some practical steps toward efficient memorisation of the Quran

some practical steps toward efficient memorisation of the Quran  during the month of quran and later
Almost every Muslim wishes to memorise the Quran and many have embarked upon the journey of doing so, yet a number among them do this task rather haphazardly, which leads to difficulty in the process of memorisation as well as increasing their chances of forgetting what they have memorised. In view of the great need of ensuring the successful memorisation of the Quran, some practical steps toward efficient memorisation and avoiding setbacks are stated in this article:

1. The Same Copy

Use the same Mus-haf (copy) when you read the Quran and stick to it so that you may become familiar with it and know the sites of various verses and how to find them quickly when you revise what you have memorised.

2. Reader

Try to find a knowledgeable reader, such as a Shaykh (scholar) who is well versed in the rules of Tajweed (correct recitation). Start reading to him what you intend to memorise beforehand so that he may correct any wrong pronunciation.

3. Group

Read and memorise the Quran within a group rather than individually. Members of groups help each other in correcting mistakes and thus make the task easier. Prophet Muhammad said: "Whenever a group congregates in one of the houses of Allaah (i.e., Mosques) to recite the Book of Allaah (Quran) and study it, peace and mercy will descend upon them, the angels will surround them and Allaah will mention them to those with Him (i.e., the angels)." [Muslim]

4. Repeat

Repeat what you have memorised to yourself frequently, and the best way to do this is during the prayers.

5. Tajweed

Learn the basic rules of Tajweed before you start memorising and try to apply these rules while memorising. Allaah Says in the Quran (what means): "… And recite the Quran with measured recitation." [Quran 73:4]

6. Supplication

Supplicate to Allaah to help you in memorising what you have read of the Quran. Many Hadeeths (Prophetic narrations) point to how this is to be done.

7. Sequence of Chapters

Begin memorising the Quran from the last section (Juz') and work backwards, as the verses in the last section are shorter and more familiar.

8. Audio Cassette

Listening to an audio cassette of the Quran will assist you in memorising what you have read and make it easier for you to know the right pronunciation and intonation; however, you must choose a reader who is well known for being skilled, so that you can memorise the Quran correctly.

9. Location

Try to read the Quran in a quiet location and stick to this if you can, as this will put you in the right mood to memorise the Quran and keep you away from any distractions. An example of such a place is the Masjid (Mosque).

10. Time

Make reading and memorising the Quran a daily activity and allocate a special time devoted to this purpose. Try to choose a suitable time when you are fresh and not tired. The best time is at dawn, as Allaah Says (what means): "…Indeed, the recitation [of the Quran] at dawn is ever witnessed" [Quran 17:78] and that is after the Fajr (dawn) prayer. Avoid reading and memorising in the late evenings when you come back from work tired and sleepy, as it will be difficult for you to concentrate at that time.

11. Understanding

Try to understand the meaning of what you memorise, as this will assist further memorisation and enable you to act upon what you read.

12. Review

Always review what you have memorised and make this a regular habit; otherwise you will tend to forget what you have memorised after a while. It is advisable to review the whole Quran every thirty days. Prophet Muhammad (sal) said: "Take care of the Quran (by memorising it). I swear by the One in whose Hand is my soul that it is easier to slip away from you than the camels from their shackles." [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]

13. Encouragement

Encouragement of your household, particularly the children, will help them to compete with each other, particularly if you also reward them with gifts. Memorising the Quran at an early age is very rewarding as the ability to register and recall knowledge and information is quicker and easier then than in later years. Also, when you get older, your responsibilities increase and you might find it difficult to find enough time to achieve your goals.

14. Intention

You should be sincere to Allaah and make your intention to seek the reward from Him before beginning memorising the Quran. You should feel that the Quran is there to guide mankind to good. Allaah Says in the Quran (which means): "This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allaah." [Quran 2:2]

One should also realise the great reward of reading and studying the Quran, and there are many Hadeeths which emphasise this point. Not only are the Muslims who read the Quran rewarded, but those who listen to it are as well; Allaah Says (what means): "So when the Quran is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy."[Quran 7:204]

Reading and memorising the Quran is not difficult, and this fact was stated clearly in the Quranic verse (which means): "And We [i.e. Allaah] have certainly made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?" [Quran 54:17]

15. Avoid Ostentation

After memorising the Quran, avoid showing off and arrogance. Being given the ability to memorise the Quran is a blessing from Allaah, and people might become proud of themselves to have accomplished this task. Some people might then want everybody to know of their achievement and thus be admired. This is a kind of Shirk (associating others with Allaah in worship) which is a dangerous and punishable act. One should be thankful to Allaah as it is He who made it easy for him to memorise and understand the Quran.

16. Loud
Try to read with a reasonably loud voice and listen to your reading. Avoid reading silently - this will also help you to overcome laziness and tiredness.

17. Set an Amount to Read and Memorise

Set a certain amount of verses to read and memorise from the Quran at every session. Start with a small amount and then increase gradually. Do not be driven by your enthusiasm as this will shortly wear out. It is more important to persevere in memorising, no matter how small the amount is.

18. Manners

Once you have memorised the Quran, endeavour to acquire its manners, apply it in your life and act upon it, as this obligation is more emphasised on those who know it by heart.

Islam is the best: How can we help our children to get used to fastin...

Islam is the best: How can we help our children to get used to fastin...: A boy of nine years of age is not one of those who are accountable for fasting according to sharee’ah, because he has not yet reache...

How can we help our children to get used to fasting?

A boy of nine years of age is not one of those who are accountable for fasting according to sharee’ah, because he has not yet reached puberty. But Allah has enjoined parents to raise their children to do acts of worship. Allah commands them to teach their children the prayer when they are seven years old, and to smack them if they do not do it when they are ten years old.
The Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to make their children fast when they were small so as to make them get used to this great act of worship. All of that is indicative of great concern to raise one's children with the best of attributes and deeds.

With regard to prayer:

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “ Teach your children to pray when they are seven years old and smack them if they do not pray when they are ten years old, and separate them in their beds.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (495) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.


With regard to fasting:

It was narrated that al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ (may Allah be pleased with her) said: On the morning of ‘Ashoora’, the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to the villages of the Ansaar around Madeenah, saying: “Whoever started the day fasting, let him complete his fast, and whoever started the day not fasting, let him complete the rest of the day (without food).After that, we used to fast on this day, and we would make our children fast too, even the little ones in sha Allaah. We would make them toys out of wool, and if one of them cried for food, we would give (that toy) to him until it was time to break the fast.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1960) and Muslim (1136).

‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to one who was drunk during Ramadan: “Woe to you! Even our children are fasting!” And he hit him. Narrated by al-Bukhaari in a mu’allaq report, Bab Sawm al-Subyaan (Chapter on the fast of children).

The age at which parents should start teaching their children to fast is the age when they are able to fast, which varies according to the physical constitution of each child, but some scholars have defined it as the age of ten years.

With regard to means of helping children to get used to fasting, that may involve a number of things, such as:

1. Telling them of the virtues of fasting and that it is one of the most important means of entering Paradise, and that in Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyaan through which those who fast will enter.

2. Prior experience of getting used to fasting, such as fasting a few days in the month of Sha’ban, so that fasting in Ramadan will not come as a shock to them.

3. Fasting part of the day and increasing the time gradually.

4. Delaying sahoor until the last part of the night. That will help them to fast during the day.

5. Encouraging them to fast by giving them rewards each day or each week.

6. Praising them in front of the family at the time of iftaar and sahoor, because that will raise their morale.

7. Instilling a spirit of competition for the one who has more than one child, whilst remembering that it is essential not to rebuke the one who is struggling.

8. Distracting the one who gets hungry by letting him sleep or play permissible games that do not involve effort, as the noble Sahaabah used to do with their children. There are suitable programmes for children and cartoons on the trustworthy Islamic channels with which you can distract them.

9. It is preferable for the father to take his son -- especially after ‘Asr -- to attend the prayer and lessons, and to stay in the mosque to read Qur'aan and remember Allah.

10. Arranging visits during the day and night to families whose young children are also fasting, so as to encourage them to carry on fasting.

11. Rewarding them with permissible trips after iftaar, or making the kinds of food, sweets, fruits and juices that they want.

It should be noted that if the child becomes too exhausted, you should not insist that he completes the fast, so that this will not make him hate acts of worship or lead to him lying or make him sick, because he is not yet one of those who are accountable. It is important to pay attention to this and not be harsh with regard to telling the child to fast.

And Allah knows best.

Islam is the best: Do i have to celebrate isra al miraaj

Islam is the best: Do i have to celebrate isra al miraaj: Praise be to Allaah. There is no doubt that the Isra’ and Mi’raaj (the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascent into heaven) are two great sig...

Do i have to celebrate isra al miraaj

Praise be to Allaah.

There is no doubt that the Isra’ and Mi’raaj (the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascent into heaven) are two great signs of Allaah which point to the truthfulness of the His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the greatness of his status before Allaah. They are also signs of the great power of Allaah, and of His exalted position above His creation. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allaah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him]

Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from Al‑Masjid Al‑Haraam (at Makkah) to Al‑Masjid Al‑Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer”

[al-Isra’ 17:1]

With regard to this night on which the Isra’ and Mi’raaj took place, there is nothing in the saheeh ahaadeeth to indicate that it is in Rajab or in any other month. Everything that has been narrated concerning a specific date for these events cannot be proven to have come from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) according to the scholars of hadeeth. Allaah has wise reasons for causing the people to forget it.

Even if the date were proven, it would not be permissible for the Muslims to single it out for particular acts of worship, and it is not permissible for them to celebrate it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not celebrate it and they did not single it out in any way. If celebrating it was something that is prescribed in Islam, the Messenger would have told his ummah about that, either in word or in deed. If any such thing had happened, it would have been well known, and his companions would have transmitted the information to us. They narrated from their Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) everything that his ummah needs to know, and they did not neglect any aspect of the religion, rather they were the first ones to do anything good.

If celebrating this night had been prescribed in Islam, they would have been the first people to do so. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most sincere of people, and he conveyed the message to the people in full, and he fulfilled the trust. If venerating and celebrating this night were part of the religion of Allaah, then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have done that and would not have concealed it. Since no such thing happened, it is known that celebrating it and venerating it is not part of Islam at all. Allaah has perfected this ummah’s religion for it and has completed His favour upon them, and He condemns those who introduce things into the religion which Allaah has not ordained. 

Allaah says in His holy Book, in Soorat al-Maa’idah (interpretation of the meaning):

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”

[al-Maa’idah 5:3] And Allaah says in Soorat al-Shoora (interpretation of the meaning):

“Or have they partners with Allaah (false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which Allaah has not ordained?”

[al-Shoora 42:21]

it is narrated in al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.” In a report narrated by Muslim it says: “Whoever does any action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.”

In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say in his khutbah on Friday: “The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The worst of matters are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going astray.” Al-Nasaa’i added with a jayyid isnaad: “and every going astray will be in the Fire.”

It also goes against the ahaadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which warn against innovation (bid’ah). May Allaah send blessings and peace upon His slave and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, and his family and companions.

Islam is the best: Christian accepts Islam after challenging Zakir Na...

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