Guide to memorizing the Quran

Guide to memorizing the Quran

It was narrated from Ali ibn Abu Talib (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) that the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said : "If anyone recites the Qur'an, learns it by heart, declares what is lawful in it to be lawful and what is unlawful in it to be unlawful, Allah will bring him into Paradise and make him the intercessor for ten of his family all of whom have deserved Hell." [Al-Tirmidhi 653]

Things which Strengthen the Memory

• Staying away from sin
• Abundance of Durood especially before and after memorizing your new lesson
• Protecting ones eye's from evil glances
• Use of miswaak
• Eating almonds
• Good sleep
• Respecting the Mushaf and ones Ustaads
• Staying away completely from music
• Listening to the Quran consistently
• Facing the Qibla when learning
• Try to sit on the floor when you decide to memorize

Things which weaken the memory

• Sin
• Music
• Sour things such as China fruit, Choriya etc. Some pious predecessors  have also mentioned that too many take outs also affect the memory
• Interacting casually with Ghair Mahrams (those whom you can marry)
• Smoking
• Poor diet
• Not enough sleep
• Lack of exercise

• Sincerity. Make sure that the intention you are making is only for the sake of Allah SWT, to seek His Pleasure so that insha' Allah, with His Mercy, we will be rewarded in the Aakhirah. It is not to show off in front of others that you have memorized alot. Sincerity is not a one time factor rather it is a continual battle that you always have to renew.

• Consistency. The more frequently you memorize, the easier it becomes. it is very essential to be consistent and not to skip even one day. There is no Week-end in Worship. The bare minimum that one should memorize is at least 3 lines, 5 is more ideal. If you are consistent insha-Allah, you will be able to huffadh in 5-6 years. l

• Timing. The first thing you should do in the day is memorize - even do so before your breakfast, because this is your spiritual breakfast. The best time to memorize is before Fajr.

• Atmosphere. Have a secluded place to go to and memorize in a place that is quiet. You just can't memorize properly with distractions, so turn off all your devices (like cellphones etc).

• Familiarity. start at the same time, at the same place and use the same mushaf every day. You need to have your own copy of the Mushaf and it will later become so dear to you.

• No Magic trick. repeat, repeat, repeat, over and over again. it is just repetitive recitation and/or listening that will help to memorize.

• Memorize with the meaning. read the translation before you start and try to match the Arabic words with their meaning.

• Surround yourself with recitation. listen to the Qur'an. Before you start memorize, listen to what you are about to memorize. Sheikh. Husary is high recommended. (see here the best resources to help you memorize)

• Find a recitation buddy. get a friend, a family member or someone you know who will listen to your recitation every day. ideally, get someone who is also memorizing to create a peer pressure system.

• Recite daily in your Salah what you have memorized. if  you forget one portion, you will immediately rush towards the Qur'an and correct your mistake and you will never do this mistake again.

• Triple daily dose:

a) New memorization at your assigned time of the day

b) Revision of the previous 7 days, just before you start the new memorization: This is because the fastest thing you forget is the new memorization. And doing so, will also build the connector between the old ones and the new portion you are going to memorize. Plus, it will be a good warm up for the brain when you recall from your memory and recite, before you go into the real exercise of doing the new memorization.

c) At a later/another time of the day, revise those before the recent 7 days. The bare minimum should be 4-5 pages.

• Do not jump around. Be consistent, Don't try to go to another surah if you find it difficult and stick to the order. That way, you will have satisfaction of having completed a juz rather than leaving some portions here and there.

• The three chunks. Start from the back. Shorter surahs will bring you a big boost. 

          You should divide the memorization of the Qur'an in three parts:

a) Juz 28, 29, 30 or just 29, 30

b) Surah Al-Kahf till Juz 28

c) Surah Al-Baqara to Surah Al-Kahf

• Try to memorize every day even if it is little of the Qur'an, but do not desert the Qur'an
• Read what you have memorized in Salaah, and repeat that and you will find joy when your prayer is longer
• Believe strongly that you can memorize the Qur'an, and you will keep it by heart if Allah permits.