How Can I Memorise The Qur’an When I Keep Forgetting? — Stick To The Pillars!
Thoughts on Qur’an memorisation from Dr Ayman
✦ This article has been updated and republished at How To Memorise The Quran — be sure to read it there! ✦
Dr Ayman is always asked about Tajwid, Qur’an recitation and Qur’an memorisation. In particular, he was once asked “I memorise little from the Qur’an yet I forget it, what would you advise?” And someone else asked, “I would like some advice on how I can strengthen my endeavours to consolidate and strengthen memorisation?”
These questions have something in common and that is dealing with past memorisation.
I want to tell you what the Shaykh told us but before that, let’s learn how he memorised the Qur’ān. He said:
“I would memorise a page from start to end. First, I’d recite over the entire page carefully paying attention to every detail including every vowel. I’d then read up the meanings of ambigious/unknown words (Al-kalimāt al-gharībah). I’d do this using a text called “Kalimāt al-Qur’ān, tafsīr wa bayān.” A text still available today written by Shaykh-al-Azhar Hasanayn Muhammad Makhloof. When I’d come across a word that was ambigious/unknown to me, I’d look it up there. Then I’d repeat that page looking at the Mus’haf (Copy of the Qur’an) continually until I could recite fast.
So I’d repeat the whole page from beginning to end first with a detailed scan. After that repeat it building up my speed. From slightly quicker to fast. I’d do this up till I was comfortable in the belief that I knew it. I’d then close the Mus’haf and try to repeat it. If I could do this, it meant I knew it. If I couldn’t do it without having the need to look once or twice then this meant I never knew it. Then I would repeat the page again until it was memorised.
This was day one.
How can you use this method of memorising the Qur’an?
There are many routes you can take but let’s break up the whole process.
- Vision (looking with the eye)
- Vocalisation (recitation)
- Listening with the ears (to yourself — pay attention)
- The Book (Copy of the Qur’an you have chosen, study the section)
- A plan (Intention — this is all about your relationship with the Qur’an and motivation)
- Seeking help from Allah (prayer)
- Focus
- Repetition
- Review
These are what Dr. Ayman calls the pillars of memorising the Qur’an.
Intention and motivation
Everyone knows this one. I wrote about the importance of mindset. Dr. Ayman actually was most motivated and changed his intent after he heard a hadith.
Guess which one?
The Promise of Ten! The holder of the Qur’an being granted the chance to take ten people into paradise. This pillar then is about maintaining your pure intentions and constantly reviewing the single thing that motivates you. With it comes good execution!
Seeking from the Divine
This principle, you’ll be surprised is often forgotten. We get so busy we forget to ask from Allah. Make supplication before and after every single session you take to memorise. Even if you are not using the Mus’haf — suppose you use Qur’an Companion!
Focus
This is important. You need complete focus such that you don’t waver looking up and to your surroundings. Focus on the text. How do you achieve this? Remove things that are not allowing you to focus. If you have to change surroundings, do that. If you have to turn off your phone, do that. It is also imperative to not feed the mind with anything that will pollute it. Be that music, singing or otherwise — distraction!
Repetition (takrar)
If you want to memorise, you cannot get by just through repeating verses once or twice but rather 20, 30, 40, 50. Unless you have exceptional memory.
If you have a big page to cover spilt it up into parts. Let’s say a half. Take the first half and memorise it through repetition until you know it without looking. Such that the page is in your mind. If you can’t recite it without error, go over it again. Once done, move to the next half and repeat the same process. Then combine the two. If you need to spilt up the pages according to meanings, themes or even threes — do so.
Review (muraja’ah)
Without review, the page you memorised will vanish.
The human being has two memories, one short and one long term. The long term remains with a human for years and if you want to reach that level, it is a must that you always review.
Today we live in a world of speed. We hear about those who memorise within 60 days as if this is normal. This type of news and the act itself, according to Dr. Ayman is a product of today’s society.
When anyone memorises anything, the first point of entry is the short term memory. It never enters long term save without constant review over time. This is an important point — it takes time! When you get there certain signs can emerge. If you recite Juz ‘Amma for example, you can picture the pages in your mind and you know where is what on those pages. This is why our elders said memorisation in young age is like carving in stone.
The biggest mistake is to memorise within a fixed period and then leaving it all.
So when you get your memorisation right, you also need to get your review right. As your actions need to map what you want. When you review, it doesn’t mean you open the Mus’haf and simply read over it. When you review, it doesn’t mean mere repetition. It doesn’t mean you complain that it takes too long.
It means mastery and with it, are phases. You recite, you understand, you memorise, you repeat, you correct, you listen, you recite.
We’ve heard people recall stories about having memorised in 20 days, 50 days, 2 and a half months, and 6 months. These timeframes are not important, what is important are the lessons derived from them. A key trend in them is efficiency, smart use of time, determination and consistency. But we don’t often hear the stories of those who spent longer accomplishing the goal. They did it by doing less, consistently.
And mastery my friends, takes patience.
I hope this writing has benefit for you. Allah give you and us success here and hereafter.
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