Often, when we’ve faced difficulties for a long time, we see no way out and resign ourselves to a life of misery, or just accept that this is how it will always be. Allah didn’t create us to suffer; He tests us and wants us to turn to Him, talk to Him, and get close to Him. The power of dua is endless, and it’s a topic I’m deeply passionate about. I wish I had understood how to make dua a long time ago. Knowledge is rizq, so I guess I wasn’t meant to understand or appreciate it until my late 30s. I blame myself for this, because it was ‘I’ who was in my own way, attached to sins that prevented me from understanding and learning the power of dua. It’s not that I didn’t make dua, it’s that I didn’t understand how to really make it. I didn’t fully comprehend the power of istighfar and to truly fear Allah in my actions, and to be mindful of Allah. Now, I feel I have attained a newfound understanding and have begun to elevate my duas, all thanks to Professor Sheikh Tariq Khawlid (الشيخ البروفيسور طارق خوالدة).
I stumbled upon one of his videos while searching for the power of istighfar (asking Allah for forgiveness) on YouTube in Arabic. Although Arabic is my mother tongue, unfortunately, I don’t speak it as well as I speak English. You know what they say, ‘use it or lose it.’ However, I understand Arabic very well, including its nuances, but I’m not always able to translate it. This Sheikh has totally changed the way I view Islam and how I should study it!
I’ve lost all interest in learning Islam in English. Learning Islam in English simply doesn’t capture its true meaning. I never appreciated Arabic until now. I urge everyone to go and learn Arabic and study Islam in Arabic. I’m telling you, you’re missing out on a world of meaning, knowledge, and spirituality.Having said that I understand that not everyone has the means to do this.May Allah make a way for you to learn it with ease.
In the meantime, please follow this Sheikh’s series. I want to translate as many as I can for my non-Arabic speakers, inshallah, perhaps even turn his lectures into a PDF. His advice on dua, his knowledge on dua, his knowledge on dhikr – I’ve never heard anyone explain it like he does in English. And sadly, even when I begin to put pen to paper, or should I say fingers to keypad, I find myself having to change words, and even paraphrase or summarise the Sheikh’s words to deliver the meaning in the best possible way. Some things can’t be translated, or if translated, it sounds unnatural or weird. It just is what it is. That’s why I encourage everyone to learn Arabic. May Allah make it easy for everyone, may Allah give us understanding of this beautiful religion. Ameen.
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Thank you.