Motivated by her 25 brothers and sisters, who memorise parts of Quran, she outperformed them and managed to memorise the entire holy book in just 100 days.

The 19-year-old Amina, a student at the Sharjah college of Shariah and Islamic studies, then travelled to Jordan to participate in an international Quran memorisation contest. Amina was sure she would excess in the contest but had not expected she would outperform all other participants from 15 countries.

“I got the top position in the contest in Jordan and I am proud to make this achievement for my country,” she said, quoted by ‘Emarat Al Youm’ daily.

“I had always wanted to memorise the Quran and I was encouraged by the fact that all my 25 bothers and sisters, who are older than me, memorise parts of the holy book…I have spent an average 12 hours a day in an intensive Quran memorisation course until I memorised it all in just 100 days.”

Amina said she had already won second and third prizes in local contests but added that her biggest achievement was that she snatched the top position in the Amman contest, which was attended by scores of Muslims from 15 nations.

“I used to memorise parts of the Quran when I was a child at schools in Dubai…when I became 17 years old, I decided it was time to memorise all the holy book…I succeeded in doing so in just 100 days and was ahead of all my brothers and sisters and their children, who all memorise parts of the Quran.”Amina said she would keep reading the Quran daily to maintain her ability to control every word in the holy book, which has 114 suras (chapters), comprising more than 6,300 Ayat (sentences) that include in excess of 77,000 words.

Taken from Emirates 24/7

What is your advice for the one who has embarked on the journey to memorize the Quran?

“Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.”

Assalaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.  First of all, I thank you for the good supposition you have about me, pray that this is for the benefit of the Muslims, and ask Allah to guide me in my answers to that which is best and helpful to the Muslims who wish to learn and memorize the Words of Allah.

This question alone is one that books could be written on. I will try not to, but it is hard. The main three points of advice surround intention, schedule, and being tested.

Intention

Of course the first step is to make one’s intention solely for the pleasure of Allah and not for any earthly gain.  I say “of course” thinking that it is hardly possible for one to embark on this journey without pure intentions, as it is one that requires great amounts of time, patience, and perseverance, continual supplication to Allah for success, and deep from the gut determination. Then again, lately there has been a rise in Muslims forging documents, claiming to have a certificate they don’t, or a chain of transmission that they don’t, all to charge others great amounts of money for the chance to recite to them.  The stories get more and more amazing as the years go by and some Muslims lose track of the fact that Allah is always monitoring, watching our every move and knows what is in our hearts.  For that reason, I feel like it is still the number one thing to say, even though it is obvious.  The Muslim brothers or sisters who have embarked on or are going to embark on this journey need to be honest with themselves and clear up any kind of wiswas (whispers) that may occur in their intentions.

The student may want to research the sound ahaadeeth on the benefits of memorizing the Qur’an and the honor those who have memorized receive on the Day of Resurrection. One may put posters up in different  part of the house with some of the ahaadeeth, then change them every week or so, to help refresh the intentions and feel motivated.

Schedule

The next is to set up a reasonable schedule, one including daily memorization and review.  It is of the upmost importance that this schedule is neither too ambitious, so the student of memorization doesn’t get frustrated and give up, nor too easy so the student feels unchallenged and loses interest.  It is always best that the memorization and review are sequential and not random. This helps give the memorizer a clear picture of where he/she is and where he/she is going.

The best way for most is to be in an organized group with a set curriculum, time and days of class.  This helps keep motivation up, as no one likes to be behind the class, and also formulates bonds of brotherhood/sisterhood between the students for mutual cooperation and assistance.  There are some who do better on an individualized program, but with a group where each person recites what he/she has memorized to the teacher or individually has a set date for reciting his/her memorization to a teacher.  Still others have the patience, perseverance, and self motivation and control to do the memorization by their selves. On the whole, this form takes the most struggle as it is easy to get distracted and fall out of the daily routine when there is no appointed time to recite to a teacher and no group for extra motivation.

It is important to set apart a specific time of day to memorize and review, the time of day when there is the least amount of noise, and least amount of chance of being bothered or distracted. This time is set by the individual circumstances, but if possible right after fajr is what I would recommend.

Review/Testing

Don’t be in a hurry to finish memorizing and whiz through it without the memorization being firm.  The student should be able to close the mushaf (copy of the Quran) and recite what he/she memorized completely without a mistake, then that same section should be repeated during the day.  It is very important, no, imperative, that someone who is proficient in the Qur’an listens to what has been memorized and checks it.  It is also crucial to be tested on a whole juz’ when finished, and then on groups of ajzaa, such as 3, 5, or 10 at a time as the memorizer progresses through the stages of putting the Qur’an in their memory.

The review part of the daily section is just as important as the new memorization. One cannot call himself or herself a haafidh when in fact he/she memorized piece by piece and never put it together or reviewed intensely.

How does one face a period of laziness that might attack in the middle of this journey?

The student of the Qur’an needs to realize before they start that shaytaan is going to come to them and try to dissuade them from their noble goal.  The wiswas can be in the form of making one feel like it is never going to end, or seeing others having “fun” while the student is struggling forth, or any other sort of tool.  Knowing this should keep the student on guard and help recognize the cause of the laziness or feeling of wanting to stop.
The worst thing to do at this time is take a break from memorizing.  This will make returning to the memorization more difficult and usually one will feel like the task has become harder.  The best thing to do is make dua’, renew one’s intentions, change the hadeeth on the wall to a new one and read all the previously hung hadeeth. Reading other’s stories of struggle can also help.

What is the best way to schedule memorization around work, school, and/or other responsibilities? Or is it recommended to take time off and devote oneself completely for it,  for better results?

As previously mentioned, the student of memorization needs to find a quiet, consistent time where he/she can memorize and review.  Memorization should have first priority in the day, and insha’Allah there will be barakah in the remaining activities.

It is hard to say whether it is better to take time off from studies and work to memorize or not.  Oftentimes with a tight schedule and well planned time control one can do more than freeing oneself completely to devote all one’s time to memorization.  For many, taking time off is not an option.  Others do better in a classroom situation with a set curriculum and complete devotion to memorization.

Any tips on the best way to memorize the Mutashabihaat verses? (i.e. those verses that are repeated, similar, etc.)

Memorizing them isn’t nearly as difficult as keeping them straight when reviewing.  Since memorizing is a slow build up, the first few mutashaabihaat are not too difficult to keep straight.  It is later when firming up memorization and reviewing that it can become difficult.  One tool is writing down the different  stories of the same content or groups of aayaat and comparing them.  As the same story comes up in different surahs, the memorizer can add the new aayaat to his/her comparative list and study them and review them all at the same time, finding the similarities and differences.  The stories of the Prophets is one area in which this is especially needed.

There are numerous books in Arabic which help with the mutashaabihaat and there are poems.  One specific poem which helped me personally was As-Sakhkhaawiyyah.  I didn’t memorize the whole poem, but learned some parts and read through it and that helped keep many things straight.  For example the lines outlining the places in the Qur’an which have  abadan after khaalideen feeha really helped.

Some Muslims just can keep them straight by themselves, though, masha’ Allah and don’t need mnemonic devices to keep them straight.

Many Muslims feel that learning tajweed is not necessary; can you shed some light on why it is a critical part of learning the Qur’an?

The Qur’an was revealed in the Arabic language and was recited by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, and the Sahabah with tajweed.  Why would one want to recite it another way?  The Arabs at the time of revelation spoke with idhgaam, ikhfa’, etc, all the rules we now study to be able to read the Qur’an with tajweed.  There are parts of tajweed which were not in the normal Arab speech such as the lengthening of the sounds in the mudood, and this was then passed down in authentic chains of transmission to us and documented in the old books on tajweed.
There are parts of tajweed which are vital to know, since without applying them the actual letters can change in sound and a major mistake is made.  This is the basic tajweed knowledge that all Muslims should apply in their reading, whether they are memorizing the whole Qur’an, or just memorizing a few for their prayers.

What level of tajweed does one need to possess before embarking on the journey to memorize Quran?

This would depend on one’s ultimate goal. If one is memorizing with the intention of never teaching anyone else and just to get the honor and reward, then it would be enough to know the basic rules such as the laam saakinah, mudood, noon saakinah, makhraj, and meem saakinah.  I would caution however, that many times Muslims memorize, then later decide they want to teach or find themselves in a situation in which they are the only ones around who knows any amount of Qur’an, or change their mind and want an ijaazah, and then have to go back and learn everything in detail.  This can be quite difficult.

For most Muslims I would say that they should learn the above, plus all the rest of detailed tajweed because those who have memorized are usually called upon to teach and have a duty to help other Muslims.  One cannot teach properly without having a strong basis of knowledge themselves.  One can start memorizing at a slow level while learning the tajweed rules and being corrected on its application in recitation, and later after learning the required tajweed step up the memorization quantity.

Is it possible for one to perfect their tajweed and pronunciation without a teacher, perhaps through listening to recorded recitations only?

It is possible, but not very likely. The way the Qur’an has been taught from the early days of this nation and will continue to be taught is by oral transmission, being taught and listened to and corrected by a trained, mastered Qur’an teacher.  There are a few who are very good at imitating sounds and have the ear to pick up the small minute changes in sound heard from recordings and produce them with their own mouth, but this is not the average person, not even some, instead it is a rare case.  Again, it can happen, but the general rule for the vast majority is that it is extremely important that one is corrected by a trained teacher.

Is it required to memorize the last harakah of each ayah if one does not have a solid background in Arabic grammar?

One doesn’t need to have a solid background in Arabic grammar to memorize the last harakah of the aayah.  One needs to have a solid Arabic grammar background to explain the reason for the harakah.  When we memorize the Qur’an we should pay attention to the last harakah and try to memorize it with the rest of the aayah.  Many shuyookh giving ijazaah request the student of the ijaazah to join aayaat together particularly in the shorter surahs to make sure the student knows the vowel on the last letter of an aayah. Knowing the vowel on the last letter of the aayah becomes particularly important in learning and applying the different qira’aat.

Many people associate memorization with being young. Is it possible for someone to begin memorizing after the ‘golden years’ of memorization? And what is your advice for such a person?

Youth on the whole can memorize easier, but age should not stop anyone from memorizing.  Sometimes Muslims have a mental picture of those over 40 or 50 not being able to memorize, but there are many stories of Muslims memorizing the Qur’an later in life, some even starting in their 60’s and succeeding in completion.

With purity of intention, lots of dua’ asking Allah to make it simple, and determination, nothing is impossible with Allah’s help.

I know of a sister in her 30s with 5 children who memorized the whole Qur’an in 3 years and went on to get an ijaazah.  She had to sacrifice sleep and many other things we generally hold important, but she did it for Allah, and by His will, she accomplished her goal. My advice is to never give up.

What advice do you have for new Muslims and older Muslims who face difficulty with memorizing and pronunciation?

The same advice as above, do not give up.  Turn to Allah, don’t be afraid of the struggle and devote yourself to the Qur’an.  You do have to sacrifice, but the reward of Allah is great for all your efforts.  Some give up too easily, but be stubborn in your pursuit of reading the words of Allah correctly and keep trying.  Don’t make excuses for yourself and don’t let your ego get in your way.  The students who do the best on the whole are those who are eager to be corrected, do not complain, and are not afraid to make a mistake.

What are some habits that a student of the Qur’an should implement?

You probably mean study habits, but more important is improving themselves as Muslims and making that a habit.  Pray tahajjud, fast extra fasts, make sure you implement the aayaat of Qur’an in your life and are a shining example of those of the Qur’an.
Stay away from sin, repent for all your sins and stop anything that is not suitable for “ahl al-Qur’an.” (the people of the Qur’an)

Do not waste time, it is a precious commodity for the student of the Qur’an, so use it wisely and use it for the sake of Allah. This is something I can’t say enough.  Many Muslims have lofty goals, but lose their precious time searching the Internet for different recordings of recitation from multiple shuyookh, looking up details of the qira’aat and other advanced details of tajweed when they themselves are relatively beginners or have not progressed far in their memorization.   Focus on the task at hand, and listen to one of the masters of tajweed such as Sheikh Al-Husary or Sheikh Abdullah Basfar.

What should be the goal(s) of a student who has completed their memorization and what should they do after this?

This is really up to the student for most aspects, but the goal that should be shared by all after memorizing the Qur’an is to firm up the memorization and have a very strong review program to keep themself a hafidh. Once the memorization is complete it is not the end, it is just the beginning.

If the student of the Qur’an would like to achieve an ijaazah of the Qur’an after memorizing and firming up the memorization, they should approach a sheikh or sheikhah with an ijaazah and be evaluated by them.  If the student has not memorized the Jazariyyah poem, and wished to get an ijaazah in the Qur’an, he/she should memorize the Jazariyyah and study its meaning.   After the evaluation, the sheikh or sheikhah might give them points to work on, or start an ijaazah with them.

After an ijaazah in one riwaayah or qiraa’ah, the student can then pursue knowledge of the 10 qiraa’aat.  There is much to learn and each step is more beautiful than the previous one.

In your opinion, what is the best method of reviewing the Book of Allah, so as not to lose it by Allah’s will?

The scholars say, “[Review] five, you won’t forget” (خمس لا تنسى), meaning if you review five ajzaa’ per day, you will not forget.  This is a very true statement.  If one cannot keep up reviewing 5 per day all the time, they should try to do this strong program of review for at least six months after completing memorization.  After that the student who cannot keep up with five ajzaa’ per day can decrease the amount to 2 or 3 a day, or the very minum, one juz’ per day; any less than this will not keep the memorization strong.

How much repetition is required for one to completely solidify the hifdh? What has worked for you/your students?

It is hard to quantify and varies from individual to individual.  Suffice it to be said that it requires a lot of repetition, and for six months the review should be quite intense with five ‘ajzaa per day reviewed, if at all possible.
The school I studied at has special classes for tathbeet (firming up memorization).  As a class we went through the Qur’an six times, the number of students in the class, and each day recited three ajzaa’ to the teacher as a class, but we didn’t know which section we were going to be asked to recite as individuals.  We were required to recite at a quick pace, trying to keep our tajweed up as much as possible, so the memorization needed to be quite firm. The teacher would keep track of which sections we had recited to her and at the end of the year, each of us had recited the whole Qur’an to her, but in pieces.  This was and is a very good program and I thank Allah for giving me the opportunity to be in this class.

Please recommend a Tafseer suitable for beginners. Which tafseer did you benefit from the most?

The translations into English of the meaning of the Qur’an give only a general idea of the aayaat, and it is quite important that a deeper understanding of the Qur’an and the background for a surah or aayah be known, as well as any explanation given by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, and the Sahaabah.  Ibn Kathir is a great tafseer and al-hamdu lillah it has been translated into English.  May Allah reward those who did this with a great reward and make it of the deeds which continue accumulating for them after their deaths.

How important do you think it is to study tafseer along with memorization? Does it aid in memorizing?

It is extremely important and yes it aids greatly in memorization, especially if word by word meaning is given to the students as they memorize.  There needs to be study of vocabulary words along with the memorization and tests given on the vocabulary words.

How can we instill love for the Qur’an in our children and youth?

By showing them how much we love it and by employing the Qu’ran in our life in every aspect. Teaching them that Qur’an is first is something they will carry with them to adulthood.  I heard a lecture once recommending that parents always start their children with Qur’an homework, then any other deen related subjects, then the other science, math and literature subjects.  This will show the children the importance of Qur’an.

There is no doubt that one who carries the Book of Allah must also carry beautiful conduct and character. Can you please shed light on some of the most important characteristics of Ahl-al-Quran?

There are so many, as “ahl Al-Qur’an” should be examples of the best in character and conduct.  We should aim to have our manners as [what is in] the Qur’an as Aisha may Allah be pleased with her, described the Prophet peace and blessings of Allah upon him.  Even though we are far from his example, we should try our utmost.

I think the one encompassing characteristic is that of Taqwaa.  If one has taqwaa, everything else will be correct, insha’ Allah.

The following are what came to my mind, and are under the category of taqwaa:

First and foremost, those who are “carriers” of the Qur’an should have truthfulness and honesty.  It cannot be that ahl al-Qur’an tell lies or are dishonest.

Another very important characteristic is standing up for the truth and not wronging anyone or allowing someone to be wronged.

The inside of Ahl Al-Qur’an should be like their outward appearance, meaning there should be no hypocrisy.
Patience is also a very important characteristic which those who are carriers of the Qur’an should have.

May Allah grant us the best of manners and characteristics, may He purify our intentions in all that we do, may Allah make us of “ahl al-Qur’an,” and give us the honors promised those who have memorized the Qur’an on the Day of Resurrection. I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him alone.

Taken from Muslim Matters

1. Assalamu alaikum sister Julie! It’s great to have you with us. Julie is a sister living in Canada who recently completed the memorisation of the Qur’an. Please tell us how long it took you to memorise the Qur’an?
I memorised the Qur’an in two steps. First, I memorised approximately one third of the Qur’an on my own over a period of several years. During this time, I was memorising on a ‘casual’ basis, generally learning approximately three new lines per day, such that it would take me a few months to complete a juz’.
By the time I had finished one third of the Qur’an on my own, I was eager to finish the rest of my hifdh at a faster pace. I decided to make a formal schedule with a teacher to complete the remaining two thirds of the Qur’an. At this point, I began to memorise at least one page a day, and then increased the number of pages per day as my memorisation progressed until I was doing four pages per day towards the end of my hifdh. Once I began working with a teacher, it took approximately nine months to finish the remaining two thirds in order to complete the Qur’an.

2. How did you maintain discipline to memorize the entire Book of Allah? What was your schedule like? Did you have other major commitments while memorizing (such as school, work, family) and if so, how did you maintain a balance?
It is a given that correct and sincere intention is a must. Du’a every step of the way is also essential. Beyond these spiritual aspects, in order to memorise the Qur’an consistently, memorisation must be a priority in your life. That means rearranging other aspects of your schedule to make sure that you have the time needed to memorise, i.e. fitting other activities around memorisation rather than trying to fit memorisation around other activities, as much as possible. If all of these aspects are in place, the discipline to maintain a rigorous schedule to stay on track with hifdh will come naturally.
When memorising as an adult, it is generally a given that you will have many obligations – family, work/studies and other commitments – that you need to fulfill. I memorised the initial one third while in university full time, and the remaining two thirds while working part time, with other general commitments and obligations on top of that. However, with a little bit of thought and creativity, it is generally possible to schedule these obligations in a way that will not conflict with memorisation time. As for optional social commitments, it may be necessary to cut back on the amount of time spent on these ‘extras’, while making sure to still keep a little bit of social or leisure time to take a short break from time to time. Admittedly, there are times when it is hard to keep a balance, but your firm intention, commitment and du’a will help you overcome any difficulties insha’Allah.
It is also best to find a hifdh method that suits your lifestyle and learning style. While working with a teacher, I would memorise on my own and then recite to the teacher on the phone, which provided a certain amount of flexibility. However, some people prefer attending an actual hifdh school, or making other types of arrangements. Hifdh can be done in different styles and set-ups that are all acceptable, and finding the method most suitable for you will also help with maintaining balance and staying on track.
3. What role did your knowledge of the Arabic knowledge of lack thereof impact your Hifdh journey? Is there a basic level of Arabic that you think is beneficial for those who would like to memorize the Qur’an?
I know enough Arabic that I can understand in general what I’m reciting, even though there are certain words that I’m not familiar with. I found this helpful for hifdh since it gave meaning to what I was reciting, and allowed me to make connections between words or verses based on the meaning rather than simple memorisation of sounds.
However, Arabic knowledge, or lack thereof, should not be a barrier to hifdh. Knowing Arabic, as well as not knowing Arabic, each have advantages and disadvantages. For example, while knowing Arabic can help make connections based on meaning, caution also needs to be taken not to accidentally insert words or phrases that ’sound’ right based on meaning but aren’t actually there, which is a common mistake amongst Arabic speakers. People who do not understand any Arabic do not have to worry about falling into this error. It is well known that people of all levels of Arabic, as well as people do not know any Arabic, can all memorise the Qur’an. Take advantage of the ‘perks’ that come with whatever level of Arabic you are at, and don’t let this be a reason to delay memorising.
4. Did you face any hardships along the way and how did you overcome them?
Alhamdulilah, other than the challenge of maintaining an intensive hifdh schedule despite other obligations as mentioned above, nothing out of the ordinary came up.
5. How did you feel once you were done?
It actually felt quite normal! Perhaps due to the particular circumstances when I finished – a time when many deadlines and events were all happening at once – it took a little while for it to sink in that I had actually completed hifdh! It is also necessary to keep in mind that ‘finishing’ hifdh does not mean that you are done in a strict sense – there is still intensive review ahead to solidify and maintain the hifdh.

6. For sisters, the issue of monthly periods / menses sometimes causes delays in memorization depending on the scholarly opinion the sister chooses to follow. How did you deal with memorization in this time and do you have advice for sisters on this matter?
As someone who follows the opinion that it is completely permissible for a woman to recite Qur’an during this time, this was not an issue. Sisters who follow a more restrictive opinion on the matter may wish to consult a person of knowledge regarding the exceptions allowed under the stricter opinion so that it minimally impacts her hifdh (e.g. even under the stricter opinion exceptions have been made for the woman who fears that she will forget part of her memorisation).
7. How do you feel with the Qur’an literally in your heart now? Does it change your perception of your role in the world/ummah now? How can you use your hifdh as a tool towards your future goals?
It is a huge blessing to have the Qur’an memorised, and that is something that a hafidh/hafidha should always be conscious of. Since huffadh are generally looked up to, having the Qur’an memorised forces you into a leadership/role model position regarding the Qur’an in the eyes of other Muslims. Of course, hifdh is ultimately a step towards the primary goal of every Muslim which is attaining the pleasure of Allah and entering jannah. Of the immediate practical benefits, it is extremely useful for anyone involved in learning or teaching the Islamic sciences.

8. What advice can you give sisters who would like to seek more knowledge of the Qur’an and Islam?
Usually the only thing holding people back is their own hesitation or fear of taking the first step. If you are looking to do hifdh, or to study the Qur’an or Islam in any way, make the right intention and go for it! There are so many options in many local communities and online to seek knowledge, you just need to seek them out and begin.
9. Does having the Qur’an memorized serve as a motivation to emulate the character of the Qur’an more and more? Do you ever feel like random ayaat pop up in your mind as you go through your day? We’d love to understand the psychology of a haafidha!
When you have the Qur’an memorised and recite it often, it is only natural that you will want to implement it in your life. There’s a hadith in sahih Muslim that states that the Qur’an is either a witness for you or against you in the hereafter – there’s no third option. This is something that I’m particularly conscious of as a hafidha as there’s possibility for huge reward if you live by what you’ve memorised and what you’re reciting, but also that the Qur’an could testify against you if you fail to do that. Of course, we are all responsible for living by the Qur’an whether or not we have it memorised, but perhaps it is easier to be conscious of that responsibility when you have it memorised and/or recite the Qur’an often.
Sometimes random verses do pop into your mind! When someone listens to something often or recites it regularly, it is only natural that the person will think of it during the day. For many people, that ‘thing’ that is often music. For the hafidh/hafidha, or any person highly attached to the Qur’an, the Qur’an takes that place.

10. What did you think of the recent Qur’an burning controversies, and were your thoughts influenced by the fact that you had finished memorizing the Qur’an this year?
The most someone can do is burn a ‘copy’ of the Qur’an. The Qur’an is preserved in innumerable written and electronic copies, as well as non-written form by huffadh all across the world. While the act by a few small fringe groups is no doubt something that should be denounced, our response should be rational and kept in its proper perspective. We should be conscious of the fact that most mainstream non-Muslims also denounce this act, and we should also reflect on Allah’s blessings upon us in allowing us to preserve the Qur’an in so many ways.

11. MashaAllah, now that you are done, what does your typical revision schedule look like? How important is revision in maintaining Hifdh?
Revision is absolutely essential in maintaining hifdh. A review schedule will vary from person to person, as well as over time as the person’s hifdh becomes stronger. As I am only on my first review since finishing, my schedule varies quite a bit depending on the section that I am reviewing – if the memorisation for a section is particularly strong, the review goes quickly, but if it is a section where the memorisation is weaker, then it is necessary to spend more time on that part. Just like there is not only one ‘typical’ method or set-up to do hifdh, similarly you will find different styles and schedules for review.
12. Any last thoughts you can share that would benefit us?
As the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others” (Bukhari). This should provide motivation for any Muslim working on hifdh, as well as to learn and teach all different aspects of the Book of Allah.

Taken from: Muslimah Source

Well to be honest it is very easy and I’ll let you guys in on a secret.

Memorising the Qur’aan is extremely easy, in fact even a parrot could do it! And it is this concept you have to come to terms with.

It really has to do with the mind-set of a person, meaning if you think something is hard you will naturally find it hard but if you think something is easy, it will become easy. So when you start, have the right mind-set and Ikhlaas.

Allaah tells you in the Qur’aan itself:

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

Hence, indeed, We made this Qur’aan easy to remember, then is there anyone to remember it? (Al-Qamar 54:17)

Do you then doubt Allaah?

Secondly is the issue of discipline, I cannot stress this enough, if you want to be a haafidh you have to make time to memorize.

Basically you will have to be a loner, lock yourself in your room listen to a recording over and over again.

When I used to memorize I had a tape player and I used to rewind the tape over and over again trying my best to get the pronunciation and flow of the verse correct, sometimes late into the night and I could hear the rest of the family snoring.

Also try to immerse yourself in the Qur’aan, make your breathing, eating and even your spare time into Qur’aan.

Recite it whilst walking or perhaps sitting in class waiting for the teacher to arrive.

In your sunnah prayers stop reciting soorah Kawthar and Ikhlaas, try a new soorah and master it!

One of the things that inspired me to start memorizing was when I saw the Imaams of Makkah, namely Sudais and Shuraim, leading the Taraweeh prayers.

When I saw them stand there leading so many people with that confidence reciting the verses of Allaah off by heart I thought to myself WOW! If they can do it so can I!

And whatever spare time I got not memorizing in my room I used to sit in front of the tv and listen to their recitations.

I used to quiz my friends about the Qur’aan, test them and then letting them test me.

When you love something it truly becomes a pleasure.

Remember to stop thinking about when you will be finished. I remember the day I finished my Qur’aan I was sad, people said to me this should be the happiest day in your life! I said I am sad because now I don’t have any new Qur’aan to memorize.

So do not be hasty dear brothers and sisters rather take your time, do not see memorizing the Qur’aan as a task or burden, but rather enjoy the journey and process.

I realise there are a lot of things left unmentioned but I figured there are many articles like this one all over the internet and my intention was only to inspire fellow Muslims  to do the same thing as me and not to boast.

My younger brother threaded the same path as me and will finish the Qur’aan shortly too inshaaAllaah.

اللَّهُمّ اجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

O Allaah, make us leaders for the pious!

Taken from: http://khalduun.com/articles/quraan/the-quraan/ (with minor edits)

I spent some of my youth in Saudi Arabia where I used to attend a Qur’aan school and memorised a good chunk by the age of 7, and then we moved to the UK. I guess from this point onwards everything went downhill. My parents exerted all their effort in teaching me the English language and pushing towards excelling at secular studies. As a result, I lost virtually everything I had memorised and it was not until I started to learn about the Deen myself in my teenage years that I began to pursue lessons in Qur’aan again and encouraged my siblings too. It was from this point onwards that my journey restarted. But the hurdles in front of me were greater now as I had to literally start from the beginning, as in learn the alphabet all over again and I was in classes where I was with children much younger than myself but that didn’t put me off. Unfortunately, due to personal matters out of my control, I wasn’t able to attend these classes on a consistent basis and as a result, my progress was much slower than I would have liked. At times, I would become extremely disheartened by this but I carried on struggling and battling everyday in trying to put the Book of Allaah first. There were a lot of lessons that I learned from all those setbacks, and I am learning and benefitting from those lessons now. An example of such a setback was time management, I was really bad at that but now alhamdulillaah I’m certainly much better than before, and as with everything, I am striving to be better.

Even when I was able to memorise the Qur’aan, I was losing it shortly after. Why? Well, I wasn’t reviewing properly, I was using the wrong techniques and tools. And one thing you have to understand is that if you sin then you’ll most likely lose the Qur’aan, as it happened to imaam ash-Shaafi’ee (rahimahullaah) where his teacher advised him to abstain from sins. Furthermore, I wasn’t making the most of all the resources available to me such as tafseer of the Qur’aan and understanding the meaning of the aayaat or learning some of the Arabic words in order for me not to confuse two aayaat or the endings of these aayaat. The more I was memorising, the more I was coming across new styles of language in the Qur’aan, and so for example, I hit obstacles when it came to memorising certain soorahs such as Soorat-ul-Jinn and Soorah Shoora. This is normal and it shouldn’t make you depressed and stop you from progressing, and you just have to keep going inshaaAllaah and try out different approaches to help you see what works best for you.

So what steps did I take and what improvements have I seen?

Well firstly, helping my family to practice the Deen more has been a huge boost as they have been encouraging and supportive in my quest. Secondly, I got married. Having a companion to help you with memorisation, test you and help you with reviewing is really important, and if that companion has already been blessed with having memorised the Qur’aan (as is the case with me alhamdulillaah), then it is just amazing mashaallaah. Having a strong drive and love for the Qur’aan has kept me going despite the many pitfalls that I fell in. Even with these positive steps, I felt that I had to be alone and away from the many distractions surrounding me at home and so I decided to move, and what better place is there for the Qur’aan than Egypt mashaAllaah? I can honestly say that my time in Egypt is helping me a lot in terms of my memorisation as the only companion that I have other than my wife and teachers, is the Qur’aan. Memorising after Fajr is simply the best time for me right now, normally after I have completed my reviewing for the day. Furthermore, reading the tafseer and translation of the meaning of the Qur’aan, as well as studying the Arabic language are invaluable aids in terms of memorisation as well mashaAllaah, whilst increasing this great love for the Book of Allaah every day. It has been 3 months now and alhamdulillaah I have memorised just over 2 ajzaa (nearly finished Soorah Fussilat), something that may have taken me a year to do in London.

So how do I memorise in a typical day?

After Fajr, I review whatever I need to for the day, including anything new that I memorised the day before. After that, I will normally read the soorah that I’m currently memorising and the soorah before it (I am working my way up to al-Baqarah). Next I go to the new page and start memorising aayah by aayah, and don’t move forward until I am fluent in them. Depending on the soorah and the language, I may memorise half a page, a page or 2 pages in that time. In the case of a page or 2, I split it into 2 and again don’t move forward until I am able to fluently recite them. In the end, I recite the full page or 2. After this, I listen to Minshaawi and recite with him. When I find my wife free, then I get her to test me. Another method that has been very useful is getting my wife to recite the aayaat to me and I repeat after her. We do this verse by verse until I’ve memorised a whole page. This has been extremely beneficial for me when I am faced with soorahs that I am having difficulty in.  Even with this method, I would go back to the mushaf afterwards and use it to build a photographic imprint of the page in my memory. Alhamdulillaah these methods have helped me a lot and my goal is to finish the Qur’aan during my time here and I pray to Allaah that He facilitates that goal for me. Aameen. Until then, my journey with the Qur’aan continues.

What advice would I give to those who want to memorise?

Don’t give up and don’t ever think that you cannot do it. I often had these whispers running through my mind and only in the last month or so have I managed to push them away. Now that I look back, I realise that this negativity played a large role in setting me back. I am not one of those people who are able to memorise large chunks of the Qur’aan within minutes and when I started out, it took me a long time to memorise just a few aayaat but as I keep going, it has been getting easier to memorise alhamdulillaah and I realise how true Allaah’s words are when He said:

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

And We have indeed made the Qur’ân easy to understand and remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition)? (Al-Qamar 54:17)

Source: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§… KEN=77460159

As Read by Dr. Saleh as Saleh (May Allah have Mercy upon him)

Al-Hamdulillaah (All-Praise is due to Allah), the One Who said (what means): “And in truth We have made the Qur’aan easy to remember; but is there any that remembers?” (Surah 54: 32)

Many all over the world memorize the Qur’aan, and it is not strange to see the youth memorizing the Noble Qur’aan and an early age. Al-Hamdulillaah, the One who made the Qur’aan easy for remembrance, had made it easy for Umm Saalih age 82. In an interview with Umm Saalih, she was asked the following questions:

Q1: “What was the reason that drove you to memorize the Qur’aan after so many years?”

She said, “I always hoped to memorize the Qur’aan from the time I was young. My father always used to invoke Allaah for me to become one of the memorizers of the Qur’aan, like himself and like the elder brothers of my family who memorized it. So I memorized in the beginning about three parts and then after I completed the age of thirteen, I got married and became busy with the household and the children. After I had seven children, my husband died. They (the children) were all young so I took the time to raise them and educate them, and then after they grew up and got married, I had more time for myself. Therefore, the first thing I directed myself to focus upon was the Qur’aan.

Q2: “Tell us about your journey with the Noble Qur’aan.”

She said, “My younger daughter was going to high school and she was the closest of my children to me and the most beloved, because she stayed with me after her older sisters got married and got busy with their lives, and because she was a quiet girl, upright, loving, and good. In addition, she was interested in learning the Noble Qur’aan, and her teachers encouraged her.

Furthermore, she was very enthusiastic and always told me of many women who were driven by this great motivation to memorize the Qur’aan, and this is where I started.”

Q3: “Tell me about your way of memorization.”

She said, “We assigned ten verses (meaning her and her daughter who was going to high school). So each day after Asr, we used to sit together. She reads and I repeat after her three times. Then she explains the meaning to me, and after a while, she repeats that three times. On the next morning, she repeats them to me before she goes to school.

She recorded also the recitations of Ash Shaykh al Husary, Rahimuhullaah, repeating each verse three times and thus I continued to listen most of the time. Therefore, the next day we would go to the next ten verses if my memorization was good. Otherwise, we would postpone taking additional verses until the day after. Moreover, we assigned the day of Friday to review the memorizations of the entire week. And this was the journey from the beginning.”

Then she said, “Over four years and a half, I memorized twelve juz” according to the way I described to you. Then this young daughter got married. When her husband knew of our task concerning the memorization, he rented a house close to me, close to my house, so that he could allow the continuation of the memorization. In addition, he, May Allah reward him used to encourage us and sometimes sit with us listening, explaining and teaching.

Then after three years of her marriage, my daughter got busy with the children and the household and our schedule was interrupted, but that did not make her give up. To the contrary, she sensed that my eagerness for the memorization was still established so she looked for a special good teacher to continue the journey under her supervision. So, I completed the memorization by the success of Allaah and my daughter is still working to finish the memorization of the Glorious Qur’aan. She has a little left, In Shaa Allaah Ta’aala.

Q4: “This motivation of yours, did it have an effect on other women around you?”

She said, “It really had a good strong effect. My daughters and stepdaughters were all encouraged and worked on learning and teaching the Qur’aan to their children and learning it themselves.

Q5: “After finishing the Noble Qur’aan, don’t you think about working on memorizing hadith?”

She said, “Now I have memorized ninety hadith and In Shaa Allaah I will continue the journey. I depend, in my memorization, upon the tapes and upon the Qur’aan radio station. At the end of each week, my daughter comes and checks for me the memorization of three hadith, and I am trying now to memorize more.

Q6: “Over this period of memorization of the Qur’aan, did your life change? Was it affected in one way or another?”

She said, “Yes, I went through a major change and I tried always, all praise is due to Allaah, to obey Allaah before I started the memorization. However, after I started the task of memorization, I began to feel a self-comfort, a great self-comfort and all worries began to move away from me. I even reached the stage of freeing myself from all these excessive worries concerning fearing for the children and their affairs, and my morale was boosted.

I had a noble objective to work for and this is a great Ni’mah (Favor) from Allaah . upon me, since we know that some women, when they get old and they do not have a husband, and their children got married, may be destroyed by the empty time, thoughts, worries, and so forth. But, AlHamdulillaah, I didn’t go through this and I made myself busy with a great task and a great objective.

Q7: “Didn’t you think at one point, to join one of the circles focusing on teaching the Noble Qur’aan?”
The answer was, “Yes, some of the women suggested this to me, but I am a woman who got used to staying at home, and I don’t like to go out everyday, and Al Hamdulillaah, my daughter sufficed me from all difficulty and I was so happy while I was learning from her. My daughter had set an example in goodness and righteousness which we rarely find in our days.

She started this task and journey with me while she was an adolescent and this is a critical age many people complain of. She used to pressure herself so that she could have spare time to teach me, and she used to teach me with kindness and wisdom. Her husband was a good help to her and he exerted a lot of effort. I ask Allaah . to give them success and to bring their children up on uprightness.”

Q8: “What do you say to a woman of your age who wishes to learn and memorize the Qur’aan yet she is worried about it and feeling unable to?”

She said, “I say to her there their shall be no despair with the firm, sincere and truthful determination. Begin with sincerity, firm determination and dependence on Allaah at each time. And remember that at this age you should have the time for yourself. However, do not use your time to only go out or to sleep and so forth. Rather, busy yourself with righteous work.

Q9: “Now what would you say to a woman who is still young? What would you advise her?”

She, may Allaah preserve her, said: “Preserve Allaah and He will preserve you. Make use of the favor of Allaah bestowed upon you from health and ways and means of comfort. Use that to memorize the Book of Allaah. This is the light which enlivens your heart, your life and your grave after you die.

And if you have a mother then exert the effort to teach her, and there is no better favor upon a mother than one of her righteous children aiding her to be close to Allaah.”

Presented on the 1st of Muharram 1426, Feb 10th 2005. Originally published in Ad-Da’wah Magazine, no.1552, 17th of Rabee’ Al-Awwal 1417,corresponding to Aug 1, 1996.

Source: Dr Saaleh as-Saaleh’s (rahmatullaahi ‘alayhi) website www.understand-islam.net

Umm Zayd doesn’t mention when she started her journey towards memorising the Qur’aan but she mentions how she felt the task would be unattainable and extremely difficult. She says she never dreamt in her wildest dreams that she would ever complete memorising the entire Qur’aan. When she first started to memorise, she began with Soorah al-Baqarah and Aali-‘Imraan, thinking they would be the hardest and take the longest. Her memorisation of these two chapters was extremely prolonged and lasted 7 years.

During one Ramadhaan, her husband told her that he would be spending the last fifteen remaining days performing I’tikaaf (seclusion) in the Haram (Makkah). This was difficult for Umm Zayd as she would be left alone with her four sons and they lived in a remote place, far away from family and friends, and the few neighbours she had did not mingle and preferred to keep to themselves. So when the time came for her husband to travel, she says, “I raised my hands to the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful and supplicated with a supplication of one in distress and tears poured from me, O My Lord, You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. Grant me righteous companions who are more virtuous than me so that I may (strive to) be like them and so that they may be for me the best of companions.” So Allaah answered her du’aa quickly. Whilst sitting in front of her computer one day, she came across an online academy for memorisers of the Qur’aan and at the time she did not realise that her entering this website was the answer to her supplication but she says she entered the website in a state of sadness and when she left, she was in a completely different state to that which she was when she entered. She met through this online academy the best of sisters who inspired her with their striving to reach this noble goal. She says, “There were sisters there who had memorised the Qur’aan in three days and (here) I was, in seven years I haven’t managed to memorise anything other than two chapters!” So Allaah removed Umm Zayd’s sadness and replaced it with a new found spirit and she said to herself, this Ramadhaan will be different from previous ones. She decided she would strive her utmost to complete memorising the Qur’aan in the last ten blessed days.

Umm Zayd reminded herself of the various ahaadeeth speaking of the virtues and rewards of the memorisers of the Qur’aan, those who are the best of mankind and who have gained the pleasure of Allaah and His abundant blessings! She wrote all these things down and placed them with her mushaf, which was to be her close companion on this journey.

She performed wudhoo (ablution), sat down and opened the mushaf. She began by placing her trust in Allaah and repeating out loudly the verse from the Qur’aan, ‘And We have indeed made the Qur’aan easy to understand and remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition)?’ (Soorah al-Qamar 54:17). She set herself a target of memorising one page in ten minutes and so she memorised, page after page and each time she completed one page, Umm Zayd supplicated to Allaah to make firm her memorisation and said, “O My Lord, I commit to you what you have taught me so guard it for me.” She began to memorise from the time of Dhuhaa up until 2.30pm in the afternoon. She took a short break and returned to memorising up until close to the time of ‘Ishaa prayer. By the end of the day, she had memorised three juz!! Glory be to Allaah who grants these great blessings but unfortunately we do not know how to show due gratitude!

After six days, she had completed memorising twelve juz and started to contemplate whether she should continue memorising or review what she had covered so far. She sought the advice of the sisters she met via the online academy and they encouraged her to continue memorising. She looked forward to the return of her husband and for ‘Eed day to come, when she will have two joys; the joy of completing the fast of Ramadhaan and the joy of completing her memorisation.

But Allaah brought upon her trials to test her resolve and the sincerity of her intention; was she going to give in to the tests or would she continue to achieve her goal? On one particular day, she only managed to memorise two pages, not because she was unable to do so but because she became extremely busied by many things. Amongst them were that all her four sons fell ill with an extreme fever and she was awakened throughout the hours of the night tending to them, especially her youngest child who wept profusely. Then by the Will of Allaah, Umm Zayd herself fell ill but she did not stop memorising. She strove to do as much as she could until Allaah cured them all and kept saying to herself, “I will complete it soon InshaaAllaah.”

Their remained for her only ten juz to memorise and by the grace of Allaah, she memorised them quickly and easily. On the final day, she woke up that morning having dreamt a beautiful dream that this would be the day she completed memorising the Qur’aan and she was filled with immense joy. She had three juz remaining and by now, she was able to memorise an entire page in five to eight minutes. At 9pm that night, she completed her memorisation and she tells of how she was overcome with strange feelings and emotions, the like of which she had never experienced before, nor could she describe to the readers in words.

When she read the final verse, she threw herself onto the ground and prostrated a prostration of thankfulness, weeping out of happiness that she was finally carrying the Qur’aan in her chest. She thanked Allaah for granting her the ability to do so before death approached her and she hurried to share this happiness with her husband.

At the end of her account, she gives some final words of advice saying, “I am a woman like any other woman. I have a husband and children and they study in select schools known for their demanding curriculums and teaching methods. I memorised the Qur’aan without neglecting any of my duties and responsibilities, I put my children and (helping them with) their education first, and always hastened to do what would please my husband without falling short in giving him his rights and always fulfilled my obligations completely. And to Allaah is all Praise. O you mothers! By Allaah! Do not ever make excuses for your not memorising the Qur’aan. So how about those young girls who are not married and do not have such responsibilities upon them?”

She goes on to say, “When I thought that Soorah al-Baqarah and Aali ‘Imraan would be hard to memorise and take a long time, Allaah gave me that which I thought, for my memorisation of these two chapters was extremely prolonged. It took 7 years because I did not have good thoughts but when I placed my trust in Allaah and thought well of Him, and said I will memorise the entire Qur’aan in a short space of time, Allaah honoured me with the memorisation of His Book and made it easy for me….O you who wishes to memorise the Qur’aan! Place your trust in Allaah and be true and sincere and have good thoughts about Allaah that He will direct and facilitate that for you, for By Allaah, you will find that (you will reach that goal) quickly.”

After Umm Al-Sa’ad completed her memorization of the Quran at the age of 15 she went to the Shaykha Nafeesa bint Abu Al-Alaa, who was known as “The Shaykha of her time” to request from her to learn the 10 Qira’aat (recitations). Nafeesa agreed on an peculiar condition; that Umm Al-Sa’ad never marry. She used to refuse to teach girls because they would marry, become busy, and neglect the Quran.

What was even more amazing was that Umm Al-Sa’ad accepted the condition from her Shaykha who was known for her strictness and harshness against those whom she did not feel were proper for this honorable task. But Umm Al-Sa’ad was encouraged by the fact that her Shaykha herself had never married, even though there were many of the great scholars who had sought her hand, and she died in that state while in her eighties, having secluded herself to the Qur’aan!

Umm Al-Sa’ad said, ” It is from the blessings of my Lord that anyone who has obtained an ijaaza in the Qur’aan, in any Qiraa’ah, in Alexandria either received it directly from me (munaawala) or from someone whom I had given an ijaaza to. ”

And what proved her unique status was that she was the only woman to whom recitors and huffaadh (memorisers) of the Qur’aan would travel to receive ijaaza in the ten qira’aat.

Umm Al-Sa’ad Ali Najm,age 77, is considered to be the most well known woman in the world of recitations of the Qur’aan. The only woman to specialize in the ten qira’aat, and has spent over fifty years granting ijaazas in the ten qira’aat.

Waves of people could be seen entering and leaving her humble apartment, students who dreamed of memorizing the Qur’aan, comprised of different age groups and both genders.

Classes for the women and girls would begin from 8 AM until 2 PM after which the classes for men and boys would start until 8 PM. Umm Al-Sa’ad would continue all day with no breaks except for salah and a light meal to sustain her.

Umm Al-Sa’ad was born into a poor family in a town called Bandaariya, one of the towns of the larger city Munofiya (north of Cairo). She was afflicted by blindness shortly after her first year and, as was the practice of many in rural areas in dealing with blindness, her family sent her to learn the Qur’aan. She completed her memorization in Alexandria at the age of 15. She then completed the memorization of the ten recitations of the Qur’aan from Shaykha Nafeesa when she had reached the age of 23.

Umm Al-Sa’ad mentioned that when she had completed her memorization of the qira’aat the number of huffaadh were few. Families used to request from her, as they had requested from her Shaykha before her, to recite Qur’aan for them at occasions and religious festivals. It was acceptable at that time for a woman to recite the Qur’aan with tajweed in the presence of men who- as she recounted- used to praise her recitation and the beauty of her tajweed. She mentioned however that this practice disappeared after Qur’aanic recitors became widespread, as well as the spread of radios and televisions, and the most that could be done by a female recitor now is to recite at occasions that were female only. She believed that the real reason for this however was the belief that had increased in the recent years that the voice of the woman is ‘awrah.

Many different types of people would return to her, seeking the completion of the Qur’an or ijaazah in a Qiraa’ah, from all ages and levels in society. In a day she would teach old and young students, men and women, engineers, doctors, teachers, university professors, college students, high school students, etc.

She would single out for each student a time, not more than an hour in a day, in which the student would recite what they had memorized and she would correct their mistakes bit by bit, until they memorize the Qur’aan in one of it’s qira’aat.

Umm Al-Sa’ad once commented:

“Sixty years of memorizing the Qur’aan and it’s recitations has made me unable to forget any of it. I can recall every ayah, it’s surah and its juz, I know the ayaat that are similar (mutashaabih) and how to recite the same ayah in different qira’aat. I feel like I know the Qur’aan like my name, I cannot imagine forgetting a letter of it or making a mistake in it. I don’t know anything other than the Qur’aan and its recitations. I never learned a science, listened to a lecture, or memorized anything other than the Qur’aan and the mutoon that were related to the Qur’aan and tajweed. I don’t know anything other than that.”

Her students:

When asked about her students Umm Al-Sa’ad said:

“I remember every one of them, there were some who received Ijaaza in one of the recitations, and there were some (and they were very few) who received ijaaza in all ten recitations. They are the ones who receive an ijaaza with a special seal that I have that I always keep with me, I never give it to anyone no matter how much I have trust in them.”

The happiest days for Umm Al-Sa’ad are the days of khatma, when she would grant a student an ijaaza, even though she has experienced this day over 300 times! She keeps a copy of every ijaaza, the most recent one being to a sister in the recitation of Qaloon from Naafi’.

On the day of khatma, a waleema is normally done, or a tea party with sweets. The student who is receiving the ijaaza normally gives a gift to the Shaykha; a jilbaab, a ring, golden earrings, all according to what they can afford. As for the most beautiful gift that the Shaykha received was a Hajj and ‘Umrah trip accompanied with being hosted in Saudia for an entire year! The best part of the trip, after the hajj and ‘umrah, was that she reviewed the Qur’aan, and granted ijaazas in all ten recitations to students from all over the world; Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Chad, Afghanistan…

The most beloved of those ijaazas that she granted was to a student from Saudi Arabia who received it when she was seventeen years old!

The wives of her students become jealous…

And from the most interesting things that Umm Al-Sa’ad recounts is that some of the wives of her students became jealous and fearful that she might “snatch” their husbands. Especially since their husbands would continually speak about their Shaykha with pride and endearment. To the extent that some of the wives would accompany their husbands to the class to ensure that their fear had no real cause, for the Shaykha was old and blind!

“And some of the men hesitated to recite to me considering that I’m a woman, and some refused, but Shaykh Muhammad Isma’eel (the most well known shaykh of the Salafi Da’wah in Alexandria) gave a fatwa that they could when he learned of my age, and he sent his entire family to me to recite to me!”

And what about her marriage?

When she was asked about the closest student to her, she replied “My husband, Shaykh Muhammad Fareed Nu’maan.”

Shaykh Muhammad Fareed, who- before his death some years ago-was the most well known recitor on Alexandria radio. He was also the first one to receive an ijaaza from Umm Al-Sa’ad.

She said about the story of her marriage, “I was not able to keep my promise to my Shaykha Nafeesa. He used to recite to me the Qur’aan in all ten recitations, I became comfortable with him, and he was like me in that he was blind and memorized the Qur’aan at an early age. I taught him for five years, and when he finished he asked me for my hand in marriage and I accepted.”

She was married to him for forty years and had no children.

But she had students who were huffaadh and recitors of the Qur’aan, so all praise is due to Allaah.

She commentated on that saying, “Alhamdullilah, I feel like Allaah chooses for me the good always. Maybe if I had children I would have become busy with them and neglected the Qur’aan or forgot it.”

Adapted from http://ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=34855

Umm Al-Sa’ad Rahimahallaah passed away to the Mercy of her Lord in 2006.

You can listen to what Shaykh Muhammad Isma’eel (the one who gave the fatwa to study with her) said at her passing here.

http://www.islamway.com/?iw_s=Lesso…lesson_id=56469

This is because I started memorising when I was still in primary school and would memorise at my afternoon madrasah. It continued during high school, where I would attend the hifz class they had there after school each day. So by the time I completed my schooling career, I had managed to finish about 25 ajza. However, my dhor (old lessons) was extremely weak; practically non-existent I’d say. I didn’t really know what I had memorised.

I continued to do hifz part time while studying at university (doing Islamic Studies). However, this time it was different. Previously I had just been memorising because my parents had sent me there. But now I was motivated to do this myself. I had actually wanted to do it fulltime, but my mother advised me not to.

My teacher at this hifz school was excellent, may Allah ta’ala reward him and have mercy on him, and the programme was quite rigorous. For full time students it was from eight in the morning till five in the afternoon, with a two hour break from 12:00 till 2:00. There were no holidays, except for public holidays, Ramadan, and for a short time at the end of the year. I would attend from 2:00 till 5:00 after my university lectures. When I came there I started my memorisation from the beginning again. I also had to improve my tajweed: so progress was painfully slow at first, which was difficult, but alhamdulillah, I’m grateful for it now.

I had learnt some Arabic at high school and was also learning it at university. This was a major reason in speeding up my progress in memorising, as understanding what I was reciting made it much easier to commit it to memory. Previously I had done a page a day – now I had increased it to a quarter Juz, bi fadlillah. So a year and eight months after starting at that school, I completed my hifz, alhamdulillah. I would still attend the school for about another 8 months or so to make the memorisation firm. After that there was a graduation ceremony of sorts, where I was tested on how well my hifz was.

For about a year thereafter I was just revising on my own. I had now started listening to Qur’an recitations. This was a new phase in my memorisation: I would take the recitation of a Surah, put it on my phone, and listen to it over and over and over. This took the memorisation of that Surah to another level – the ease with which I would recite was far greater than with other Surahs. I could recite it from memory without having to revise it first and without using the mus-haf. For other Surahs I would have to recite while having the mus-haf with me. I’m still busy improving my hifz in this way. So far I’ve done 17 ajza like this, alhamdulillah. Make du’a that Allah ta’ala lets me complete this soon please. Progress has been slow recently, for some reason.

When I completed my degree I wanted to go back to my shaikh to recite to him again. However, he had left the county. So I started reciting by another Egyptian Shaikh, who had learnt the different qira’at. He had previously led Taraweeh with me, and he was also one of those who had tested me at my graduation. It took about a year to recite the Qur’an to him, after which I received a sanad in the riwayah of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim.

Alhamdu lillaahil-ladhee hadaanaa li haadhaa wa maa kunnaa li nahtadiya law laa an hadaanallah - All thanks and praise is due to Allah who guided us to this; and we could never have been guided if He had not guided us.

Anonymous