An old Arabic saying says that whoever sets out with purpose will arrive. What does that mean for a child on the path of the Qur'an?
There is a short Arabic saying that every student of knowledge eventually hears:
مَنْ قَصَدَ وَصَلَ
"Whoever sets out with purpose, arrives."
It is a well-known saying of the Arabs, not a hadith, so we share it as wisdom and not as a text of the Sharia. But its meaning is rooted in the Qur'an and Sunnah, and it describes beautifully what we see every day at Darus Saulieghien Quraan Academy. DSQA is full of learners who are walking a long road one page at a time.
Qasd: the starting point is the heart
The word qasd means to aim, to intend, to head for something deliberately. A person who simply drifts toward a goal rarely reaches it. A person who fixes their eyes on it, and takes the first step, usually does, in-shaa-Allah.
The Prophet (SAW) said:
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ
"Actions are only by intentions." (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
Before a single ayah is memorised, the journey has already begun in the heart. This is why we encourage our learners, and their parents, to renew the intention often: I am learning the Qur'an for the sake of Allah (SWT).
Wusul: Allah guides the one who strives
The promise of arriving does not rest on our strength. It rests on Allah's help for those who strive:
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا
"And those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our ways." (Surah Al-Ankabut 29:69)
And the Prophet (SAW) said:
مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ
"Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge, Allah makes easy for him a path to Jannah." (Sahih Muslim)
Notice the pattern: the person sets out, and Allah makes the road easier. We take the step, and the Barakah and the ease come from Him.
What this means for Hifz
A hafidh is not made in a day or a term. Hifz is built from small, repeated acts: a new lesson, a revision, another revision, on the days we feel strong and the days we do not. Some weeks the progress is slow, and that is where sabr matters most. The child who keeps coming, keeps revising and keeps asking Allah for help is the child who is moving, even when it does not feel like it.
Three simple things help, in-shaa-Allah. Renew the niyyah at the start of the week. Keep going on the heavy days, even with a small portion. And celebrate effort as much as results, so a child learns that showing up is itself a success.
To every learner and parent at DSQA: set out, and keep walking. May Allah (SWT) make the Qur'an easy for our children, bring them to the end of this road, and accept it from them. Ameen.