How it all began …

As I lay down after a busy day feeling physically exhausted I couldn’t sleep. There was something awake within me that wouldn’t allow me to rest. A passion to do something great. Something that would create a positive impact! I didn’t know what it was! Every night everyone would fall asleep and I would lay looking into the dark.

I had been teaching for years and loved it. But since I fell pregnant with Fatima and due to being extremely unwell I had to leave. Since then I hadn’t been able to go back to teaching. It was too hard to start again, finding childcare and going back and forth for two hours everyday.

And so I stayed at home, but the endless cycle of laundry, cleaning up, dirty dishes, cooking and then doing that all over again were creating a void within me that was making me yearn for something more.

One day, a lady messaged me asking if I could teach her Arabic. I casually said yes in the moment then she asked if she could bring her daughter and her daughter’s friend and I said yes. And so I began teaching them. I would sit planning the lessons beforehand prep my living room like a classroom. Put together a few tables I had, took out an old white board, some board markers; and the hour would fly by. I remember the blue sky, light filling the room, the Turkish cushion covers looking more vibrant than ever.

This continued for a couple of months of studying Arabic Grammar and thereafter I presented them with a few verses from the Quran to translate and subhanAllah the look on their faces when they were able to translate and the jump of joy in my heart. I felt alive after a very long time.

The Quran had a been a huge source of strength for me. In times of hardship it had lifted me up from the inside. When feeling broken I would recite and the words would penetrate deep within, tears streaming down my face, healing the wounds as I pondered upon what Allah swt was saying.

I realised this day, when I was able to teach others to understand the magnificent words of Allah swt and allow them to feel the sweetness themselves that this is what I wanted to do. This was the great passion within. SubhanAllah!

And so after this lesson I excitedly discussed this with my husband, I made istikhaara and decided to set up more classes. I made a poster and spread the word through family and friends and subhanAllah Within 24 hours every place I had available was booked. And it has been growing from there ever since alhamdulillah.

I thereafter began Tafseer classes of chapters recited frequently as I realised not everyone was able to go down the route of Quranic Arabic. Thereby, making the courses accessible to everyone and giving all women the opportunity to truly connect to the Quran. And this is how Arabic with Mariam began!