Prayer In Arabic
25 Jul
ALHUMDULILLAH!!!!!
Asalaamu Alaikum.
Wow. I just finished my first FULL Arabic prayer. I have mentioned on my personal channel that I started doing my prayer in English. My thought process behind this was that I needed to know exactly what I was saying in my prayer. It has taken me almost a year to learn how to do the entire thing in Arabic. I put it off for so long and I kept telling my self that Arabic is to hard for me. But the real truth of the matter is that I was to scared and lazy to learn it in Arabic. I was ashamed of myself and I didn’t want to ask for help. (Not asking for help is somewhat of a theme with me)
I was content with my prayer being in English. It was easy, it was something I knew, and it was pure laziness. I always told myself that Allah knew my heart and my intentions. But on the flip side… Allah KNEW my heart and my intentions. He saw that laziness and he saw the doubt there. I wasn’t pushing myself in my religion. I wasn’t pushing my prayer toward perfection. I thought my pronunciation had to be perfect and flawless for me to even begin. It wasn’t until I was talking with my Sister In Law (through my husband because she speaks Arabic) that I started to feel the shame of my laziness. She was aghast that I didn’t know even one surah in Arabic. It was then and there that I went onto the site Mount Hira to learn Surah Al Fatihah. This site is brilliant MashaAllah. It let me repeat… repeat… repeat, until I got it down onto paper and partly in my head.
I would sit during prayer and go over each word. It would fill my mouth with bulk and at first I would spit it out. It would come out in a rush and tumble. It felt wrong and I felt self conscious. My husbands family would make me recite it over and over when we would skype with them. They would giggle, laugh, and then congratulate me. I felt they were laughing at me and how I said it. And I became closed off to learning more. I went months with the only thing I said in Arabic was that Surah during prayer. I kept my learning on hold. I didn’t want to learn anymore, I didn’t want to subject myself to the humiliation of ‘getting it wrong’.
Then two things happened almost simultaneously. I went to the ICNA Conference at the end of May and it totally changed my outlook on Islam. I realized that most Muslims would give you their right arm if it would help you to become a better Muslim. And when people laugh or giggle at you for what you have accomplished… it is because of joy and happiness. No one was laughing at me… they were laughing FOR me. I also received a wake up call about how I viewed the Quran, all because I was blessed enough to watch Brother Nouman Ali Khan speak. If you don’t know who he is… then search him out. This man changed my life, without realizing it. Alhumdulillah. He told a little bit about the story of Musa (pbh). He made me realize the Quran had everything I needed… but my lack of understanding Arabic was closing me off from it. I came home and started searching Mount Hira again. And I found this hadith on their site that I didn’t see the first time.
The Last Prophet (PBUH) said: “Verily the one who recites the Qur’an beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses (because he doesn’t know how to read it but is trying to), then he will have TWICE that reward.”
When I read this…. I am not going to lie… I broke down like a baby and cried my eyes out. I sobbed. My eyes turned red, my nose started to run, and my spirit filled all the way full with love for Allah. (I am even getting weepy just writing about it. lol) I decided that I was going to strive for a perfect prayer before the start of the month of Ramadhan. I would take little bites and do each bit until it became natural. And Alhumdulillah today was the last little bit to learn. I now have a 100% Arabic prayer. It might be hard to listen to and it might be the worst pronunciation in the history of prayer… but its mine and its for ALLAH!
ALHUMDULILLAH!!!
Tags: Allah, arabic, arabic prayer, english prayer, icna, Islam, mount hira, musa, Muslim, muslimah, nouman ali khan, prayer, prophet, quran, surah al fatihah
May Allah bless you sister
I really liked your story and it makes me feel how i am blessed just because i speak Arabic yet still new things i learn about Islam everyday. Wish all the best sister and keep up.
Assalamu Alaikum!
I’m still trying to learn how to pray properly in Arabic and Ramadhan has started :/ I feel ashamed but I really find it hard to memorize the prayers. So far I have learned Surah Al Fatiha and Ikhlas but I still have more to learn. I have an exam on the 1st of September so I kind of left Islam a bit to study and prepare for it. Yes I know…shame on me but Inshallah I’ll continue trying to learn and by the end of this month Inshallah I’ll be praying properly.
When I read this article I felt like I’m not the only one who finds it hard to learn the prayers in Arabic and I felt that I could really relate with your story. Thanks for posting it, made me feel better and opened my eyes that I shouldn’t be so lazy towards my Deen (:
Masha Allah sister, May Allah make it easy for you…!
wa alaikum salam! mashaaAllah! Brother Nouman has also changed how I view the Qur’an and reading it in arabic. I also had that….I read in english so it’s good enough kind of thing going. And you saw him live!!!! MashaaAllah! I watch his videos and am always on the look out for new ones being posted. I can’t get enough of his talks. He has inspired me soooo much!
May Allah(swt) make it easy on all of us to learn and read arabic so we can better understand His (swt) message to us inshaaAllah! Keep up the good work habibity!!!!
I think that’s cool that you made it a point to learn the meanings behind the Arabic words and that this didn’t happen overnight. Very encouraging. The best feeling is achieving what’s been struggled hard for. Thanks for that reminder. Alhamdulillah, what an awesome, important accomplishment and may the blessings keep on coming to ya.
Assalamualaikoum Wa rahimatullahi wa barakatu
learning ur prayers is indeed very very very fulfilling.. i shuld knw koz i was the same.. though i didnt learn on my own.. AlhamdoulliAllah i had a lovely lovely sister teach me, the way we did it was that i prayed by her side and she wuld read aloud for me.. we didnt that everyday and then she wuld make me recite, Surah Fateha, Surak Ikhlas and Surah An-Nas and MashaAllah and AlhamdoulliAllah after a few months i culd do my prayers on my own.. and indeed that hadith u mentioned vring a certain warmth in the heart doesnt it..
Moreover my son started Madrassah, i had to help him with his homework and make Him recite Surah and i learned Surah Falaaq with him.. As u say Allah KNOWS our intentions..
i have been trying to learn arabic from the website
http://islamiconlineuniversity.com/
have a look at it MashaAllah u can learn on ur own at ur own pace and its brilliant…
May Allah reward you for all ur efforts and make it easier for u to learn..
Remember the muslim brothers and sisters who are struggling to learn in ur duas..
Hugs…
Wslm..