When my older two were 5 and 7 years old, we were visiting my mom’s house. My daughter was reading a book and my son was playing with toys. One of my aunts came to visit and she asked my son, “Read some Qur’an for me.” He was confused but being that she was an elder, he obliged her and read some verses of the Qur’an that he had recently learned. My aunt sat there, transfixed by the sound of this small boy reciting verses that none of us had ever memorized. When he finished, my aunt handed him a $20 bill. Excitedly, he ran over to his big sister and said, “Baji, read some Qur’an for Bari Aunty. You’ll get money!”
Qur’an played a vital role in our household. We used Qur’an memorization charts from Learning Roots that tracked how many chapters my kids memorized. We attended the masjid regularly, even when we moved halfway across the world to Qatar. Although my children learned at different paces, we continuously plowed forward, making sure they were not only revising their Qur’an, but memorizing as well.
And slowly, things began to change. My daughter could no longer keep up with the classes at her local markaz due to the sheer amount of homework. My son enrolled in soccer after school which kept him out until 6:30 pm. We consumed ourselves with the activities, projects, tests and science fairs of the dunya while our aakhirah slipped further and further from our grasp.
Does our story sound familiar?
Over the years, I’ve seen my children, as well as countless others, morph into sullen, irritable and stressed-out teenagers where Qur’an is less a priority than an afterthought. I would like to say that “we’re doing the best we can,” to draw our kids back to Qur’an, but quite frankly, we can do better. This post is my effort to acknowledge that we could all use a little help in this area.
Here are some of my own ideas on how I intend to draw my teenagers back to the Qur’an. If you have any suggestions of your own, please feel share in the comments below.
Look for Qur’an intensive Programs
Even if our teens don’t have the time during regular schoolday, they can enroll in short courses that happen over winter and summer breaks.
Some reputable institutes are:
Set small goals.
Even as adults, we struggle to carve out time for Quran. Teenagers are often engulfed in schoolwork, standardized tests, part-time jobs and college applications so asking them to read Qur’an regularly can pose a challenge.
Set smaller goals that are easily accomplished. For example, a teen might consider reading 1/4 or 1/2 of Surah Kahf on Fridays, but on a consistent basis.
Play Quran in the home / car.
This is my go-to solution when I feel that my kids are behind in their revision. When all else fails, make it a habit to play Quran, in the car and in the house. Even if they don’t have the time to physically revise their Qur’an, just listening to the words will keep them from forgetting the verses. .
This blog post is part of a collaboration called: Connecting with the Quran.
Make sure to see what my other collaborators are writing about.
1. @jeddahmomReading Quran amidst managing kids
2. @umm.afraz The 5 R’s of Tadabbur al-Qur’an
4. @the_odd_muslimah How Quran changed me and my life
5. @radiance_of_delight Kids Craft from Quran
6. @ilmaeducation Quran journaling about ayah on the Quran
7. @homemakers_guide– QURAN, MY COMPANION.
9.@sunnah_hearts – Building a connection with the Qur’an as a family
10. @themommyrant – How the Quran changed me.
11. @allthings.amazing – Ease of access to the Quran due to technology
12. @1newleaf1– Encouraging children to memorize Quran as a family.
13. @raisingyoungscholars How to make Qur’an reading a daily habit
14. @_iamkhadeejah_ Qur’an is my calm.
15. @irambintsafia – The Overlooked Miracle
