Qur’an Memorisation? Surely Not At My Age
20th March 2022
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I just finished praying salah in which I recited the longest every Sura I had ever memorised. I never imagined this could happen. I was so happy. Alhamdulilah.
At the end of last Ramadhan, I signed up for a course to improve my Quran recitation. Great teacher with a well thought out teaching technique with different levels students progressed through. He is very good at motivating us and making us see it not just as a ‘Qur’an recitation course’ but a way to connect with the Qur’an so it impacts our whole lives. I progressed through the modules and was very happy.
Then, at the start of my latest module, the focus was going to be memorisation for a few months. What? I signed up for recitation, not memorisation. At my age, I can’t memorise much. Look, I even forget appointments and other things unless I write them down, so how am I going to memorise more Qur’an? Such thoughts raced through my mind and I thought of dropping out of his programme.
Afterall, I could find other courses\teachers to carry on my recitation journey. Then a voice reminded me of the teacher, his experience, great technique and all the benefits I had from the course so far. Be patient Taji. Follow the teacher’s programme and see.
It has blown my mind, alhamdulillah. He has taught us how to memorise: first reading it and imagining you have just received these Qur’anic ayahs; how to repeat them; having your place of study; listening to it; and other techniques. My confidence has grown and I’ve been able to memorise longer suras than ever before. Alhamdulillah.
Lessons for me include 1) finding and trusting a good teacher who has a proven system 2) don’t underestimate yourself. Yes, my memory is not as good as my children’s but with Allah’s help so much is possible in drawing closer to His revelation.
The other thing I’ve learnt is that through my memorisation homework, I am paying more attention to the ayahs and suras: what is their meaning? In what circumstance (asbabun nuzul) were they revealed to Prophet Muhammad (alayhi salam)? What rules (ahkham) and solutions must we adopt from the Qur’an today so as to live according to Islam?
Recitation and memorisation become linked to understanding and implementation of Allah’s guidance in our world. Isn’t that what the Prophet (alayhi salam) taught us?
As the blessed month of Ramadhan approaches, may we find ways to connect with the Qur’an, so we read, memorise, reflect (tadabur) and rule by it.
May Allah (swt) bless us to witness the month of Ramadhan. Ameen
اللهم بلغنا رمضان
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Love and salams,
Taji
🧔 What have I been up to?
Joined a lively Twitter space discussion on Are minorities better off under Islam or modern secular states? Listen here.
📖 Ayah and Hadith
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Surely those who say, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then remain steadfast—there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.” [Sura Al-Ahqaf 46:13]
Quote of the Week
“May Allah grant us the tawfiq to overcome our trials and dive deep into our hearts and resurface with pearls.” -S A Musa
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