The Post-Hifth Life

Your journey only starts once you’ve completed.

This statement is something I heard over and over, especially at completion ceremonies. However, while you’re memorising, all you can think of is finally finishing. So the reality of living life as a haafithah never sunk in until after my tamat (graduation/hifth finishing) in December 2015. Now there were no teachers, no revision schedules to fill in, and no classmates to recite to. It was up to me to keep up the Qur’an on my own. I wish I learned earlier on that in reality, Allah is your only support structure.
Dhor (revision) is no longer just back lessons, but a part of life forever. You’re reciting to Him, for Him, by Him.

The Qur’an journey does not stop at the great achievement of the memorisation of the words of Allah. An even greater achievement is to be connected to Rasūlullāh (SAW) through authentic isnaad (chains of narration). I grabbed the opportunity to be connected to him (SAW) by reciting to Ml. Ayesha bint Ganief Abrahams at Al-Tanzil on a part-time basis, and I encourage all huffāth to aspire for this too. Being connected to a teacher really helps with keeping up my Qur’an amidst studying psychology at SACAP and doing Islamic studies. Last year, through Ml. Saleem Gaibie, I got the opportunity to recite to a visiting scholar, Sh. Abdullah Al-Obaid, from whom I attained my first sanad and ijaazah, Alhamdulillah. This year I will be completing my khatm with Ml. Ayesha, by the Grace of Allah. Being a qirā-āt student, I am grateful to JEQ for the enrichment program facilitated by Sheikh Imtiyaaz Isaacs on the 57 ways of recitation for Hafs ‘an ‘Asim.

Being a busy bee, amidst teaching tahfīth, social commitments and academic deadlines, keeping up my hifth is my greatest challenge and biggest test, but could I have asked for a more beautiful test.