Improve Your Relationship with the Qur’an By :- Living Shari`ah Staff

Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Qur'an? Or do you read daily but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Qur'an.

Before you touch it, check your heart. The key to really benefiting from the Qur'an is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a “walking Qur'an”: in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Qur'an, he lived it.

Do your wudu' (ablution). Doing your wudu' is good physical and mental preparation to remind you that you are not reading just another book. You are about to interact with Allah, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.

Read only five minutes every day. Too often, we think we should read the Qur'an for at least one whole hour. If you are not in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you take care of step one, in sha' Allah (Allah willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!

Make sure you understand what you have read. Five minutes of reading the Qur'an in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you are reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the meanings of the Qur'an in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you have read that day.

Remember, the Qur'an is more interactive than a CD. In an age of interactive CD-ROMs and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Qur'an is not like that. Remember that when you read Qur'an, you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.

Don't just read, listen too. There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Qur'an, a number of them with translations as well. It is great to put on your Walkman or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Qur'an reading, not as a replacement for it.

Make du`aa' (supplication). Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Qur'an. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding, and applying His blessed words. Making du`aa' to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.

Source : http://www.onislam.net