Millions of Muslims have memorized the Quran from the earliest days to today. Some have given several tips for the memorization process including:
Successful Quran Memorization Tips
- Use the same print of the Quran all the time
- Record your day to day progress
- Find the best place and time to learn and try to keep these the same
- Read the lesson to as many people as possible including friends and family.
- Revise what you have previously learnt regularly
- Make dua to make Quran memorization easy
- Find a quiet place to learn
- Read about the stories and events the Surah is about
- Avoid sins that hurt you spiritually so its harder to learn
How long does it take to memorize the Quran?
There are 114 surahs (chapter)in the Holy Quran, and it contains 6236 verses. On average, it takes 3 years for a person to memorize the entire Quran. However, some people have been known to complete it in as little as 3 months, while for others it can take many more years.
The miracle of Quran memorization
The miracle of the memorization of the entire Quran, which the number of people today who have managed this, runs into the millions, stretches all the way back to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself who was the first hafiz (memorizer of the full Quran). Allah promised him that He will preserve the Quran in his heart.
Despite the demands of the people of his Quraish tribe and the tribes of Madinah where he migrated to, who wanted the Quran in written form, not one letter of it was received in ink form and on paper. He received it only from Angel Jibril (AS) to his heart.
Following on, whenever the Prophet (SAW) used to meet Jibril who had come with new verses, the Prophet would silently keep repeating the same verses quickly to himself out of fear of forgetting them. After this, Allah revealed the ayah:
‘… And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Quran before its revelation is completed to you, and say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
Quran [20:114]
This means Allah will make it easy for you (the Prophet) to gather the Quran in your heart and recite it to the people without forgetting anything of it.
Read the article on the Dua for memorizing the Quran >>
What is special about a Hafiz (a memorizer of the Quran)?
One of the virtues of memorising the Quran is that it is a Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) who was the first hafiz. And there is a connection with the Prophet (SAW) in the method of recital in the way he was instructed to listen to Jibril (AS) until he finished. Then he was to recite himself, and to this day, this is still the same method of teaching in almost every Islamic place of learning around the world.
Allah has given other special privileges to a hafiz of the Quran:
- He takes precedence over others in leading the prayer based on the hadith of the Prophet to the effect’ The people should be led in prayer by the one among them who has the most knowledge of the Book of Allah…’
- He is placed in front of others in a common grave, closer to the Qiblah (direction of prayer), if it is essential to bury him with others (as in the case with some companions who were martyred in the Battle of Uhud).
- He takes precedence in leadership if he is able to bear that responsibility.
Hadith regarding Quran memorization
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “It shall be said to the Companion of the Quran, ‘Recite [of what you memorised] and rise up, recite [melodiously] as you would recite in the world. For indeed your rank shall be at the last Ayah [verse] you recite.” (Tirmidhi)
How to instill the love of Quran memorization in your children
- A few times a week, sit down as a family and talk about the virtues of the Quran, take a book of hadith or any Islamic book which mentions these virtues. Learn about what Allah says about the Quran in His own words and learn what the Prophet (SAW) about it too. You as a parent learn at the same time as your children.
- Inspire action according to the Quran. The emphasis here is to show that we or our children are not just memorising the Quran to learn parts of it by heart – this is not the objective but a means to an end, if we just concentrate on the means, we will not reach the goal. Memorising the Quran is not the main objective, but the need is to practice the Quran.
- The whole family has to be tuned in to that objective. So when the child is learning, the mother or father should also be present, maybe reading or listening to the Quran themselves. You can enlist the help of your own parents, i.e. the child’s grandparents for this too. The aim is not to let the child feel they have to do this great task on their own, but they have full family support all around them.
- In relation to the above point, by sitting with your child, you can help them develop a technique for memorization. Every child, in terms of how they choose a way to memorize, will be different. Even if you as their parent are hafiz, the same technique you used to learn may not suit your child. For example, the basic technique is repetition of the same words a number of times, for some children, this number could be ten, while for others it will be more or even less. Being there, especially at the initial stages, you can help your child find their preferred way much quicker. So be there with them.
Hadith about forgetting the Quran
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “The one who learns the Quran is like the owner of a hobbled camel. If he pays attention to it, he will keep it, but if he releases it, it will go away.” (Bukhari)
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “It is a bad thing that some of you say, ‘I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur’an,’ for indeed, he has been caused [by Allah] to forget it. So you must keep on reciting the Qur’an because it escapes from the hearts of men faster than camel do.” (Bukhari)
Abdullah ibn Masud (RA) said, “It was difficult for us to memorize the words of the Quran but easy for us to act by them. After us will be people for whom it is easy to memorize the Quran, but hard to act by it.”
Not using memorized ayahs in the prayer causes forgetfulness. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “When the Companion of the Quran performs Salah, reciting it by night and day, he retains it and if he doesn’t [use it in] Salah he forgets.”
May Allah make it easy for us to regularly recite the Quran, complete memorization of it and for our children to be engrossed in the Quran and become companions of it. And may Allah send virtues upon virtues to those who memorise, read, listen and teach the Quran.
