This is a common question amongst Muslims. So we thought it would be useful to write a short post about what our opinion is on this. There are some people who choose to start from Soorah al-Baqarah and work down. Others choose to start at Soorah an-Naas and work in the opposite direction towards al-Baqarah. And yet others choose to start with the shorter soorahs and memorise Juz ‘Amma and once they have learnt it, they move to al-Baqarah and work their way down. Their is no one formula for everyone, it will vary on an individual basis. For example, those who speak Arabic or have a good understanding of the language will not face as much difficulty if they were to start on al-Baqarah as someone who didn’t. Or if you are someone who frequently reads the Qur’aan from beginning to end, there may be some chapters you will find very easy to memorise as you subconsciously know them pretty well already.
But we told you we would give you our opinion on this and it is that we feel it is more productive and faster to complete memorisation of the Qur’aan if you start at an-Naas and work towards al-Baqarah. For the non-Arab living in the West, this is definitely the best route but we feel it benefits everyone regardless of whether they speak Arabic or not. The reason being that as you navigate the chapters of the Qur’aan, you find that from al-Baqarah towards an-Naas, the chapters (and the majority of the verses too) become progressively shorter in length and the language is more simpler as there are fewer judicial rulings in the shorter chapters. Also, in the overall scope of the Qur’aan, there is less new vocabulary to pick up in the longer suwar (plural of soorah) so if you can learn the shorter chapters first, you will grasp them quicker due to their short verses and strong rhythm as well as build up a large amount of your Qur’aanic vocabulary in the process.
We mentioned in another post the importance of acting upon the teachings of the Qur’aan. Starting at soorat an-Naas and working towards al-Baqarah is a good route to take when it comes to increasing your understanding of the chapters and their meanings. As you move upwards towards al-Baqarah, you will find Allaah has made the chapters more complex by expounding more on the stories of the Prophets and their nations and introducing more commandments with regards to important issues such as divorce, marriage, inheritance, jihaad, purification etc. It is from Allaah’s Wisdom that He decreed for His Book to be laid out in such a manner that the student of the Qur’aan can gradually progress in his/ her ability to memorise, understand and implement the Qur’aan.
Another benefit of starting with soorat an-Naas is that it is more motivational for the new student. This is because due to the shorter length of the suwar, he is able to complete more chapters than he would have if he were to start at al-Baqarah. Soorah al-Baqarah is longer than juz ‘Amma and juz Tabaarak combined so if you find yourself completing a new soorah, you feel happy to have achieved that and it will motivate you to add the next soorah to your list of growing memorisation. We have known new students who have started at al-Baqarah and lost motivation due to its length, so much so that when they get themselves going again, they find they have to start from square one again because they were made to forget. So they find themselves in this same place for a year or two and by Allaah, we are not exaggerating on this. From my (Ummu ‘Abdillaah) own experience and that of other sisters I know, I think that you should try to get from an-Naas to at least soorat an-Nahl (preferrably sooratu Yoonus) before switching to memorise from al-Baqarah down.
So this is our advice and like we said, there is no correct formula for everyone.
