F.A.Q

 

What is the Qur’an Study Group and what are your aims?

We are a diverse group of brothers and sisters who have come together to study the Qur’an.  Our aim is to make the Qur’an ‘accessible’ to ordinary people so that they may directly engage with and benefit from the guidance of the Qur’an.

Who is your target audience?

We do not have any specific target audience as we try to reach out the message of the Qur’an to all people.  Hence we have people of all ages and backgrounds including children, university students, professionals, unemployed and pensioners joining us.

Are you just another organisation out there to divide the Ummah?

No, never!  We are trying in our own humble way to contribute to the unity of the Ummah (Muslim Nation).  Allah Ta’ala says:  “Hold fast unto the Rope of Alllah and do not be divided” (3:103).  Imam Tabari & Imam Ibn Kathir have both quoted aHadith whereby the Prophet (SAW) explained that “The Book of Allah is the Rope of Allah extended from the heavens to the earth”.  Imam Malik said that nothing will rectify the latter part of the Ummah other than what rectified the former part of the Ummah.  So by reminding people to go back to the Qur’an, we are helping them to be unified. 

Why can’t you work with other existing organisations instead of setting up a new group?

We are devoted purely to the study of the Qur’an and making its message accessible to others.  We would love to work with others and in fact we have worked in collaboration with other institutions such as IIDR, British Academy of Qur’anicStudies (BAQS), European Academy of Islamic Sciences, Utrujj, Ebrahim College, Muslimaat, Majid al-Ansar and Eman Foundation. 

Since we were not able to find any organisation or institution locally that was focused primarily at reaching out the message of the Qur’an to the masses, we were forced to create this forum only to facilitate this objective.  We call ourselves as a Quran Study Group for identification purposes only and not for anything else.  We will be prepared to dismantle our set up if any other individual or organisation is prepared to take up the activities that we are undertaking.  

Would you be prepared to work with other individuals and organisations wanting to work collaboratively with you with any activities?

Definitely!  The Qur’an says:  “Co-operate with one another in acts of righteousness and piety” (5:2).  Hence our passion is to work with as many diverse individuals and organisations as possible to demonstrate our care for the unity of theUmmah.

What is the background of the students who attend your courses?

We have students from a wide range of backgrounds attending our courses such as students, housewives, doctors, lawyers, dentists, engineers, accountants, IT managers and builders.  They come from different ethnic groups and all age ranges from toddlers to pensioners.  This is a good opportunity for networking and extending one’s circle of friends. 

Can sisters join in your programmes?

Yes.  We actively encourage sisters to attend our programmes and also to bring their family members.  We have several families attending our regular courses.  We usually have an equal number of brothers and sisters attending our courses. 

 Are all the students joining your courses from London?

The students in our courses not only come from all parts of London but also from other cities such as Leeds, Birmingham and Reading.  They usually come to London for short courses and stay with family and friends.  We do, however, have some regular students who come from outside London such as a sister who has been coming from Northampton.

If I live outside London or the UK can I still associate myself and benefit from the activities of the Qur’an Study Group?

Definitely!  You can still work with us remotely and provide us with your ideas and suggestions.  You can benefit from accessing all the resources from our website.

Would you do any courses outside London?

Yes, we would love to.  We just need some local brothers and sisters to make the arrangements and we will be happy to travel to your place.

Who funds your group and your website?

No one.  We rely upon Allah and the good will of our members.  Everyone does everything voluntarily for the pleasure of Allah.

Who is your Imam that guides you in your day to day affairs?

The Qur’an is our Imam as the Prophet (SAW) said that whoever makes the Qur’an his Imam, it will take him to Paradise.

Do you have scholars and knowledgeable people backing up what you do?

What is important for us is that Allah Ta’ala is happy and content with what we are doing, rather than anyone else.  We are only trying to understand and promote His Book and nothing else.  Nevertheless we are supported by numerous scholars and sympathisers.  You will find the biographical details of some of the scholars and speakers who have delivered various Qur’an courses to us.

I notice that Hafiz Abdullah Muhammad features prominently in all the Qur’an courses on your website.  Why is that the case? 

Hafiz Abdullah Muhammad is very passionate about reaching out the message of the Qur’an to the masses and to get them to study it for themselves.  It has been an eye-opener for many of us and hence we were inspired to set up the Qur’an Study Group to benefit others.  You or anyone else can also be prominent in our website if you forward any materials on the Qur’an that you have prepared or deliver Qur’an courses for us. 

Why do you not do all your programmes in the Mosque?

We would love to hold our Qur’an classes in the Mosque due to the special virtues of studying the Book of Allah in the House of Allah.  However, some mosques are reluctant to entertain such programmes for fear of being taken over or because we are perceived as not belonging to their school of thought or there are no facilities to accommodate women.  However, wherever possible, we are trying to do Qur’an programmes in the mosque such as Masjid Al-Ansar and EmanFoundation.  We encourage all Imams in mosques to hold regular programmes on the Qur’an in English.

Do you charge money to attend your courses?

We want to make the Qur’an as ‘accessible’ as possible so that we don’t put unnecessary barriers to people studying the Qur’an.  On that basis, we do not charge people to attend our regular weekly classes on the Qur’an and some other programmes in mosques.  However, sometimes we work with other institutions where they levy a charge for formal courses to meet the costs of advertising, materials, venue etc.  In such cases, we encourage institutions to minimise the costs as much as possible to make it affordable.

What courses have you done so far?

We have done numerous courses on the Qur’an to date.  Some of these are listed under the Courses section of this website.

What other courses are you planning to do in the future?

In the New Year, we are planning to have a two-day course on ‘Believers in the Qur’an’ to be presented by 5 speakers at Masjid al-Ansar, Insha Allah.  We also intend to hold a 3-month course on ‘Thematic Study of the Qur’an’, Course on Juz‘Amma (Part 30), Qur’anic Arabic, basic Tajweed, and systematic study of prominent surahs of the Qur’an.

Do you intend to do other activities?

Yes.  Since we have a diverse group, we are hoping to do other activities to cater for the needs of our participants and to strengthen the Islamic brotherhood/sisterhood.  We do regular fund-raising for charities and we have plans to set upDa’wah stalls, children’s classes, visits to historical mosques, telephone advice line and a marriage bureau service.  If you have any other suggestions, we would love to hear from you.

Do you give out any resources on the Qur’an

Course materials are provided for all our courses, most of which can be accessed under Resources.  We have imported a special easy-to-understand translation of the Qur’an with Arabic text from the USA (by Faruq Malik) and we are encouraging everyone to take copies.  We also give out other resources such as MP3 CDs consisting of recitation and translation of the Qur’an, Amina Elahi’s lectures on the Qur’an, double DVD Tafsir of Surah al-Kahf, Way to the Qur’an booklet and other Da’wah resources.

What are the benefits of joining or associating myself with the Qur’an Study Group?

It’s a great opportunity to mingle with other like minded people and commit oneself to the study of the Qur’an and putting it into practice.

Can I join in the activities of Qur’an Study Group and still remain a loyal member of another Islamic organisation?

When you associate yourself with the activities of the Qur’an Study Group, you don’t give allegiance to anything.  You simply make the Qur’an prominent in your life.  We do not ask anyone to terminate their membership of any Islamic organisation but rather ask them to work with their group with more passion and motivate their colleagues to study the Qur’an.

How do I join the Qur’an Study Group?

There is no formal membership.  You just attend our courses or visit our website and direct others to do the same

Do you want all Muslims to join your Group?

No, as there’s nothing to join.  However, we welcome anyone to join any of our courses if they are able to do so or visit our website.  We simply want people to wake up to the call of the Qur’an 

What is your message to the Muslim masses?

Cling to the Qur’an and make it a central source of authority in your life.

Are all Muslims favourable to the idea that the common people should study the Qur’an?

Unfortunately not and hence we are in such a mess.  Many Muslims have misconceptions about the Qur’an and put unnecessary barriers, which prevent them from accessing the Qur’an.  As Allama Iqbal said, people ought to remove the shackles of blind-following and liberate them

If I wanted to find out more information about the Qur’an Study Group, its activities or suggest activities or speakers, who should I get in touch with?

Just send us an email and we will contact you, Insha Allah (God-willing).

If I wanted to donate some money to support the Group’s activities, how can I do this?

You can contact us by email and we will forward you the details.

If I have any questions or comments how can I raise these with you?

We welcome all questions and feedback from people.  You are welcome to email these to us.

How can I help the Qur’an Study Group?

You can help in many ways such as:

  • Attend our courses
  • Tell others to attend our courses
  • Go through the materials on our website
  • Tell others about this website
  • Notify us of any materials on the Qur’an or any interesting websites or events
  • Help us to format some of the documents on our website
  • Any other ways

 

I want to come and meet you.  Where are you based and where is your office?

We do not have an office and our members come from different areas.  You can meet us after one of our weekly classes which we are currently running in Goodmayes.  You can also meet us at another place with prior arrangement.