article is to show that learning and teaching the Qur’an is something each one of us can work towards and is thus a simple means of leaving behind knowledge that can benefit us after death. Learning the Speech of Allah is a noble way to fulfil our purpose in life and the greater end goal of drawing closer to Him (swt).

To end, learning and teaching the Qur’an is a legacy (sadaqah jaariyah, ongoing charity) of sorts that can be achieved without the resources it takes to create a charity or build an organization. It is a legacy that is accessible to many of us as it doesn’t require us to have a lot of money or rented office space. It does require sincerity, patience, and ambition, a teacher and a mushaf, some of your time, and most certainly Allah’s (swt) Bounty.

Learning & Teaching the Qur’an

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  said: “The best among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it (to others).” (Bukhari)

What I recently noticed about the above hadith is that it recognizes this process and specifically says those who learn the Qur’an and teach it; it does not simply state the best of you are those who teach the Qur’an.

Those brothers and sisters who teach the Qur’an in masjids, schools, and homes are not only those Muslims who had a heritage of Islamic scholarship in their family or those who grew up in a village known for its amazing tajweed. (Ustadha and Haafidha) Kareema Carol Czerepinski is one such example – she is an American convert who went on to memorize the Qur’an, become an expert of tajweed, and author books on the subject! So if anything, I take this hadith as a push, an encouragement for every student, shop owner, and engineer to go out and strive to bethat person – to learn (continuously) and then teach (when qualified to do so).

The Time Issue

Some of us may feel busy already and wonder how they can think about taking on Qur’an lessons/studies on the side.

Students and teachers of the Qur’an have testified to how Allah ta`ala (Most High) can put barakah (blessings) in your time. He ta’ala can make your schoolwork be completed quicker or help you understand the content more easily. Allah ta’ala facilitates, and insha’Allah you will see your time management skills improve.  A sister who was studying one of the sciences of the Qur’an while at university was worried about her exams, yet she scored much higher than the previous year.  Allah can facilitate your time and affairs when we try to make some time for His Book.

Learning tajweed/recitation of the Qur’an to a level of accuracy where one is qualified to teach others may take years, but that cannot put us off – it is an investment in your iman (faith) and eternal abode in the Hereafter. We will have spent at least 12 years in full-time school, so part-time Qur’an lessons and study really isn’t a heavy or onerous commitment.

A Shaykh once said that even if someone doesn’t manage to memorize the Qur’an in the usual shorter spans of time, if a Muslim just memorizes 1 juz’  (portion) a year they can memorize the Qur’an in 30 years. Whether it takes 2, 5 or 20 years, a lifetime spent in learning the Qur’an consists of hours spent in one of the noblest pursuits – striving to draw closer to Allah ta’ala by learning His Kalaam (Words). We just need to make that intention in our heart and dedicate a bit of time to actualizing it, whether that is through 10 minutes or 2 hours a day. If we really want it, we will work towards our goal even if it takes our whole life.

And the time to do it is now – as many people will tell you, there isn’t a time when life seems to get ‘less busy’. We really don’t know how long we’ll be around for so let’s seize the moment.

Making the Intention

So will you do it? Make that intention now solely for the pleasure of Allah ta’ala. And believe in your heart that you can do this with the Help and Mercy of Allah!

As the old adage goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And that journey can be made blessed for Allah ta’ala draws closer to the one who sincerely strives to draw close to Him ta’ala. He (swt) can grant you opportunities you never imagined with you showing a sincere intention and commitment.

See Potential, Not Obstacles

Have ambition accompanied by tawakkul – look beyond your present state to the greater potential that can only be reached by the Help, Mercy, and Favour of Allah (swt).

It’s okay if you can barely get through the word ‘kataba’ at the moment, but it matters if we decide to give up, or try again and again. We know success and knowledge comes from Allah, so then there can come a point when we are not only able to reach the end of an ayah without being mentally exhausted, but can recite a page beautifully without stumbling, and feeling touched by the ayaat (verses) of Allah ta’ala!

And if you are already at that level, then we can maximize our knowledge by seeking to further our comprehension of the Qur’an as well as training to teach others.

So, let’s not give up –our Rabb is Al-Khabeer (The Fully Aware) and Most Appreciative (Al-Shakur).

Act upon the Intention

Enquire at your masjid about tajweed teachers or Islamic learning institutes in your locality. It is ideal to find a teacher/program/institute through which you can study long-term but even short-term options are good.

By the permission of Allah (swt), I hope this series encourages us to keep learning and insha’Allah one day teach the Qur’an (regardless of an intent to teach or not, learning as much as we can should apply to us all). At the end of the day, we ask Allah for guidance to that which pleases Him Ta’ala.