A free guide for the Muslim in the West. For when you still believe, but feel far.
A guide booklet for the Muslim in the West who still believes, and still feels the distance.
You haven't lost your faith.
You've just stopped reading.
Issued by
Ustadh Faris Sharif
As-Sharif · 2026
It's almost midnight. The house is finally quiet. You're lying in bed with your phone, halfway through a video you won't remember tomorrow.
Your mushaf is on the shelf across the room. Same place it's been since last Ramadan. You scroll past a clip of a qari reciting Surah Ar-Rahman. For a few seconds, something tightens in your chest. Not quite guilt. More like seeing an old friend you've been avoiding.
This isn't a faith problem. You still pray. You still believe. The bond is still there. It's just buried under tabs and deadlines and group chats, and a world that doesn't slow down for anything holy.
The longer we wait, the harder it gets to come back.
But here is the mercy. Allah is not counting your distance. He is waiting for your return.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ
“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near.”
Surah Al-Baqarah · 2:186
The booklet keeps going from here. Six more pages. The four reasons we put it off, the five steps to reconnecting with the Qur'an, and a 7-day starter.
Send it to my WhatsAppIt's a 12-minute read. Open it tonight, on your phone. By tomorrow you'll have a clear path to start.
Why the Qur'an feels far, even when you still believe. What a busy life is quietly costing you. And why this isn't a faith problem.
The four things we tell ourselves to put it off, and why none of them actually hold up.
A short, simple way back. The same path we walk every new student through. Includes a 7-day starter sheet you can print.
The whole booklet · free
You can read all 7 pages tonight.
We'll WhatsApp you the PDF.
معهد الشريف
As-Sharif
Institute
Qur'an · Tajweed · Arabic
As-Sharif Institute teaches Qur'an, Tajweed, and Arabic online. One student, one teacher. Taught the classical way. Beginners are welcome. We start wherever you are.
The booklet you're about to receive is new. We wrote it because we kept meeting people who wanted to begin and didn't know where to start. We're giving it away free, to anyone who asks.
Qur'an
Reading, memorising, and understanding the Qur'an with a teacher who listens.
Tajweed
The rules of beautiful recitation. Letter by letter, ayah by ayah.
Arabic
From the alphabet to reading the Qur'an in its own language. Strong foundations, no shortcuts.
How we teach
One-to-one
Just you and your teacher.
Flexible times
UK, US & EU friendly.
Beginners welcome
Start at zero, no shame.
The classical way
Traditional teaching.
Every plan is personal, so there's no fixed price. We agree it together before anything begins.
You reach out
Message us directly, or we'll follow up after you ask for the booklet.
We talk it through
Your goals, your level, and how often you'd like to learn.
We agree your plan
A plan shaped around you. Nothing starts until you're happy with it.
We sort out payment
The method that suits you best. Monthly, if that's easier.
Your lessons begin
One teacher, just for you. Online, one-to-one, on a platform you know.
Every year that passes is a year your children didn't see you reading.
A year of du'as made in a language you didn't fully understand.
A year the Qur'an stayed on the shelf while everything else (your phone, your work, your worries) got the best of you.
A year Allah was near, and we were busy.
We don't get those years back.
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ
“Has the time not come for those who believe, that their hearts should be humbled at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?”
Surah Al-Hadid · 57:16
This ayah was sent down for believers who had grown distant. Allah is asking us.
Not next Ramadan. Not when life calms down. Not when your Arabic is better.
Tomorrow. Five ayat. The same time. With a teacher who is expecting you.
Step 1
We'll send you the 7-page guide. Read it tonight, on your phone.