Quran Resources & more - Day 53

(Credits - The Majestic Quran)

It’s the second day of Ramazan. I prayed, did an hour of Yin Yoga, read the 40th surah of the Quran, walked outside before aftari and did a 10 minute workout. I found some useful online resources for Quran tafseer and tilawat (in English) that I’ve narrowed down to include a website, a podcast, an app, and YouTube channels:

1. Quran.com: (https://quran.com/)

What I like about this website is that you can listen to the tilawat verse by verse of your selected surah, and read the translation along with it. I find that quite beneficial, as you can read the translation as you listen to the Arabic form of the verse. The website offers various options for translations that you can choose based on preference including Yusuf Ali, Mustaffa Khattab, Pickthall, and many others. There’s even several languages that you can choose from for translation. The reciter of the verses can also be selected as there are about 11 options to pick from.

2. Quran Garden podcast: (https://podcast.app/quran-garden-the-holy-quran-explained-in-clear-english-english-tafsir-p320857/?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=share)

I came across this podcast a year ago and I’ve really enjoyed its layout. It’s a work in progress so even though the podcasters have only covered up to the third surah (Al-Imran), it’s worth listening to the verses covered so far. Each podcast is about 10 minutes long, features the ayat (verse), then the translation, and then the explanation of the verse in context. The explanation or tafseer is based on the works of the renowned Al-Azhar scholar: Muhammad Mutwali Al-Sherawi. He has a way to make the Quran relatable to us living in the modern times and is very easy to understand.

3. The Quran app: (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quran-by-quran-com-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A2%D9%86/id1118663303)

This app is similar to The Noble Quran website, in that you can select your reciter and your translator for the surah you wish to read, and you can do additional things such as highlighting the text, adding bookmarks, sharing a verse, etc.

I’m sharing a few YouTube channels as I found them all to be interesting:

4. Mufti Menk: (https://youtube.com/c/MuftimenkOfficial)

Zimbabwe based Islamic scholar, Mufti Menk is just such a captivating speaker that has adapted his talks to the current times and has great appeal amongst the youth and all others. He has a 2022 Ramadan series on “Reconnecting with Revelation” (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs-QYOYqew75TcSCET7K5gC3PX2-OBAho) in which he outlines themes of the Quran, and another very interesting mini-series on “Making the Most of Social Media” (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs-QYOYqew75UrGY926YOcysre2Oi28t8)

5. Bayyinah Institute: (https://youtube.com/c/bayyinah)

This channel is US based, by the institute founded by Nauman Ali Khan. It has various lectures and mini-series on Islam and the Quran. One fascinating series is The Quran Out of Context: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLutdSTmJ7bAJQaNrfGlijtvLsDcERufni

6. Quran Weekly by Nauman Ali Khan:
(https://youtube.com/user/QuranWeekly)

This channel is run by Nauman Ali Khan, a Pakistani-American Islamic speaker and Arabic instructor who founded the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies after serving as an instructor of Arabic at Nassau Community College. Follow the Ramadan Series on the channel, “GET TO KNOW”, where Nauman Ali Khan helps you get to know multiple key surahs of the Quran: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHPW7nn9Wmb4NhafhzF_qBQR1uQ_p9p_H

7. Quran 30 for 30 by Yakeen Institute (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ02IYL5pmhGHDXALfwRLA7EvEV-z_ryD)

This channel is a US based institute run by Omar Suleiman, and this is a Ramadan series in 30 videos, discussing multiple surahs of the Quran, but with the focus on one theme each year. This year’s theme is resurrection and the day of judgment. Various scholars discuss this theme along with Omar Suleiman on the series.

Hope these were helpful, as I myself struggled to find good and wholesome online resources on the Quran. Let me know if you know any other cool resources.