Quran Journaling is a term used when someone deeply analyses the Quran by studying the meaning of its verses and discovering the secrets which lie in between its lines. The aim of Quran journaling is to get you in a meditative state where you will feel closer to Allah SWT. Thus, what better time to give this sacred practice a go than during the holy month of Ramadhan? Below are 5 ways you can begin Quran journaling:
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Before you begin your Quran journaling, you are strongly encouraged to invest in a reliable Tafsir Al-Quran. This is because Qurans are written in pure Arabic. Thus, if you are a non-Arabic speaker, you would not know how to make sense of the Quran's verses. That is why a Tafsir Al-Quran will prove useful as it consists of various translations which will allow you to understand and interpret the Quran easily.
The Quran has 30 juz (chapters) and over 6000 verses. That is a lot of information to gather and interpret. Hence, you should prepare a notebook with enough pages so that you can complete your Quran journaling in a neat and organized manner. Yes, you could always just use sheets of paper instead of a notebook. However, you might end up losing those papers as they fly in different directions and get all over the place. One solution would be to purchase a ring file where you can sort out your papers, but that is only if you are willing to splurge on the extra cost of the file on top of the cost of your sheets of paper. Therefore, it would be cost-effective to stick to notebooks instead for your Quran journaling.
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Religious teachers are well-educated about Islam because most, if not all of them have studied it for years. Hence, they can help you clarify all your doubts and look out for any misconceptions you might have with regard to any of the quranic verses. This is so important because misinterpreting the Quran will lead to distortion of Allah's words, which is something we must avoid at all costs. As such, you must get in touch with a religious teacher before you embark on your Quran journaling journey. If you are not familiar with anyone who is a religious teacher, visit a mosque and surely you will find someone who will be willing to help you. If all else fails, you can gain knowledge about the Quran by attending Islamic lectures carried out by reliable scholars who will teach you about how you can apply the Quran to your everyday life. This will help a lot with your Quran journaling.
Get creative! Just like how you would like to your house to be neat and eye-catching, your Quran journal is the same. The types of materials that you could buy are colorful pens, watercolor, paint, markers, glitter, stickers post-it notes; etc. Make your Quran journal as beautiful as possible so that you always feel motivated to continue writing in it.
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When analyzing the Quran, it is sometimes difficult to apprehend all of its verses because while the Quran itself uses simple grammar and vocabulary, some Tafsir Al-Qurans make use of translations that are formal, old-fashioned, and very seldom used in daily life. Hence, it will be convenient to have a laptop beside you so that you can do research on any words you are unclear of or any stories that you might want to find out more about. This will most definitely ease you through your Quran journaling process.
All in all, doing Quran journaling is going to help you get closer to Allah as its verses will serve as tools of guidance for you in your day-to-day life. So, don't waste any more time. The quicker you start, the sooner you will see results!
