01/11/26 YK 16 MALE
My first experience in the Green Stairs Islamic Quran class was important and difficult for me. In the start, it was the first time I was attending this class, and I started my learning process on the first level in the program.
Right from the beginning, I understood that this class would be different compared to the ones I had done in the past. While in the past classes, I was simply reading and memorizing the verses in Arabic, in this one right now, I am supposed to know their meaning in English, which was quite important for me because I am supposed to understand the Surahs I am reciting, not just recite them.
One of the most difficult things we did today is the translation of the Surah Al-Fatihah from the Arabic language to English. Even though I have recited this surah every time I pray, I never really understood its translation or meaning. Also, the task of word by word translation became a problem as the Arabic translation is very complicated and has multiple meanings.
After all the hard work and concentration that I underwent to memorize the meaning of each and every verse of the Surah, I understood that all these years I used to recite the surah without any comprehension or understanding of what I was saying.
But as the class went on, I started to understand more and more surahs that had been unfamiliar to me. Along with Al-Fatihah, I was able to understand the translations for Surah Al-Asr, Al-Kauthar, and Al-Ikhlas. While all these surahs took some dedication, it did take time for the translations to be easily understood by me, meaning that they took some thought and patience. Still, learning and understanding the surahs helped me to appreciate my prayers and the Quran in a new way.
After some long and difficult hours of translation, we got a break to rest and have pizza. During that time, we were able to get to know each other and take a break before going back to our study time . After the break was over, we finished our translation work and got together as a group. Then, our teacher introduced us to a couple who were visiting our class from Argentina.
The husband, C, told us that he converted to Islam seven years ago, learning from our teacher and said that if anyone other than the teacher explained Islam to him, or tried to convince him to become Muslim, he never would have converted to Islam in his life. His wife, J, told us that she converted to Islam in 2020 in Zoom online learning sessions, showing that becoming Muslim could be gained in different ways.
In conclusion, my first experience at Green Stairs was both challenging and eye-opening. I learned that understanding the Quran needs effort and patience. The lessons, the lunch break, and the stories that we were told all contributed to making the day special. This class helped me transition from memorizing the Quran to understanding it, which made my connection to Islam stronger and more meaningful.