The modern times have changed the way we previously saw and perceived the world. The evolution of technology has brought the world closer and because of this closeness the access and sharing of information from different cultures has increased adding to the knowledge of ordinary person. Thus, the ways of doing things that were considered taboo in earlier times or which were rendered impossible to do are no more the same, rather the modern world sees them differently and is quite open to their use.
The Islamic world has also transformed in the modern times and Islam has let in the technological advancements and increased learning as a means of propagating Islam and spreading the message of Truth to a global scale. In this regard the ways that have transformed greatly are the ways of teaching Quran. The lines below discus the modern ways of learning Quran in the contemporary world.
Before moving on to the way Muslims learn Quran these days, it is imperative that one realizes the importance of learning Quran. In Quran, Allah Almighty says:
“[This is] a Book revealed to you, [O Muhammad] – so let there not be in your breast distress therefrom – that you may warn thereby and as a reminder to the believers.” (7:2)
From this ayah it is clear that Allah Almighty is the one who has revealed Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and one of the objectives of Quran is to relieve the burden and distress from the breast of the people expose them to the Truth and make it stand as a reminder for all the believers. This remainder reminds the believers about who their Lord is, how they are supposed to live their life, what will happen to them afterwards and how they are supposed to live their life. Therefore, learning of Quran is one of the rudimentary Islam learning initiatives that Muslims take across the world.
Quran Learning In History:
Traditionally from the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) the process of learning Quran revolved around a teacher and the rest of the people studying from the teacher. Muhammad (PBUH) was the first teacher and the Companions were the first students of Quran, from where the chain of Quran learning started and mosques and Madrissas were used for learning Quran. The Quran teacher would be present in such places, and the students would go to the teacher and get lessons on daily basis. This method is equally applicable at present as well, however, other methods have also surfaced that have added to the ways in which a Muslim can learn Quran.
Mosques:
Learning Quran by going to the mosques is one of the most conventional ways of learning Quran. The mosques have long been known as a place where the teaching and preaching of Islam takes place and the message of Allah is spread to people. At the time of Prophet (PBUH) mosque was the place where He would share the revelations with the companions and tell them about the verses of Quran.
Since then the tradition of learning Quran from the mosques has been there and as modern as the world gets, the tradition goes on becoming its part this world. Muslim parents still send their children to learn Quran from a tutor in the mosque. This sending to mosque does not only mean them learning about Quran only, rather, the presence in the mosque gives them a kind of exposure to the Islamic environment where they learn how to pray, how to meet and greet other Muslims and how does it feel to be in an Islamic ambiance. Therefore, mosques at present also continue to be one of the most commonly used ways of learning Quran and Muslims across the world, whether they are in Muslim environment or in a non-Muslim surrounding they resort to mosques as their preliminary source of learning Quran.
Quranic Apps:
The contemporary way of self-learning of Quran involves using Quranic apps. The use of smartphones has revolutionized every aspect of our life, especially learning. The use of apps is a great way of start learning Quran. There are lots of Quran apps available on iOS and Android platforms that help the users in learning Quran without the need of an instructor. There are different features of good Quran applications which a Muslim must consider before utilizing them for the purpose of learning. Some of the major features to consider are as follows:
- Firstly, the Quran learning apps must have word-by-word learning system. This type of learning allows the user to learn Quranic words and there pronunciation from the most rudimentary level. With word by word a Muslim can learn pronunciation and the way alphabets combine to give a word and which sounds get considered and which are eliminated.
- Secondly, the Quran learning apps must also contain transliteration as well. Those Muslims who are not familiar with Arabic or its pronunciation, can use the roman transliteration of the Arabic words to make sure that they pronounce the words correctly without any mistake.
- Thirdly, the apps should also contain audio recitation so that in addition to imitating the audio for right pronunciation he or she can also learn the right way of pronunciation and correct if he or she is making any mistake in this regard.
- Fourthly, the availability of translation of the words and verses of Quran is also a definite advantage, which a Muslim can have pertaining to Quran learning.
Online Quran Academy:
For Muslims who don’t have a mosque nearby or who don’t have time to go to the mosque for Quran learning, the best option available at the contemporary time is the online Quran teaching academy. In this regard QuranReading.com has established itself as a brand is world renowned for its online Quran learning services. There are a variety of features that QuranREading.com comes with that makes it the best choice pertaining to learning Quran online. Some of the major features are as follows:
- Firstly, the online Quran academy offers one to one classes. The availability of one to one classes ensures that the student has full attention of the teacher and the student can easily access the teacher and inquire about learning hurdles and the ways to boost it.
- Secondly, the online learning facility at QuranReading.com is available throughout the day. Therefore , no matter whenever a student wants to learn Quran, the teacher will always be there to teach him or her and make sure that they learn in the most convenient time possible.
- Thirdly, to learn Quran from QuranReading.com the student does not have to go anywhere, rather the learning takes place inside the convenience of the home. All the student needs is an internet connection and a Skype Id and the learning can start immediately. Therefore, with online Quran learning the student doesn’t have to go anywhere.
- Fourthly, QuranReading.com offers multilingual teachers that have command in one than more language. Thus, with their linguistic proficiency they are better able to guide the students and make sure that they are able to comprehend the teacher. This way the student get a better shot at learning quickly and in a better manner.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, although mosques are one of the most used means of learning Quran, however, times are changing and in the contemporary world Quran learning apps and online Quran learning academies are one of the increasingly used ways of learning Quran.