As I reflect on my years as a student-the best part of a decade -I cannot thank Allah enough for allowing me to taste the sweetness of ilm and open my eyes to just how little I actually know.

I am a mother of six and a student at MMTQ , Alhamdulillah I have a busy life at home, sometimes it feels a fight between me and my nafs to go out in the morning , leaving household chores behind but I have to push myself to go in the class, but when I am there , it feels  like  “fish in the water”, a soul who has found its mate.

I can’t thank Allah swt enough for this blessing that He swt brought me to such a beautiful place like MMTQ, where I sit in the company of my beautiful  Apas who remind me of Allah and His messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم,

Molana Jalaluddin Rumi  said beautifully

يك زمانہ صحبت بااولياء

بہتر از صد سالہ عبادت بے ریا

I forget all my worries of this world when I come here and I go back home every day with new resolutions how can I become more better person and beneficial for myself, my family and overall for the Ummah.

In the Dawra Hadith course, it literally feels as though my body is here but my soul is wandering in the streets of  Madina Munawwarah, watching all those expeditions of our beloved prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, sahabah kiraam’s lives and Ummahat ul momineen رضي الله عنهم أجمعين .

I’ve always been a student of sorts- school, college, uni, weekend courses here, online courses there. But nothing compares to learning the words of Allah and of our beloved Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ and knowing that this knowledge will, insha’Allah, benefit me in both this world and the next.

It’s not just what you learn sitting in front of your teacher, you also learn the etiquette of learning, how to implement what you have learnt, opportunities to put your knowledge into action. Life skills – time management, maintaining family ties, gratitude, abstinence from worldly desires, kindness and much, much more.

As you study further, you learn just how rich and diverse our religion is – one size doesn’t need to fit all. There is space for differing views, different practices.

You learn intimate details from the lives of our prophet, his companions and the early generations – and the sacrifices they made to get this knowledge to us.

You learn about Allah and how to love him, obey him and honour him.

What more could you want?

I embarked on this journey 9 years ago as a young mother of 3 small children having recently migrating to England just 6 years prior. At the time, I did not even speak English so well. But as time went by, it dawned on me that the ilm and tarbiyyah that was gradually being instilled in me at MMTQ would be lifelong and life-changing. The path that I wanted to tread was becoming more clearer as the weeks, months and years passed by; A life close to Allah and his Rasool, ﷺ.

The challenge and struggle to try to attain piety I knew was never going to be an easy one, but the support my husband, in-laws and classmates at MMTQ gave me over the years and the understanding and guidance MMTQ showed us on the highs and lows of life, made the journey even more so enjoyable.

Fast forward to the present day, as a mother of 7, I can say MMTQ  has nurtured me and blessed me with the opportunity to fill the void of having missed my education during my youth. Every lesson in my Bukhari year opened a door closer to Rasoolullah ﷺand the sweetness of being in the company of such noble Apas is something that cannot be penned into words.

After I left school and I’d completed my GCSEs I was unsure what I wanted to study in college. I was lacking direction. I knew I wanted to understand the Quran and study Islam further. My dad suggested I enrol in the Quran & Hadith class at MMTQ whilst I figure out what I wanted to do in college/uni. I would have time to figure out what I want to do in life and I would benefit whether I stayed for the whole course or leave after a year or two. But here I am today alhamdulillah

I’ve benefitted greatly from the course and it helped me find my direction in life and kept me a little more grounded during the rocky teenage years, but also i gained so much from the sisters in madrassah who are all older than me. Firstly their dedication to their studies despite the family commitments etc inspires me to try harder and keep going, and secondly they are all treasures of life experience and advice and I feel like they’ve all played a big part in my understanding and shaping my view of the world. I couldn’t imagine this journey without them

I began studying at MMTQ about 13 years ago with very basic knowledge of my religion. I always had a deep love and passion to learn more but life’s distractions took over so much that I ended up going in the total opposite direction. Alhamdolillah it was a huge blessing that Allah brought me back through testing times which made me realise the true purpose of life – A journey back to Him.

It was my choice whether I make this journey a means of gaining Allah’s love and mercy or my own devastation. My decision to walk towards Allah has opened many doors of His infinite blessings namely MMTQ, being one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

Here I collected gems from the words of Allah and His beloved Prophet ﷺ that changed my entire perspective on life and reformed me from within to a point that I have found such contentment alhamdolillah that I so passionately want others to experience.

One of the greatest impacts that MMTQ has had on me is the blessing of being in the company of such beautiful, uplifting people who are driven by true sincerity and love for Allah. It’s like Allah, with all His love, led me from the darkness to MMTQ and said there you go sit with my friends and come close to me.

As a child I never attended madrasah as where I lived and was brought up we had no mosques or madaris, therefore my Islamic knowledge was very scarce, and as I grew the recognition of this deficiency grew heavy on me, I yearned to learn my deen.

With that in mind, after marriage I moved to Bradford, and here, when the time was right Allah gifted me MMTQ, I call it nothing less than a gift, I feel it’s a direct answer to my duas and the emptiness I sensed for years. It is the biggest blessing and best years of my life.

Over the past few years, we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to glimpse at the life of Rosul ullah ﷺ . This has given me a vision and purpose in life, and no doubt my Apas have supported me along this journey, with whose company I take benefit and learn every day.

My journey began at the age of 39 when I joined MMTQ, after a 20 year break from studying. I spent  twenty years of my life as the typical housewife- raising my children, supporting my husband and everything else that accompanies this role. When my children became independent, I was at a loss. I experimented with a range of avenues to fill this new found free time but nothing suited me.

By the will of Allah, I came across a leaflet outlining the course available at MMTQ and it did not take long for me to decide to take the opportunity

Arriving on my first day without a pen or book, it is safe to say, I really did not know what to expect. Throughout my first year, I was having to re-familiarise with the basics of studying. I felt like a child learning how to write but with the resilience Allah gave me, I persevered and have completed my Bukhari year Alhamdulillah, I still feel I am dreaming and will soon wake up.

This hasn’t come without its challenges. Believe me life does throw obstacles in your way but the key is to stick with it to the best you can. I am no stranger to this. When I thought my family was complete Allah blessed me with a baby at the age of 42, in my 3rd year of studying, I was so embarrassed to face anyone and kept it hidden from friend and family for as long as I could. From that moment, my life completely changed but that didn’t stop me from continuing to where I am now.

When you travel in the path of Allah, Allah opens up the doors for you and the impossible becomes possible. All I can say is every moment spent in the company of our knowledgeable apas and the beautiful sisterhood at Mmtq have been the best years of my life.

My journey for seeking knowledge began after a long break in studying. Once all my children were full time at school I realised that I felt lost and lonely and was feeling depressed. I now knew I had to find something to occupy myself with, but what? So I started an online degree with open university, that at least kept me a bit busy.

I then joined a physical class but I found one day a week was enough for me, I needed something more challenging.

Allah planned to bring me to MMTQ and when I came here I loved it, this was exactly what I was looking for, it was a loving, warm welcoming environment, sisters from all walks of life, who were similar age to me, the hours suited me, so alhamdulillah it was just perfect for me.

Even after a long break in studies, here I am today alhamdulillah. It is never too late to start studying, knowledge is from cradle to grave.

Alhamdulillah to the experience of studying Bukhari at MMTQ. Not in my wildest dreams did i imagine reaching this far. The addition of Mufti Ismail Kacholvi saab teaching us is like the icing sugar on top of the cherry on a cake.

After I left school and I’d completed my GCSEs I was unsure what I wanted to study in college. I was lacking direction. I knew I wanted to understand the Quran and study Islam further. My dad suggested I enrol in the Quran & Hadith class at MMTQ whilst I figure out what I wanted to do in college/uni. I would have time to figure out what I want to do in life and I would benefit whether I stayed for the whole course or leave after a year or two. But here I am today alhamdulillah

I’ve benefitted greatly from the course and it helped me find my direction in life and kept me a little more grounded during the rocky teenage years, but also i gained so much from the sisters in madrassah who are all older than me. Firstly their dedication to their studies despite the family commitments etc inspires me to try harder and keep going, and secondly they are all treasures of life experience and advice and I feel like they’ve all played a big part in my understanding and shaping my view of the world. I couldn’t imagine this journey without them

Due to the pandemic, my Bukhari year at another madrasah was disrupted and the spiritual fulfilment of online learning did not quite feel the same. It was for this reason I had a deep desire to pursue further studies in an environment where I could benefit from the spirituality and company of my teachers directly.

 I was graciously given a chance to join Bukhari year at MMTQ and and as soon as I joined I felt right at home, Alhamdullilah. It is an inclusive community where I felt an immediate sense of sisterhood and camaraderie. As a forward-thinking madrassah, it makes learning relevant to modern day whilst still remaining true to the traditional Islamic principles of scholarship.  Every Hadith and every word of Tafseer has become a stepping stone to the nearness of Allah SWT and the sunnah of our beloved Rasullullah ﷺ.

It is humbling to have benefitted from such esteemed scholars of Deen, who are oceans of knowledge. My personal growth and spiritual journey at MMTQ has been truly remarkable and for that I am eternally grateful, Alhamdullilah.