BOC is coming!!! Who's Ready?

Assalamu 'alaykum dear Thabt members,

As we all know class is right around the corner, ARE WE READY?? We have 4 days left so let's really buckle down and make our final preparations for the class! As I am hoping to rally the troops, I was thinking that we could post what we have been doing to get ready for class to encourage one another. Even though we are down to the wire, it is not too late to start readying our minds, hearts, and souls for a monumental EMANRUSH, YEAH!! I will start us off by sharing what I am doing/have been doing. Anyone who knows me knows that I would not ordinarily share something like this but I have been told that sometimes when we share our achievements with one another, we are helping others to get motivated and helping others to see that achieving our goals is possible with the help of Allah.

About two months ago, I started with the memorization of Surat Al Baqarah. I actually started a competition with my husband who is almost finished memorizing the surah alhamdulillah. Anyway, my goal of course was to have the entire surah finished by the time class began. But, as it turns out, I will have only finished the first juz finished (inshaAllah--4 pages to go). At first glance you might think, well wait a minute, you didn't reach your goal! This is what I was thinking too and Shaytaan had tricked me into thinking I was a jerk for not doing what I had set out to do. But my husband is the one who encouraged me and helped me get back on track (as well as a dear sister friend of mine--you know who you are!). The bottom line is that I was able to keep going even in the face of adversity. Had I stopped memorizing completely, I would not have even finished one juz and Shaytaan would have won. So I am energized to finish the juz and am looking forward to class. I know the day I finish the last page of the juz (inshaAllah) will be very emotional for me and the best part about that is that it will coincide with the beginning of class. Super Duper EmanRush!!!!!! Also, I have begun reading Key to Al-Baqarah by Khurram Murad. If anyone has not gotten it yet please please do so. It is a really wonderful book and has gotten me really excited about class and about the Quran in general. Ok enough babbling for me. But I hope to see more postings about what everyone has been doing. We are a quiet Qabeelah but that doesn't mean we are not working!! I know you guys are pumped and ready to go RIGHT!! GOOOOOO THABT!

Ummamatullah

Assalamu 'alaykum, its me again!

I forgot something in my first post. If you want to know the power and beauty of Al Baqarah listen to this story. My 4 year old son told me the other day that he had something to tell me. I asked him what it was. He said,"wa bashshir illatheena aamanu wa 'amiloos sallihaati... (I am horrible at transliteration!) He ended up saying most of the ayah (ayah 25) Translated as, "And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds...". I was sooo surprised because I knew that he is usually around when I am studying, but I did not know that he was listening to that extent!

A few nights later, I was reviewing a couple of pages and I got stuck at the end of a page. Acutally, I did not remember how the next page started. I paused for a few minutes and all of a sudden he said "awalaa". I looked at him and at first I thought he was just saying anything that came to his mind. So I kept trying to remember the next ayah. So he said again, more emphatically "awalaa!" Then I knew he was trying to help me but I was so surprised that I could not think of the ayah. I tried to complete it and I was saying the wrong ayah so he said "awalaa ya'lamoona annallaha ya'lamu ma yusirroona...". I say this not to brag about my child but to show the blessings of learning the surah (and trying to implement it). So come on Thabt, I've started us off, who will continue this thread, to encourage us??

Ummamatullah

WOW!! MashaAllah.

It is so nice to be reminded of the focus that our children's live COULD have if we would only train them that way.

It just dawned on me that my daughter wiill soon have to pray!! It may not seem like a big deal, but there really is an awesome feeling that comes over you when you realize that the angels will soon start to record for the one that YOU are responsible for training (five years flies). I was actually sad that we havent registered (or have been unable to pull together for some reason) for the classes and activities that she usually does in the Summer. Allah's Qadr and His Mercy is such that we have the opportunity to have a very beneficial mission and activity instead (bi idthnillah) - "FOCUS: QURAN!"

Regarding BOC, I will have to take the class in VA (due to circumstances that I cannot control) but of course my heart is with Thabt and I have heard of at least four people (including myself) who have made efforts to memorize the Sura. Alhumdulilah. May Allah grant us the tawfeeq. Ameen.