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So let’s start with a basic premise. Success cannot be passed on to you. You must achieve it and work for it.

 

Read that several times and internalize it. And here’s a pro tip on the fly. Think of some examples of when success couldn’t be passed on (personal or others’ experiences are fine).

 

It is true that everyone has their own pace and way of learning. And it’s really vital that you enjoy the process and journey. However, going at your pace doesn’t mean ‘go as slow as you like’. It means go as fast as you can. In a healthy and productive manner.

 

So you wouldn’t be driving on the motorway at 30 mph right? Because you would take forever to get there. And you wouldn’t want that, it doesn’t make sense. The same thing applies here.

 

Now by this stage you are probably seeing that each step is starting to interact with the other steps too. And today’s step is definitely one of my favorites. Because although ‘Master Arabic in Six Steps’ is about shifting the mindset and a positive attitude, today’s step, ‘staying in search of success’ is all about the doing. It merges the belief process and positive attitude building into action and amal. Put the work in and the results will show.

 

Now for the scary bit. Many people fail on this step. Because, till now, it is all motivational. And it’s the doing part which requires something a little more. That something is the desire to understand and interact with the Qur’an.

 

In essence, ‘stay in search of success’ means to have the desire to achieve the outcome. If you want success, you will do whatever is in your means to get it. ‘Whatever is in your means’ is the bit where you go as fast and safely as possible. And if you are serious about, and if you truly desire understanding and interacting with the Qur’an, no day will go by without you taking the right steps to get it (so not just regularly thinking about it, but regularly doing the action needed to get it).

 

Now don’t get scared here and do read on. We all need the tough inspection sometimes to really move forward and get what we desire. So take a deep breath. This is not finger pointing.

Just deep breaths. Ask Allah for guidance, pray surah Faatihah. And send salutations to our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

 

And now read on

 

Unfortunately, today, the world is filled with a desire to make money and to live an upgraded lifestyle. Many times, this is also associated with living a career. These have become the overwhelming desire. Whereas they should just be a ‘means’ to connect with Allah in the many ways we can. So why do I say that these things have become our desire instead of our deen? Because desire means you devote your time to the thing you love and spend as little time with all ese. And although this is not the intention from the outset, The result is that our deen and religion have to suffer, whilst the bar is continually raised for all else.

 

Now I’m not saying spend all your time on a prayer mat or in study class. In fact, I’m all about working smarter. And at Shine, we believe in studying small amounts regularly, as this is both manageable and brings more progress. This to me is working smart (so feel free to get in touch with me and Insha Allah I’ll be happy to have a chat).

 

With regards to the cost of living and difficult times, I know it feels like we must work more.  But we’ve been singing from the same hymn sheet for years. Work, work, work. And it’s got us nowhere. Things seem to just get harder. So how about we flip the script. Upgrade to a minimal lifestyle. Yes that’s it, upgrade. And devote ourselves to Allah and his Messenger ﷺ. Because when we turn away from the world, the world will chase us.

 

Obviously be practical. I’m not advocating poverty as Islam doesn’t advocate poverty. But if we push for things beyond our means, it will ultimately result in issues with our deen.

 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

O believers! Do not let your wealth or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. For whoever does so, it is they who are the ˹true˺ losers.

 

Now what would be great here is some motivation from the lives of the Companions, radhiallahu anhum. But Insha Allah I’m going to leave that for the PDF. And for now, I leave you with one thought.

 

Desire Arabic for Allah and Allah alone. If you can speak to Allah, who else can’t you speak with? And if you can speak with Allah, who else will you want to speak with?

 

And is this step us all about taking action, why not register your interest here and Insha Allah I’ll get some info sent over to you

 

Duas requested

 

Moulana Mohammed Daud

 

The smart choice is Shine

A Review from a Mother of Four

I have always desired to study Arabic simply because I wanted to understand what I was praying whilst reciting the Holy Qur’an and my daily du’as. I first started learning Arabic many years ago by attending a weekly course. I soon realised that this wasn’t working for me and I eventually gave up.  At one point I even tried to learn by myself without a teacher, but again, I realised that this was just not feasible. In August this year I discovered the Shine Online Arabic course, after a friend recommended it to me. Since then, I have not looked back! The Shine Online course is absolutely perfect for me. Even though I have more personal responsibilities now than when I did when I first started to learn Arabic, I have managed to keep up with my work and Alhumdulillah I have made significant progress. This is due to the way the course has been structured. I pick a time during my day which suits me, to complete my work, without the pressure of having to attend classes away from home. The Friday Live sessions perfectly compliment and consolidate the lessons I have covered during the week. The daily video lessons are clear and concise and explain the text book very well, and if there’s still something I have difficulty understanding, or if I have any further questions, then I know my tutor is only a text message away. The assignment-based assessments also ensure that I know which chapters I need to brush up on, without the stress of timed examinations. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who is passionate about learning Arabic, but is worried that their daily responsibilities might hold them back. As a mother of four young children and multiple household responsibilities, I can definitely say this course fits perfectly into my busy schedule, and gives me the opportunity to pursue something I have always been passionate about. JazakAllah to everyone at Shine for providing such a fantastic and easy gateway to the wonderful world of Arabic.   Aisha Harif