How to have fun memorizing the Qur’an

We were taking a walk, when a friend asked me how many verses of the Qur’an I was memorizing.  I told him one ayah (verse) a day. “Ha! That’s not much!” He said.   So I asked him how many he was memorizing. The answer was zero, zilch. Yes, I memorize only one ayah a […]

We were taking a walk, when a friend asked me how many verses of the Qur’an I was memorizing.  I told him one ayah (verse) a day. “Ha! That’s not much!” He said.  

So I asked him how many he was memorizing. The answer was zero, zilch. Yes, I memorize only one ayah a day and I’m old enough to ignore those who want me to memorize more because it doesn’t work, at least, not for me. You need a lot of discipline to achieve that, I lack that discipline.  I’ve tried a page a day before. It didn’t work. I even tried three verses a day. It didn’t work. 

However, I enjoy one ayah a day. Sometimes, when a verse is too long, I break it up and tackle it in two days. Some days, I don’t even memorize at all. I just try to lock in the ones that I’ve memorized before. 

Non-Muslims may not understand why I’m writing this or why anyone would take a book of 114 chapters and over 6,000 verses and try to memorize it. But Qur’an memorization is a form of worship. As a Muslim, the more of it you memorize the better. 

So how do I enjoy memorizing one ayah a day? One, I choose the chapters I enjoy listening to and which are not too long. That is, for my own motivation, I can finish it in a reasonable time, say one month. This means the chapter would be under 30 verses. Example, chapter 71 only has 28 verses and beautiful when recited. 

Two, I ask my mobile app to recite the ayah of the day 100 times. It is better you listen to how the experts recite it. You can choose your favorite reciter, there are many who come with the app I use. Saad El Ghamidi is my favorite. 

Three, after listening, I repeat the verse to myself 100 times. You don’t have to do this in a sitting. But mostly, I do number 2 and 3 while taking the morning walk. 

Four, I use the versethroughout the day, in my prayers and sometimes even in conversations. Five, you would also memorize it faster if you reflect on the meaning. The app comes with an English translation. 

Want to try? Why don’t you start today? No, not tomorrow. 

In fact I just finished a chapter and want to start a new one. Do you want us to do it together? 

I’m starting Chapter 72 (Jinn). Also 28 verses. The app I use is called Ayat. It’s from a university (KSU) in Saudi Arabia. Search your AppStore, it’s free. Here’s the link http://quran.ksu.edu.sa/ayat/?l=en

After sharing this technique with friends on social media, following are their contributions.  I was rather surprised how gushingly the post was received.

Dr. Abdullahi Superdoc Mohammed: This is the best write up from you that I have ever read brother- excellent.

Aisha Muhammad: May Allah reward you abundantly Dr for sharing this. Just down loaded it. Exactly what I need. Thank you.

Ibrahim Shehu Hunkuyi: Jazakallah bi khair Dr. Ibraheem Dooba, for your kind experiment.

Mohammed Ibrahim Attah: How I wish I have a brain like yours young man. By now I would have been a Hafiz. Reading Quran has been my hobby since in my youthful days. Islamic religious knowledge was my best subject and I got C3 in my WASC. But it is disheartening to note that, I can only recite Quran with relative ease. I only learned by heart those surahs we learned rudimentary when we started learning in our youthful days. This piece is very important to be shared so that other youth would see it and learned more how to learn Quran by heart. One thing I would like our Muslim youth to understand is that, when you learned the Quran by heart and combine it with the western education, you would excel in all the field of your endeavor. Whatever your profession is, be it teaching, medicine, etc. Even politics. Politics in particular, which favours fluency in speechmaking. If you have the two knowledge, you would be fluent in speaking. Thanks a lot. May Allah reward you abundantly.

Dr. Baba Latete: Kudos to the team at KSU. It’s an amazing app. Maa Sha Allah.

Alh. Usman Babayo: How one learns and practices the Holy Quran is a matter of personal choice. And sure the Surats are varying in numbers of verses and length. I appreciate you sharing your perspective. As for me, I use the weekend to initiate the memorization process of as many verses as I can and the weekdays to repeat over and over until it sinks in. And of all the reciters I’ve listened to, I find Sheikh Maher Al Muaqly most enjoyable. Have a listen to him next time. Masha Allah.

Zakaria M Zakaria: Mashaa Allah, what a great and thoughtful idea. Shukran ya Dr. Adamoh Jahanat: Ma Shaa Allahu. May Allah make it easy for those of us who are just starting.

HauwaKollere: Fantastic idea and a sadaqa jaria for you! Try listening to Mahmood Alhosari for proper makharij ( pronounciation) and Tajweed. He’s quite slow, therefore, you might not enjoy him at the beginning but you will benefit a lot. JZK.

Muhammad Munir: Good effort, good advice. I sometimes spend one week on one ayah. But with the slow and steady pace, I finish even moderately long surahs with time. But your method of 100x may be a better and faster option. Will try it in shaa Allah.

FodioBirninmaza: Kai! People like you are hard to find. Allah ya kara maka fahinta da kaunar jama’a.

Abdulkadir Sheik: That was the line I was trained on during my primary school days by my father, but I couldn’t finish the memorization before he took me to secondary school but luckily my younger ones completed memorizing the Quran. I regretted whole heartedly that I couldn’t complete the memorization. But with this your method I will start again Inn sha Allah.

Abu Ahmad Alata: Good method, but don’t forget to read it to somebody or your teacher because there is a lot of mistake you may fall into it by just listen to a reciter alone.

Ibrahim Muhammad Inuwa: That’s weadore you more than any other social commentator. You take yourdeen seriously.You motivate people to not only worldly progress but also eternal comfort. Barakallahu feeka!

Rahama Hamzah Sani: I will join you too. May Allah make it an intercessor for us on the day of hisab and shouldn’t be hujjat against us in sha Allah.

Adam Siddique Abubakr:  Masha Allah. Na kara sonka sosai Dr. Allah ya maka sakayya da Aljannah Firdausi.

Ustaz Bashir Mundi: Excellent and effective for memorizing the Qur’an.