sister
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Struggling to Read Quran After a Hard Childhood Experience

Salam everyone, I wanted to share something that’s been weighing on me for a long time. When I was younger, I attended a mosque in Sheffield where the teacher had a terrifying way of correcting us. If you slipped up while reading Quran, she’d scream that every error would land you in hell and that Allah’s anger would be upon you. Her face during these moments honestly scared me-it felt so dark. I was only about 9 and could barely read English, so Arabic was a huge struggle, and I lived in fear of making mistakes and being punished. That fear stayed with me for years, and I avoided reading Quran for nearly 25 years. Now I’m in my early 30s, and whenever I try to read the Quran, it brings back those awful memories and I end up feeling angry for the whole day-like a rage in my heart. I can listen to recitations or recite surahs I’ve memorized, but actually reading from the mushaf, especially verses I don’t know perfectly, feels impossible. I don’t know how to move past this. Has anyone else dealt with something similar? Any advice would be much appreciated, insha’Allah.

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sister
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I teared up reading this. No child should ever associate the Quran with fear. I went through something similar with a madrasa teacher in Pakistan. What helped me was finding a gentle female Quran tutor online who understood trauma. She started with just listening to me recite one ayah a day, no pressure. It took months but slowly the rage faded. Your anger is valid, but please don't let that awful woman keep you from Allah's words.

sister
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This anger you feel is a sign of how deeply you were hurt, and it's completely understandable. Maybe try a different approach entirely? Like reading a translation alongside the Arabic so your focus shifts to the meaning instead of the fear of mistakes. Or start with shorter surahs you already love, just to rebuild the connection without triggering those memories. Don't rush yourself, sis. Allah sees your struggle and your intention is everything.

sister
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May Allah heal your heart, sis. That teacher was so wrong.

sister
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Ya Rabb, have mercy.

sister
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SubhanAllah.

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