IOU Insights Issue 3

8/18/2019 IOU Insights Issue 3

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The Preservation of The Quran

in the Hearts of Men

Dr. Bilalbuilds ties

with top Pakinstitutions

IT Interview TheBackbone

of IOU

How Allah

Supports HDeen

IOU's Growth in Malaw

No Age Bar forLearning:70-yr-old

IOU Student inIndia

THIR

Heroes oIslamTheir Love


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“Are those who know equal to those who

do not know?” (Quran 39:9)

Knowledge is a great good, yet it will be o no

beneit to a person who is unaware o the straightpath and how to stay on it, and o course, actually

walk on it. It is never too late to begin that march.

As long as the servant o Allah will take advantage

o His blessings, he can strive or the pleasure o

Allah until the angel o death visits him.

The Prophet said, “There are two

blessings which many people lose: (They

are) Health and free time for doing good.”(Bukhari)

Besides the act that seeking knowledge, with the

combination o wisdom, piety and adherence to

the correct Islamic teachings, gives a person higher

status in Paradise, it also has a positive impact on

the health o the person’s mind.

Keeping one’s mind active is as important as keeping

one’s body active. While not taking care o the ageingbody will most likely lead to limited mobility, which

may be compensated or by crutches, wheelchair,

transplants, and similar; the unhealthy ageing mind

will cause immeasurable suffering, which cannot be

made up or.

Around the world, dementia, a general term or a

decline in mental ability severe enough to inter

with daily lie, is widely recognized as one o

most pressing problems acing healthcare syst

and an ageing population. Memory loss is

example. Alzheimer’s is the most common typdementia and it accounts or 60 to 80 percen

such cases.

It is estimated that between 6 and 15% o

Canadians aged 65 years and older suffer rom

Alzheimer’s disease and other orms o dement

(Government o Canada). In the USA, Alzheimer

is the sixth leading cause o death, and more th

5.4 million Americans are known to be living wit

Alzheimer’s and many more go undiagnosed(Alzheimer’s Association). By 2030, the number

o people with dementia is expected to be 65.7

million and an astounding 115.4 million in 2050

The increase is mostly attributable to the hike in

dementia in low and middle income countries (

Muslim Observer). Hence, the Muslim populatio

not immune to the illness’ o the ageing mind.

As o today, there is no known cure or dementiHence, the ocus is on its prevention. Research

has suggested that combining good nutrition w

mental, social and physical activities may have

greater beneit in maintaining or improving bra

health than a single activity.

Seeking knowledge in every stage o lie is a

Active Mind,HEALTHY MIND


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very good method to keep our brains active and

engaged. An active brain means a healthy and

sound mind in an ageing body. Moreover, a healthy

mind soaked in beneicial knowledge will strive orthe rewards o Allah in this lie and in the next. May

our last breath not be an end to our rewards!

The act that the Islamic Online University is

online and easily accessible allows anyone to

join. Thereore, it is o no surprise to ind students

rom different ethnicities, social backgrounds and

age groups.

It is always amazing to hear people’s inspiringstories. However, coming across stories o

the elderly among us who are on a quest or

knowledge gives a different meaning to lielong

learning. I the seniors o our ummah enter the

world o knowledge and our younger generatio

hold steadast to the path o knowledge, we

will become a healthy nation, spiritually andphysically.

In this issue, we look into the lives o two o IO

elderly students who have embarked on this

blissul journey o knowledge, so we may use

active minds and relect.

We also have a special section on IOU's Quran

memorization program and how it has helped

people rom different walks o lie.

— Insights Editorial Team

MEET THE TEAM

Publisher : Dr. Bilal Philips

Acting Chie Editor : Faraz OmarManaging Editor : Veronika Matulova

Marketing Director : Hira Adnan

Designs & Layout : Fathima Bint Aboobacker

YOUR VIEWS

We would love to hear rom you.

Please let us know what you liked

would like to see in the magazine

you have a particular piece or ee

can make a valuable contribution

IOU Insights, please email:

[email protected]

Copyright 2015 by IOU Insights. All rights reser ved. This publication may contain inormation which is copyrighted by others. No part o this publication mreproduced in any orm without the prior written permission o the copyright holder. IOU Insights reserves the right to reject any advertisement. Readers sveriy inormation directly with advertisers. Writers’ opinions are not necessarily those o IOU Insights.

The Preservation of The Quran

in the Hearts of Men

Dr. Bilal

builds ties with top Pakinstitutions

IT Interview The

Backbone

of IOU

How AllahSupports His

DeenIOU's Growth inMalawi

No Age Bar forLearning:

70-yr-oldIOU Student in

India

THIRD ISSUE

Heroes ofIslamTheir Love


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1 2

09

46 08

50

42

46

40

50

32

45

48

28

31

34

36

THE PRESERVATION OF THE QURAN INTHE HEARTS OF MENAnd We have certainly made the Quran easy...

'MY SONS' BEHAVIORS HAVE CHANGED'A MOTHER’S INSIGHT

I am really glad that Global Quran Memorization.

A TWEEN’S JOURNEY OF DOINGHIFDH ONLINE:I started doing Hidh with Global Quran...

STRUGGLE, SISTERHOOD AND SWEETNESOF FAITH: MY GQMC JOURNEYI did not think twice, it was something I had...

FIVE BEFORE FIVE: GET INSPIRED!Take advantage o ive matters beore ive other

matters: your youth, beore you become old...

HOW I BECAME A GQMC TEACHER"The best o you are those who learn the Quran a

teach it to others.” (Sahih Bukhari...

THE JOURNEY OF A HOMESCHOOLED IOUSCHOLARI would like to begin by thanking Allah or blessing

RECLAIMING MY HERITAGEMy name is Fatima and I joined Islamic OnlineUniversity (IOU) when I was sixteen in 2013...

ONE STEP HIGHERMy journey in getting close to the book o Allah

started almost ive years ago...

HEROES OF ISLAM: THEIR LOVEWhen we analyze the love that a mother has or h

child, we see a level o devotion and sacriice ...

BLOSSOMS OF A QURANIC GARDEN :GQMC’S IJAZAH PROGRAMIt has been our years since I completed my...


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A special student visitedthe IOU India office inHyderabad recently.

Aged 70, he was a retired armyofficer rom Tirupati, a prominepilgrimage city or Hindus inthe southern part o India. Heintroduced himsel as Syed Ism

and that he was an IOU diplomastudent. I was intrigued as I hadnever met an IOU student hisage beore.

The questions he asked were vebasic showing that his computeskills were lacking; however, hisinterest in learning was high. Iclariied his doubts but speakingto him was not easy as he canno

hear rom his lef ear and his righcan grasp only about 5% and orthat he uses a hearing aid.Listening to videos is thereoredifficult and he studies as muchhe can rom the online textbookHe prepares his own notes to grathe topic in depth.

By Mohammad ShajiuddeenIOU Global Representative Director

No Age Bafor Learning70-yr-old IOU Student in Ind

6 No Age Bar or Learning: 70-yr-old IOU Student in India


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I believe IOU’s success is

due to the blessings from

facilitating things for

students and providing

free authentic Islamic

education throughoutthe globe”

Brother Syed Ismail at the IOU India office in Hyderabad.

He visited again afer ew

months with more questions

which were very simple. Though

I appreciated his interest,

enthusiasm and his commute

rom so ar away to clariy

doubts, I was unable to attend

to his queries with care due to

my primary job responsibilities

and I showed some signs o

rustration. Alhamdulillah, I

realized that I should have

attended to him with more

care. Allah made me remember

the irst verse o Surah Abasa,

Chapter 80: Abasa wa tawalla.(The Prophet) rowned and

turned away.)

I then made sincere du’a or

Allah to send him again and

soon my prayers were answered.

I was out o the office when

one o the staff called saying

someone had come to meet me.

Upon enquiring, I was told it wasbrother Syed Ismail. A eeling o

joy enveloped me as I realized

that I could play some role in

helping him continue his studies.

However, I was very ar away

and it would require a 3-hour

commute to reach the office.

Although it took long time, he

patiently waited or me. When I

reached the office and met him,

alhamdulillah, his enthusiasm

to study was as beore and I now

took great pleasure in answering

his questions. Allah brings us

many paths o achieving His

pleasure, and there is no path

more worthy than helping a

Muslim learn correct knowledge.

I believe IOU’s success is due to

the blessings rom acilitating

things or such students and

providing ree authentic Islamic

education throughout the globe.

Mr. Syed Ismail comes rom a

part o India where there is a lot

o shirk and misunderstanding

o the Islamic creed. Upon

embarking on his quest or

knowledge, he is eager to put

into action the lessons he is

learning. I remembered in hisirst visit, he greeted me with

salaam but olded his hands in

the typical Indian style as many

non-Muslims do. I pointed to

him that this was not correct

Islamically and he abandoned

this habit.

When I asked him what helearnt at the IOU so ar, theirst thing he said was tawheeas he never knew the threecategories o tawheed , i.e., (1Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah, (2Tawheed al-Asma was Siaat ,

(3) Tawheed al-Ibaadah. Alhamdulillah, he grasped thpart rom the course so well,

Allahu Akbar ! This is indeed amajor achievement considerhe comes rom a place whereIslamic knowledge is greatlydistorted.

He has positive plans or theuture. He wants to build a

mosque rom his pension moand has also mentioned that wants to open an IOU center ahis place o residence. We askAllah to grant him the highestranks in Paradise and make hplans a success or both this land the hereafer.


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It is always inspiring to read about other

people’s struggles in seeking knowledge, anda student's email did just that to the staff o

Islamic Online University.

Mustaa Martin W. Prior, an aged artisan bakerin the charming village o Kubu Gajah, Sungai Buloh,Selangor, Malaysia, shared his amazing story ostriving to learn the beautiul language o Quranwith IOU teaching assistant Sh. Muhammad AshraPetersen:

Asalaamu alaikum,I just wanted to inorm you thatI am unable to attend the live sessions because I am a baker.I start my day at 03:00 and onSundays, inish around 19:00. Iam 68 years old and afer thattime on my eet, I am totallyexhausted and go to sleep afer prayers. I dohowever ollow the recordings on Monday

morning. Thank you or those.You may have noticed that my test resultsthis semester are not as good as beore. Thereason or that is that I do have a problemreading the multiple choice questions on screen and the time limit does cause me to“panic” a bit and choose the wrong answer. Afer the test is over, I do go over them again

and igure out the correct answer. I am ara

that this is an age-related problem and notmuch we can do about that.

A urther example is during the live sessiowhen you throw open the tests, answersare lying up the screen and I am still onnumber 2 :(

I have been trying to learn Arabic or over40 years and had many courses. Alhamdulillah, this course I reall

eel that I am learning due to the structure and guidance the IOU gives.

At my age, I am not so interested grades but results and I eel that Iam getting them.

Alhamdulillah.

Jazakallah or your efforts and patience.

We asked Martin to share his story, which

continues on the next page in Martin's Lietimo Wanderlust.

Most people in his situation would have givenup on acquiring knowledge. His dedication isincredible to say the least.

So, i you are wondering i the time is “right” orlearning or i you’re “a bit too late,” then think aga

‘I have been tryingto learn Arabic for ove

40 years’

"The best timeto plant a tree is

20 years ago. The

second best time is

today"

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I was born in England in Poole, Dorset in1946, but I grew up in Bristol. I was not agood student and disliked school, which

on relection, I believe was due to my awulhandwriting. I was more inclined to working withmy hands. I made things rom wood, repairedcars with my ather, and loved walking and

rambling in the ields.On days that my ather was pleased with me,my reward was to listen to his short wave radioin the garden shed. I would sit there or hourswith my headset listening to the world. I Iound a station I liked, I would listen to it evenwithout understanding. Only much later didI realize that it was Quran Radio rom Mecca

(or Egypt?) that I was hooked onto. I was just 9years old at that time.

I remember once when I was around 11 or 12, mather had brought some books rom the libraryby the Victorian explorer, Sir Richard Burton.They were about his explorations o Aricaand his journey rom India via Aghanistan

to Hajj in Mecca. All o these books capturedmy imagination and like young boys do, Iantasized that it was I making these greatdiscoveries and journeys.

Conident that I knew everything that ought tobe known, I dropped out o school at the earlie

opportunity, which in those days was 14.

WANDERLUST

Martin's Lifetime of

Continued rom 'I have been trying to learn Arabic or over 40 year


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I then worked in a men’s clothing shop, a coach

builder’s actory, a department store and didsome repair works too. Frankly speaking, noneo this interested me. Then one ine day, Ipassed by the Royal Navy recruiting office andtwo weeks later, I was learning how to march!

I went on to study electronics at the NavySchool and afer a couple o years, I wasonboard my irst ship en route to the UnitedStates and Canada. I was then sent to Aden,where apparently, we were not liked very much.It did not take me long to see why. I got on verywell with the Yemeni people and used to go outon their ishing boats in my spare time. This wasthe start o my Sir Richard Burton dream.

From Yemen, I went to Bahrain where Ipractically did nothing or about a year, exceptdrag a ire cart up and down the small jetty dailyto practice ire drills. I guess they igured that Iwas not very good at electronics.

Eventually, I was returned to the UK and putaboard a ship patrolling the English Channel.Due to the rough and appalling English weather,I did not enjoy mysel at all.

At this point, I decided to quit the Royal Navy.I had enjoyed it but elt that there was more Icould do. Soon afer, I took up a job o a storemanager selling bed linens and curtains. Thesaying, “beggars can’t be choosers” was apt ormy situation at that time.

It was during one o these days that I received atelegram rom London or an interview.

To call it an ‘interview’ would be an

overstatement. Let me tell you why. Theinterviewer, an American ex-colonel, simplyinormed me that I had to work with a team oAmerican and English people in some roughareas o the world and that I was perect or the

job. Also, I would have to leave to the site owork immediately.

As is my nature, I usually make decisions very

quickly, and hence it was no surprise that Ipromptly agreed to the offer. I was posted inAustralia where I was to explore oil off the coaso West Australia along with my companionswho I met in Rome. In particular, my rolewas to set up and look afer some electronic

equipment or the same purpose. The work alsrequired traveling to Indonesia where I was abto renew my acquaintance with Muslims and Imust say that I liked working with them.

I was about 21 at that time. The Western culturo spending hours consuming alcohol didnot amuse me at all. It seemed pointless andworthless. Fortunately, afer travelling aroundSouth East Asia, I was posted in Yemen. At thattime, it had recently been opened by a road

rom Sana’a to Hodeidah on the coast. I mademany riends over there and it was in that yearbecame a Muslim in Singapore, alhamdulillah.

Shortly afer that, I went to Egypt and wasable to establish my own company in Cairoin the same ield. My aim was to create jobopportunities or Muslims as I had always ounthem to be reliable and skilled. I expanded mybusiness to all the countries surrounding theRed Sea including Somalia. I was once again re

living the journeys o Sir Richard Burton.

In 1988, I sold my business and returned tothe UK where I set up a company or designingand building computer systems. In the mid90’s, I dissolved this company and spent timeconsulting on computer related issues withKuwait Petroleum in Thailand and England.

Tired o travelling, my wie (who I married inMalaysia) and I inally set up a small Internet

cae in Bournemouth in the late 90’s. This gaveme some spare time to spend in the localmosque and amiliarize mysel with the localMuslim community. However, shortly aferthe events o 9/11 took place, we were a bituncomortable running our cae as the majorito the visitors were Muslims. It was then that wdecided to return to Malaysia.

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This may sound strange, but one o the thingsthat I missed the most was bread! So muchso that I ended up baking it mysel using thetechniques my grandmother had shown meyears beore. Shortly aferwards, we set up ourbakery which sold only halal products. Finally,

I had ound my home and was able to settledown. My physical journey was over, but I wasstill lacking in my spiritual side. All the travellinghad made it difficult to study Islam as I wouldhave liked to.

When I look back, I am convinced that my liewas guided by Allah. I knew that it was high timethat I started studying our deen. I have seenIslam in many guises around the world but thecommon link I ound everywhere was the Arabic

language. It was the key I had to gain to unlockthe understanding o Islam, to understand theway o lie.

Thus, I began my journey to seek knowledge. Mypoor ‘rapport’ with academics continued heretoo...until I came across my current teacher. Iinally began to understand texts written in Arabic.

Our study method includes conversing withhim thrice a week or an hour. In nearly every

lesson he teaches me some new tidbit aboutthe language. For example, once he asked mehow would my cousin introduce himsel is/he came to my home. O course in English,they would simply say ‘cousin’, but in Arabic,the word used would inorm the listener o theperson’s exact relation to him, and hence decidei it was appropriate or them to meet or not. Ionce heard a talk by Nouman Ali Khan on theArabic word ‘baab’ where he mentioned that

the word is not what we call a door but the holethat is closed by it. This and many such minorintricacies o the language were enough topersuade me to learn Arabic.

Islam as practiced in many countries these daysis quite similar to the practice o Christianity.We all assemble on Friday, various committeemembers play a role in perorming the prayer

and we are all led in dhikr, quite similar to theSunday meet in Christianity. As a result, I amconstantly on the look out to locate mosquesthat adhere to the Sunnah. I ind this very sad athis was one o the reasons that distanced merom Christianity.

It is also sad that we eel the need or grandplaces o worship rather than small humblebuildings which are close to the populated are

enabling the Muslims to attend every prayer. Bthese days, due to the enormity and glamor othe masajid, huge areas are required or suchconstructions and hence they need to be locatat distances ar away rom the residential areasIn short, we are distanced so much rom themasajid that we need a car or motorcycle to taus to a prayer.

I want to have a one-to-one relationship withAllah. In order to achieve this connection, I mus

learn Arabic rom the original texts. This is theactual journey o my lie and in sha Allah it willcontinue. As humans, we cannot stop learningand i we do, we become ignorant and dull.Learning strengthens the mind and improves taculties. Along with the mind, must come thebody and so I regularly exercise to keep myselit. This also helps to improve and maintain oumobility so that we can continue to perorm ouprayer.

May Allah ill us with the thirst to gain knowledabout His deen and give us the ability andsincerity to implement it in our lives.

Yours truly,

Martin

“As humans, we cannot stop learningand if we do, we become ignorant anddull. Learning strengthens the mindand improves the faculties”


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NEWS: IOU STRENGTHENS

ACADEMIC TIES GLOBALLY

From the beginning of 2015, IslamicOnline University has been signing severalMemorandums of Understanding withuniversities around the world.

1) Al-Qalam University, Katsina (AUK), Nigeria(June 1, 2015): The Al-Qalam University isNigeria’s irst Islamic University. The Universityoffers various courses spreading along ive

Colleges including Humanities, Education, AppliedSciences, Management and Social Sciences.

2) Virtual University of Pakistan (VU), Pakistan(April 25, 2015): The Virtual University isPakistan’s irst university that is based completelyon modern technology. It was established bythe government as a public sector, not-or-proitinstitution to provide extremely affordable world

class education to aspiring students all over thecountry. The university delivers education throutelevision and the Internet.

3) Royal University of Dhaka (RUD), Banglad(March 15, 2015): Royal University o Dhaka(RUD), Bangladesh is a private institution ohigher education offering undergraduate andpostgraduate degrees.

4) Bayan Institute of Higher Education, Afghanistan (Feb. 24, 2015): Located in KabuAghanistan, this institute offers degrees inEconomics, Computer Sciences, Law and PolitiScience. They also have online and distancelearning programs.

5) Islamic University in Uganda (Feb. 24, 201Located in Mbale, Uganda, the university aspireto unction as a highly academic and cultural

institution based on Islam and love o the counThe aculties include the Faculty o Law, Facultyo Science, Faculty o Islamic Studies and ArabiLanguage, Faculty o Education and Faculty oManagement Studies.

The MOUs signed recognize the importanceof academic interchange and encouragecollaboration between the two institutions.Furthermore, this understanding will facilita

the exchange of experience in designing newprograms and identifying faculty members fshort-term or long-term teaching assignmen

Under the MOUs, both institutions will provifinancial support to a specific number ofdeserving students in the form of teaching aresearch scholarship or other stipends that aappropriate and available.

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Pakistan Trip: Dr. Bilal Builds

Several Partnerships for IOUBy Hunain AijazIOU Chie Academic Coordinator

Dr. Bilal Philips’ consecutive visits to Pakistan

in February-March 2015 saw a number

o developments or the Islamic Online

University. I had the pleasure o accompanying him

during the trip.

As IOU’s chancellor, he met officials o several

reputed universities and signed memorandums

o understanding. He took part in the 2015 Vice

Chancellors’ Forum on Universities in the Islamic

World: Facing Global Challenges and was a guest

speaker at Shia Inter-Scholastic Tournament (SIST

2015), one o the largest Islamic events or youth inPakistan.

The Shia Student Society, organizers o SIST 2015hosted Dr. Bilal’s irst visit rom Feb. 7-12. His secovisit rom Feb. 22 to March 4 was mainly to partici

in the VC Forum on Feb. 23-24. During his trips, hevisited Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi, deliveseveral public lectures, and closely interacted witIOU’s students and its student committee.

The IOU has more than 6,500 registered students

rom Pakistan in the ree Diploma campus and ov

2,300 in the degree programs.

PICTURE GALLERY

Delivering a talk on “Islam - A Contemporary Solution toModerns Woes” at Convention Centre on Feb. 8 in Islamabad.

Visiting the International Islamic University o Islamabad auditoduring the SIST 2015 event on Feb. 7 and delivering an impromptu leto inspire the young students.

SIST 2015


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Asim Hamid (right), a team leader o a sofware engineering teaIslamabad and EnMedical Systems, holds a BS in Computer Scrom National University o Computer and Emerging ScieIslamabad, Pakistan; and an MS in Sofware Engineering rom FlInstitute o Technology, Melbourne, Florida.

Visiting the IOU stall at Convention Centre on Feb. 8.

Shia Inter-Scholastic Tournament (SIST), which debuted in 2011, is a series o Islamically-themcompetitions in public speaking, debate, art and design (including calligraphy, photography, ilmmaking), anasheed and recitation, project presentation, and more. The Shia Student Society is a n

proit run by students o Shia College o Medicine under the guidance o senior aculty members.

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

Dr. Ahmed Yousi Ahmed Al Draiweesh, president o International Islamic University o Islamabad (IIUI), presenting a university crest tBilal Philips afer a meeting on Feb. 9. Al Draiweesh is a reputed scholar who has received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz award rom the presidePakistan or his work in comparative jurisprudence. The two agreed to take steps to enhance cooperation between the two universities.

Founded in 1980 and located around the iconic Faisal Mosque, the IIUI is a public research university in Islamabad and regarded as a ninstitution o Islam and science.

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Speaking on Entertainment in Islam during the Deen in Dunya seminar organized by Taheem-ul-Quran Academy on Feb. 9 in Rawalpindiacademy ocuses on Islamic education or women and kids.

An exclusive meeting and QA session with some o IOU’s students at Al-Falah Manzil Islamic Community Center on Feb. 11 in Islamabad

Meeting top officials o Shia Tameer-e-Millat University (STMU),including Pro. Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Khan, the dean; Pro. Dr. SyedShoaib Hussain Shah, principal o Shia College o Medicine; and Dr.Manzoor H. Qazi, the CEO, on Feb. 10 in Islamabad.

With Dr. Abdul Basit, chancellor o Preston University, on Feb. 11

RAWALPINDI

STUDENTS’ MEETING

SHIFA PRESTON


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D r. Bilal Philips irst met with the vicechancellor o Riphah InternationalUniversity on Feb. 9. On Feb. 11. Officials rom

the university presented him with a university

crest at Ramada Hotel and invited him or

signing an MoU on Feb. 25. Riphah is a private

university (chartered by the government in2002) established with a view to produce

proessionals with Islamic moral and ethical

values. Riphah has been an important exam

center or the IOU or a long time now.Signing an MoU.

COMSATS

STUDENT MEETING

KARACHI TOURFeb. 26 – March 4

Delivering a lecture “Time does not belong to you” at COMSATS Institute o Inormation Technology (CIIT), Wah Campus on Feb. 2Islamabad. CIIT is a multi-campus, public research university ranked among the top 5 universities in Pakistan.

With IOU students at Role Model Institute on Feb. 26.


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PUBLIC LECTURES

ISRA UNIVERSITY

HAMDARD UNIVERSITY

Delivering lectures and workshops hosted mainly by Live Deen rom Feb. 27-March 1 at Marriott Hotel in Karachi. Right: IOU stall aMarch 1 event.

With Pro. Dr. Ghulamqadir Kazi, vice chancellor o Isra University, afer signing an MoU on March 3. Isra is a private university noted aculty o medicine.

With Pro. Dr. Hakim Abdul Hannan, vicechancellor o Hamdard University, whopresented him a university crest afer thesigning o an MoU.

Visiting Hamdard University’s central library, Bait-ul-Hikmah, which is one o the largesresearch libraries in South Asia with a collection o over hal a million books, some othem dating back to the 17th century.

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Have you ever wondered whether you

could earn the requisite credit hours orcommunity service doing activities that

assist Islamic Online University (IOU) and acilitateda’wah? The Volunteer Representatives andStudent Committees at IOU have their doors wideopen to assist you to this end. Different statesacross the USA are inviting IOU students to takeup leadership roles and leave an impact on localcommunities by organizing student committeesand events.

Ofen students at IOU see the community servicehours requirement as a burden rather than theawesome opportunity that it was designed to be.Originally, Dr. Bilal Philips had asked studentsto undertake any orm o community serviceor these credit hours as a requirement orgraduation. Recently, however, he decided to allowstudents to serve IOU by working as Volunteer

State Representatives or as members o studen

committees. This provides IOU students with aunique opportunity to make practical use o theknowledge they are gaining.

We now have representatives rom different statactively creating events to promote IOU in theirarea and earning credit hours simultaneously.It is heartening to see their genuine eelings ohappiness when they successully organize a mevent. While some have prior experience in theield, others are irst-timers. Nevertheless, theirefforts, dedication and hard work to promote IOare equally appreciated and recognized.

Kansas State Representative, Yasmine Niloar,organized an outstanding event or AwarenessDay this year at the Matt Ross Community Centein Overland Kansas on Feb. 21. She managed toundraise $2,300 which she used to secure a hal

Community Service:IOU Awareness Week in USA


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with state-o-the-art sound and technology or theIOU presentation. The venue seemed tailor-madeor the event and the entire US IOU staff was lownin to Kansas, including National Director, SheikhMuttahir Sabree and National Representative,

Yasmeen Rolland, who are both international

speakers. Over 150 enthusiastic brothers andsisters attended the program to learn more aboutIOU and be motivated to walk the path o seekingknowledge. The event also eatured a nasheed bychildren rom the local community and Englishnasheeds to draw in the crowds.

The IOU team is proud o her efforts, especiallysince it was her irst attempt at organizing such anevent. The hospitality was amazing and everybodyhad a great time socializing at the end o the

program -- topped off with delicious biryani!

Sr. Yasmeen Rolland, international speaker and thedeveloper o the Volunteer State Program, spokeabout how she elt attending the event:

"Alhamdulillah, I elt so proud o theaccomplishment o Sr. Yasmine Niloar! It wasincredible to see the ruits o the hard work putin by state representatives come orth beore meyes. The end result made it all worth it.

"I look orward to more IOU students across

the nation coming orward to serve as staterepresentatives and emulate Yasmine’s efforts inKansas in their locality. This will help us all worktogether or one o the most rewarding aspectso community service: calling others to improvetheir practice o Islam through sound Islamicknowledge.

"It is amongst the greatest blessings in my lie towork with Dr. Bilal Philips, Sheikh Mutahhir Sab

Muhammad Shajiuddin and the entire IOU staffChanging the Nation through Education."

I you are in the US and would like to volunteer othe IOU, contact: [email protected]

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Dr. Bilal Philips, along with other renowned

speakers, addressed students o the University o

Kashmir through a recorded video during their

Islamic Fraternity’s Global Convocation on Feb.

28, 2015, at Srinagar, India.

The IOU student committee o Kashmir also

organized a promotion during the event,which saw dozens o students enquire

about the educational opportunities at

the Islamic Online University.

A stall was set up outside the

convocation complex. IOU brochures

were distributed and people were

made aware o the university and its

courses in the hope o increasing

awareness o its various activities

and its pivotal role in theeducational sector.

The University o Kashmir is

a leading institution spread

over 247 acres o land.

Originally ounded as the

University o Jammu

and Kashmir in 1948,

it was biurcated in

1969 into two ull-ledged Universities:

University o

Kashmir at Srinagar

and University

o Jammu at

Jammu.

Dr. Bilal’s Talk & IOU Stall AttracStudents in Kashmi


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Incredible initiatives sprungorth rom the InternationalIOU Meeting o Spring 2014

in Malawi, a landlocked countryin southeast Arica with asigniicant Muslim population.

A large delegation o volunteersand representatives rom acrossthe globe gathered to discussthe potential enhancemento IOU projects in Malawi. Themeeting kindled a spark o hope

or our country.

Following in the ootsteps

o IOU Kenya, a dedicated

team o organizers not only

established the IOU Malawi

Student Committee, but alsosecured campuses in two o the

country’s major cities. However,

with the country going through a

severe economic crisis, the goal

was not just to provide IOU’s

Islamic education in the country,

but to do so at zero cost via a

scholarship program.

Due to the critical state othe economy, it is difficult topromote IOU in the country, a

most students do not have thinancial means to pay or theInternet, let alone enroll.

Mohammed Moshin, chairmao IOU Malawi’s StudentCommittee, says that not onlis the “country well below the

IOU’s Growth in Malawi:How Allah Supports His Deen

2


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poverty line,” but as a result,“the minimum wage o peopleliving here is less than US $1” – ashocking reality.

The committee had establisheda campus in Lilongwe, thecapital o Malawi, and anotherin Blantyre. However, thequestion was no longer aboutestablishing, but about stayingestablished; the inances o thetwo centers combined amountsto a challenging US $2,000.

This includes paying or rent,employee salaries, Internetaccess and other utilities.

Despite the apparent difficulties,the student committee’scontinuous and sincere effortsbrought about an avenue or

inancial relie. Elevated Trust,a local inancial institution,was willing to affiliate with thecommittee. “Ma sha Allah, they

allocated a separate office orIOU,” Moshin states, “with twocomputers exclusively or IOU,with ull time Internet access.”

As IOU continues to gain stabilityin Malawi, the committee isputting in place a scholarshipund. This und is or studentswith inancial difficulties looking

to join the Degree programsoffered by IOU.

In Fall o 2014, the MalawiScholarship Fund sponsored27 students, and yet another19 students were granted ullscholarships or Spring 2015,

Ma sha Allah. It is incredibleto think how the seed o IOUplanted itsel in the smallcountry o Malawi, by the

continued mercy o Allah,through a select number odedicated brothers and sisterFinance is becoming less o aobstacle or Malawi students they acquire an accredited IOdegree through the scholarshund, alhamdulillah. Despitethe obvious challenges, theperseverance and dedicatedefforts o IOU Malawi StudentCommittee are surely paying

“For indeed, Allah does no

waste the efforts of those w

excel.”

(Surah Yusu: 90)


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With more than 200,000students from 228 countries-- may Allah bless IOU-- how does the IT teamhandle such a large onlineorganization and what

challenges do you face?

Ameen. Alhamdulillah, IOU hasgrown a lot since its inceptionin 2009. What started as a verysmall online website has nowgrown into a complex system oweb applications built aroundthe main Learning ManagementSystem (LMS). IOU uses Moodle(an open source LMS), and a

lot o custom PHP applicationsbuilt around it like centersmanagement, admin reports,student portals or exemptions,complaints, transcripts, etc. Beingon Moodle gives us the advantageo beneiting rom the open sourcecommunity; we keep adding neweatures that are developed by thecommunity.

With IOU being completely online,

IT plays a very integral role in the

unctioning and growth o the

university. Every department in

IOU has some dependency on

the IT department to develop

systems or their tasks. Over

the past years we have worked

extensively with each department

trying to automate many o theadmin tasks to ensure the adminscan manage the huge number ostudents, courses and streams. Alhamdulillah, now at the click oa button, the admins can do whatwould have usually taken themdays; or example deduct marks,

hide or show tests and give classparticipation marks.

Due to the complex nature orequirements at the IOU, wehave been required to customizeMoodle and to accommodatethe changes. We have developedsystems and customized Moodleat places to ensure that the entirestudent experience at IOU issmooth and enjoyable. We areconstantly working on trying toimplement the best eatures ovirtual learning, so our studentscan beneit rom them. Thesesystems are constantly being

improved with new eatures andbug ixes.

How large is IOU’s IT team?What special talents do wehave in the team?

We are currently a team o

seven core members and other

volunteers. I, Br. Jamal, am the

head o IT. I’m managing theentire team. Br. Farhan assists me

and loves customizing Moodle

and developing plugins or it.

Br. Yousu Tahim and Br. Raja

Mohammed handle the ront

end operations.They design and

maintain the numerous websites

at IOU. Br. Romie Syah Putra and

Br. Saddique Shaikh are our server

admins and managers, who keepthe server alive. Br. Muhammad

Ahmed is our android developer.

Could you share someinteresting data or statsabout IOU’s complex IToperations and needs?

IOU has around 20 different

websites, some o which are bu

on Wordpress and we have ou

active Moodle instances. We us

variety o other PHP applicatio

like OrangeHRM, PHP Lists, etc

Over the past 18 months, the ITteam has completed more than

2000 tasks involving developin

new systems or maintaining ol

ones. Our database has 750 tab

that store various student reco

What are some of the majochallenges faced by the ITteam in the past and how

you handle them?

In 2014, IOU introduced many

new streams and programs tha

had to be hosted on the single

Moodle instance. This required

major change in the inrastruct

to organize the courses in these

programs. Some courses like

Aqeedah 101 would be commo

in all streams, while others woube separate. Alhamdulillah, we

customized many o the core

iles o Moodle and developed

custom course page that displa

the course list according to the

user’s stream. We also enhance

the display o this page to show

the user an attractive dashboa

with progress bar that showedthe next module, course grades

etc. A list o completed courses

(according to the stream) was

also made available. We had to

revamp many o our systems to

now log the user’s stream while

accepting requests.


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A focus on

GQMC's Hifdhprogram


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The Preservation of

in the Hearts of Men And We have certainly made the Quraneasy for remembrance, so is there anywho will remember? (Quran 54:17)

Islamic Online University introduced theGlobal Quran Memorization Program in 2013

or Muslims around the world who desire tomemorize the Quran but don’t have means ortime to travel.

Beata Gwaliczek , coordinator o the GQMCdepartment, shared her insight into this lie-changing program.

Why GQMC?IOU’s priority is to impart high quality educationto its students, whichever ield it may be. GQMCis no less. All our Tutorial Assistants are huffadh,have Ijazah (Islamic certiication) in Quranmemorization and are excellent reciters. We haveseven emale and ive male tutorial assistants;most o them hailing rom Egypt. Also, ourclasses are segregated or men and women.

Due to the lexibility and ease o the program,we have at the moment 193 students whohave embarked on this transormative imaan-boosting journey rom the comorts o theirhome. Our students are as young as 12, along

with others who are teenagers and adults in their20’s and 30’s.

One o the major beneits o teaching Quran overthe Internet is that there is absolutely no needo going to an onsite school. You can simply turnon your device rom wherever you are, be it yourlaptop or phone, log in and you’re directly led

into the virtual classroom where your teacheris readily awaiting your arrival to share his/heknowledge and offer his/her support.

Hence, you get the opportunity to study undequaliied huffadh rom all around the globe,which would have been impossible otherwiseunless enduring hardship o travels.

What Do We Offer?Our aim is to simpliy and enhance the learnin

experience o our students. Hence, GQMC levehave been designed to cater to the needs and

requirements o all students. What’s more,

students have the reedom to choose any leve

they desire.

We offer three levels:

1. Beginners Level:

This level is or absolute beginners. Students

who do not know even a single surah can join

this level. It commences with Juz Amma ( juz 3

and the rate o memorization is only one page

per week.

2. Advanced Level:

This level is or those students who have alrea

memorized Juz Amma and Tabarak ( juz 29). T

level is spread over our years:

"Our aim is to simplify

and enhance the learning

experience of our students."

The Quran

8


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Year 1: Surah az-Zumar to Surah

an-Nas (2 pages per week; the last 2 juz to be recited by the students)

Year 2: Surah al-Anbiya to Surah Sad (3 pages aweek)

Year 3: Surah at-Tawbah to Surah Taha (3 pages aweek)

Year 4: Surah al-Fatiha to Surah al-Anal (4 pages a week)

I a student wishes to enrol into the Advanced Levelbut has not memorized Juz Amma and Tabarak

yet, s/he is encouraged to join our Preparatory Yeargroup, wherein the student will memorize the two

juz ollowing which s/he will be eligible to enrol intoan Advanced Level group, in sha Allah.

3. Juz 26-30 Hifdh With CompleteKhatma Recitation:

This is a dual eature level as it is also a course initsel. In this level, students will memorize the last 5

juz. The ormat o these sessions is as ollows:

1. Memorize 1 page per week (hal page per session).

2. Study tajweed rules with instructor.

3. Recite a khatma to improve recitation by correctapplication o tajweed rules.

Along with class work, students should ensure thatthey practise the pages memorized or at least 2hours daily.

Qira’at Typeat GQMCThe method o reading (qira’at ) employed orteaching is hafs. Hence, students learn thetransmission o the Quran recitation o Abu Bakr

‘Asim that the majority o the Muslim world isamiliar with and which is the universally acceptetransmission o the Quran.

The Methodology1. For Beginners and Advanced Level:

Each group will have 4 classes per week – beginn

groups have 3 classes per week, preparatory yea

have 3 classes and advanced level have 4 weekly

sessions. In these live sessions, students listen to

the teacher’s recitation, repeat afer the teacher;receive the teacher’s eedback on their recitationalong with instruction on areas o improvement.

The last live session o the week is dedicated to

the student’s recitation rom memory. The same

procedure applies throughout.

Usually, most o these sessions last or about 60


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minutes. However, the duration o live session mayvary slightly rom one group to another dependingon the number o enrolled students.

Students also attend a weekly evaluation sessionwhich is 120 minutes long in almost all groups.

2. For Juz 26-30 Hifdh Course:

There are 2 weekly sessions per week which are 60minutes long. In these sessions, students memorizehal page per session and also study the tajweed rules.

DurationThe program o the Advanced level is or 4 years.However, i students enroll into the Preparatory

Year, it would extend upto 5 years.

However, i students opt only or the Juz 26-30 Hidhcourse, the duration is 2 years only.

Who Can Join?1. The student applicant should be 12 years and above.

2. The student applicant should be proicient inreading Arabic language.

3. Knowledge o the basic rules o tajweed is a must.

4. Reasonable ability to recite Quran with tajweed.

I the applicant is not proicient in Arabic or tajweedrules, he/she should take our Advanced Diplomaprogram in BAIS and opt or the Arabic 100, Tajweed101 and Tajweed 102.

It must be noted that only the students o Level 3: Juz26-30 Hidh course will be taught the tajweed rules.

The Ijazah ProgramAs a continuation to the GQMC program, IOU has

also introduced the Global Quran Memorization

Center’s Ijazah program alongside or those who

wish to attain a certiicate in Quran memorization.

An added advantage o this program is that stuwill be given certiicates or memorizing two pTahfat Al-Atfaal and Al-Jazariyyah.

The interested candidates must have memoriz

the entire Quran with tajweed or a minimum o

chapters on condition that the student will com

the memorization with a teacher in the same IIjazah program. The new 15 chapters will then

reviewed over 1 to 2 semesters until they have

ixed in the memory according to the student’sability to memorize.

Unlike GQMC where the sessions are held in gr

the students enrolled in the Ijazah program hol

to-one Skype/Ekiga sessions with their instruct

There are 3 sessions per week (each 60 minutes

irst two sessions, a student recites rom the me

to his/her teacher 5 pages o the Quran. Afer halistened to the recitation, the teacher evaluates

corrects any tajweed mistakes and gives the stu

tips on how to improve the recitation. In the thi

session, the student will study a poem.

The estimated duration o the program is 1 or

years depending on the recitation skills o thestudent.

Our mission is to provide a center or Muslims over the world to learn under certiied huffadh whonly help you to memorize the Quran but also knohow to teach it in the most effective and easy man

Allah has promised to preserve the Quran in thhearts o mankind and IOU makes it easy or ybe a part o this preservation.

Join NOW and experience the bliss o the wordo Allah! For more inormation, please visit ourwebsite: www.iou-gqmc.com

“ Allah has promised to

preserve the Quran in thehearts of mankind and IOUmakes it easy for you to be a

part of this preservation.”

Note: For both GQMC and Ijazah program, male instructors willteach men and emale instructorwill teach women.

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'My sons' behaviors have changed'

A Mother’s InsightBy Shamila Lafir

I am really glad that Global Quran Memorization

Center (GQMC) is available or my sons to do their

Hidh online. It is a very convenient method or

my children and I. As a working mother, it was not

possible or me to have them continue with local

Hidh programs due to various obstacles. So when

IOU announced their launching o GQMC in 2013, I

grasped the opportunity to register my son, Zaidh,

who was twelve years old at the time. My other son,

Umar, was not old enough to enroll yet as he was onlyten. Although both my sons were already doing Hidh

through Skype lessons, the payment method was not

convenient or me. Eventually, Umar also joined GQMC

last year when he turned twelve.

I am very satisied with the lessons and method o

teaching. Both, Sh. Mustaa Raslan and Sh. Muhammed

Tahwawi, are well qualiied teachers. They are kind and

equally strict in making the boys keep up with their

lessons. They are also patient in correcting tajweedmistakes and explaining the rules. Although the

memorization is going at a slow pace (2 to 3 pages per

week), it is suitable or my sons to balance their school

studies with their memorization. I believe that the

quality o learning is more important than the quantity.

I have noticed changes in the behavior o my sons as

young adults. They are responsible in their studies as

well as inhelping me with the house chores.

Undoubtedly, their good behavior is a blessing rom

Allah due to their memorization o His Book. I would

highly recommend parents to enroll their children in

the GQMC Hidh program as it is a very convenient a

stress-ree approach to memorizing the Quran. It is a

a convenient mode or adults to memorize rom the

comort o their home.

I would like to conclude with the ollowing ahadeeth

rewards or memorizing the Quran.

Narrated rom ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr that the Prophet

said: “It will be said to the companion o the Quran:

Recite and rise in status, recite as you used to recite

in the world, or your status will be at the last verse

that you recite.” Recorded by Al-Tirmidhi (2914) and Ab

Dawud (1464) classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsila

al-Saheehah, 5/218, no. 2240.

In another hadeeth, the Prophet said: “Fasting an

the Quran will intercede or a person on the Day oResurrection. Fasting will say, ‘O Lord, I deprived him

o ood and desires during the day, so let me interce

or him.’ The Quran will say, ‘O Lord, I deprived him o

his sleep at night, so let me intercede or him.’ Then

they will both intercede or him.” Narrated by Ahmad,

al-Tabarani and al-Hakim; classed as saheeh by al-Albani

Sahih al-Jami’, no.3882.


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Blossoms of a

Quranic GardenAreeba Masood shares her experience of

GQMC’s Ijazah Program

2


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It has been our years since Icompleted my memorization o theQuran. Throughout this journey,

my mother served as my guide,

teacher, and the inspiration whichpersuaded me to sign up or GlobalQuran Memorization Center (GQMC),alhamdulillah! Since my completion, Ihave been teaching younger childrenthe recitation o the Quran withtajweed and working to instill withinthem a love or this divine text, just asmy mother had done with me.

Upon completion, I sought to acquire

a hidh certiicate or my academicrecord. Thereore, I searched or aqualiied Quran teacher who could testmy memorization, and help me

My teacher, Sara Khazbak, is a gem o

a person, ma sha Allah. She not only

helped me polish my tajweed, but has

also served as a motivator or me to

recite the Quran in my prayers. I am

so grateul to the IOU or allowing methe opportunity to be her student and

beneit rom her vast knowledge o

the Quran and tajweed despite the

distance between us!

I would like to sincerely thank mymother and my sister or motivating

and encouraging me to join this

program. I would also like to extend

my heartelt thanks to Dr. Bilal Philipsand his sincere team! May Allahaccept and tremendously rewardyour efforts o bringing authenticIslamic knowledge to our doorsteps!May Allah help you succeed in yourgoal to change this nation througheducation. Ameen!

proper tajweed. Each class is an hourlong, and we have three classes perweek. This course has immenselyhelped me develop consistency in

my recitation and revision. It hasmade the Quran a real part o my lieand daily routine, alhamdulillah. Atirst, I aced much difficulty in ittingthis course into my new schedule oresponsibilities and a newlywed lie,but with the help o Allah, I have beenable to complete 18 juz thus ar!

To all those who have memorized theQuran and wish to make it a part o

their lie, I deinitely recommend thiscourse to you! I also recommend it tothose o you who are in the ield oteaching and da’wah.

perect my hidh and tajweed. WhenI heard o the new Ijazah programoffered by the GQMC last Ramadan,I was overjoyed that my du’as werebeing accepted and I joined theprogram.

Studying online has been awonderul experience. It gives methe convenience o lexible timingsand learning rom the comort o myhome. Sometimes we are aced withchallenges such as weak internetconnection or other technicaldifficulties. But to achieve something,one must cope with these situationsthrough patience. Although I gotmarried a ew months ago, it hasbecome easy or me to continue mystudies, alhamdulillah.

The Ijazah program requires me torevise at least 4 to 5 pages or eachclass. I have to recite these verses tomy teacher rom memory and with


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I started my hidh with the Global QuranMemorization Center (GQMC) whenthe IOU launched it in May 2013. I was

twelve years old at that time. My mothersuggested I join GQMC as we encounteredmany obstacles in continuing with localhidh classes. It’s been a very rewardingexperience, alhamdulillah.

How do I study?We get at least two pages to memorizeeach week, and we do revision everyweek. I usually take about an hour on adaily basis to memorize one page andanother hour or revision o previoussurahs. Afer I inish memorizing theweek's pages, I revise them repeatedlyuntil I'm luent in my recitation.

When memorizing, I irst recite the page

at least seven times while looking at themusha. Afer that, I break the ayahs intoour or ive words at a time and memorizethem. Each time I inish an ayah, I recite itover and over until I perect it. I will thenrecite it by heart rom the beginning o thepage up to the ayah I learnt. I repeat thisprocedure until I inish the whole page.

A Tween’s

Journeyof Doing Hifdh OnlineBy Zaidh Imran

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What I love? GQMC teachers teach the

Quran along with tajweed, whichis more rewarding. It makes you

enjoy the memorization process.Listening to your own recitation

makes it a beautiul experience.Our teachers even encourage us

to listen to media recitations byvarious qaris which helps us topractice to recite in a slow and

beautiul manner.

It is also much easier and lesstiring than going to a madrasah

on a daily basis afer school.

There are no transport issuesand it is a lot easier to do it

sitting in the comort o your ownhome.

It is quite cool to do hidh

using an electronic device,making it a pretty good reason

or you to get your own laptop,tablet, etc.

Since I am not sitting ace-

to-ace with my ustaadh, itprevents him rom pinching or

hitting me while I make a mistakeas opposed to my previousexperiences with other ustaadhs.

So, it is a less painul and more

enjoyable method o memorizingthe Quran. :)

I even have time to go orsports practice afer school

hours. This program allows me toenjoy lie as a normal teenager as

well as do hidh to please Allah.

I am currently in Form 3 (Grad10) and it is much easier tocope with my studies at schoowhile doing hidh online. AsI mentioned beore, it is lesstiring and less stressul, but th

rewards are magnanimous. Ienjoy learning online with GQbecause it enables me to get tknow other students rom allover the world.

My sheikh (Sh. Mustaa I Raslais an Egyptian and this helpsme improve my understandino the Arabic language as he

speaks in Arabic sometimes.Occasionally, he explains themeaning o the ayah or eventhe ruk’u. This is a lot morebeneicial than memorizingthe whole Quran withoutunderstanding it.

Drawbacks?There is just one major drawb

in this method o study, whichthe internet connection. A verstrong and stable connectionis required. Sometimes, thevoice breaks or is not veryclear, which makes the procestime consuming. There aren’tany other complex issues,alhamdulillah.

I highly encourage more peopto join GQMC so that they alsocould beneit rom memorizatwith tajweed and increase theunderstanding o the Quranin order to please Allah. It’s a journey that comes with endlrewards in dunya and akhirah


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I

did not think twice. It was something I hadprayed or and wanted or quite a long time. I

just jumped in!

My journey towards memorizing the Quran startedwhen I was 13-14 years old. A new imam had

joined our masjid and we started to memorize Juz Amma under him at the madrasah -- it took us ayear to memorize the whole juz.

Prior to that, it never once occurred to me that Iwanted to memorize the Quran. I tried to continuethe memorization o Juz Tabarak on my own afer

madrasah, but the effort did not last long. I don’trecall i I even revised the surahs (chapters o theQuran) I had learnt afer that. It was only when Ireached university that I went back to the surahs Ihad memorized and began revising them.

From then on, I tried to start memorizing againseveral times. I completed Juz Amma and Juz

Tabarak and tried again with several surahs witnot much success. Finally, I decided to memorizSurah Yaseen and did not rest until I inished it,alhamdulillah.

By then, I knew I had two problems: my imaan wlow and I needed a teacher.

An Answer to My PrayersSoon afer I graduated rom university, I cameacross a post on Facebook about the Global QuMemorization Center (GQMC). It seemed as i althe du’as I had been making afer salah and atifar time had been answered by Allah, becausethen, I wanted to become a haidhah o the QurI elt like it was my duty to spend time learningsomething to attain Allah’s pleasure which wouhelp me in the Hereafer. It was important or mand or my aith to work or my akhirah.

I have to admit that some doubts did creep in

By Umm Abdul Rahman

Struggle, Sisterhood and Sweetness of FaithMY GQMC JOURNEY

6


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whether I should start memorizing the Quranright away or wait till I was done with my secularstudies as I was about to start a 9-month intensiveproessional course. But the doubts aded awayas quickly as they occurred, because one thoughtechoed constantly in my mind: I I were to die right

now, what would I answer Allah? What good had Idone in this lie?

From then on, nothing was going to stop me. Iclicked on the post and emailed the coordinatoror details about classes, ees and the enrollmentsteps. I learnt that classes had already started twoweeks earlier, and that I would have to wait untilthe ollowing month to get in a new group. I couldnot wait though, I wanted to join ASAP!

I was araid that i I hesitated, the opportunitymight just evaporate. Finally, I was enrolled.

I had skimmed through my teacher’s proile online andound that she was rom Egypt. The only experience Ihad with an Arab teacher was my Arabic teacher backin high school, who let’s say was not the nicest person Iknew. I was dead nervous.

“Relax sister, it is your irst day, so most probablythe teacher is only going to ask you to read.” I still

remember the sister who said this – her name wasFaeza – and her kindness. From that point, I elt Iwas thrown into a new world, where mornings eltlike Jannah, illed with the indescribable beautyo Allah’s words being recited and divine peacepiercing your heart.

I did not know exactly what to expect when Ibegan, but my journey to memorizing the Quranwith GQMC went beyond my expectations. I wentrom resolving to memorize the Book o Allah to

understanding that memorizing the Quran is not just about memorizing the words o Allah `azza wa jall. No, it’s a lot more than that.

Amazingly enough, I got the teacher I needed. Sheis perhaps the kindest person I know: gentle, sofand caring, light-hearted and easygoing, kind,understanding, loving and lovable. Perhaps you are

thinking why on earth is that important or why dothat make GQMC so uniquely special?

You see, memorising the Quran means you’lltread paths you never thought you’d tread. It willchallenge you, test your limits, break you downand only then rebuild you anew. This might soun

like mere words to you, but it really eels this wayHaving my teacher constantly encouraging us,pushing us no matter how much we were struggno matter how much we kept ailing (I have beenthere too many times) in class tests or exams, nomatter how many times we stumbled was and stis a pillar o strength in my memorization.

Struggles and SisterhoodSix months into my memorization, I started the

proessional course, which meant attendinguniversity six days a week. It also meant returninhome late, not having an ounce o energy andintensive, long hours o learning. I am workingcurrently and until very recently the only day Iwas home was Sunday. I will be sitting or eightintensive modules in September and I cannottell you how many times I wanted to give up andstill eel that way sometimes. This is why havingteacher who is supportive and understanding is

huge blessing, alhamdulillah.

I cannot emphasize enough how much o aprivilege it is to be studying under a highlyqualiied teacher and learning rom her. GQMCgives you this rare opportunity to interact with rpeople o knowledge rom the comort o yourhome, and this alone is a huge blessing rom Allalhamdulillah.

I live in a developing country which is unlike

Islamic countries (and some developed countriin that i you decide to start memorizing theQuran, you do not have tahidh schools around corner. Most probably you will not ind a emaleteacher and i you do, you might have to travel tsome remote places to study, and even then, thwould not be as qualiied as the teachers at GQBesides, when you are juggling studies and wor


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it helps a lot to just lip open your laptop and joinclass at the click o a mouse rather than having totake an hour to get ready, another hour to travel toclass and yet another hour to return home.

I you think my story is inspiring, consider myteacher, who has been juggling kids, amily,

pursuing a university degree while being a studento knowledge hersel and teaching!

I met some incredible sisters since I started my journey at GQMC. It has been an amazing potpourrio cultures, something yousimply do not have the privilegeto experience through traditionalmemorization school. I knowsisters who would wake up at our

in the morning to come to classwhile others would stay up tillmidnight! (Don’t worry, classesare lexible, so you will in sha

Allah ind a time that suits yourschedule). I got to know sisterswith our or ive kids who were still coming to classand doing brilliantly. I met a sister who went homerom university to a husband and a child while shewas pregnant and memorizing the Quran.

Above all, I discovered a whole new dimension oriendship: sisterhood. This is where you love orthe sake o Allah, where you only want the bestor each other, a world where selishness does notexist, and where we become each other’s supportsystem through this journey.

Back in the days when I was memorizing Juz Amma, I remember memorizing a portion everyday and that was a time when I was coming closerto the deen and becoming increasingly practicing.

My imaan and taqwa were building up and theseare two absolutely essential ingredients (I cannotemphasize enough) that take a person through thisunique journey.

Once I read an article on how some medicalstudents could inish their memorization beoreother students, despite their hectic and grueling

schedule. The reason was their higher level oimaan. Many times, I have been there trying tomemorize a page, and it just would not happenit did, I would orget it the next day, because I ethat the heart had become hard. At GQMC, I wasblessed to be in the company o amazing sisters

and that deinitely rubs off on you. O course, onyou can work on increasing your imaan and taqbut being in the company o people with sofhearts and kind souls, who are always mentionAllah, praising Him, thanking Him or seeking His

help and making du’a, makes yowant to be better. My class eelslike a nest that nurtures growtha believer.

One important thing on this journey is continuity. My teachealways says that i you leave theQuran or one day, you will orgeit. And you will, I have experiencthis mysel. You might not eel it

the beginning, but afer memorizing two or thre juz, this advice will echo through your mind.

Unforgettable Moments

I would like to share some unorgettable momerom the class (i I can pick them out, becauseevery class is precious, alhamdulillah).

There were times when the sisters in class woulbe reading the Quran and ind themselves unabto continue, choked with tears. I can never orgethose tears which were shed when verses onHellire were being read or over our entrance inJannah (in sha Allah) described in Surah Az ZumTears shed when reading the verse where Allahsays not to despair o His mercy. Tears hangingbetween hope and ear. There were yet other timwhen the tears just rolled down, and the wholeclass would be in tears. Such is the power o theQuran. That is the power o Allah’s words whichrevealed to a mountain, it would have crumbledout o ear [1].

My class feelslike a nest that

nurtures growthas a believer”

[1] Quran 59:21

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The reason I want to share these precious momentswhich I have preserved in my heart is becausethey are among the most beautiul moments inmy lie. These are the moments which bring yourheart back to lie, where you truly eel the barakah,blessings and mercy coming down rom our Lord

in such blessed gatherings where His Book is beingremembered.

I ask Allah ‘azza wa jall to sofen my heart and toincrease, protect and preserve my sisters, becausememorizing the Quran is a journey designedspeciically or you, and it is unique to you.

Don’t run lest you stumble, don’t dally lest youmiss the signs, and don’t stop lest the gale windsthrow you off. It is a journey where you will learn

what patience really means, what endurance is,what reliance tastes like, where sincerity comesrom, what it means to believe in yoursel andmost importantly, it will teach you that yoursuccess in lie and this unpredictable path trulycomes rom Allah in accordance to who you are,who you want to be, and the level o your aith anddriving orce.

DON’T stop! Days and nights will never be the sameagain. You will struggle with yoursel and others,

you will eel such pain that only Allah knows o, butthe sweet taste o imaan will never let you give up.There will be dashed hopes, ailed attempts, andyou might miss the train more than once, but thelame o your passion will not let you be, so carryon. You will be tested and taught your boundaries-- not as a punishment, but as the greatest act okindness you will ever witness. Being shown yourbarriers shows you that they are just that: yourbarriers, not Allah’s.

He will truly show you your strengths and increasethem or you, show you your weaknesses andhelp you overcome them. You will battle orcesrom Shaytan, orces rom your surroundings andemotions, and you will battle the greatest orce toreckon with: your own mind and soul. Because theQuran FORCES you to change. There is no otherway. Allah will let you ight in these plains and He

will make sure that you not only win the battlethat you win the entire war.

One advice I want to give, which was given to is to seek istighar . A LOT. Always. Because thowho repent are those with the sofest hearts, aonly a sof heart absorbs the Quran, its words

and the power and heaviness o the words o Almighty.

Journey of a Lifetime

To be honest, I don’t think studying online wil

be better than studying with teachers in perso

Couple this with poor internet connections, so

disruptions and technical problems on WizIQ,

it can get pretty rustrating at times. But I know

a act that even i I were to start learning ace tace with a teacher tomorrow, I would never le

GQMC. I do not want my journey to ever come

an end. It is that dear to me, or all the reasons

I wrote and or all the reasons you can only

understand once you are part o the journey.

Two years through GQMC, my Quran has beco

my best riend and companion. It is easily the

most precious thing I possess. It’s like a riend

understands your every sorrow and grie, yourevery worry and problem, the type o riend w

will tell you the exact thing you need to hear, a

give you the best solution to your problem an

whispers o comort and peace. Because, simp

it is Allah, the Lord o the world speaking to yo

through His Book. And who knows you better

the One who created you?

I you haven’t come across it already, take a co

o minutes and watch the interview o the blin

boy qari by the well-known reciter Fahd Al-Ka

on YouTube. I have watched it innumerable tim

and each time it comes to an end, there is onl

thought in my mind: What excuse will I have o

Day o Judgement beore Allah or not memor

His Book?


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ONE STEP HIGHER By Nasmira Firdous

My journey in getting close to book o Allah started almost years ago. I was desperate to kn

why the word o Allah had such a prooeffect on some people, whereas on the effect was quite eeble and waverHowever, when I started studying taseer, the Quran had an incredpowerul effect on me. That is when I m

the decision to take my closeness to Quran one step urther and memorize words, so that it can be a constant souo comort and peace to my heart.

Afer several attempts to try to memothe Quran sitting all by mysel and aito stick to a schedule, I completely gaveon the thought o memorizing. Until Ablessed me with GQMC. Having alreenrolled in IOU’s BAIS program, I knthis would be nothing short o amazand alhamdulillah, I have not bdisappointed in the least bit.

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I enrolled during the FallSemester o 2014 and I want toshare my experiences with you:

So, Why GQMC?Flexible Timings

The irst barrier towardsmemorizing something orcommitting to a program isalways the lack o time or beingunable to dedicate a ixed timeto attend a program. Fromhousehold chores to takingcare o amily, memorizationautomatically takes a backseat or many o us. But this is

where GQMC stood out. I wasoffered multiple timings anddifferent groups to chooserom, making the entire processo memorization easy and inaccordance with my schedule.Thereore, the no-time actor ortime rigidity was automaticallycut out.

Groups

One o the biggest pluspoints o GQMC was thecomplete reedom to choosethe group I wanted, in turnallowing me to choose whichdays o the week I’d like toattend class and at timesthat were convenient or me.

Teachers

The most heartening aspect oIOU that always stood out orme was the high qualiication

and dedication o the teachersemployed or BAIS. I was sureGQMC would be no differentand I was right. I can proudlysay that the biggest motivationand inspiration or me tocontinue my hidh journeyhas been my teacher MariamFathi. Hidh requires patience,commitment, lots o sacriiceand tears, but having a teacherwho gives a constant dose oencouragement with gentlewords has helped me lookat the Quran in a completelydifferent light. I pray Allah givesMariam Ma’am the highest rank

in Jannah or her unimaginablepatience and perseverance indealing with students.

Levels

While contemplating onmemorizing, I was very speciicon doing it at my pace: neithertoo ast nor too slow andGQMC oered me just that:Advanced or Beginners level to

choose rom.

Syllabus and Structure

One o the biggest challengesafer memorizing somethingis the “review and retention”part. This is where I oundGQMC’s syllabus structureand my teacher’s amazinglysimple yet powerul ormula

highly effective. At GQMC, wememorize a new portion andrevise the previous week’sportion at the end o each

week. This constant reviewinand memorizing techniquehad made me progress and nstagnate or orget.

What’s more, you are taughtwith correct tajweed and are

reviewed with tests each weeincreasing the bond betweenyour soul and Allah’s words inways that can’t be described.

Why You Should Memorize

I will not be going intothe multiple rewards omemorization because there enough resources and contenavailable online and elsewheWhat I will tell you is the effecmemorization had on me.

In those leeting moments omemorizing His words, I realizmy incredible weakness andHis magniicent Might, my uttedependency and His powerulindependence, my need or loand His ability to heal that wh

I didn’t even know was brokenmy yearning or peace and Hisability to nurture my emotionsmy dreams and His mind blowpromise: Jannah.

Everyone wants Paradise butimagine being one step closerto your goal just because o onextra verse you memorized![1] delights increase maniold wit

each step, and don’t we all dethe highest step? So what’sstopping you rom memorizinHis words?

References: 1. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said that the Prophet said: “It will be said to the companion o the Quran: ‘Recite and rise in status as you usrecite in the world, and your position will be at the last verse you recite.’” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1646; al-Tirmidhi, 2914; classed as saheeh by abaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood . Al-Mundhiri said in al-Targheeb: al-Khattaabi said: It said in the report that the number o verses in the Quran is the nuo degrees or levels o Paradise in the Hereafer, and it will be said to the reader: ‘Rise through the levels to the extent that you used to read the veo the Quran. Whoever recites all o the Quran, will reach the highest degree o Paradise in the hereafer, and whoever recites part o it will reach acommensurate with that, and the limit o his reward will match the limit o his reading. Al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 2/228


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How I became a

GQMC teacher“The best of you are those who learn the Quran

and teach it to others.” (Sahih Bukhari).

I

grew up seeing and hearing my ather recite

the Quran every morning beore he went towork. He was an architect originally rom Egypt.

We lived in Saudi Arabia. When I was six years

old, my amily moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where I

attended Al-Maqassed Islamic School or Girls. We

had daily Quran and tajweed classes and this is

where I irst began to learn the Quran. I always loved

reciting Quran, and had the passion to memorize it

completely. Afer studying a ew short surahs rom

Juz Amma, the irst verses I learned by heart were

the last verses o Surah Al-Kah. Then, I continueduntil I had memorized Juz Amma completely, as

well as a ew other verses rom here and there.

Afer completing secondary school, I enrolled in

King Saud University in Riyadh majoring in English

Language and Literature. My passion or studying

Quran grew stronger so I started to memorize Surah

Ar-Rahman. Soon afer, I had the burning desire to

start memorizing the Quran in its entirety beginning

with Surah Al-Baqarah.

Emulating my ather, I would sit afer ajr prayer

memorizing a quarter o a juz o the Quran until the

sun rose completely. This method enabled me to

memorize over seventeen juz o the Quran by the

age o 19. Then, at the o age 32, I had the whole o

the Quran ‘encased’ in my heart. In June o 2010, I

received my Ijazah in “Has rom ‘Aasim” with the

sanad back to our Prophet Muhammad, rom

Sheikh Hassan Saleh (Imam o New Jersey Islam

Center in New York, USA who has a BA in Quranic

Knowledge and Recitations rom Al-Azhar Univerin Cairo, Egypt).

Over the years, I have always had the passion to

teach what I have learned rom the Quran. Even a

a teenager, I would share my tajweed knowledge

with whoever was seriously interested among

my classmates in school, riends at the university

and riends in all the cities where I have lived in

the United Kingdom, and United States such as

Bradenton, Florida and New York.

In July o 2011, I lef the US with my seventeen yea

old daughter and currently reside in London. One

day, a close riend o mine rom the US (Sister Ra

told the Head Facilitator o IOU’s Diploma section

during their monthly meeting that she knows

someone interested in teaching Quran at their

newly opened center.

My dear riend, Rabia, is a acilitator with IOU’s

Diploma campus and she introduced me to IOU

This is how I began teaching Quran to sisters

in the Fast-Track Group in the Global Quran

Memorization Center (GQMC) in 2013 and enjoy

every minute o my time instructing others in th

recitation o Allah’s words.

By Amani Wahb

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1 . Begin immediately afer ajrprayer and memorize a quarter o a

juz rom the Quran.

2 . Keep repeating the verses beingstudied until they are memorized.

3 . Repeat what was memorizedthat morning and afer each meal:

breakast, lunch and dinner.

4. Repeat it again aferevery salah.

5 . Repeat it again beore sleeping.

6 . The next day, revise the juz romthe previous day beore memorizing

a new quarter o a juz ollowing the

same routine.

1 . Purity o intention, seriodedication and steadastne

to achieve this target.

2 . Continuous revision the Quran or the rest o

one’s lie.

When asked for advice on how to memorize the Quranby heart, I mention these important steps I followed:

There are twonecessities if onewants to successfullymemorize the Quran


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STUDENT Diaries

4


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“Take advantage of five

matters before five other

matters: your youth, before

you become old; and your

health, before you fall sick;

and your richness, before you

become poor; and your freetime before you become busy;

and your life, before your

death.” (Musnad Imam Ahmed)

We must have come across

this hadith at least once in our

lietime, but to what extent have

we incorporated its message in

our lives? Imagine a time when

your health, wealth, and youth

has been taken away rom you.

Will you then be able to serve

the ummah?

There is a reason we must take

advantage o the ‘precious ive’

or Allah can take our lie at any

point in time: would we like to be

rom the losers? As Allah says in

His Book, some people would beg

Allah to give them lie again so thatthey may do more good deeds.

“When death comes to one o

them, he says, “My Lord, send me

back that I might do righteousness

in that which I lef behind.” No! It

is only a word he is saying; and

behind them is a barrier until the

Day they are resurrected.” (Quran

23: 99-100)Alas there is only one lietime, so

hurrying to accumulate spiritual

rewards must be the goal o our

lives in this dunya. Some o the

most successul people are those

who set their goal early in lie –

the likes o Sulaiman Abdul Aziz

Al-Rajhi, the co-ounder o Al-Rajhi

bank in Saudi Arabia – which is the

world’s largest Islamic inancial

institution. Shaikh Sulaiman and

his brother used to exchange

money or pilgrims during Hajj

when they were younger, and

inally opened their bank in 1957.Al-Rajhi bank strictly ollows the

Islamic principle against riba’a

(interest) and has hundreds o

branches in Saudi Arabia, with

three o them being in Malaysia,

Kuwait, and Jordan.

Shaikh Sulaiman is not only a

banking tycoon, but has also

done great service to the Muslim

ummah. He has worked or thewelare o Arican nations and

established marriage trusts or

the youth. Most remarkable o all,

he gave away hal o his wealth in

charity and the other hal to his

children. Today, Sulaiman Al-

Rajhi is a billionaire without any

money. The spiritual rewards hhas accumulated account or thrichness o his imaan.

Shaikh Sulaiman could never hdone any o this without workinhard in his youth. However, we

don’t need to be billionaires toserve the Muslim community; tsmallest o our deeds can turn ia chain o rewards that we callsadaqah jariyah.

At this point, a poem by sisterAmal Ahmed Albaz serves as agreat reminder:

“Tick tock, tick tock is all I hear

coming out o my clock,

Sharper than a bell and louderthan a knock,

And it struck me on the day I turned

I was still young or so they’d saybut I think I saw the wrinkles matheir way,

So I started to think: what have

done in the past 18 years alive?

Did I neglect peace or or it I strive?

And then I realised I did nothing

All the Friday nights I spent talkion the phone,

I thought time would last but it surely lown…”

SubhanAllah, at the age o 18, wthink we are still young but beowe know it we lose our youth anlie gets taken away in the blink an eye. What better inspiration ayou still waiting or?

Sania is a diploma student at IO

FIVEBEFORE

FIVE:GET

Inspired!By Sania Aziz Rahman


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I

would like to begin by thanking Allah or blessing

me with an amazing set o parents, who have

always strived or the best or their children,alhamdulillah. I believe my mother is a relection

o the beautiul mothers o the past who sacriiced

their lie trying to better the lives o their children by

equipping them with knowledge o religious studies.

Her sincere intentions or our betterment causedher to protect us rom the evils o the outsideworld. She iltered our company o riends throughhomeschooling. Alhamdulillah, I have beenhomeschooled throughout.

Afer having completed my private GCSE’s romLondon, my mother encouraged me to apply to theUmm Al Qura university in Makkah to urther mystudies. It had always been her dream to have herchildren study in Makkah and Madinah. I appliedto the university; however, I was told to wait until Iturned 19. I couldn’t imagine living without my amilywhile studying, and my mind struggled to accept thehijrah or Islamic studies. I waited or Allah’s plan. In

the meantime, I decided to join the Islamic courses tobuild my basics in the subject, and I was told to joinIOU's BAIS program.

I began my studies at the age o seventeen. It seemedchallenging at the beginning as I elt I was too youngto pursue my Bachelors right afer my GCSE’s. Thesubjects seemed difficult at irst as I was unable tounderstand or ocus, but as time went on, the work

became easier and comortable. Few months latermy mother and my older sister also joined IOU.Studying and learning the deen together made it eor me to understand and implement what I learntnever imagined how easy it would be or me to gaiIslamic knowledge; everything I studied and learne

The Journey of

a HomeschooledIOU ScholarBy Rameesa Masood

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I would share with my amily who would readilyaccept. What I have gained through the course hasbeen never ending, alhamdulillah. I even gave up mydreams o Umm Al Qura afer gaining admission atIOU.

I had always thought that studying on my own

is unair or me; I need socializing, I need riends!Truly, only Allah knows what resides deep in ourhearts. A group o IOU sisters were just a click awayon Facebook. These sisters, regardless o theirethnicities, are real gems or each other. They area multiethnic gathering o sisters united upon onedeen, alhamdulillah!

My parents not only homeschooled me, butsimultaneously protected me rom the evils o society,gave me their company, and literally told me that IOUwould be my

IOU Insights Issue 3

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