Originally posted by Akram An-Najdee



Memorizing the Qur'aan

From "Al-Qawaaid adh-Dhahabiyyah lil-Hifdhil-Quran il-Adheem"



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 Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'aan and teaches it."

Presented to you are some rules which will assist in memorizing the Qur'aan, may Allaah 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 Allaah, the Sublime and Exalted, and for gaining success with His Paradise e and obtaining His pleasure.

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

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

He also said:

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

And the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Allaah the Exalted said: I am so self-s 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 i t 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 o f correcting the pronunciation of the Quran. This does not occur except by listening to a good reciter or a precise memoriser of the Quran. The Quran is not learned except by acquiring it (from another). Thus, the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) who is the most eloquent of the arabs in speech, took it from Jibreel (as) orally. The Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) 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 ca me after them heard it from the Companions and so on for each generation after t hem.

Taking the Quran from a good reciter is obligatory. Likewise, correcting ones re citation 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. T his 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 Memorisation

It is necessary for the one desiring to memories 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 memorisat ion is made firm and strong secondly. Melodious recitation is pleasing to ones hearing and also assists in memorization. Furthermore, the tongue will always ret urn 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 o r 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 (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam): "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 memoriser 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 memoriser 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 imaam then in the loud prayers. Also in the supererogatory prayers (nawaafil) and in the times when one is waiting for the obligatory prayers. By this method the memorization will become a lot easierr. 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 h ad started with the day before until the memorization becomes perfected.



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

Among the things which aid the memorization is that the memorizer should keep fo r 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 me memorizer was to change his mushaf from which he memorizes or if he was to memorise 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 t hat 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 t o 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 memories the verses. Having said this, it i s also necessary that he does not depend on knowing the meaning of the verses al one 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 m ind is occupied with other than the meaning of these verses. This is sign that t he 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 b e 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 m 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 quest ion 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 memories a surah make mistakes and a person ma y not realize that until he looks into the mushaf. Furthermore, the one who desires to memories 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 memorized from the Quran is a means of perceiving and knowing these errors and being constantly aware of them.

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Originally posted by Umm Omar



How to Benefit from the Quraan
Posted by Administrator
Saturday, 09 April 2005

www.madeenah.com

How to Benefit from the Quraan
Al Imaam Ibnul Qayyim Al Jawzeeyah


If you want to benefit from the Quraan, then gather your heart when you read and listen to it, pay close attention, and be [mentally] present as one would be if he were in the presence of the One who spoke it (ِِAllaah) Subhaanahu while he is speaking it (the Quraan), from Him [Allaah] to the slave. For indeed it is a speech from Him to you through the tongue of His messenger.

[Allaah] Ta'aalah said:

"Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful." [Qaaf/37]
And this is because: The complete effect [of the Quraan] will not occur unless the following are combined :
[1] Something which possesses the ability to give a strong effect.
[2] A place that is susceptible [for the effect to take place].
[3] A condition for the effect to take place is met.
[4] A barrier which obstructs the effect from taking place is removed.
And the [aforementioned] verse incorporated all of these in the shortest, clearest and most substantial phrase.

For His saying;

"Verily, therein is indeed a reminder..."
is a reference to what has already been mentioned from the beginning of the Suraah to this point, and this is what possesses the ability to give a strong effect (the Quraan).

His saying:

"...for him who has a heart..."
This is the place which is susceptible for the effect to take place, and what is meant is: The heart which is alive, a heart which thinks and contemplates about Allaah. As [Allaah] Ta'aalah said:
"This is only a Reminder and a plain Qur'aan. That he or it (Muhammad Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam or the Qur'aan) may give warning to him who is living (a healthy minded the believer)..."[Ya-Seen/69-70]
Meaning: One who has a heart that is alive, and His saying:
"...or gives ear..."
Meaning: He concentrated and turned his sense of hearing to what is being said to him, and this is the condition that has to be met for the speech to have an effect.

His saying:

"...while he is heedful."
Meaning that his heart is present and witnessing, not absent. Ibnu Qutaybah said:
He listened to the book of Allaah, while his heart and mind were present, and he was not in a state of inattentiveness nor absentmindedness.

And this is the indication to the barrier which prevents the effect from taking place, and it is the absentmindedness of the heart and its absence from thinking, pondering and looking at what is being said to him.

So if there is something that has an effect, which is the Quraan, and a place for that effect to take place, which is the heart that is alive, and the condition is met, which is concentration, and the barrier is removed, which is the preoccupation of the heart and its absence from the meaning of what is being said to it, and its departure to something else, the effect will take place, and it is the benefit and the reminder.

.


Al Fawaa'id. P.20

Translated by. Abu 'AbdulWaahid, Nadir Ahmad.

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originally posted by Umm Umar

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Here is some advice from Shaykh Abdullaah al-Ghudyaan - حفظه الله تعالى - which he gave in the lecture: Explanation of Hadeeth "Ad-Deen An-Nasiha" . The transcribed lecture can be found at this al-Baseerah link: http://www.albaseerah.org/forum/showthread.php?t=594

Allaah reward our noble brothers and sisters who have volunteered to transcribe the al-Baseerah lectures. May He Ta`Aala raise them up with the scholars and grant them the highest rank in al-Jannah, Aameen.


Quote:

.....And that he learns the Book of Allah and that he understands the Book of Allaah, he acts upon the Book of Allaah, and he calls to the Book of Allaah. And the way in doing this (i.e. having naseehah and learning the Book of Allah) is in 8 ways: That you bring together and you seclude the ayat that are upon one single subject in each surah (or whatever you are learning). Like for instance, Suratul Baqaarah. In it is 40 duroos i.e. 40 different duroos in that one surah. So you take from that surah one dars and you learn it. And then you learn the meaning of each of the words in the ayat. And then you look in why the ayat were revealed. The reason why the ayat were revealed. You look into the legislation that is revealed in the ayat and whether the ayah has been abrogated or not. Then you look into the meaning of the whole complete sentence. And you know that by certain signs that are in the sentence of the Qur'an. There are things called ruqoof where you have to stop and these have signs in them. And some of the signs that are put in the books is that (letter) meem over the sentence and this means it is waajib for you to stop at that ayah. And this is one sentence. Or you will find a "la" laam alif and this means it's muharram, you do not stop at that ayah. You keep going. And then you have saad laam. And this is for the makrooh i.e. it is better to keep going, but it is permissible to stop, so it's makrooh, it's better to keep going. And then you have mandoob and that's qaaf laam i.e. that you are able to do whatever you want but it's better to stop. And than you have in some ayat three dots in a triangle form, and this is, you'll find it, there's gonna be two words, each word is gonna have these three dots over it and you are able to stop at either one of those but not both. So you stop at one of those. And then you have laam or jeem and this means you can keep going if you would like. You find out what the general meaning of the ayah is. You find if there is a different meaning in it or if it can mean more than one thing or if the meaning is hidden to the people. You find out the rules of the whole ayah. So number one again is that you bring together between the ayat of the surah (or whatever it is you're learning), you bring together each dars in them. So in Suratul Baqaarah there are 40 duroos but you bring together between only one of the duroos that are in there and you start to memorize and learn it. And then you learn the wording. You start to learn the wording of each one. And then you learn the reason that they have been revealed. And then you learn what has been abrogated from what hasn't been abrogated. And then you learn, this is all within one dars, and then you learn what the meaning of all the sentences are, and the sentences again are known by the signs of ruqoof (the signs where you have to stop). And some signs are waajib, makrooh, muharram, mandoob, and you have the option to stop or not in others. And I gave the signs previously. And six is that you learn the general meaning of the ayat. And seven is that you learn if there is any hidden meaning in the ayat or a meaning that is not apparent to the people i.e. the mushkin, where there might be some controversy in it or something. And then you learn the rulings of the complete ayah, the rulings that are in it. And then you begin with the memorization of these ayat. And you repeat it to yourself no less than 50 times. Some of the books concerning the duroos is that you can go back to Ibn Katheer and the likes of him because they have brought the duroos together in their books.....

الحمد لله ربّ العالمين و الصلاة و السلام على نبيّنا محمدٍ و على آله و أصحابه و من تبعهم بإحسانٍ إلى يوم الدين آمين

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Originally posted by dksadiq

From Dr. Salih as-Salih's (rahimahuLlahi) website Quote:

Quraan Study and Memorization 1. Why learn to read Quraan in Arabic? - Quraan was revealed in Arabic, and its full meaning is only in Arabic. - Translation of the meaning is not Quraan. It cannot be used in prayer. - Transliteration cannot replace Arabic script. It could lead to mispronunciation and therefore to a change in meaning. 2. Reading Quraan in Arabic - Don't rush when learning letters /signs and sounds of letters. Patience here will pay off later on. Knowing Arabic letters is not the same as knowing all reading rules. - Learning a surah directly from Arabic script cannot {and should not}happen before acquiring a minimum proficiency in reading Arabic correctly. - Some errors in reading are serious as they change the meaning of the Quraan, and they are very difficult to correct after they are memorized. - Learning to read the Quraan without changing its meaning, this is essential... learning tajweed rules, this is an option 3. Quraan Study - Know the overall meaning in your own language. This does not mean to learn the translation by heart. - Read the accompanying tafseer and take notes. See the program's schedule for tafseer of juz 'amma. - Even if you have a recitation teacher, record your own recitation to check for errors before memorizing one verse or one line. - Commit to read some Quraan daily. Commit to memorize a minimum of verses or lines daily. Set up goals according to your personal ability and revise periodically as needed. 5 daily prayers 5 daily opportunities to read Quraan 1 page after each salaah 3 months to finish Quraan 2 pages 2 months 3 pages 40 days 4 pages 30 days 5 pages 24 days Memorizing the Quraan How long would it take you? 1 line per day 24 years to memorize Quraan 3 lines per day 8 years 6 lines per day 4 years 8 lines per day 3 years 1 page per day 20 months 4. Quraan Memorization - Time Needed to Review * less than 30 minutes review everything daily * between 30 to 60 min review half on alternate days - on day 1 do first half on day 2 do second half - on day 3 do first half on day 4 do second half * from 1 hour to 3 and 1/2 hours - divide as needed into 20 to 30 minutes sessions - review one session every day - eventually, it will take you 7 days for one complete review * more than 3 and 1/2 hours - modify the schedule as needed to include new surah / verses - try to divide the review as equally as possible into 7 sessions - continue to take maximum 7 days to do one complete review 5. Going Ahead of the Schedule for Quraan Study - At any time, do not wait for the program to catch up with your present level of study and memorization The person who already did the study and memorization for one level of the program should move on to the next level right away. - The person who finished juz 'amma should also commit to learn a minimum of verses or lines everyday and study a different juz. - Remember to continue to know the overall meaning in your own language for every surah you are studying and remember to continue reading the tafseer of the surah you are presently learning, Some tafseer is available on the webpage.

From above, it is suggested that we review everyday and complete the review of all we have memorized everyweek. These methods may be helpful:
- reciting to others
- reciting from the mus-haf
- recording one's recitation and then comparing to the text

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originally posted by Umm Omar

As-salaamu`alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh ~

Alhamdulilaah, this advice came in an email - may Allaah ta`Aalaa greatly reward all of the sisters who passed this advice along, Ameen.

1. Leave off sins and make Istaghfar often.
There are numerous statements of the Salaf that demonstrate the
connection between sinfulness and finding difficulty in memorising.
Knowledge has been described as light and this is not bestowed upon
one whose heart has been blackened by sins. Sincere tawbah is
essential for wiping away the sins that blacken the heart.

2. When you memorise if possible find a small constricted/narrow placeto sit in.
People who have tried this have said that doing so really does help to strengthen the memorisation. Perhaps sitting in a narrow place would help a person to focus and concentrate rather than being distracted by ones surroundings, Allaahu 'alam.

3. Everyday, have a set portion of Qur'aan to memorise and a set portion to revise.
Memorisation and revision go hand in hand, never leave off revision in order to concentrate only on memorisation. This is one mistake that many of us make. We concentrate mainly on memorisation, and only revise the ayaat from the current juz we are taking, and put aside the revision of the ajazaa' previously memorised, only to find that when we do finally get round to revising fully, much of the revision has actually become 're-memorisation' instead. So insha'Allaah we should take heed.

4. Use the time after Fajr and again during the night to implement the above point
It is advisable for a person to memorise after Fajr and then revise during the night. In reality a person could choose any two times of the day that are suitable for them, the point being that it is important to give time daily to both memorisation and revision and this is a practical way to do so. Many of us as mothers may also agree that these two times are often the quietest and most tranquil times of the day and what could be better than starting the day with the Book of Allaah and ending your day that way too. Also it's important to note that one's portion of revision will always be more than their portion of memorisation as one wants to maintain what has been memorised as much as possible, as well as move forward.

5. Healthy eating and to eat plenty of raisins.
From "Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم )" by Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, we read: "Raisins also help memory power, as Az-Zuhri said, "Those who seek to memorize the Hadeeth should eat raisins."
(Darussalam Publications Second Edition: June 2003 page 278)

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Originally posted by UmmYahyaa bintYunus

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم بركة من الله وحمد
All praise is due to Allaah (Azza wa Jalla) and salaah and salaam on our Prophet Muhammad ( صلى الله عليه وسلم )and on his family and his companions,the best of families and companions.

The following tidbit is taken from one kutaibah (very small book) which I found.Inshaa Allaah I am trying to translate the book but I do not want to repeat tidbits that have been mentioned already on the forum for hifth.I selected this part from the back of the book where mention was made about the muraaja'ah (review).


SCHEDULE TYPE :Daily
ACTION REQUIRED :1)memorising one page daily,( my words :in some cases some people may not be able to cope with this amount,however if you are serious about memorising the Quraan then you should be able to gauge how much you can manage comfortably in one day , be consistent with it and apply alot of JUHD (effort)
Time allotted: approximately 60 minutes
NB: if you are doing one page then work on half in the morning after fajr (30 mins) and half of it in the evening (another 30 mins)
2)reviewing the previous five pages until the page you are memorising from memory
Time allotted: 20 mins
3) commitment to reading what you have memorised in the obligatory salawaat as well as the nawaafil

Inshaa Allaah This is a reminder for myself firstly and I hope it is of benefit to all of you.May Allaah enable us to cary HIs book and to act according to it upholding all the commands and staying far away from the prohibitions.
**** LOOK FOR THE WEEKLY SCHEDULE and then...... have some sabr Inshaa Allaah and you will be all smiles Inshaa Allaah.
Take it step by step and be consistent!!!

memorising at a young age is like engravings on stone"
ukhtukum fillaah
ummyahyaa bintyunus

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