Memorize The Qur'aan

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quranbluemushafA survivor of the horrific Qala-i-jangi massacre of 2001, Abu Sulayman al-lrlandi (John Walker Lindh) was detained and suffered abuse and torture in Afghanistan at the hands of the CIA and later the FBI, who obtained a forced confession from him. This later formed a key piece of evidence against him whilst on trial in the United States. He was sentenced to 20 years in a Supermax prison - without ever having fought against the US; in addition he had to agree to drop all claims he was tortured at the hands of US personnel. He is set to be released in May 2019. Read more about him here.

Here Abu Sulayman al-lrlandi (John Walker Lindh) provides our readers and those who are currently detained in particular, with a practical guide and step by step instructions to memorising the Qur'aan in its entirety, and how to develop a better relationship with the Qur'aan.

1) INTRODUCTION

All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of the worlds. May prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammed, his household, companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgement.

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (radi Allaahu 'anhumaa) narrates that the Messenger of Allaah (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

"The parable of a companion of the Qur'aan is that of tethered camels: if he watches over them vigilantly, he will keep them in his possession, but if he lets them roam freely, they will escape." (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Free time is a great gift from Allaah and few people enjoy more of it than prisoners. The best way we can express our gratitude to Allaah for this gift is through the study, recitation, memorisation, contemplation, and implementation of His Noble Book.

This brief guide presents readers with a simple practical programme to develop a solid mastery of the Qur'aan in less than two years. It is easy to grasp in theory, but to put it into practice: it requires strict discipline, focus, and consistent sustained hard work.

I ask Allaah to make this guide beneficial for brothers and sisters who have been blessed with the honour and privilege of being imprisoned for His cause. And may prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his Household, and all of his Companions.

2) THE GOAL

You are about to begin a new relationship with the Book of Allaah that will last until your death and benefit you in the Hereafter: in the grave, on the Day of Resurrection, and in Al-Firdaws, the highest level of Paradise, inshaa'Allaah.

Your goal is to be able to recite the Qur'aan in its entirety from memory on a weekly basis, as many of the Sahaabah used to do.

Before you begin, you should be in the habit of reciting one Juz' every day from the mushaf. If you are not, then something is wrong with you and you need to fix it. Organise your recitation so that it corresponds with the Islamic lunar calendar: on the first day of the month, read the first Juz', on the second day, the second Juz', and so on. If the month only has twenty nine days, then read both the twenty ninth and thirtieth Juz's on the twenty ninth day.

The Qur'aan is divided into seven parts, each part known as a 'Manzil.' The first Manzil contains Surat ul-Fatihah and the three surah’s that follow. The second contains the next five. The third contains the next seven. The fourth contains the next nine. The fifth contains the next eleven. The sixth contains the next thirteen. The seventh contains the mufassal surah’s which begin with Qaf and end with an-Nas.

Once you have completed this programme, you will have established the practice of reciting a Manzil a day from memory and a Juz' a day from the mushaf. In this way, you will recite the Qur'aan in its entirety from memory each week and from the mushaf each month. Set this as your goal from the outset and know that it can only be attained with the help of Allaah, first and foremost, and then with a great deal of patience, dedication, struggle, and sacrifice.

3) TAJWEED FIRST

Before you begin to memorise the Qur'aan, study Tajweed and work to perfect your recitation to the best of your ability. In the process of memorisation, you will be reciting the Qur'aan for several hours every day. If you are able to recite correctly, your skills will be further reinforced. Otherwise, the memorisation process will deeply ingrain your errors to such an extent that it may be difficult to correct them later on.

In prison, your resources for studying Tajweed could be limited, but make use of whatever you have available. This may mean books, recordings of Qur'aan recitation, or fellow prisoners who are proficient in Tajweed.

4) HOW TO RECITE

The speed at which you recite will have a significant impact on how long it takes you to complete the memorisation process. If you recite too quickly, you will not be able to adhere to the rules of Tajweed. If you recite too slowly, the memorisation and review process will take an exceedingly long amount of time and could it make it feel burdensome which may ultimately cause you to give up altogether.

Start your speed at one page per minute. At this speed, you can adhere to all of the rules of Tajweed while covering a lot of ground in a relatively short amount of time.

This speed also makes it easy to organise your schedule when you become busy. If, for instance, you have to recite five Juz's today you know that each Juz' contains twenty pages, so it will take an hour and forty minutes, and you can then plan accordingly.

Walk while reciting, even if you only have a small cell to walk in. This will help you to drive away drowsiness and maintain concentration. If you are unable to walk, change your sitting position frequently. Recite aloud whenever possible.

5) THE PROGRAMME

When it comes to committing short portions of the Qur'aan to memory, it is not necessary to have a fixed daily schedule of memorisation and review, but when it comes to memorising the Qur'aan in its entirety, strict adherence to a set programme is essential.

Memorising the Qur'aan is not a hobby; it is a full-time job. Every day you will have a set quota of material to memorise and review and it will require a significant devotion of time and energy.

First and most importantly you must have a clear, pure, sincere intention. You also must make a habit of asking Allaah for His assistance at every step along the way.

Suppose you are starting out and so far know the thirtieth Juz' and some of the twenty ninth. These form a part of the seventh Manzil of the Qur'aan so this is where you will begin.

On your first day review everything you know from memory. If you get stuck and need to consult the Mushaf on any given page, read that page again from the beginning from memory before moving on.

Next, memorise a new page from the Juz' in which you are working. You have not yet completed the twenty ninth Juz', so select a page and memorise it well enough to be able to recite it from memory without consulting the Mushaf, without taking any long pauses and without making any mistakes. These are your tasks for the first day.

On the second day, you will have three tasks. You will need to recite forty times from memory the page you memorised the previous day. In addition, you will need to recite from memory everything you have memorised so far. Finally memorise your next daily page.

Your task on the third day will be similar to those of the second, and this will continue until you reach the end of the Juz'. At this point recite the entire Juz' from memory five times.

Now memorise a new page from the beginning of the twenty eighth Juz' and proceed as you did with the twenty ninth, reviewing everything you have covered so far.

When you come to the end of the twenty eighth Juz' recite it five times. Do the same with the twenty seventh Juz'. In the twenty sixth Juz', only Surat Qaaf and the first half of Surat Adh-Dhaariyaat are a part of this Manzil, so once you have memorised that, recite it only from memory five times. Now you have a Manzil.

At this point you will move back to the first Juz. From now on, you will have four daily tasks: repeat forty times from memory the previous day’s page, recite the seventh Manzil from memory as well as whatever you have from the first Manzil, and memorise a new page.

When you complete the first Juz', recite it five times from memory and do the same with each following Juz' until you reach the end of the Manzil.

At this point, you have two Manzils, so you will now begin to alternate them. One day, you will recite the seventh Manzil, the next day, the first.

Proceed with the second Manzil in a similar manner. As you complete each Manzil, rotate them so that every day you recite a different Manzil. At the same time, continue with your other three daily tasks.

Once you finish this process and commit all seven Manzils to memory, recite the first Manzil on Saturdays, the second on Sundays, and so on, so that you complete the Qur'aan every Friday. This was the practice of Imaam Ahmed ibn Hanbal [r].

As the months and years pass, the Qur'aan will become more and more deeply engraved in your heart, inshaa'Allaah.

6) COMMON OBSTACLES

Beware of disobeying Allaah outwardly or inwardly. Some of the most common pitfalls for prisoners are sins of the tongue such as backbiting, slander, and lying. Be truthful in your speech and avoid lying at all costs.

Then there are the poison arrows of lblis: you must resist looking at members of the opposite sex or pictures of them. This is especially harmful to prisoners because incarceration heightens one's sensitivity to such things. If you abstain from this for the sake of Allaah, He will put a sweetness in your heart greater than what you experience looking at such images.

Avoid eating too much and sleeping too much.

Only associate with others for beneficial purposes such as Da'wah, commanding good and forbidding evil, learning and teaching, etc. Avoid talking too much and people who talk too much, because memorising the Qur'aan is a time-consuming endeavour and there are only twenty-four hours in a day. Look at people who try to steal from your time as you would look at people who try to steal from your wealth. Most prisoners have no sense of the value of time and are more concerned with killing it than benefiting from it. Do not let them stand in the way of achieving your objective.

7) SOME WORDS OF ADVICE

It is easy to memorise the Qur'aan; to retain it is the challenge. Do not cut corners in implementing this programme.

As you memorise, you should have someone check your recitation for errors on a regular basis. In prison, this is not always possible, so in the absence of such a person, you must be very careful not to make careless mistakes.

Make sure that what you consume is Halaal. Pay special attention to this point.

Regular cardiovascular exercise will help you to focus your mind and keep wandering thoughts under control. This should be a part of your schedule.

If you feel the need to further reinforce what you have memorised after you complete this programme, recite each Aayah individually one hundred times from memory.

If you find yourself stuck at the end of an Aayah, unable to recall what follows, open the Mushaf and look at the Aayah on which you are stuck as well as the Aayah that follows it. Now close the Mushaf and recite both Aayahs ten times together.

Once you complete this programme you may sometimes be overburdened with other responsibilities to such an extent that your schedule of completing the Qur'aan weekly is disrupted. When this happens, you can split it up into two weeks, but try not to let that happen very often. Otherwise, what you miss one day you can complete the next day in addition to that day's quota. As time passes, you will begin to associate each Manzil with the corresponding day of the week, and you will feel perturbed whenever you fail to complete your daily Manzil.

Only use the Mushaf of Madinah. As you memorise, you will begin to remember where each Aayah is placed on each page and you will be able to flip through the pages in your mind. Alternating between different Mushafs during the memorisation process can cause a lot of unnecessary frustration.

In your spare time, read books of Qur'aan commentary, especially Tafseer lbn Kathir and In the Shade of the Quran by Sayyid Qutb. Practice what you learn and teach it to others. If you do not understand Arabic, learn it. It can be self-taught if there is nobody available to teach you, do not use that as an excuse to fail to learn it.

Many Aayaat resemble one another, and this can cause difficulties even for seasoned memorisers of the Qur'aan. The more you progress, the more you will encounter this. Be mindful of it and try to develop techniques to help yourself remember differences between these Aayaat.

The recitation of the Qur'aan is an act of worship, and as such, it should be kept concealed from the eyes and ears far as possible. Prison is a crowded place: and this may be difficult or even impossible. Nevertheless, as far as you should try to keep your recitation and memorisation a private matter between you and Allaah.

After completing this programme, remember that you now have the Book of Allaah with you in your heart so do not put it in places or situations that are not appropriate for the Book of Allaah.

Lastly, never lose sight of the fact that the Qur'aan is meant to be implemented, not simply recited, so strive your utmost to turn it into a living reality:

"We have sent aforetirne Our Messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that people may stand forth in justice; and We sent down Iron, in which is mighty material for war, as well as many benefits for mankind, so that Allaah may test who it is that will help Him and His Messengers unseen; for Allaah is Full of Strength, Exalted in Might." (57:25).

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OldShaykhMemorizes

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Category: Memorize The Qur'aan

Protection from Evil People, Evil Jinn, Shaytaan and Magic

Quranhifdh55Her home was busy and bustling with the excitement of a marriage which was to take place in just a few hours. Her husband's nephew was getting married; they had come from abroad and hence, were staying in her home for two weeks. She was more than happy to entertain them as her husband meant so much to her, he was a man of gentle disposition...although he had his moments of restlessness, to put it mildly. Without thinking much she gave in to her teenage daughter's persistent nagging and went with her to a professional make-up artist, all the while delaying her 'Asr prayer.

As she allowed the make-up artist to sweep her face with cosmetics, she began to increasingly become worried. All the guests were to arrive in her home by 6pm and from there go to the wedding hall. It was already 5.30pm and the way back home was long, on top of which they didn't have anyone to collect them. She hadn't realized the time fly by as she had gotten into a discussion with the make-up artist. In all of the excitement of the wedding she hadn't also read her portion of the Qur'aan, something which weighted heavily on her heart.

As it began to rain, she quickly contacted her husband. He was not in a good mood. All the guests had arrived...the sisters were left without any host to serve them with cold drinks. In fact, they were all repeatedly asking about her. She then rang her nephew with her desperate plea; on the way back her nephew advised her to try and abate her husband's hunger by remaining politely silent. As she arrived home, it was pouring with rain. She slowly began to open the car door, only to find her husband and son waiting at the door, she was hours late. All the guests had left. The wedding had begun - her husband and son were not in a good mood.

It was only later on that she realized how important the Qur'aan was in her life. Because she hadn't been keeping up with her recitation and memorization of the Qur'aan it had slipped her mind that in between the verses which mention divorce in Surah Al-Baqarah a verse mentions the middle pray, i.e. the Salatul-'Asr. The scholars mentioned that the one who doesn't read Salatul-'Asr on time, and delays it out of its' time, will see the effect of this sin in one one's marital life.

Being a student of knowledge, she realized the connection.

***

I was with this sister while most of this was happening. This lady strongly believed that it was because she hadn't safeguarded her Salatul-'Asr that a strain had developed on her relationship with her husband, which could have resulted in something more serious. For, satan walks into the heart when anger is present and when Allaah's Name is not mentioned.

In the previous article we discussed how sustaining a sincere attachment and connection with the Qur'aan, and leading lives while knowing that the Qur'aan is a form of Dhikr (Remembrance), can keep us away from indulging in destructive sins. We covered how memorizing the Qur'aan can become a safeguard, an obstacle and an impediment from falling into the abysses and deep dark pitfall chasms of satan. Evil can at times easily overcome our hearts and distort our sense of judgment and our sense of right and wrong. It destroys our peace and happiness and brings about regret, grief, worry and depression. And indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, the Merciful.

{And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allâh) (i.e. This Qur'ân and Worship of Allâh), we appoint for him Shaitân (Satan ­ devil) to be a Qarîn (an intimate companion) to Him.}

[Az-Zukhruf, [043]:036]

Now our next step in these series, dear sisters, is to venture on to a further benefit of memorizing the Qur'aan, namely: that it's a safeguard and protection from magic, satan and his workers from the evil jinn, and the immoral and wicked people from amongst mankind.

Sins are the opposite of good deeds; good deeds bring about blessings and respect – both for oneself and in the eyes of others by the Mercy of the Almighty. In stark contrast, sins bring about ignominy, destruction and unrest. Hence, one of the direct results of leading a life away from the words of Allaah is that a person finds themself stuck, without clear and concise solutions, without clear focus and aims, and without solutions to problems which are cancerous. Problems which, slowly and quietly are eating away at the fabric of our community, and most dangerously, hidden away within the walls and private domains of Muslim homes.

Today, as couples are still facing unrest, turmoil and troubling issues in their homes there is a growing need for "couple therapy" and "couple's counseling". These issues can range from anywhere between repetitive arguments, feelings of distance or emptiness in the relationship, pervasive feelings of anger, resentment and/or dissatisfaction or lack of interest in affection or in physical relationship with one another. At times, these issues in turn then become so big that not only do they take away peace and tranquility from the home, but sadly break the home. It's tragic that Muslims are not resorting first and foremost to the Qur'aan, the Book of Allaah.

A wise women builds the foundations of her home by the recitation of the Qur'aan and by following its message. If she is a Haafidhah or aiming to complete the memorization of the Qur'aan, this will only further increase her in guidance as she will be systematically connecting to the Qur'aan so as to imprint it into her heart. Hence, by keeping a strong relationship with the Qur'aan she will be able to drive the wretched satan away from her home ... without unnecessarily allowing others to interfere and without unnecessarily making her problems known to the world.

Sorcerers plot.

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quranbluemushafHere's my Qur'an story summarized with my tips.

First of all, Alhamdulilah ... Alhamdulilah.. Allaah has blessed me with this great Amaanah (trust) and this great gift.. Alhamdulilah.. And I ask Him humbly to allow me two things: to revise the Qur'an, and to inspire others. May Allaah bless you with this great gift. It can be done. All you need is determination and Du'a. You don't even need all the time in the world.

It was a crash-memorization camp, and Alhamdulilah/Maashaa'Allaah I finished in about 2 months and a half. Alhamdulilah I was on vacation for part of my memorization journey, but for the majority I was busy, still going to school (the hospital, 5 days a week). Still having to see patients, still getting in trouble with doctors for slacking off. Although I wasn't studying, time really was not on my side- but I realized that's not what's most important. Many girls in the actual camp finished in 2 months, and the first girl finished in one month. It really is possible!

I was supposed to finish in 2 months exactly- 10 pages a day. Most days I could do this, but on days I couldn't I would make it up the next day if possible.. which is fine- still worth it. Still, make your goal big.. Reach for the moon and you will land among the stars!

Here is a general idea:

memorizequran67


Here are my humble tips:

  • Seek Allaah's help. Make Du'a. When you reach Juzz 7.. or 14.. or anything.. and you start to lose motivation- turn to Him. They are His words and He alone can teach you them.
  • Get a portion done in the morning, especially if you are busy. The days where I could manage at least 1-2 pages before noon, made the 10 pages much easier. If I started after noon, it would take longer. 
  • Cancel Stuff. Say No more often. You have to cut back on some things you are used to. Its just the way it works. Even if you do have time to do other things, you don't have the energy. Too much non-Qur'an things really takes you away from the mood. If your friends start to get annoyed by how much you are saying no recently- then you are doing it right.
  • Find Recitation Coach(es). I couldn't stay with the camp the whole time- so I would recite to my mom, sister, and friends. Try to stick to a couple people but have more than one person. If you need to recite and the person is busy you will get discouraged- so try to have a back-up. I used to even recite on the phone sometimes!
  • Memorize and recite DAILY. No days off. None. Even if you memorize only page and your goal is to memorize 10. It has to become a habit. Plus, you start one page... then the next page looks easy.. then the next one goes fast..
  • Big chunks are easier! I used to think memorizing one page a time is faster- but actually.. memorizing 4-6 pages at a time makes it go faster. Its like your brain gets into "memorization" mode-and whats you recite to someone else its hard to get back into "memorization" mode to start again. So if you are doing 10 pages, try to memorize 6.. recite them to your "coach", then the 4 pages will be easy inshAllaah. Even memorizing all 10 is not that hard!
  • Don't tell too many people at first. Because it gets kind of stressful when they keep asking where you reached, how many pages you've done, etc. Tell your "coaches" and tell your close friends for motivation and to not lose sight of the goal.
  • Free your Mind-more than your time! It's not about how many hours you have a day as much as how much you need to reduce mental clutter. I can get much more done in 2 hours relaxed than in 6 when I am worrying about something. The Qur'an does not enter with chaos. So before you start, make your to-do lists and put them aside, get essential things done, free yourself from worries and commitments. If anything worries you while you are memorizing, remember Shaytaan doesn't want you to focus and that the Qur'an will take care of your worries.
  • When you are sleepy-do one more. I don't even know why. I guess its just about pushing yourself. But I always felt Barakeh when I did 1-2 more pages at night when I was getting sleepy rather than giving up.
  • Motivate yourself with baby steps. Its daunting to be in Surat Al-Baqarah and be dreaming of Surat Al-Naas. Just keep imagining how happy you will be to be in the next Surah or next few Juzz. When I was in the 13th I would be like: Yaa Rabb.. I want to reach 15...the middle. Then in 15- Yaa Rabb, I want to reach 20th Juzz.. the majority. Then in the 20th.. Yaa Rabb- till the 25th so almost nothing is left.. Then, Yaa Rabb- I have to finish!!
  • Use one Mushaaf. Don't switch around. I used mine every single day. And I used a pencil to mark around words and underline verses. And post-it notes for the next Juzz so I would get excited to reach it. Try to get a standard size Qur'an- too small is hard to memorize from. Too big is hard to hold. Avoid electronic Mushafs- they personally give me headaches and I find take more time. Plus you can't write on them.
  • Phone- silent. Far away. I muted almost all notifications.
  • Find your memorization-style. My best memorization technique is sign- language! I look hilarious when I recite something I know well. I memorize it all with hand gestures. It really helped me. I also sometimes would write them out, or write out the beginning of each verse. Walking also helped because it gave me energy-but only for a few pages at a time. Listening to verses is nice-especially if you have trouble reading- but is time-consuming. But please do this if you can't read it well because the worst thing you can do is memorize something wrong the first time.
  • Divide page into halves or thirds-then glue together. Do one verse, repeat a couple times. Do the next verse, then repeat it with the one before it. Divide the page in halves or thirds depending on how many Aayahs a page, then try them together at the end.
  • When reviewing a large amount, review the BEGINNING of each verse. When you keep repeating an Aayah, chances are if you can start it you can finish it. So don't waste your attention re-reading the whole page. Just test if you know the beginning of each Aayah.
  • Stay away from sins... but when you mess up- repent and keep going. Shaytaan will tell you: there's no point to memorize- you are a sinner. Or will remind you of a sin so that you feel that you can't memorize. Seek refuge from Allaah and keep going. If we were perfect, we wouldn't need a Holy Book from Allaah teaching us how to live our life. You won't be perfect by the end. This is us trying to come closer to Allaah as humans. Seek refuge from the Shaytaan, say Bismillah- and just keep memorizing.
  • Take breaks after reciting to someone- not after memorizing. I don't know if this just worked for me- but I always found it more efficient. And don't make them long. 10 minutes are a good refresher. More than that and you will lose the "memorization- mode"
  • Find a partner. Or a group! Make it a challenge for those around you. Even away from the camp I was motivated thinking of the girls sitting memorizing at the camp working towards my same goal.
  • Try to stay focused. When you take too long on one page because of distractions or daydreaming- it takes extra extra long. Stay focused, finish the page, then take your break.
  • Not all Aayahs are the same. Some Aayahs are harder, you will have to find new ways to memorize them or repeat them more. That's fine.
  • Set time goals. I used to always have a max goal of half an hour per page. More than that- and I knew I was doing something wrong or not focusing. Sometimes it takes less- which is great! Just don't lose track of time.
  • Make connections. Sometimes I would relate one word with one word in the next Aayah. It really helps. For example.. an Aayah that has my friends name, and the next Aayah would remind me of another friend. So I would connect those two words to tie the two Aayahs together..
  • Look up tough words. Sometimes understanding that ONE hard word in the Aayah- makes you understand the ENTIRE Aayah which helps you understand the page and really helps you memorize. Too much Tafseer while memorizing makes it harder- you start to understand it but forget the actual words.
  • Tarteel later.. (Tarteel: slow, beautified recitation) I suggest that you don't keep repeating each Aayah with full tarteel when memorizing- it takes too long if you are aiming for a short time-frame and sometimes you memorize the "sound" and not the actual words. When I would memorize I would repeat them relatively quickly- to not lose energy or focus. (When you are done memorizing- enjoy your tarteel.)
  • Once you finish, start planning your revision strategy. It is not a once and for all thing, and revising is essential! Especially if you finish it in a short time period.

Aayahs with stories are the easiest! Enjoy them!

A few Notes:

For all those who asked, I do speak and read Arabic, and I have been Alhamdulilah learning Tajweed and Arabic for years. For those who do not speak Arabic or know Tajweed it would be best if you spent some time learning those first so you can memorize it correctly the first time.

Also, I know from all my role models who memorized the Qur'an before me that you must memorize it several times. I realize that I have a lot of revision to do, and May Allaah forgive us for our shortcomings, but we really do have to start somewhere..

Hope this helps.. I ask of whoever is reading this to please keep me in your Du'aas..

May Allaah bless you with memorizing the Qur'an and practicing its meanings.. And May the light of the Qur'an illuminate your path always.

And Allaah Knows Best...

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Riyadh-based Quran teacher with three ijaazas speaks on the importance of learning the divine book. – Conducted and translated by Asma Yasin.

IjazahhCan you tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Adlia Hasan Mohammad Ahmad El-Fakeeh. My parents are Nubians from Northern Sudan but they moved to Cairo, Egypt before I was born. I lived there until I got married and had my first child, Iman. Then we came here to Saudi Arabia.

Many people are not familiar with the term "Ijaza". Can you please explain for them what an Ijaza is?

An Ijaza is a certificate from a sheikh authorizing the recipient to teach Quran and listing the sanad (chain) of teachers going back to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who himself learned it from the angel Jibreel عليه السلام, who was sent down from the heavens to reveal what Allah سبحانه و تعالى has taught him.

(A page from her Ijaza is on the right).

When did you start memorizing the Quran and what motivated you to do it?

My memorization of Quran didn't become serious until I came to Saudi Arabia in 1990. It started when a friend of mine called Hanan told me about Dar Al-Quran. I remember her telling me that it was a place like no other: "مكان يخلِّيكي تنسي الدنيا و ما فيها" .

How long did it take you to memorize the whole Quran?

I didn't really finish memorizing the Quran until I studied for the Ijaza. Before that I memorized only parts of the Quran according to personal interest or courses that we took at the Dar.

What led you to consider studying for an Ijaza?

When I first went to Daar Al Quran my intention was only to memorize because I didn't know that there was more to Quran than memorization. Then I found out about the importance of tajweed in reciting Quran.

What exactly is Tajweed and why is it so important?

Tajweed literally means "proficiency" or "doing something well". It comes from the same root letters as the Arabic word "jayyid", which means "good". With regard to Quran, tajweed means reciting the Quran while observing the rules of recitation. Every letter of the Quran must be given its right.

The Quran was revealed with tajweed. The angel Jibreel عليه السلام recited Allah's words to the Prophet in a certain way and showed him the ways in which it was permissible to recite the Quran.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم taught these ways to his Companions who passed them down to us today. Applying those rules, reciting the Quran the way it was revealed, is an obligation. That was what led me into studying for an Ijaza. Allah says in the Quran:

(( ورتل القرآن ترتيلا ))

"And recite the Quran with measured recitation." [Quran 73:4]

What kind of Ijaza do you have?

First of all, I want to clarify that there are ten different kinds of Ijazas, meaning there are ten different ways of reciting the Quran. I have three Ijazas. The first Ijaza I completed is known as "Hafs from Aasim", which is probably the most widespread way of reciting the Quran throughout the Muslim world. I completed it here in Riyadh with Shaikha Ilham Al-Tarabeeshi. Later, while living in Cairo, I completed a double Ijaza--Warsh and Qaloon from Nafii—with Shaikh Muhammad Abdul-Rahman Sayyid.

How long did it take you to complete these Ijazas?

It took me two years to complete the first Ijaza but only six months to finish the double Ijaza.

What was the most difficult part of earning your Ijazas?

Alhamdulillah, I don't remember finding any special difficulty in doing the three Ijazas. Allah must have made it easy for me. In fact, the hardest part was not studying for the Ijaza, but the responsibility of actually finishing and receiving it. I remember feeling nervous as I was reciting the last surahs of the Quran. Receiving an Ijaza is a great responsibility. It's an amaanah (trust) not only from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم but also from Allah the Most High.

What advice do you have for youth?

My advice to all youth is to hold fast to Allah's Book. Without Quran, a Muslim is "dead". The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that the difference between the one who knows the Quran and the one who does not is like the difference between one who is living and one who is dead. I want you all to remember that one day you will be asked about the Quran and what you have done with it. What then will you say?

A lot of students concentrate only on getting A's in Math, Science, English and other academic studies, because they see this as the key to success in the world. But when it comes to Quran they say, "Oh I just don't have time." What these people fail to realize is that only through memorizing and perfecting Quran can they easily manage their time and find barakah (blessing) in their lives. Only through Quran will Allah pave their way to success in this life and in the next.

The Quran is as Allah says, a guidance, a light, and a cure for what's in the hearts. So pick up the Quran at least five minutes a day, read it, understand it, and live it. Trust me, it will light up your day and you will find the satisfaction and happiness we all seek; the real happiness, the real success, in this life and in the Hereafter.

  1. The Hafidh’s Journey
  2. 7 Ways of Becoming a Haafidh of the Qur'aan - By Aboo Thaabit
  3. Why YOU Should Become a Haafidhah (5)
  4. O Bearers of the Qur'an!