A Practical Method

Choosing a Suitable Time
The student must choose a suitable time for memorization and the most ideal time is after Fajr, after having completed the morning adhkaar (words of remembrance). The student of the Qur’aan must strive and struggle to change his / her sleeping habits and to make the very best usage of their time, with discipline, scheduling and determination. The Prophet (s) informed us that Allaah has placed barakah (blessing) in the early part of the day. So, though one may sit for half an hour after Fajr or half an hour after Maghrib, he / she will accomplish more in the time after Fajr.
In order to remain awake after Fajr, one must then strive to sleep early and / or take a nap in the afternoon if possible. Staying up after Fajr must become a lifestyle for the student of the Qur’aan, so that they can maintain their relationship with the Qur’aan throughout their entire lives, by Allaah’s permission.
If, for some reason, the student cannot do it immediately after Fajr, then before Fajr is the next best time. However, he / she should not attempt memorization in the evening, as the fruits will not be fully reaped.[1]
Also, the student must ensure that nothing will interfere with the time set for memorization, whether phone calls, family members’ needs, etc.
Choosing a suitable place
The student must choose a suitable place to memorize. Ideally, the place should have all, or most of the following qualities:
· It should be a room free of pictures (as much as is possible).
· It should be plain and simple.
· It should not be in a place which will encourage sleep, like in the bedroom or close to the bed.
Hence, memorization in “nature”, contrary to what some may think, is actually not advisable, as the student will easily become distracted.
Observing the etiquette of Qur’aan
The student should make wudhoo’ and maintain it (i.e. renew it upon breaking it) while they sit with the Qur’aan. It is also advisable to sit facing the qiblah, if possible. Though women are not required to wear head scarves, they should be dressed modestly.
Same mushaf
The student should have one mus-haf, from which they memorize and review. The Arabic mus-haf (i.e. not the Pakistani prints) should be chosen, as it is more suitable for memorization, due to the fact that each page starts with the beginning of a verse and ends with the ends of a verse. The student should maintain their mus-haf and avoid switching mus-hafs.
However, it is also advisable for the student to keep a small mus-haf in his pocket or her purse as well as one in the car. This is because, if one has spare time, or gets stuck in a waiting room or in traffic, they can use that time to review. And such times are not always planned, as to allow the student to maintain their main mus-haf with them.
Students should also have a mus-haf stand and a pencil to mark mistakes. Its is also advisable that students have a notebook in which to record their daily progress, as provided by Hifzh schools. A sample record sheet is attached and may be photocopied and used.
Order of memorization
Students should memorize in order, even if they have previously memorized bits and pieces from here and there. They should start from the back (Juz ‘Amma) or the front (Soorat al-Baqarah) and continue. Ideally, students should memorize 3 or 5 juz’s from the back and then move to Soorat al-Baqarah, as it allows the student to start with something easy and build up from there. At the very least, students should first memorize Juz ‘Amma before starting Soorat al-Baqarah.
Start with the “warm up”
Once the student sits with the Qur’aan to start memorization, the first thing he/she should do is the “warm-up”. The student should read the ½ page or page that he / she intends to memorize, slowly and melodiously, paying close attention to applying Tajweed rules, proper makhaarij, etc. Depending on the student’s time frame and level of motivation, the student may also listen to a tape of a good reciter reciting that page.
If the student does not understand Arabic, he / she should then read the meaning from the translated Qur’aan in English (or their language).
Once the student had read the page (and meaning if needed), he / she should begin the process of memorization.
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