Introduction

In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful.  Allah (SWT) has enjoined that we read the Quran in Quran 96:1 as He said“ Read! In the name of your Lord who created you”. All believingMankind and Jinn have been directed to read the Quran and apply its teachings to all aspects of their lives.

The importance of the Quran

The Quran is the central book of Islam for the Muslims and is an undeniable wealth of knowledge. It is important to read the Quran and some of the reasons why are highlighted below

  1. The Quran's versesare recitedduring the5 compulsory daily prayers.
  2. The Quran is a source of knowledge and guidance for the Muslims.
  3. The Quran is the first and most important source for the rulings in Islamic Shariah law.
  4. The Quran was and is still being usedfor the propagation of Islam throughout the world.
  5. The Quran is used for spiritual growth and to help with meditation in humans and Jinn alike.
  6. The Quran can show mankind the path to repentance, success and a good life.
  7. The Quran is a source of knowledge and wisdom, being divinely sent to the prophet ( SAW) through angel Jibril (AS) and from the Almighty Allah ( SWT). This book therefore provides facts and acts as a stepping stone for further research.

Quran learning in children

It is important to learn the Quran no matter what age we are at but it has been discovered that learning should be started as early as possible during childhood. The mainreason why this is encouraged is

  • Adults have a prefrontal cortex which is much more developed than children. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for workingmemory, therefore adults mostly experience functional fixedness. Children, on the other hand, are more creative and not prone to functional fixedness or seeing things exactly as they are. Therefore, it can be said that children’s brains are mostly designed to learn and adult's brains are mostly designed to perform.

Tips for teaching Quran to children

Unlike adults that canmake themselves self-motivated and focused on what they want, children may need that extra push and cajoling for this to occur. All children are different but there may besome rules that could apply to the majority of them.To ensure you achieve the best with your child's learning, these are some helpful tips to follow

  • Always start in the name of Allah and seek His help in all you plan to do.
  • Make sure the sessions for the child are not too cumbersome. Let the classes be short and regular so the child is not so stressed and also he can develop a sense of commitment to the learning activity. Always remember that Allah(SWT) prefers the good acts that are regular and small than those that are large but irregular.
  • Always encourage the child and make them feel special. Tell them the reality; Almighty Allah ( SWT) loves those who learn the Quran and the Angels of Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) who always surround and protect those who call upon Allah in any gathering would surround, circleand protect him during his recitation. This should cause a little excitement and looking forward to for the child.
  • Sometimes, turn off the Television and other forms of distraction and play the Quran softly in the background as a means of memorization and remembrance of their previous lessons. Additionally, playing the Quran at some free time e.g., when you are driving your child to school early in the morning, would help greatly.
  • Always reward the child for any significant achievement and improvement make. A reward is always a good incentive for even more hard work and in the case of a child, is always a great means of encouragement.
  • The child should be encouraged to recite in front of other people, especially those who have the knowledge and are conversant with the verses the child is reading. This group would ensure he is on the right track, encourage and correct him if need be.
  • The child should be encouraged to continually repeat the verses he is trying to learn. This would ensure he learns the proper thing and may even give rise to memorization.

 

Quran learning for the family

As earlier stated, learning to read the Quran is always easier for a child but that should not discourage anyone at any age from learning to read the Quran. Both young and old have a lot of benefits to gain from the knowledge of the Quran and so everyone should always take advantage of any such opportunity that presents itself. Learning the Quran as a family is always ideal as there is the opportunity to gain reward, attain valuable knowledge and also build a stronger bond together.

However, learning together may prove to be a problem as the whole family may not always be together or available for learning at the same time due to varying daily activities. A solution can be observed with online Quran classes.

OnlineQuran learning and its benefits

Learning the Quran online has increasingly become the solution to a lot of people facing problems with learning. From the very busy workersand students to the very young or very elderly, the sick and those who live far away from a potential Quran study school or those who do not even have any such schools around. It is important to note that an online Quran class is almost equivalent to a physical class as you still have the opportunity to interact with a tutor. The many benefits observed with having an online Quran class include

  • Flexibility

There is always the opportunity to have this class at your convenience. Be it a Quran lesson for kids or just a Quran teacher needed for any other member of the family, you can have the opportunity to pick when you want to have your class. With a physical class, that might not be possible as there is a fixed time for the full class. And for a private lesson, the teacher has limited time that he can work during the day.

  • Accessibility

The world has become a global village and driven greatly by technology. In the case of an online class, your lessons are always available online or downloadable in any of your devices. This makes it much easier to access your materials and learn with your online teacher.

  • Time-saving

Having to travel or make a long journey because you want to seek knowledge can be avoided through an online class. If you realize that you are making a long journey just to get to a Quran class where you may end up being tired and not learn so much, then it is obvious that you need a Quran teacher online. The same thing applies when you are taking your child so its better the child goes for Quran online for kids lessons instead. This would save you much stress and ensure you and your child have your Quran lessonswhile you are sharp, ready and eager.

  • Qualified teachers

There is a larger variety of qualified Quran teachers online who can provide adequate service for those who want to learn Quran online. Therefore, one can search for the best online Quran teacher with the best qualifications and track record.

  • 24/7 classes

There would always be workers or students who find their day extremelypacked and may only be able to make out time in the night for a proper Quran class. An online course would be ideal as the lectures are always online and you can schedule a particular convenient time to have your class with your tutor.

  • Privacy

Most people are really shy to learn, especially something as technical as the Quran, in public. They may stutter and make more mistakes than normal. An online Quran class can solve this problem by providing a focused, private and individual class for each of its learners. Additionally, you can pick your teacher from a myriad of potential teachers e.g. male or female or a teacher who may be able to speak your mother tongue or language better so there is no language barrier during learning.If the online Quran lessons are for the entire family, then you can ensure that there is it is just you and your family learning at a particular time and getting the utmost attention.

  • Tajweed classes

This would ensure you read the Quran in the best way and as close as possible to how it was revealed about 1500 years ago. Experienced, certified and competent online teachers would have adequate knowledge of this aspect.

The beauty of reading the Quran with Tajweed

Tajweed is a set of rules for the proper pronunciation and reading of the Arabic letters of the Quran.They are many rules with Tajweed so when we learn these rules, we are rest assured that we are making the right pronunciations and evoking the right quality and meaning.

If we fail to read the Quran with Tajweed, we could have two types of error occur and they are

  1. Clear mistakes: this is a type of mistake which can be said to be obvious and would change the meaning of the recitation. It is an individual obligation to ensure you don’t make this category of mistake as it is avoidable.Examples of the clear mistake include substituting one letter or harkatfor another, or not observing an elongation at all, therefore changing the recitation and its meaning. It is the obligation of every individual to personally avoid these clear mistakes.
  2. Hidden mistakes: this is a not so obvious type of mistake and may not change the meaning of the recitation either. It is a collective obligation to ensure Tajweed is applied correctly and properly to ensure these hidden mistakes are avoided i.e., this mistake may only be obvious to those who have applied and studied Tajweed for a long time and understand it very well.An example of the hidden mistake is not enough elongation where it is required or not attributing the characters of each letter perfectly. These type of mistakes may need external help from a more qualified person to detect and solve.

We should understand that Tajweed is not a new thing as during the revelation of the Holy Quran and in the time of the prophet (SAW), Arabicwas spoken with Tajweed and that was the natural thing. However, because of frequent immigration into Arab countries and mixing up with foreigners, these rules have been known to take a back seat. Due to this, mistakes in Quranic recitation started to appear, so much so that the scholars had to record the rules of Tajweed and even the Arabs had to learn them again. It is important to understand that reading the Quran with Tajweed and applying all the rules for correct pronunciation of the letters is compulsory and should always be strived for.

Other aspects of online learning in Islam

To obtain the all-roundknowledge of a Muslim and to strive to be a student of knowledge always,  learning to read the Quran may not be enough. Additional aspects andcourses to ensure you have a complete knowledge  include

  • Online ijazah class.
  • Learn ten qirat online.
  • Memorize Quran class .

Due to technological advancements, all the courses above and more can be gotten easilyat the palm of your hands through online classes.There is usually a trial period after which an online Quran tuition may be paid to continue the services.

Conclusion

Summarily, it is important for the whole family to learn the Quran and apply it’s teaching to their lives. Even though it is more rampant and easier for children to learn and grasp this type of knowledge and memorization,it is still encouraged that everyone tries to learn. May Allah (SWT) accept all our acts of ibadat and admit us into AljannahFirdaus, Ameen.

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