How should I plan my daily activities?

[just a guy]

As Salaam Alaikum Warakhmatullahi-Wabarakhtuhu,

Ok so I need advice on how to schedule my day. Now that summer has started and no school for the next 3 months, I need to come up with a structured day in terms of my Islamic learning.

My knowledge is lacking in pretty much every aspect of the deen. I can BARELY read Arabic, shamefully. However, I also want to focus on proper aqeedah, memorizing the Qur'an, studying fundamentals of fiqh and hadith studies. So its sort of like my own mini Islamic course for this summer!


Now can some one advise me on how to divide my time on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and how much time would be ideal for each activity but not overbearing at the same time since I will also be working, insha'Allah ataala. And so bear in mind I am not trying to be a Hafidh by the end of the summer or a grand Mufti! And I do hope this to be a long term habit, IA!!!

Jazakallah Khayr!!!!

ps and I can't study under any sheikhs in my locality..........well except for sheikh google at this time...

[aburasheed]

There is no replacement for a real teacher in learning the deen. I suggest that you find the closest location where you can at least sit in the halaqa and feel the real learning environment. Even if you cannot attend it regularly, it is a good experience associating yourself with student of knowledge and plus you will feel the ukhwah between brothers in Islam.

There are also a few online courses that you may take.
http://www.shariaacademy.com
http://www.open-university.edu

Al-maghrib also provide weekend seminars that maybe available in your locality.
http://www.almaghrib.org/home.php

Adly.net have regular lectures, some people likes it, but some don't, so your mileage may vary:
http://adly.net

Sometimes there are regular lectures on paltalk that are beneficial. You have to find out who is conducting it and get their lecture schedule.

[Umm]

The set Commentary On The 40 Hadiths of al-Nawawi" by Jamal Zarabozo is very beneficial to go through.

"For the first time in English, a comprehensive work consisting of 3 Volumes commenting on al-Nawawi's Forty Hadith. If you enjoyed He came to teach you your religion, then you will certainly love to see the latest work Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi by Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo with an Introduction by Prof. Jaafar Sheikh Idris. Here are just a few excerpts from Prof. Jaafar Sheikh Idris¦s comments to the work. The reader will not be studying explanations of the hadith in a narrow sense; the reader will, in fact, be introduced to many branches of the Islamic sciences: the different sciences of hadith, the science of textual interpretation, the science of jurisprudence, law, and even Arabic language. This is a great commentary on a great book. Brother Jamaal Zarabozo is to be congratulated for producing such a scholarly book. --Prof. Jaafar Sheikh Idris

-- THE BOOK FEATURES:
* A new translation and commentary of the hadiths.
* A thorough commentary on each hadith.
* A list of Arabic words and phrases.
* A discussion of the status of the hadith.
* Biographical sketches of the companions.
* A presentation and discussion of scholarly interpretations of each hadith.
* An introduction to technical terms.


This is a great commentary on a great book. Br. Jamaal Zarabozo is to be congratulated for producing such a scholarly work. He is also to be thanked for giving the English speaking students of Islam the chance to taste the flavor of an in-depth knowledge of hadith, a flavor that has been up to now the prerogative of speakers of Islamic languages, especially Arabic. He is also to be commended for choosing al-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith because they are known to be among the most important sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him). In-depth knowledge of them is thus sure to give the reader even if he or she is a novice, a comprehensive view of the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and principles. No wonder that this book has been for hundreds of years among the most popular of Islamic books in the Muslim world… There are many commentaries on this book from which Br. Zarabozo has definitely benefited; but his is not a mere translation of summary of those commentaries-it is an original commentary the English speaking reader will find more useful and interesting than mere translations of those traditional commentaries. The advantage of this book comes out clearly in the original method the author followed in his study of these prophetic sayings… the author delves into the main business of studying the hadith in great detail and depth. Every phrase of the hadith is studied linguistically, logically, jurisprudentially, legally, and so on. The author uses his vast knowledge of the sources to put before the reader almost all that scholars old and new had to say on matters related to the hadith and almost all the lessons that they had deduced from it. But he does not only quote and translate; he also adds, discusses and evaluates. He gives you all the important interpretations of different parts of the hadith text and the arguments of the scholars who suggested them. This gives the reader the chance to penetrate the minds of those great scholars and to familiarize himself with their reasoning and argumentation…"

[Fajr]

wa `alaykumusalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh

With hifdh, you'll need to set yourself a target. How much do you want to memorise in 3 months, 1 juz, 2 or 3? Set a daily portion and dedicate at least an hour to it. If you can't get a teacher, it's best to get someone to keep a check on you and see if you're keeping up, otherwise you might go easy on yourself!

See if there are any crash courses available in your area for arabic, short islamic courses etc

[Muhammed]

As salamau alaykum

Recommended study program. http://www.understand-islam.net/Study%20Program%20Info.pdf

[justabro]

As Salaam Alaikum Warakhmatullahi-Wabarakhtuhu,

wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

nice nickname : )

[just a guy]

wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

nice nickname : )


my long lost brother! were we separated at birth!?!

nontheless, great minds think alike ;)


aburasheed:

There are also a few online courses that you may take.
http://www.shariaacademy.com
http://www.open-university.edu
Al-maghrib also provide weekend seminars that maybe available in your locality.
http://www.almaghrib.org/home.php


Masha'Allah, almaghrib is among the very few american learning institutes that i am very impressed with!
i will definitely check out sharia academy----it looks promising!

sis. Umm:


The set Commentary On The 40 Hadiths of al-Nawawi" by Jamal Zarabozo is very beneficial to go through.

Alhumdullillah, i have that set and you re right, it is invaluable and well worth the cost! i was actually looking to implement that into my "mini" personal course! [/quote]

sis. fajr:


With hifdh, you'll need to set yourself a target. How much do you want to memorise in 3 months, 1 juz, 2 or 3?

Insha'Allah, i want to memorize the last juz at this point in my life! But its impossible to find someone to sit with where I am at; hence, my sheikhs that correct me and guide me are audio recordings!

Muhammed:


Recommended study program. http://www.understand-islam.net/Stud...ram%20Info.pdf

very helpful! i was looking for something very similar to this!


**jazakumallah kharyan to everyones replies!**

[justabro]

my long lost brother! were we separated at birth!?!

nontheless, great minds think alike ;)

we are all brothers here, brother : )

in sha'Allah, i want to memorize the last juz at this point in my life! But its impossible to find someone to sit with where I am at; hence, my sheikhs that correct me and guide me are audio recordings!

then i highly reccomend you go to qurancomplex.org and use their audio recordings (I prefer Hudhayfi) as they are mistake free, clear, and at a relaxed pace making them easy to follow

[aburasheed]

Here is a "cheat" in memorizing the Quran. Alhamdulillah, Allah have made the Quran easy to memorize.
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

[al-Qamar 17]

1) You have to get a Qari who have a slow recitation that you can follow easily, you can try out different Qari and stick on that recitation. Try to look for the right one for you http://is.aswatalislam.net/CategorySelectionMadeP.aspx?CatID=1001

2) Record the Juz/surah that you are planning to memorize onto a CD with each verses in a separate track, if you have a CD player that does not do FF/REW within track. If you are playing on it on the computer, most of the audio player software allows you rewind/forward within a track. So if you missed something you can easily rewind or forward. If have the verses are in separate track at least you can go back to the beginning of the verse. If the verse is long, you may have to split it.

3) Listen to the verses over and over again while repeating it verbally. Do this until you can repeat the verse correctly without the CD. Then go to the next.

The disadvantage of this technique:
1) you are stuck with the Sheikh's recitation, rhythm and tempo. If you hear somebody else reciting the same verse, you will have hard time completing it.
2) It not a good technique if you are still learning how to read Arabic.
3) You need to have a private room so you will not bother your roommate.
4) Once you have "memorize" using this technique, you still have to go over them again with the reference to the mushaf, correct the tajweed and understand the meaning. It's best to have someone listen to your recitation and correct your pronunciation. Sometimes when you memorize sounds this way, you are not aware if you make mistakes in repeating the sounds. If you have another person listen to it they can easily point out your mistakes.

I notice that a lot of hafidh memorize the Quran, but their tajweed are off and even the makhraj of letters are off, and maybe it's affected by the culture/language in which they learn the Quran.

The main thing is to be motivated, be patient, and set a realistic goal for yourself.

If you feel you're not too motivated, you can join groups like this:
http://forums.almaghrib.org/forumdisplay.php?f=51

There are also web site that allows you to track the progress of recitation, I could not find the link right now, but I think the above forum can point you to the right direction.

May Allah reward you for your sincere intentions of memorizing the book of Allah.