Race’s Ripples Model and Qur’an Plan for Ramadan

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” My best friend, Nashwah, quoted Paolo Coelho in her sing sang voice. I resisted rolling my eyes only because we were talking about my struggles with Qur’an recitation. But, my expressions gave away my irritation. I wasn’t making anything up when I said that I could not take out time for Qur’an every day.

She noticed my expressions and said in her yet again annoying sing sang voice: “Phil Race came up with Ripples Model for people like you.”

“Care to elaborate?” I asked irritably.

And there, she launched into a full-fledged, apparently pre-prepared lecture.

“Here, let me help you overcome your struggles with the Race’s Ripples Model. The model has these components. Come on, take a paper and note these down!”

Instead, she took a paper and pen herself and started jotting them down.

“They are:

• wanting/needing
• doing
• making sense
• feedback
• verbalizing
• assessing

“Now let’s try to apply these to develop a plan for your Qur’an.

“Step 1: needing/wanting. You have to REALLY want to be regular with Qur’an. We are on with that already, I believe?”

Upon my affirmative response, she moved on.

“Step 2: doing. Now that you want to do it, just pick up your copy of Qur’an and read. This is simple.

“3rd step is making sense. Since you read it in Arabic which you do not understand, you lose interest in a while. Choose a copy with translations and if it is with detailed descriptions, even better. When the passages begin making sense and you understand the purpose of it, it will be interesting for you.

“Step 4 is feedback. Encouragement helps us pursue any goal. What you can do is, team up with someone and compare your progress with them. It helps you see how well you’re doing. Besides, what gives better feedback than healthy competition?! So, how about taking me as your partner?”

I grinned at Nashwah. Of course, I couldn’t refuse the offer. Her excitement was up by a notch at this.

“So, now we will set a specific assignment for each day. We will have to recite as well as study the certain passages for Qur’an every day.

“Step 5 and 6 also require teamwork,” She continued. “Here, we will be students as well as teachers. For step 5, we will discuss what each of us learned from the assignment. It will help ingrain the subjects in our minds.

“And then, each of us will prepare a questionnaire at the end of every week based on the week’s study of Qur’an for the other. The filling and judging will take place afterward, of course. We will be very strict teachers, yes, exactly like our Chemistry professor.

“So, how do you like the plan?” She proudly showed me the plan she had been drawing on the paper all along.

“The model makes sense. And, well, I admit, it seems plausible.” I replied.

“Are you up for the challenge this Ramadan then?” She asked with her eyes twinkling with excitement. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Let’s do this.” I said.

So, this is our plan for completing Qur’an this Ramadan. What is yours?