Tips for Memorizing the Qur’an
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an
(interpretation of the meaning): “Those
who recite the Book of Allah, establish regular prayer, and
spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them,
secretly and openly, hope for commerce that will never fail”
(Fatir 35:29)
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As may Allah bless him reported: The
Prophet peace be upon him said, "The one
who was devoted to the Qur'an will be told on the Day of
Resurrection: `Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to
recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the
last Ayah you recite.''' [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
This Hadith mentions the merit of those who memorize part or
all of the Qur'an. Some scholars, in explaining this Hadith,
have mentioned that the number of ranks (levels) in Paradise is
equal to the number of ayahs in the Qur’an, and that a believer
will rise one rank for each ayah that he or she memorizes.
In another Hadith, Othman ibn Affan may Allah bless him
reported that the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said, "The
best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches
it.'' [Al-Bukhari].
In what follows we list a few hints regarding memorizing the
Qur’an, some of which were presented to us by the knowledgeable
Sh. Osama Abdul-Azeem of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.
- First, make sure to correct your tawbah (repentance to
Allah), as sins do not leave any room for the Words of Allah.
The Imam Al-Shafie has a famous verse of poetry in which he
complained to his scholar about having difficulty in
memorizing. His scholar advised him to abandon sins
- Have your intention ready, and bear in mind the reward
and virtues of this great deed as mentioned in the Hadiths
above. Ask Allah sincerely to assist you in accomplishing
this.
- Dedicate a specific time each day (or every couple of
days) for memorizing. This should be a time when you are not
busy with other things.
- Use the same copy of the Qur’an each time. This is
because your mind takes a ‘snapshot’ of the pages.
- Start with the surahs that are easiest to you. Many
people recommend beginning with the last five juz’s (the
30th, then the 29th, and so on).
- Other surahs to begin with are those that you enjoy
reciting most of all, and those that you frequently listen to
and thus probably already know part of by heart.
- The younger you are, the easier it will be. As you grow
older, you get busier and your capacity for memorizing
decreases. However, it’s never too late in shaa Allah. If you
haven’t memorized a lot during your childhood or teens, you
can still catch up.
- After completing a couple of ayahs, recite them in the
next nafl (voluntary prayer) that you pray. Alternatively,
practice them with a friend or your spouse.
Finally, it might be a good idea to work in groups,
encouraging one another. If you are trying to get your children
to memorize, you might want to create a sense of competition
among them and then provide some reward to whoever memorizes
best. May Allah guide us to all that pleases Him, Ameen.