There is a popular saying among the Salaf which is ‘’itlubul ilmi mina Mahdi ila lahdi’’ which means seek knowledge from cradle to grave. This saying has been attributed to the Messenger of Allah by some people, but the Muhaddithun (scholars of the hadith) cannot find any trace of the saying to the Messenger of Allah. They agreed that it is from the Salafs (predecessors).
Not all companions of the Prophets memorized the Quran at an early age. Some of them were adults before they accepted Islam. Even at that, they were able to memorize the Quran. Therefore, being an adult is not an excuse. If an adult wants to memorize the Quran, he or she can. What is needed is how to actualize it. In the next segment of this article, Hidayah Network will explain in detail some of the practical tips that adults can use in their quran memorization course journey.
8 Practical Tips for Adults to Memorize Quran Fast
1. Understand the Quran First Before Attempting Memorization
The first step is to know how to recite the Quran before attempting to memorize the Quran because it is not possible for an adult to memorize what he or she does not understand. It might be possible for a teenager to do that, but adults can. Once the Quran is understood, memorization can begin.
2. Read or Watch Stories on Quran Memorization
There are two things you will gain from this tip. Firstly, you will get the needed inspiration and motivation. Secondly, you will learn the methods they used and apply them.
While I was researching this topic, I came across the story of the 55 years old professor of Neuroscience, Electrodiagnosis, and Physical Therapy who memorized the Quran at the age of 61. Dr. Sabbahi began memorizing the Quran at the age of 55. It took him almost 6 years to completely memorize the Quran. In one of his interactions with people, he gave 25 procedures for Quranic memorization for adults.
Some of the procedures include Intention, Perseverance, Determination, Companionship, Selecting time for memorization, Selection of site, Use of dead time to your advantage, Use of visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic sensations to promote learning, focusing on the target, breaking the assignment to attainable segments, Use of one type of Mushaf, seeking the help of Allah, keeping an eye on the Mutashabihat, and repetition.
Dr. Sabbahi is not the only adult that memorized the Quran; there are many others who have shared their stories through interviews, articles, and platforms like Youtube.
3. Memorization Should Be Done in a Silent Environment
The best environment to memorize the Quran is a silent environment detached from noise. If you live in a place where the noise level is much, it is better to choose another location for your memorization.
According to Scientific America, noise affects brain activity, learning, memory, and concentration levels. If prolonged, it can cause reduced performance and poor memory.
4. Switch off Electronics Gadgets
If you are memorizing the Quran in your home, it will require a lot of discipline for you to achieve it. When you are memorizing, you actually want the thing to stick to your brain without forgetting it. Little distractions from phones and electrical devices will always cause distraction.
Immediately you pick up your Mushaf, switch off your phone, and put off all electrical devices. That is the only way 100% concentration can be achieved. Without that, you cannot achieve 100% concentration.
5. Join Quran Community
If you go on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, and Youtube, you will find groups created for particular purposes. You can search for adults Quran memorization group and join.
Members of these groups are usually given different tasks. Some members’ tasks are reminders, some are helpers, and so on. These online hifz program groups can also serve as a class where you get to ask questions about some of the things you are finding difficult in the Quran. Furthermore, you get to meet your Muslim brothers and sisters from different parts of the world.
6. Be Imam of Prayers at the Mosque or at Home
Once in a while, you can gather your family members and lead them in Solat in your home. Some scholars believe that there is nothing wrong with a person observing Qiyamu Layl in congregation occasionally other than in the month of Ramadan. Sheikh Solih Uthaymeen in his book Sharh Al-Mumti that the Messenger of Allah led Ibn Abbaas, Ibn Mas’ood, and Hudhayfah Ibn Al- Yamaan in congregation in his house. But he did not see it as a regular Sunnah.
Therefore, you can gather your family once in a while and lead them in Solat to practice your memorization.
If you are a woman, the best place to perform your Solat is in your house. Abd-Allah Ibn Mas’ood narrated that the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: A woman’s prayer in her courtyard and her prayer in her cabinet is better than her prayer in her room.
Awn al-Ma-bood’ said ‘’her room’’ refers to a woman’s own room in the house, and ‘’her courtyard’’ refers to the central area (in a traditional Arabic house), of which all the rooms of the house are open. A cabinet is like a small room inside a large room, in which personal items are stored.
Therefore, an adult woman can use the opportunity of the five obligatory prayers to practice her memorization.
7. Hire a Private Quran Teacher
If you are buoyant enough and you cannot memorize the Quran by yourself, it is better to hire a private Quran teacher and learn Quran online at home. A teacher comes with experience and the technical know-how needed to deliver on the job. He or she will use the experience gathered in different jobs to guide you on the best way to memorize the Quran by giving hifz classes for adults.
8. Teach Children Around You the Quran
If you leave in a locality where there are a lot of children wandering around doing nothing, you can gather them in the evening and teach them about the Quran. That way, you are practicing what you have memorized and you are also impacting the young ones in the society.
Best Quran Memorization Techniques
1. Memorize with the same Mushaf
You might be wondering what this has to do with memorizing the Quran, but it is a technique that has worked for many Quran memorizers. If you ask Quran teachers and students, they will tell you the same.
The importance is that because memorization is done using sight, the verses, their forms, and their places in the copy leave an imprint in the mind when they are recited or looked at.
2. Use the 3 R’s Technique
The three R or three memory techniques are Recite, Read, and Repeat. To memorize the Quran, adults must adopt the technique throughout their entire Quran memorization journey.
3. Listen to Quran Reciters
Another efficient technique for adults that want to memorize the Quran is to listen to Quran reciters frequently on their smartphones and laptops.
Conclusion
Never give up on learning. Learning makes the mind young even when the face and the body are old. Learning keeps your mind sharp and increases your memory and self-confidence. These are the effective quran memorization techniques Hidayah Network has shared with you.
As an adult hoping to memorize the Quran, take inspiration from Professor Sabbahi who memorized the Quran at the age of 61. Also, apply other tips discussed in the article and you will get the desired result.
We pray to Allah to make it easy for everyone who is trying to memorize the Quran all over the world.
