#reviveyourheart

my January's book: Revive Your Heart by Nouman Ali Khan

"when things are put in this perspective, life becomes easy to deal with. we learn the expression: make something big and it becomes a big deal; make something small, it becomes a small thing. this āyah is about making ākhirah big and making dunyā small. we're going to go through life, we're going to have careers, we're going to have educational accomplishments, we're going to have challenges, all of these things are going to be there. but, you know what? these are all temporary. these are all temporary."

buku ini adalah salah satu buku yang menurut saya isinya "daging" semua. buku yang berhasil memberikan saya perspektif baru tentang hal-hal yang selama ini saya pikir sekadar itu—padahal lebih—khususnya tentang makna ayat-ayat Qur'an yang dikupas sebagai inti pembahasan di setiap chapternya. dari buku ini, saya belajar kalau ajaran Al-Qur'an memang applicable dan relatable dalam seluruh nafas kehidupan manusia. gak ada kurang sama sekali. tetapi memang kebanyakan, karena hubungan kita dengan Al-Qur'an selama ini sebatas teman baca bukan teman hidup, semua intisari yang ada di dalamnya pun hanya berakhir lalu. padahal, kalau kita mau belajar, menuntut ilmu, dan mencari tahu, it's always more than what meets the eye. kita akan dibuat terkesima, tersentuh, dan tergugah mengetahui betapa begitu sempurnanya Allah telah mengatur kehidupan kita dengan sangat rapi, tidak ada cela, dan tiada bandingannya.

🧮 SCORE: 3.80/5.00

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“This faith of ours isn't just a declaration, it has to be a lifestyle choice.” -page 117. . This book is more than just a motivational, soul-purification book. To me, it is a Muslim Family Counselling book. It gives a Khutbah vibe, too. Suitable for all ages, and all walks of life. He talks about common issues that happen in our society. I like his realistic analogies. Make us reflect on our past, present and future deeds.

It is also a tadabbur and Arabic Linguistic Study book. He dissects each word of the discussed verses like a literature study and encourages us to think critically. For the most part, the format was 1. Presented a verse 2. Discuss the words from a linguistic perspective 3. Share a relatable example from every day’s events 4. Add on seerahs or stories of the prophets for inspos. 5. Conclude with duas and reflections.

He clarifies Arabic words that people used interchangeably, such as Faqir and Miskin. This book made me realise more borrowed Arabic words in Malay. I am surprised by the word Asa(عَسَىٰٓ), which can be interpreted as hope. Remind me of the phrase “Putus asa”-- Disappointed. You can refer to pages 34&35, where they discuss Surah Maryam, Verse 48.

Also, I am moved by the discussion on Surah Al-Qasas, Verse 24. He shared one of my all-time favourite dua, especially during desperate times. Do everything not for others but only for yourself and Allah’s sake. Rely only on Him. This is why I want to learn Arabic, to “embrace” Quranic verses better. . Even so, we may get overwhelmed by the linguistic explanations. It makes reading not a leisure but a study instead. One thing to comment on, the words translated in the inserted verses, although they have a similar meaning, are different from the ones in the explanation part. It is better if they make them tallied.

This book will make a great audiobook. Allahumma barik brother!

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Revive Your Heart - Nouman Ali Khan (NAK).

Revive Your Heart was written to suggest how Muslims can find peace in chaotic times. In a world that revolves around technology, social media and globalisation, it is easy to get distracted and disheartened by every day life. Nouman Ali Khan's book was as much comforting as it was eye-opening.

Divided into five key parts, Revive Your Heart delves into the issue with Connecting to Allah through Du'a, Creating a Cohesive Muslim Community, Our Financial Dealings, Some Contemporary Issues and finally, Focusing on the Akhirah.

I like learning from Nouman Ali Khan because he focuses on the fundamentals, commandments derived from the Quran. Reading this book was a lot like listening to him via his YouTube channel, maybe even better for someone who prefers the written word as a form of learning. It is an easy read, but one that you can keep revisiting. And just like through his videos, I find that I connect with Quranic verses so much more because NAK explains the context behind their revelations while also drawing parallels to our lives.