Memorizing the Quran is a kind of worship in
which one seeks Allah's pleasure and recompense in the afterlife. The Hafidh
will never be rewarded if he does not have this aim; rather, he will be
condemned for performing this act of worship for someone or something other
than Allah.
The Hafidh (the person who has memorized the Quran)
should not memorize the Quran with the purpose of receiving worldly
rewards, because memorizing the Quran is not a product to be traded in this
world, but rather an act of worship performed for the sake of his Lord.
Allah has bestowed unique blessings on those who
remember the Qur'an in this world and the Hereafter in a variety of ways.
Why memorizing Quran is hard?
Many people complain when they first start memorizing;
they can't seem to memorize quickly enough — they forget everything — and they
think the procedure is too taxing.
These dedicated individuals have usually been memorizing
for a few months or less than a year, and they haven't been doing it every day
or with the assistance of an instructor. I counsel with a smile:
It's like lifting weights when it comes to memorizing
the Quran. When you initially start lifting weights, you only lift a
specific amount – and larger weights may feel unachievable. You could be in awe
of individuals who lift weights because they can do so much more than you think
you could ever do.
However,
after a year of lifting the same weights every day or every other day, they
become too light for you! As your body strengthens, you add more weights until
even those are too light. So, you keep adding as your body gets stronger and
faster, and everything you used to lift is no longer a challenge.
The Quran
is in the same boat. It takes a lot of practice. Time, focus, and energy are
all things that require commitment. It will take even longer if you are not
doing it every day and working with a teacher on a daily basis.
That's OK. It
is not a competition. If you have other life duties, you do not need to
accomplish your memorization in a year, two years, or even three or four years.
Take pleasure in the process of memorization. Take a little pause when you're
frustrated to refresh and regroup, and then get back to work.
How to make it easy?
Repetition
Begin by repeating one verse or a collection of
verses until you've committed them to memory. This is essentially "rote
memorization."
Make use of the translation.
Understanding the words, you're reciting makes a
huge impact.
Have an instructor available.
To memorize correctly, you'll need the help of a Quran teacher.
Listen
Listen to the verses all the time. You can listen to
anyone whose voice moves you for your own personal satisfaction. You'll want to
listen to someone whose recitation is slow enough and whose tajwîd is perfected
enough for your own practice if you wish to memorize something.