Here we go!
Competitions like this encourage us to push ourselves into action.
When we register for competitions - as we did for hafazan (memorization) category - we push ourselves into a corner as it becomes an external accountability device that creates a sense of urgency and forces us to memorize, revise, and practice.
How is it an accountability device?
1. Precision - memorization is very competitive! I recall back in 2018, I got 2nd place because of one differentiating point out of a hundred. If I recall correctly, I scored 94, whereas the brother who won scored 95.
Hafazan forces us to know our memorization word for word - and for that, there is no other solution than continuous and constant repetition. Let it repeat itself so much that it becomes seared into our brains. This by virtue of itself is heeding the encouragement of the Prophet ﷺ :
وَاسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ
"keep on revising the Qur'an, because it escapes from the hearts of men faster than camel do!"
He (ﷺ) also said
إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ صَاحِبِ الْقُرْآنِ كَمَثَلِ صَاحِبِ الإِبِلِ الْمُعَقَّلَةِ إِنْ عَاهَدَ عَلَيْهَا أَمْسَكَهَا وَإِنْ أَطْلَقَهَا ذَهَبَتْ
"The example of the person who knows the Qur'an by heart is like the owner of tied camels. If he keeps them tied, he will control them, but if he releases them, they will run away."
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Throughout preparation, you feel more motivated to revise in solah, and especially so if you join together with family members. Plus, with each repetition, each letter earns you ten rewards, Masha Allah.
2. Time-bound deadlines - why do we always fail our New Year resolutions? Typically, because resolutions don't have specific commitment deadlines, therefore we tend to procrastinate and keep dragging for unspecified durations. By contrast, competitions have fixed dates which force us to be ready by then. Imposing objective deadlines create a sense of urgency open up a practical mechanism for us to breakdown our goals (I.e. "Revise surah X for Y number of times by Z date")
3. Sense of Ownership - Knowing that the organization has invested a lot, to encourage their staff to build a relationship with the book of Allah, feeling a sense ownership to realize the goal behind investing valuable resources to materialise the event, as well as the personal drive to put ourselves on the spot.
4. Save face - The subconscious fear that we don't want to fumble and make a fool out of ourselves in front of others, especially if we have to go onstage 😜
To me, why the simple act of registering and showing up - that in at of itself - is one that requires courage, and I commend those who take the leap.
Of course, the prizes are really nice too. But to me, all of that feels secondary, compared to the benefits of #1 alone.
Now. If one were to play devil's advocate, one might ask: Do we necessarily NEED a competition?
By right, you can do this without enrolling yourself for any competition or needing external motivation. Between you and Allah, that's all that matters right? Your taqwa should drive you to constantly revise by yourself, right?
Well, that's true. But what to do, miskeen ya Shaykh... 😭 Those of us with weak iman, need some push from time to time 😓. So we embrace these opportunities for betterment, with purify our intentions for His Sake.
Personally, here's hoping more organizations facilitate similar events to encourage more participation for brothers and sisters to enhance their relationship with the Qur'an.
Historically, its been proven to have a positive long lasting impact to the people. I recall that one of the reasons that the Shafiee madzhab was so prominent in certain major regions is because there was one ruler who was so passionate about the knowledge, that he offered a reward for those who can memorize the entire book of Shafi'ee Fiqh. As a result, thousands of laymen memorized it and the knowledge became strongly engrained in the people.
May Allah make us among those who are steadfast in improving our relationship with the Qur'an 🤲🏽
Doakan kami! 🤓
No comments:
Post a Comment