Asalamu’alaykum,
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” Sahih al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ مَرْثَدٍ، سَمِعْتُ سَعْدَ بْنَ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ، عَنْ عُثْمَانَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ ”. قَالَ وَأَقْرَأَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ فِي إِمْرَةِ عُثْمَانَ حَتَّى كَانَ الْحَجَّاجُ، قَالَ وَذَاكَ الَّذِي أَقْعَدَنِي مَقْعَدِي هَذَا.
This statement is so beautiful to read especially when you read it as a teacher. Learning Quran is not hard but helping another person learn and maintain what they learn is the biggest struggle. As a teacher one goes through many hardship and many parents who are their child’s first teachers can testify to this truth. That is why when you read Hadith such as the above mentioned it brings joy to ones face as the struggle one faces to teach Quran is so very real.
The kind of struggles you would come across often are:
* living true to the word of God whilst teaching His words
* set backs, regression, unbothered, lack of attention (from student)
* helping the student maintain what he has learnt
* renewing intention and keeping checks on your intention as it’s very easy to fall into wanting fame and recognition
The easiest way to attain this character is by teaching your own child. Everyday you spend to teach them, review their work and help them begin their journey of reading Allahs words you keep bagging yourself beautiful deeds that are continuous. Hence the best amongst us are those who learn Quran and teach, because look at the pattern…that same child you taught Quran will continue what you begun and they’ll go further and help someone else learn one day too!
So, let’s work hard and use the tools that are within our reach and the people closest to us to attain the gems contained in the above Hadith. May Allah make us all successful Ameen
