Why My Quran Survived When Everything Else Fell Apart

Assalamu’Alaikum!

It’s been a while.

I've been away from your inbox for a few months now - and you might notice this newsletter has a new name: The Quran Companion (formerly Maryam's Quran Letter).

During this time, my morning walks stopped. My structured routines crumbled. Even my daily dhikr became inconsistent.

But there was one thing I hardly ever missed: my weekly Quran lesson with my teacher.

In retrospect, this has taught me something profound about accountability that I wish I'd understood years ago.

When Life Gets Hard

Life hit differently these past months.

My carefully crafted morning routine? Gone.
My evening reflection time? Forgotten.
My capacity for any form of work? Non-existent.

But every week, I showed up for my Quran teacher.

Not because I felt motivated. Because I had no choice.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Here's what I now realise: motivation is unreliable, but obligation is unbreakable.

When you're accountable only to yourself, it's easy to negotiate. "I'll start again tomorrow." "Just this once I'll skip." "I'm too tired today."

But when someone is expecting you - when your absence means disappointing a teacher who's dedicated time specifically for you - excuses become much harder to justify.

What Really Happened

While everything else in my spiritual routine fell apart, my Quran revision stayed relatively consistent. I kept showing up, kept trying, even when progress felt slow.

Because I had to show up every lesson… I had to revise.

Because I had to revise, the verses stayed fresh.

Because the verses stayed fresh, I strove to maintain my connection to the Quran during this time.

The Hidden Power of a Teacher

Most people think a Quran teacher is just for beginners or children.

This is backwards thinking.

As I always say, even the best of creation ﷺ had a teacher - Jibril (عليه السلام). If the Prophet ﷺ had guidance in reviewing the Quran, what makes us think we can master it alone?

A teacher isn't just someone who corrects your mistakes. They're someone who makes your progress inevitable.

Here's what my teacher provided that self-revision couldn't:

• External accountability - I couldn't negotiate with my own lack of motivation

• Consistent schedule - My chaos couldn't touch our fixed appointment

• Immediate correction - Mistakes got caught before becoming habits

• Gentle pressure - Someone who cared about my progress even when I didn't

What This Really Revealed

When reflecting on these last few months, I realise something uncomfortable:

I had been overestimating my self-discipline and underestimating my need for accountability.

The parts of my spiritual life that survived were the ones with external structure.

The parts that crumbled were the ones dependent purely on my internal motivation.

The Simple Shift

If you're struggling to maintain consistency with your Quran, the solution might not be better habits or stronger willpower.

Because Allah ﷻ Himself tells us, "for humankind was created weak." (4:28)

Needing support isn't a personal failing - it's part of our DNA.

What Changed My Perspective

I used to think having a teacher was a sign of dependence.

Now I see it as a sign of wisdom.

The most successful people in every field have coaches, mentors, and accountability partners.

Why should our relationship with the Quran be any different?

The Question That Matters

During those difficult months, I reflected: "What would have happened to my Quran if I didn't have a teacher?"

The honest answer scared me.

Without that weekly appointment, my revision would have joined everything else that fell by the wayside.

Sometimes the best investment you can make in your spiritual growth is acknowledging you can't do it alone.

If you've been struggling to maintain consistency, maybe it's time to stop trying harder and start getting help.

The Quran deserves more than our good intentions. It deserves our commitment.

And sometimes commitment needs structure that goes beyond our own willpower.

May Allah grant us all the wisdom to seek the help we need and the teachers who will guide us back to His words.

في أمان الله
(In Allah's protection)

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 

1. Learn to Read the Quran in Two Hours: My self-paced course guides you step-by-step to reading the Quran from scratch in just two hours. Perfect for reverts, beginners, and non-Arabic speakers. Join the growing community of students who have started their Quran reading journey.

2. Tajweed Made Easy: Master the essential Tajweed rules with the easiest Tajweed course you'll ever undertake. Designed for both the absolute beginner, or if you want to refine your recitation of the Quran. Join 200+ students transforming their recitation today!

3. Quran Classes and 1-1 Calls Waitlist: Want to be the first to hear of future Quran classes and 1-1 calls? Fill in the form to receive updates on when Quran classes (must already be able to read the Quran) and 1-1 calls will be available in the future, insha'Allah!