Meaning of Victory
I wiped a tear while listening to the melodious verses of the Qur’an being recited by Hafidh Ayaan, one of our longest standing students of Sanad Prep. I was watching a video recording that his mother Saadia shared with me earlier. She had a look of pure joy and happiness on her face as she stood next to me reliving the moment. Saadia Sohail is also a colleague of mine and has been working with me at Sanad Trust Foundation for the past 6 years. Ayaan did not do Hifdh at Sanad Preparatory Learning Center, but he has been a part of the Foundation’s full-time education program since fourth grade along with his three siblings. Today he is in 9th grade and just placed first in a local Qur’an competition. His hifdh teachers have done a tremendous job teaching him the word of God. I was telling his mother though that there is so much more that we have gone through all along this journey with him. The emotional roller coasters, the ups and downs along the way and when it was so close, it seemed so hard to stay committed and move forward. I remember so many lengthy conversations between Ustadh Rehan, Saadia and Ayaan day in and day out, each motivating the other to not give up and keep pushing through.
Although I’ve heard Ayaan recite countless times before, listening to his recitation today brought things full circle for me. I had a flashback of him in fourth grade sitting in front of his Sanad Prep Learning Coach. Innocent, curious, and a bright kid with so much potential, almost akin to his youngest sibling Nouman who sits in front of his learning coach in a room across the hall at Sanad Prep. Ayaan chose not to make “a big deal” about this competition and didn’t even talk about winning the competition. When I approached him about it, he thanked me for congratulating him. I inquired why he didn’t bring it up and he mentioned he wasn’t even sure if he was going to place. I was proud of his victory but even more proud of the way he handled it. I asked him a question after this exchange, reminding him of an incident that had happened years ago when he was just 10 years old. A scholar from Mecca, Habib Ubaydullah al-Attas was visiting Ustadh Rehan and the center. Habib Ubaydullah humbly sat with students and staff and shared his wisdom and sincere counsel with us. Friend of the Foundation, Hassan Shibly (the current director of CAIR-FL) was helping us as a translator and was present in the gathering as well.
In that gathering, Ayaan had raised his hand and asked Habib Ubaydullah a question regarding shirk. He had asked, If you do something for Allah but also feel good when people praise you for the good deed, is that considered shirk? Habib Ubaydullah was taken aback by this question, not because it was a difficult one but because of Ayaan’s conviction in asking and how old he was when he asked it. Habib Ubaydullah smiled and gave him an answer as per the hadith of the Prophet peace be upon him. I asked Ayaan where he stands in relation to that question today. He answered by sharing an advice of one of his teachers Shaikh Azaadi years ago. He said that the teacher was actually addressing senior hifdh students but his words really resonated with him. The teacher had advised them that once you complete your memorization and recite for people, people will inevitably praise you so when they do, mention the name of Allah and only allow that to enter your heart. So long as that remains the case, you will be fine. He also remembered other advice he’s heard from teachers at Sanad Prep that the Qur’an is not honored by our recitation. Rather, we are honored by reciting it as it is the word of God. This advice he agreed is very difficult to act upon and you do falter at times, but when you are in an environment with teachers and classmates that make it easy for you, you always seem to find a way to get through and get pass the trials.
As one of his teachers, he reminded me personally of so many important lessons. Environment matters. Company matters. Teachers matter. Friends matter. We are in large part defined by these variables because they influence us and our decision-making process. And lastly, that reminders matter. Strangely, this interaction reminded me of all of this and why myself, Rehan and our team keeps moving forward, even when it is hard. When you witness a 15-year-old, despite all the challenges he’s faced, make effort to listen and be open to taking heed of the reminders they are given, you are motivated to keep moving forward.
Virtue is a science that can be taught in so many ways. It is not magic waiting to happen in our children. It is cultivated slowly over time, sometimes painstakingly slowly but if you persist, you will witness a transformation. May we be the means of this positive cultivation and transformation in the lives of our own children and by extension, others. Ameen.
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