Best Way to Memorise the Noble Quran according to my Personal Experience January 27, 2007 Posted by Muhajirah in Hifz,

Islam, Qur'an. By Dr. Yahya al-Ghouthani, Jeddah (world leading Quranic recitation authority) Translated by Abu Muqatil may Allah be forgiving to him and his parents In light of the principles which have passed us by in the previous section, I say to whoever wants to memorize a page from the Noble Quran from any chapter that I hope that you will stay with me so we can read the following steps together at ease paving the way to apply it precisely.

1. Obtain a good mus-haf Try to obtain a good copy of the Quran whose size is according to your need and never ever replace it so that you will be strong in memorising the parts of the pages and the lines. The mus-haf al-huffaaz (the memorisers codex) [i.e. the text of the popular green edition from Madina written by the world famous calligrapher, Ta Ha Uthman] is preferred which starts with the verse at the start of the page and finishes with the last verse, and it is divided up well, whereby the Quran being thirty juz` (parts), every juz` has 20 pages and every page has 25 lines. The King Fahd organization in Medina al-Munawwarah has built a printer for this copy and I advice getting it as it is the most accurate contemporary print.

2. Set the scene Setting the scene for memorization according to the following:i. Self-composure Have the correct intention in mind and a desire for reward from Allah ii. Wudoo` (ablution) and complete purity Do not take the easy option of those who give a fatwa (legal edict) for its opposite as that goes against what befits high regard of the Speech of Allah and good manners with it. iii. Comfortable setting Sitting in a place where you feel at ease, and there is no more sacred place than the mosque. iv. Free of distractions It is preferred that it is a place without many pictures, carvings, decorations and distractions. The more enclosed the place is with all due regards to fresh air the better, compared with open space, trees and gardens. Even if some may differ with me, but I say this based upon experience not from abstract thinking. The atmosphere for light reading is different from the atmosphere for focused memorization, as wide spaces, sceneries and trees distract the mind and focus. Whatever is suitable for light reading is not needed for genuine work and focus, as mentioned in rule 4. v. Face the Qibla (direction of prayer towards Mecca) and sit in a state of submission, tranquillity and respect.

3. Warm up Begin the warm up process (for want of a better expression). It is the preparation where you read a few pages of the Quran before starting the memorization process, whether from memory or looking. Recite nicely, listening to yourself without haste or delay. This is a fundamental component in preparing the self. You will find many successful memorization teachers do not allow the student to memorize before getting them to revise the previous session and letting the sheikh hear. This is to prepare him psychologically and spiritually for memorization, whilst the student may be totally unaware of the teachers aim. 4. Be controlled in recitation Beware of your voices beauty from distracting you at this point. The sweetness of your tone encompasses you in the atmospher e of chanting. So you start thinking that youre so -and-so, the famous reciter, then you assume his persona and start to recite with deliberation and perfecting the letters. You repeat it and recite it again like some of the reciters. Perhaps it all goes over the top and you bring out a microphone and recording equipment. Time will pass by whilst you are unaware, and you become like that young man who really wanted to memorize the Quran but every time he sat down to memorize he opened the Quran at 7-rah Y-suf and began to chant it until the time passed him by and he memorized absolutely nothing. 5. Feel that urge About 10-15 minutes of the warm up exercise and personal preparation you will feel a strong desire in yourself to memorize, with that it is possible for you to start with a new page you want to memorize. 6. Focus Here begins an important stage, you really have to doubly focus on the verses. Imagine that your eye is a camera lens, and that you want to film the page with sound and image. Be careful not to shake the camera. 7. Action!

Open your eyes well. Free your mind from any distraction. Read by looking at the first verse at the top of the page in an audible voice with tajw5d [the correct rules of recitation]. Read correctly with concentration. Lets use an as example His statement, the Most High: The fools among the people will say, What has turned them from their prayer direction to which they were used to face in prayer. Say, To Allah belong both, east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a Straight Way. [2:142] Read three or more times until your mind takes it all in, then close your eyes and picture in your mind the places of the words and read them. If you succeed in reading them completely without any mistake, dont get excited but instead repeat two, three or five times. 8. Repeat Then open your eyes a second time. Read the same verse from the book to confirm the correctness of your memorization. If you are certain that youve memorized it correctly, dont get excited. Instead close your eyes and read another time. With this you have chis elled in your mind an engraving that is impossible to disappear with the permission of Allah, the Most High. Try the steps carefully, you will definitely find this approach sound. Note: During the process of recall and repetition, be careful not to divert your gaze to the things around you such as written notices distributed upon walls, posters, artwork, or dcor. Do not follow a whirling fan. Do not be concerned about the type of furniture or coverings youre sitting on. Be careful of excessively looking out of the windows, perhaps your eyes will chance upon something that w ill not please you, or perhaps you will be distracted by the scene of people in the street, or the scene of cars as happens to students during their revision for their exams. One of them stands at the window with the excuse of getting fresh air, then there he takes a census of cars based upon make and model, and in this manner time passes him and is wasted whilst he hasnt benefited a single thing. You have no business with these distractions, my brother. You have put yourself forward as someone from the people of the Quran and from its memorizers, and that requires motivation, perseverance, focus and an absence of distractions. 9. Next verse After that move to the verse immediately following it:

Thus we have made you a middle nation[2:143]

and begin with the same steps we outlined with the previous verse. If you think the verse is long, then divide it into several parts corresponding to correct and sound stops and normal meanings. Then repeat and repeat many times until it is engraved deeply in your memory. 10. Connection process Begin now with the connection process which I mentioned in the eighth rule of memorization. That is by opening the book and focusing on the last part of the first verse for example and read it with an audible voice then connect it quickly without any stop with the first part of the second verse . Repeat this process many times but no less than five times. After reading these steps if you like them begin implementing them straight away and record in a special notebook the date of beginning memorization. Contact someone you love and trust, and then tell them that you have found a technique in memorizing the Quran that you began applying today, so that you can be someone who guides to good. One of the benefits of contacting someone like this is that it will be an encouragement for you in memorization and continuation, as it reflects an increased conviction in oneself with what youve read. This is what is confirmed in psychology, if a person does something and he convinces someone else about it, then it is like taking a firm stance without retracting from it and his behaviour increases his conviction in what he does. It is possible to summarize this method in the following steps:1. Personal composure 2. Warm up 3. Concentration 4. Repetition 5. Connecting Result = a strong memorization with the best method. Source: Kayfa Tahfaz al-Qur`aan al-Kareem (How to Memorise the Noble Quran)

It is the perfect time for students to start or renew their memorization now that the summer break is upon us and Ramadan is right around the corner inshaAllah. We hope that these answers are beneficial to you and us. May Allah make us from the Companions of His Book and unite us with His righteous slaves in the highest gardens of Paradise. Ameen. Ustadhah Kareema Czerepinski, author of the three part book series: Tajweed Rules of the Quran, memorized the Quran and went on to receive an ijaazah in the way of Hafs an Asim, by the way of Shatibiyyah, and another ijaazah by the way of Tayyibat Al -Nashr. She then continued and received an ijaazah in the ten qiraaat min tareeq Ash -Shaaitibiyyah and Ad-Durrah. She is in charge of the non-Arab division at Dar Al-Huda Quran School for ladies. 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 ones 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 dont, or a chai n of transmission that they dont, 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 Quran 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 doesnt get frustrated and give up, nor too easy so the student feels u nchallenged 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 Dont 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 Quran listens to what has been memorized and che cks it. It is also crucial to be tested on a whole juzwhen 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 Quran 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 Quran 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 ones intentions, change the hadeeth on the wall to a new one and read all the previously hung hadeeth. Reading others 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 inshaAllah 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 ones time to memorization. For many, taki ng 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 isnt 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 didnt 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 Quran which have abadan after khaalideen feeha really helped. Some Muslims just can keep them straight by themselves, though, masha Allah and dont need mnemonic devices to keep them str aight. Many Muslims feel that learning tajweed is not necessary; can you shed some light on why it is a critical part of learning t he Quran? The Quran 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 Quran 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 Quran, 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 ones 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 Quran, 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 Quran 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 Quran 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 doesnt 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 Quran 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 qiraaat. 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 Quran later in life, so me even starting in their 60s and succeeding in completion. With purity of intention, lots of dua asking Allah to make it simple, and determination, nothing is impossible with Allahs help. I know of a sister in her 30s with 5 children who memorized the who le Quran 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, dont be afraid of the struggle and devote yourself to the Quran. Y ou 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. Dont make excuses for yourself and dont 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 Quran 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 Quran in your life and are a shining example of those of the Quran. Stay away from sin, repent for all your sins and stop anything that is not suitable f or ahl al-Quran. (the people of the Quran) Do not waste time, it is a precious commodity for the student of the Quran, so use it wisely and use it for the sake of Alla h. This is something I cant say enough. Many Muslims have lofty goals, but lose the ir precious time searching the Internet for different recordings of recitation from multiple shuyookh, looking up details of the qiraaat 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 Quran is to fir m 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 Quran would like to achieve an ijaazah of the Quran 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 Quran, 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 qiraaah, the student can then pursue knowledge of the 10 qiraaaat. 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 Allahs will? The scholars say, [Review] five, you wont forget ( ) , 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 Quran six times, the number of students in the class, and each day recited three ajzaa to the teacher as a class, but we didnt 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 ye ar, each of us had recited the whole Quran 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 Quran give only a general idea of the aayaat, and it is quite important that a deeper understanding of the Quran 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 Quran in our children and youth? By showing them how much we love it and by employing the Quran in our life in every aspect. Teaching them that Quran is first is something they will carry with them to adulthood. I heard a lecture once recommending that parents always start their children with Quran homework, then any ot her deen related subjects, then the other science, math and literature subjects. This will show the children the importance of Quran. 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-Quran should be examples of the best in character and conduct. We should aim to have our manners as [what is in] the Quran 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 Quran should have truthfulness and honesty. It cannot be that ahl al-Quran 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-Quran 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 Quran 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 alQuran, and give us the honors promised those who have memorized the Quran on the Day of Resurrection. I seek Allahs forgiveness and repent to Him alone. /106

Assalamualaykum, sent by Sister Umm Amarah; Easiest Way to Memorize Al-Quraan By our dear Shaykh: Abdul-Muhsin bin Muhammad al-Qaasim Imaam and Khateeb of Masjid An-Nabawiyy ash-Shareef

------------ --------- ------All praise is due to Allah and may blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and his family and companions, all together. This way is excellent for strengthening memorization and its firmness (in the memory), quick memorization and completing the Quraan with speed. And this way, with a demonstration with one section (wajh- which is about eight ayaat) from Surah al-Jumu`ah, is what follows: 1-Read the first ayah twenty times ( ) 2- Read the second ayah twenty times ( 3- Read the third ayah twenty times ( ) 4-Read the fourth ayah twenty times ( ) 5- Read these four (ayaat), from the first of them to the last of them, to link between them, twenty times. 6-Read the fifth ayah twenty times ( 7- Read the sixth ayah twenty times ( 8- Read the seventh ayah twenty times ( ) 9- Read the eighth ayah twenty times ( ) ) )

10- Read from ayah the fifth ayah to the eighth ayah twenty times to connect them. 11- Read from the first ayah to the eighth ayah: twenty times to perfect this wajh And like this, stick to this way in each wajh for the whole Quraan and do not increase in a single day more than eight (ayaat) so that you do not increase over you what you have already memorized, then the memorization changes and leaves your memory V. If I wanted to memorize a new wajh the next day, how do I do so? - When you want to memorize the next wajh the next day, then before you memorize the new wajh by the way I mentioned to you, read from the first wajh (from the beginning) to the end of it twenty times so that what you have already memorized becomes firm in your memory, then go over to the new wajh on the way that I pointed to. V. How do I bring together memorization and review? - Do not memorize Al-Quraan without review because if you memorized al-Quraan one wajh at a time until you complete the Quraan and then you want to return to what you memorized, you would find yourself haven forgotten what you memorized. And the ideal way of bringing together memorization and review, and you divide the Quraan into three parts; every ten ajza' (plural of juz') is a part. So when you have memorized ten ajza' then pause (memorization) for a complete month for review and everyday review 8 awjah (pl. of wajh) -After a month of review begin with the memorization, memorizing one or two wajh, according to your ability, and review eight awjah, until you have memorized twenty juz'. When you have memorized twenty juz', pause the memorization for a period of two months for reviewing the twenty juz', each day reviewing eight awjah. When two months have passed on reviewing, begin memorization again every day one or two wajh, according to your ability and review eight awjah, until you end the memorization of al-Quraan completely. -When you have completed the memorization of al-Quraan, review the first ten ajza' only, over a period of one month, each day half of a juz', then go ' on to the twenty juz' over a period of one month, each day half a juz' and read eight awjah from the first ten ajza', then go to reviewing the last ten ajza' of al-Quraan over a period of one month, each day half a juz' with eight awjah from the first ten ajza', and eight awjah from the twenty juz'. V. How do I review the whole Quraan when I have completed this review? -Begin reviewing the whole Quraan, everyday two juz', repeating it three times each day, and (like this) you will complete the whole Quraan in two weeks. And by this way, you will have, in the course of a year, perfected the Quraan completely. And follow this way for the whole year. V. What do I do a year after memorizing al-Quraan? -A year after perfecting al-Quraan and reviewing it, let your daily portion of al-Quraan till your death be the portion of Allah's Messenger Sallallau `alayhi wa Sallam, for he used to portion the Quraan into seven, meaning every seven days he would complete the Quraan. Aws in Hudhaifah rahimahuLlah said: I asked the Companions of the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu `alayhi wa Sallam, "How did you divide the Quraan?" They said" Three suwar (pl. of surah) , five suwar, seven suwar, nine suwar, eleven suwar, and the Mufassil, from surah Qaaf until the end." Ahmad reported it -This means from the first day he reads from Surah al-Faatihah to the end of Surah an-Nisaa. On the second day he reads from Surah alMaaidah to the end of Surah at-Tawbah. On the third day he reads from Surah Yunus to the end of Surah an-Nahl. On the fourth day he reads from Surah al-Israa to the end of Surah al-Furqaan. On the fifth day he reads from Surah ash-Shu`araa to the end of Surah Yaaseen. On the sixth day he reads from Surah as-Saaffaat to Surah al-Hujuraat. And on the seventh day, he reads from Surah Qaaf to the end of Surah an-

Naas. -And the Ulamaa' have summarized the portions of Rasulillah Sallallau `alayhi wa Sallam into their words "Famee bi shawq" " which can be roughly translated as "My mouth is longing" or "My mouth eagerly"

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-So each letter in these two words is the beginning of one of the everyday portions Rasulillah Sallallahu `alayhi wa Sallam . The letter 'Faa' in the word "Famee" is a symbol for Surah al-Faatihah that shows that it is his hizb (portion) for the day that he begins with Surah alFaatihah. The letter 'Meem' in their word "Famee" is for the beginning of his hizb on the second day, beginning with Surah al-Maaidah. The letter 'Yaa' in their word "Famee" is for the beginning of his hizb for the third day, beginning with Surah Yunus. The letter 'Baa' in their word "Bi shawq" is for the beginning of his hizb on the fourth day, beginning with Surah Banee Israa-eel, which is also called Surah al-Israa. The letter 'Sheen' in their word "bi shawq" is for the beginning of his hizb on the fifth day, which will begin with Surah ash-Shu`araa. The letter 'Waa' in their word "bi shawq" is for the beginning of his hizb on the sixth day, which begins with Surah was-Saaffaat (asSaaffaat) . The letter 'Qaaf' in their word "bi shawq" is for the beginning of his hizb for the seventh day, which begins with Surah Qaaf to the end of Surah an-Naas. As for the current way that the Quraan was divided into ahzaab (pl. of hizb), then this is from al-Hajjaaj bin Yusuf. V. How do I distinguish between similar ayaat in al-Quraan? - It is best to, when you come across two similar ayat, to open the mushaf to these two ayaat, see the difference between then, and contemplate it, and put yourself to a test, and during your review the part that difference repeatedly until you master the similarity between them. V. Rules and regulations in memorization 1- Your memorization must be with a shaykh for correction recitation 2-Memorize everyday two wajh, a wajh after Fajr and a wajh after `Asr or Maghrib, and with this way, you will memorize the complete Quraan perfectly (bi idhniLlah) in one year and you memorization will be perfect, unless you increase in the memorization, for if you did, what you memorized will weaken 3-Your memorization should be from Suran an-Naas to Surah Al-Baqarah because it is easier. And after you memorize al-Quraan your review will be from Surah al-Baqarah to Surah an-Naas 4-The memorization should be from a mushaf with the one print to be certain about the strength of the memorization and quicker studying the places of the ayaat and the ends and beginnings of the pages. 5- Everyone who memorizes (the Quraan) in the first two years loses some of what he memorized. This is called the "Marhalatut- Tajmee`", roughly translated as the "Gathering Stage". So do not worry about the Quraan leaving you or making many mistakes. This is a difficult stage of affliction which shaytaan has a portion of to make you stop memorizing al-Quraan. So do not pay attention to his whispers and continue memorizing it, for it is a treasure that is not given to just anyone... Please see the original (Arabic) post Taken from shabkati al-Imaam al-Ajurri (Imam al-Ajurri's website) Translated from Arabic into English by Ummu Istabraq as-Salafiyyah If you notice any errors in the translation, please notify us.

Salam, Each page is called one wajh (one face) Each leaf of paper (i.e 2 pages) is called one Saff Each sipara (or para) is called juz each 1/8 of a para (i.e. approx 2 1/2 pgs) is called a hizb All these are the common terms used by arabs.

So the basic idea is to repeat a set of 4 ayat for 20 times Then repeat the next set of 4 ayat for 20 times Then repeat the two set together for 20 times. you are done for the day next day repeat the process till you are done with one page i.e Wajh Now before starting on a new page, review the last page 20 times Then do a new page the same way as above. In 30 days you will be done with a para (juz)

and so on

Salam, This method works for the arabs who can understand (or atleast somewhat understand) what they are reading, etc. If you are following this method all I can say if a student cant memorize it in twenty times do it another 20 times. I follow a different method, it works very well for the us non-arabic speakers. Before you start to memorize a juz make sure that you do nazirah (reading by looking) and perfect your tajweed. You should gain enough fluency to be able to read 3-4 min per page in a measured tarteel or 2-3 minutes in a fast reading WITHOUT making tajweed mistakes. Remember if you memorize while you still have tajweed mistakes, those mistakes will also get ingrained in your memory then it is very difficult to fix it latter.

Next step is memorization.The Surah to memorize is surah Fatihah. After that start memorizing from the end of quraan. i.e first memorize surah Naas, then Surah Falaq then Surah ikhlaas etc. so you are going in reverse order. When you get to surah AlQariyah which is slightly longer and has some similar lines, you may like to memorize 3-4 lines at a time . The way we memorize a small set of lines (2-3 lines) is what we call 10/10/5 i.e read 10 times looking (while pointing with finger), 10 sets of once looking-once withlooking and finally 5 times with out looking If you want to memorize 4 lines, take 2 lines, do 10/10/5 (as above.) take the second two lines do 10/10/5. Then combine the 4 lines together and do 10/10/5. Please pay special attention to pointing at the words you are reading. The reason is very simple: if you are not pointing, your mind may wander away even if for a few seconds. But if you are pointing with finger, you MUST continuously look at the words to keep your finger and reading coordinated. This keeps the attention much more focused. this is specially true for smaller children. Make sure you review 1/6th of whatever you have already memorized every day. you MUST recite to a sheikh, or if that is not possible, then to a person who is good at reading with tajweed. see also memorization threads on this forum. BTW I am not a scholar, so I will appreciate if any scholars on this forum can also point out my mistakes.

May Allah help me and you and all of us in memorizing the quraan. Was'Salam