Memorizing the Quran

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem

My Brother and Sister Muslim - there is no doubt that you know of excellence of memorizing the Quran and the excellence of teaching it. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it."

Presented to you are some rules which will assist in memorizing the Qur'an, may Allah benefit us by them.

The First Rule: Ikhlaas - (Sincerity)

The purification of ones intention and correcting ones desire is obligatory. It is likewise for making ones concern with and memorization of the Quran for the sake of Allah, the Sublime and Exalted, and for gaining success with His Paradise and obtaining His pleasure.

Also for obtaining those mighty rewards which are reserved for those who recited the Quran and memorised it. Allaah the Exalted said:

"So worship Allah, making the Deen sincerely for Him. Is it not to Allah that sincere worship is due?" [Zumar 39:2-3]

He also said:

"Say: I have been commanded that I worship Allah making the Deen sincerely for Him." [Zumar 39:11]

And the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "Allah the Exalted said: I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus, he who does an action for someone else's sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]

Therefore, there is no reward for the one who recited the Quran and memorized it to show off and to be heard of. There is also no doubt that the one who recited the Quran desiring by it the world and seeking some sort of worldly reward for it is sinful.

The Second Rule: Correction of ones Pronunciation and Recitation

The first step in memorizing the Quran after that of Ikhlaas is the obligation of correcting the pronunciation of the Quran. This does not occur except by listening to a good reciter or a precise memorizer of the Quran. The Quran is not learned except by acquiring it (from another). Thus, the Messenger (pbuh) who is the most eloquent of the Arabs in speech, took it from Jibreel (as) orally. The Messenger (pbuh) himself used to recited the Quran to Jibreel once in every year and in the year that he died he recited it to him twice. [Reported by Bukhaaree]

Likewise, the Messenger taught it to the Companions (ra) orally and those who came after them heard it from the Companions and so on for each generation after them.

Taking the Quran from a good reciter is obligatory. Likewise, correcting ones recitation firstly and not depending on oneself in its recitation even if one is knowledgeable of the Arabic language and of its principles, is also obligatory. This is because in the Quran there are many verses which occur in a way that is opposed to what is well known in the rules of the Arabic language.

The Third Rule: Specifying a Daily Limit for Memorization

It is necessary for the one desiring to memorize the Quran that he sets himself a daily limit for memorizing. A number of verses for example, perhaps a page or two pages or even an eighth of a juz (one thirtieth of the Quran). So he begins, after he has corrected his recitation and set his daily limit, to learn by frequent repetition. It is also necessary that this repetition is done melodiously and this is so that a person follows the Sunnah firstly and that it the memorization is made firm and strong secondly. Melodious recitation is pleasing to ones hearing and also assists in memorization. Furthermore, the tongue will always return to a specific tone (of voice) and as a result of this it will become familiar with any mistake whenever the balance in ones recitation and familiar tone becomes disordered or imbalanced. The reciter will know therefore, that his tongue will not comply with him when he makes a mistake and that if the tone is wrong or out of tune, his memorization will return to him.

All of this is because reciting the Quran and beautifying it with ones voice is a matter which has been commanded. It is not permissible to oppose this command due to the saying of the Messenger (pbuh): "Whoever does not beautify the Quran (recite it melodiously) he is not of us." [Bukhaaree]

The Fourth Rule: Not Surpassing One's Daily Limit until You Have Perfected its Memorization.

It is not permissible for the memorizer to move to a new portion of the Quran until after he has perfected the memorization of his previous limit. This is so that whatever he has memorized is firmly established in his mind. There is no doubt that amongst those things which aid the memorizer is his occupation with what he has memorized through the hours of the day and night. This occurs by reciting it in the silent prayers, and if he is the imam then in the loud prayers. Also in the superogatory prayers (nawaafil) and in the times when one is waiting for the obligatory prayers. By this method the memorization will become a lot easier. In this way it is possible for a person to practice it even if he is occupied with other matters and this is because he does not simply sit at a specific time for memorizing the Quran. Thus the night will not arrive except with those verses memorized and firmly established in the mind. And if there is something which has occupied the memorizer during this day, he should not move onto his next portion of the Quran, rather he should continue on the second day with what he had started with the day before until the memorization becomes perfected.

The Fifth Rule: Memorize Using the Same Copy (Mushaf) of the Quran

Among the things which aid the memorization is that the memorizer should keep for himself a specific mushaf (copy of the Quran) which he should never change. This is because a person memorizes using the sight just as he memorizes using the hearing. The script and form of the verses and their places in the mushaf leave an imprint in the mind when they are recited and looked at frequently. If the memorizer was to change his mushaf from which he memorizes or if he was to memorize from a number of different copies the places of the verses would be in different places and also the script may also be different. This makes the memorization difficult for him. Therefore it is obligatory for the one memorizing the Quran that he does so from a single script and mushaf and he should never replace it.

The Sixth Rule: Understanding is the Way to Memorizing

Among the things which greatly aid the process of memorization is understanding the verses that one has memorized and knowing their relationship and link, one to another. This is why it is necessary for the memorizer to read the tafseer (explanation) of those verses which he desires to memorize and that he knows their connection, one with another. Also, that he brings this to mind when he is reciting. This makes it easier for him to memorize the verses. Having said this, it is also necessary that he does not depend on knowing the meaning of the verses alone in memorizing them. Rather the repetition of these verses should be the foundation. This should be done until the tongue can recite the verses even if the mind is occupied with other than the meaning of these verses. This is sign that the verses are firmly established in the mind. As for the one who relies upon the meaning alone then he will forget often and his recitation will be disjointed due to his mind being scattered and occupied with other things. This occurs frequently, especially when the recitation is long.

The Seventh Rule: Do not move on from a Complete Surah until you have connected the first part of it to the last

After one surah from among the surahs of the Quran has been completed it is desirable for the memorizer that he does not move onto another surah except after having perfected its memorization and connecting its first part to its last so that his tongue can flow in reciting it, from its beginning to its end. He should be able to recite it without having to think or go through trouble in remembering the verses. Rather it is a must that the memorization (and recitation) of these verses is like (flowing) water and that the memorizer recites these verses with out hesitation, even if his mind is occupied with more than one thing, away from the meaning of these verses. It should be as a person recites Surah Faatihah without any difficulty or having to think about it. This occurs by repeating these verses frequently and reciting them often. However the memorization of every surah of the Quran will not be like that of Surah Faatihah except rarely but the intent and desire should be to try to make it as such. Therefore, it is necessary that when a surah is completed it is firmly established in the mind, with its beginning connected to its end and that the memorizer does not move onto another surah until he has memorized it with precision.

The Eighth Rule: Reciting to Others

It is necessary for the memorizer not to depend on himself for his memorization. Rather he should test his memorization by reciting the verses or surah in question to somebody else, or he should recite them by following the mushaf. And how excellent this would be if a person had with him a precise memorizer (who would test his memorization). This is so that the memorizer becomes aware of the possibility of his being forgetful or confused in his recitation (without knowing it). Many individuals amongst us who memorize a surah make mistakes and a person may not realize that until he looks into the mushaf. Furthermore, the one who desires to memorize may not realize by himself at which place he makes an error in his recitation despite the fact that he may be reciting from a mushaf. For this reason making others listen to his recitation of what he has memorised from the Quran is a means of perceiving and knowing these errors and being constantly aware of them.

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