Eleven Signposts to Memorizing a Page of the Qur’an in Thirty Minutes

13 Pages·0.224 MB·English

by  Sa’eed Hamzah

An Instruction Plan and Advice on Fully
Committing to Memory the Book of Allah
Eleven Signposts to
Memorising a Page
of the Qur’an in
Thirty Minutes

Dr Sa’eed Abu’l ‘Ala Hamzah
ميحرلا نمحرلا الله مسب

All Praise is for Allah who sent upon the hearts of his servants the Qur’an, and
made His Book easy to read and memorise by the old and the young, the Arab
and the non-Arab. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad –
the guiding light – and upon his pure family, his true Companions.

To proceed:
Two years ago, I put up an advertisement in the local mosque that shocked many
of the worshippers. The advert was regarding the Qur’an and how one could
memorise the Book of Allah in no more than thirty minutes, after the daily Fajr
prayers. This idea was especially astounding for the mosque elders as many of
them firmly believed this wasn’t possible since they had long past their youthful
days.
I will also not hide the fact I was afraid that this plan and this promise of memorising
a page of the Qur’an in just thirty minutes would ever materialise. This was
especially so as members of the group varied in their age range, knowledge and
ability to read the Qur’an. There was an elderly man who was more than seventy
years old, as well as a child who was no more than twelve years old in the group.
If I exceeded the sensational time being offered – beyond thirty minutes as
mentioned in the advertisement – it likely wouldn’t be acceptable for those who
had work commitments and other matters to take care of. This plan was designed
to minimise any disruption to the daily routine people maintained in their lives.
Among the participants was a medical doctor, an engineer, a teacher and other
professional and non-professional workers. Additionally, there was a person who
was only able to read and had no knowledge of rules of tajweed pertaining to
the recitation of the Qur’an.
Though our class was after the Fajr prayer, some womenfolk keenly attended the
along with their male companions, seeking their share of rewards. We shall not
forget to mention the tenacity of the youth who attended classes even when it
rained; he’d walk to the mosque bringing his father along with him as well as his
wife and his son who was barely two years old. They would all leave their house
as if it was a joyous occasion and a delightful journey, yearning for the divine
Words of their Lord Almighty. It was a beautiful period of time spent with the
Qur’an each morning daily, where Angels would witness the congregation and
go about around them.
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How beautiful it is for a Muslim to mark the beginning of the day praying among
fellow Muslims, and then use his fingers to make Dhikr of Allah, and then open the
Qur’an to memorise a full page with all his heart. Returning then, to his family in
sheer happiness having received the blessings of Allah for memorising His Book.
Implementation of the hifdh plan began. A large group of people were yearning
to memorise the Qur’an were unable to do so due to a number of reasons, among
which most importantly was bad technique, or memorising in a haphazard way
without any rules or guidelines. Included in this was the fact there was a lack of
revision; this is possibly the most dangerous reason that leads one to fail in
memorisation.

The Beginning
The first page we were going to tackle was the page after Surah Al-Fatihah. It was
the first page of Surah Al-Baqarah, which was tantamount to testing the sincerity
of our intention, the strength of our will power, securing of our goals and the
memorisation technique. The memorisation of the first page began – call it the
laying of the first brick in thirty minutes. Neither decreasing it nor increasing it.
Everyone was able to do an excellent job with the Will of Allah Almighty. They
were all stunned by the fact they were able to memorise one full page in such a
short time and they were very pleased with themselves. It only reinforced their
vigour, which was plain to see on their faces and in their speech. The seventy year
old man remarked after attending the class, “By Allah, I slept on my bed in eager
anticipation and happiness for the Fajr prayer as a child would sleep the night
before ‘Eid where he does not want to fall asleep in happiness knowing that dawn
will bring the first day of ‘Eid.
Days passed by. The class was memorising the last few pages of Surah An-Nur.
Memorisation of Surah Yunus, An-Nahl, Al-Anbiya and Al-Hajj and other such
chapters that a lot of people feared due to its difficulty level, were in fact
memorised in twenty minutes and not thirty for each page. The reason for this was
the hard work and persistence that was instilled in the class, which had developed
a routine where the mind is able to absorb and the effort becomes fruitful.
I have already mentioned the impediments to the class that I feared would hinder
progress, such as age difference of participants and their varying levels of
knowledge. There was also another reason; the newly introduced verses into the
readers’ mind. Perhaps one is introduced to the verses for the first time at the
class, making it more difficult for him to memorise those verses.

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Fundamental Point to Note
Some of our brothers and sisters who studied this handbook assumed it makes a
promise that one will be able to memorise a full page in thirty minutes. Some of
them said, “what is new about this approach? What is so exciting about it? We
memorise a full page in five to ten minutes (anyway).”
I wish to reiterate the idea that I authored this guide to highlight a single most
important point: that the one memorising the Qur’an, if tasked to lead in prayer,
will be able do so with ease. This is not the same type of memorisation some
people are talking about.
Their claim to being able to memorise a full page in five to ten minutes is not
dependable nor one that will likely survive without constant revision. You and I
must both come to this realisation before proceeding in utilising our precious time.
Perhaps you will be surprised O dear reader at the fact that the one who penned
these words – may Allah be lenient with him in both worlds – memorised the whole
Qur’an in fifty days without having followed a linguistic biased program or having
gone through restructuring thoughts and other such things. In fact, I was able to
achieve it only with the help of Allah. I will declare myself a victim of speed
memorisation where the meanings of words, except for a few suwar, are totally
omitted. I advise you henceforth: if you want to do speed memorisation without
going through a structured memorisation program, you should change your mind
and refrain from doing so. And I am to you a trustworthy advisor.
Do you read the verses from memory?
Perhaps we can recollect a true incident that was related to us where a woman
came to the Prophet ﷺ and offered herself to him in marriage. The Prophet ﷺ
refused her offer and requested one his companions who was present, to marry
her. However, that companion was poor and did not possess anything to give her
as bridal gift, not even a ring made of steel. He only possessed the garment
around his waist. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, “How much of the Qur’an have you
memorised?” He replied: “I have such and such surah” and he started to mention
all the ones he had memorised.
The Prophet ﷺ asked him, “Do you read it from your heart (i.e. have you
memorised it well)? He replied: “Yes”. He ﷺ said, “Proceed for I have given her
away to you for whatever you have memorised of the Qur’an.”
Ponder on the words of the Prophet ﷺ. He used the word ‘كعم’ literally meaning
‘that which you have’ (of the Qur’an). What a beautiful word! Do you know the
depth of meaning of this word?
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That which you have in your heart and your tongue won’t omit any part of it.
That which you have made available at every place. While residing in your
hometown or while travelling.
That which you have availabele at all time. Night or day, morning or evening.
That which you have in every situation. Standing or sitting or lying down. Riding on
a mount or travelling on foot.
That which you have mixed into your flesh and blood. It flows throught your
tongue like the breath you take.
That which you have as though it is Surah Al-Fatihah.
That which you have at present. Unlike those who say during revision of a certain
surah that this particular surah is easy and (haven’t fully memorised) so on and so
forth.
From this, you can realise the beauty of the language used by the Prophet ﷺ by
laying down the foundation for memorisation. He explained the true nature of
memorisation that is dependable in just one word ‘كعم’. The antonym of this word
means you have not memorised the Qur’an; so do ponder upon this.
When people are asked the question the Prophet ﷺ asked, many of them will reply
in the affirmative of having memorised such and such suwar. The Prophet ﷺ
intended by ‘memorisation’ to mean what a hafidh should have, hence he
asked, “do you read it from your heart?” Meaning, without the need to refer to
the printed copy of the Qur’an itself, or to start from the beginning verse of the
surah.
It is similar to asking, ‘Have you memorised it well enough such that you don’t
have to re-visit the surah?’ The Companion replied confidently, he was not unsure
of himself and so replied in the affirmative. The Prophet ﷺ then gave the woman
away to the Sahabi in marriage because he had memorised that suwar
according to firm standards. Glad tidings be to all those who’ve made the Qur’an
the bridal gift.

Lessons Gleaned from This Story:
To be a true hafidh of the Qur’an, you must strengthen your memorisation and it
should be etched in your heart and mind. It must stay with you at all times and at
all places. Seek the Help of Allah and do not feel defeated.
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There are Prophetic narrations that reflect upon this. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ
motivated people by saying, “He who recites the Qur’an, while having
memorised it, is with the honourable and obedient scribes (i.e. the Angels). This
was reported by Al-Bukhari from the narration of A’ishah (Allah be pleased with
her).
Having said this, there isn’t any assurance that you will never forget certain verses
while reciting the Qur’an to yourself, or reading it to others so that they may check
on your recitation. You might also omit some verses when under pressure. This
should not affect your expertise of the Qur’an for the reasons are valid.

This is How Memorisation Should be:
Imam Ad-Dhahabi mentioned in his ‘Siyar A’lam An-Nubala’ that the Caliph
Marwan ibn ‘Abd Al-Malik sent for the Sahabah Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased
with him). He kept asking Abu Hurayrah about the hadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ.
Marwan got his scribe to sit behind his bed and write whatever Abu Hurayrah said.
He invited Abu Hurayrah once again after a year. He placed his scribe behind a
screen and asked him to compare what Abu Hurayrah said with what he had
said a year ago. The scribe remarked, “Abu Hurayrah did not add or leave out
anything.” Imam Ad-Dhahabi in his addendum mentioned, “This is how a hafidh
should be.”
Do you see? Even after a whole year, Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him)
did not change anything of what he said the previous year. This is also what made
Imam Ad-Dhahabi renowned. This will encourage you to want to attain a solid
memorisation with the Will of Allah, the Most High.
I have not forgotten about the sixty year old man. He was blind and still had
managed to memorise the Qur’an. I had a conversation with him about the
‘Mutashaabih’ (i.e. the ambiguous) words in the Qur’an as we waited for a train
amid a huge crowd. He asked me, “What are the uncommon mutashaabih
words?” I replied, “Where does such and such a word occur in the Qur’an?” I tried
to think of the answer as I asked him the question. He went silent for a moment,
and I joked with him that he hasn’t been silent this long before. It was less than a
minute that he came with an answer promply, taking me by surprise. He said,
“Wait a minute, I am only at Surah Tawbah now” before coming up with the right
answer. He had in fact mentally browsed through the Qur’an to come up with the
answer in a matter of seconds. He had “computerized” his answer from the first
section of the Qur’an (given that the Qur’an is divided into three sections).
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It is mentioned that this old man used to memorise a whole Juz of the Qur’an at
dawn. He would then lead the Tarawih prayer at night for thirty nights during the
month of Ramadan. O dear reader! This encompasses the true memorisation of
the Qur’an.
I sought the essence of memorisation incumbent upon is that thirty minutes should
suffice in attaining the important objective, and that it should not prevent one
from proceeding to work on pages he has not memorised. In fact, the page
(being memorised) has rights even after the first thirty minutes. One should put
effort to etch it in his heart.
All these rights stem from the advice of the Prophet ﷺ, when he spoke of the rights
and dues paid to the noble Qur’an and to value it dearly. The great verses that
are embossed as guests upon the loftiest part of your body – the part of your body
which, if healthy your whole body is healthy and which if ruined, the whole body
is ruined. This organ is your heart.
This is the advice of the Prophet ﷺ that becomes the pact between the hafidh
and the noble Qur’an. This pact was narrated to us by the noble Companion Abu
Musa Al-Ash’ari and found in the Saheeh of Imam Bukhari. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Read the Qur’an regularly. By the One in Whose Hand the soul of Muhammad is,
it is prone to escaping from memory faster than a camel from its tying ropes.”
What more can I do for you than mentioning this great advice of the Prophet ﷺ
O dear reader so that you will (begin to) memorise the Qur’an? I am amazed by
the number of students who memorise the Qur’an and then Shaytan makes them
negligent of it and thus forgotten. This hadeeth therefore, is apt for us all so that
such things are not visited upon us.
Recite the Qur’an month after month, one complete recitation after another.
Read it on a daily basis. Read it every night and keep memorising it. Make it a
part of your life and make it essential for your happiness, your success, your light
and radiance.
Recite the Qur’an. Feel that something is amiss when you do not do so. Make it
the dearest thing to you. When you search for your copy of the Qur’an, do not
ask. “where is my Qur’an?” but say, “Where is my life, my breath? Where is my
success?”
Recite the Qur’an. Recite the Book of your Lord. Recite the light that will lighten
up your grave. Recite your intercessor. Recite your illumination. Recite your
legislation. Recite that which uplifts your status.
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Recite the Qur’an for indeed it is a Mighty Book. It shall not seek but shall be
sought. It shall not bring forth any falsehood for verily it is Revelation from the Most
Wise, Most Exalted.
Recite the Qur’an. Yearn for it. Pine for it. Indeed Paradise is cloaked in hated
things. Are you a person who loves the Qur’an or dislikes it?
Recite the Qur’an. Establish the covenant and announce a deep love for it. Cry
out, “Welcome O friend!”
Recite the Qur’an and do not refrain from it. Make it your companion and learn
it. Memorise it and teach it. You shall be rewarded by Allah for the good deeds
that you undertake.

Agreement
We shall now establish an agreement or covenant between us O dear reader so
as to realise our goal and fulfill our plan with the Will of Allah Almighty. We shall do
so as follows:
Be sincere – in more precise terms, unleash your strength and focus only on it and
do not focus on anything else. This is easy. You just have to picture a funeral and
that you are the corpse. Now do you see? How is the image?
Do not forget these words concerning sincerity. Whether your deeds are
accepted depends on it. Do not do it for show. A show off will be judged as a
fool. He wants to earn the hearts of people while oblivious to the fact that the
hearts of people are in the Hands of the Creator. He performs deeds to satisfy
those who do not even possess a day’s sustenance. He does not do things for the
sake of Him in Whose Hands is all might and He encompasses the knowledge of
everything.
Even a small number of deeds done sincerely are great with Allah. Much deeds
done insincerely are insignificant with Allah. Hence, the sincere person benefits
much while the insincere person loses much. Ponder on your situation and
proceed if you are satisfied the deed is done sincerely for the sake of Allah. If not,
just go to sleep and don’t put effort in doing the deed. Verily, the sleeping person
who is not fasting is better than one who spends the night in prayer and the day
in fast without sincerity!

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Love the Qur’an deeply – yearn for it and be inseparable from it just as the soul is
to the body. It should not be in your ability to distance yourself from it. Do you not
know that a lover cannot stand to part with the focus of his love?
Realise that the love of the Qur’an is unlike any other. the love of the Qur’an allows
the lover to enter Paradise as found in the hadeeth mentioning the first of those
for whom the door of Paradise will be opened.
Love, dear reader is the key to your memorising ability and it will make the
memorisation of the Qur’an easy. There is no barrier that prevents the
memorisation and the body is not weakened from the effort to do so. Do not heed
the words of those who say that memorising the Qur’an is for young children.
These words are uttered without knowledge and those who say such are unable
to substantiate it with proofs. Those who utter these words shall be answerable on
the Day of Judgement. All should refrain from having such thoughts, verily those
who say so are from those who impede progress.
Think good of your Lord and rely on Him as long as you live, never ever say words
like, “I am unable to memorise and this thought was known of me from long ago.”
Proclaim as Prophet Musa and our Prophet proclaimed:
"No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me."1
“Difficult”, “far-fetched”, “I am unable”, “impossible” – these words are not
uttered by a worthy Muslim. It is more appropriate that you say, “sufficient for us is
Allah and He is the best disposer of affairs.” If you do so, then this glad-tiding
reaches you, “so they returned with favour from Allah and bounty, no harm
having touched them.”2
Memorise as if you are going to depart from this worldly life just after having
memorising a portion of the Qur’an. In more appropriate terms, memorisation of
the Qur’an is one of the last deeds you are going to do and there will not be
another opportunity to do so. Since it is your last deed, perhaps you will attain a
goodly death upon righteousness. That you die while memorising a page of the
Qur’an is better for you than this world and whatever it contains.
Seek rewards – know that memorising Qur’an requires hard work, culminating in a
wonderous climax. You will then feel a sense of achievement and
accomplishment. Success comes after the difficulty you faced. This reminds me
of the hadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ of the one who was devoted to the Qur’an, “He
will be told on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Recite and ascend (in rank) as you used

1 Ash-Shu’ara, 62
2 Aali-Imran, 173-174
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to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you
recite.’” This should give your heart and limbs the impetus to memorise the Qur’an.
Summon all your strength for the path is filled with thorns, difficulty and chaos.
However, move onward and do not be afraid. This is the path towards Paradise.
Allah is you supporter!
These awe-inspiring words are always in my heart:
Are you not upon a narrow and difficult path?
If not for these difficulties, I would not have treaded it.
Picking flowers is difficult – hard work pays off eventually. It is academically
evident that any path free of difficulties does not achieve anything of much.
Have great patience - do not rush when memorising, for it has rights that you
need to observe. There is much regret if you expedite your memorisation before
it takes shape. If you try to expediate, it will require much more effort on your part
due to such miscalculation. There is no point in being sad or angry when your
teacher tells you to, “Go back and memorise again for indeed you have not
memorised it well.”
Be brave – seek help from Allah and do not succumb to pressure. Put the worldly
affairs behind your back for indeed such affairs have no value at all. He who seeks
it, seeks a mirage, and he who carries it carries only sand, and he who yearns for
it will only receive punishment.
How many of us miss the Fajr prayer due to some worldly cause, and yet how
much of this world has spared those who sought it while now lying in their graves?
Guard your tongue – do not reveal about your memorisation to anyone. The evil
eye of others has definitely inflicted many of those who memorise the Qur’an. This
led to them being made to forget what they had memorised. Therefore, be like
the tree that silently grows while others are oblivious to it. It’s also incumbent upon
you to read the authentic supplications in the day and night.
Pay close attention to your memorisation and enjoy the blessing – do not stop at
memorising just a page for the day. You should rather, revise it more than once
for if you do so, your memorisation will improve with the Will of Allah – be like the
youth who is independent of others.
Supplicate to you Lord and entrust Him with your memorisation – he who entrusts
Allah with anything, Allah shall guard it as mentioned in well-known Hadeeth.
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