I want to memorize the Holy Qur’an, but why is it so hard? If do not understand Arabic, how can I memorize the Holy Qur’an easily? These questions likely represent queries from most of us, especially from non Arabic speakers. Language barriers, time limitation, age, and other factors become part of our justification for not adding the memorization of verses to our schedules.
There are many benefits of reading, understanding, practicing, and memorizing the Holy Qur’an. If you read the Holy Qur’an you will gain 10 times as much goodness for each character you read. This means that when we read the Holy Qur’an and repeat it, memorizing the word of Allah (SWT) we multiple the rewards that we would get.
The Holy Qur’an contains stories of the past and the future, and includes the world of science and eschatology. It also covers scientific facts, the natural sciences, the medical sciences, and life rules. It explains how Allah (SWT) created the heaven, the earth, and humans as well as revealing signs of the Day of Judgment and what life is like after death.
Only the Holy Qur’an will accompany us in the moment of our sakaratul maut (end of life), it will give syafa’at (the mediation efforts in providing something for the benefit of another person or something to circumvent harm to others) at the time when even our closest family/friends will not be able to help us. There are hadith sayings which confirm:
Read the Holy Qur’an, for verily it will come as an intercessor on the Day of Resurrection to its friend. (Hadith narrated by Muslim).
From Buraaidah Al-Aslami (RA) he said that he heard the Prophet (SAW) say, “Anyone who reads the Holy Qur’an, learns and practices it, then will wear a crown of light on the Day of Resurrection, the light like sunlight, both parents will wear two robes (glory), which have never been found in the world and they will ask: “Why have these robes been applied to us?” The answer will be: “Because both of you ordered your children to learn the Koran.” (Hadith narrated by Al-Hakim).
If we know that the benefits of reading, understanding, practicing, and memorizing the Holy Qur’an are countless, why are we still reluctant to read and memorize it? We will earn not only rewards from Allah SWT and having it as an help in the hereafter, but the Holy Qur’an is also as a guidance and remedy for every breath of our daily lives.
I am still in the process of enlightening myself from day to day. In memorizing the Holy Qur’an, I feel that it’s easier for me to read the surah, to visualize the verses and understand its meaning word by word. Therefore, in the practice of memorizing, I use one copy of the Book. Each person may have different methods of memorizing the Holy Qur’an, but there are 3 steps that we can emulate from Abdud Daim Al Kahil, a Qur’an hafidz, who is also a researcher of Islam. Namely:
- Listening to the Holy Qur’an readings repeatedly in a day for a few days (the same surah), so the verses will be familiar in our hearing. Do it, specifically after you wake up and before you go to bed. Now we can listen to the Holy Qur’an via MP3, MP4, audio tape, DVD, TV, computer, or by utilizing some of the many internet resources which are available as audio recordings. According to him, if you listen to the recitation of the Holy Qur’an while sleeping, it will add memorization in your inner mind. It is even mentioned from scientific discovery that brain activity (relating to science, memory, and memorization) is stored during sleep. Therefore scientists create innovative methods for memorization during sleep.
- Understand, study, and ponder the meaning of the surah that was listened to. Understand the entire flow of the story in the Holy Qur’an by reading its translation, particularly when we do not understand Arabic (if necessary, use the Holy Qur’an’s word for word translation which is sold in book stores). If you want to deepen the meaning contained within it, you can expand by reading the tafseer (commentary).
- Establish the memorization with manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an. First, read the surah in its entirety three or four times. Then divide the surah into parts, understand the relation of the parts with each other. Read the first part over and over until you memorize it well. Then read the second part several times until you memorize it well and do the same for part three and part four. Finally, connect these parts by reading the first two parts (part one and two) several times until memorized, then read the next two sections (third and fourth) until you remember it in your inner mind. Later read the whole parts (four parts) and repeat until you memorize it well. Furthermore, if already established, you can move on to part five of memorization until you finish the whole surah.
I often make mistakes in memorizing the verses in order, particularly when the verse is often repeated and similar between each verse. Al-Kahil gives the following tips:
Example in Surah an-Naba, verse 9-11,
(9) Waja’alna nawmakum subatan (And made your sleep [a means for] rest)
(10) Waja’alna al layla libasan (And made the night as clothing)
(11) Waja’alna an nahara ma’ashan (And made the day for livelihood)
Verse (9) contains the word of an-Nawm (sleep) is called first, then verse (10) of al-Lail (night), then verse (11) an-Nahar (noon). Why? Because sleep can be done either ‘day’ or ‘night.’ It is revealed the ‘night’ first before the ‘day,’ as it is a state of origin. In the Holy Qur’an the word ‘night’ is often called first rather than ‘daytime.’
If we already learned one surah, then to maintain our memorization its best to repeat them every day by reciting a few verses in our prayers.
Finally, make this worship as our deposits in the hereafter. Straighten the intention to obtain the blessing of Allah (SWT) and not to do so for pride or because we want to be called hafidzoh. In shaa Allah if our intentions are sincere for Allah, Almighty, He will ease the way so that our intention will come true. Aamiin Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
