Behind, I know
I have not forgotten about the weekly updates here. Instead, I got the idea to start memorizing two ayahs from the Qur'aan each day which is what I've been working on- heh I'm a one-track-minded kinda person :] At first I was very intimidated by this idea because I didn't think I would be able to commit to it, but alhamdulillah Allah does make a thing easy for you if you have every intention of doing it for His sake :] Here are two extremely good articles on techniques of Qur'aan memorization. As a sidenote, it is not all about just memorizing... I ran across a quote (from a student about a lecture) the other week which really pushed this point home: "When a person memorized the Quran in the time of the Prophet (S), that meant they knew the words, they knew the context and they lived it. Knowing only the words labeled them as hypocrites." Subhan'Allah...
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The Best Way to Memorise the Noble Quran according to my Personal Experience
By Dr. Yahya al-Ghouthani, Jeddah (world leading Quranic recitation authority)
Translated by Abu Muqatil - may Allah be forgiving to him and his parents
In light of the principles which have passed us by in the previous section, I say to whoever wants to memorize a page from the Noble Quran from any chapter that I hope that you will stay with me so we can read the following steps together at ease paving the way to apply it precisely.
1. [Obtain a good mus-haf ]
Try to obtain a good copy of the Quran whose size is according to your need and never ever replace it so that you will be strong in memorising the parts of the pages and the lines. The mus-haf al-huffaaz (the memorisers’ codex) [i.e. the text of the popular green edition from Madina written by the world famous calligrapher, Ta Ha Uthman] is preferred which starts with the verse at the start of the page and finishes with the last verse, and it is divided up well, whereby the Quran being thirty juz` (parts), every juz` has 20 pages and every page has 25 lines. The King Fahd organization in Medina al-Munawwarah has built a printer for this copy and I advice getting it as it is the most accurate contemporary print.
2. [Set the scene]
Setting the scene for memorization according to the following:-
i. Self-composure - Have the correct intention in mind and a desire for reward from Allah
ii. Wudoo` (ablution) and complete purity - Do not take the easy option of those who give a fatwa (legal edict) for its opposite as that goes against what befits high regard of the Speech of Allah and good manners with it.
iii. [Comfortable setting] - Sitting in a place where you feel at ease, and there is no more sacred place than the mosque.
iv. [Free of distractions] - It is preferred that it is a place without many pictures, carvings, decorations and distractions. The more enclosed the place is - with all due regards to fresh air - the better, compared with open space, trees and gardens. Even if some may differ with me, but I say this based upon experience not from abstract thinking. The atmosphere for light reading is different from the atmosphere for focused memorization, as wide spaces, sceneries and trees distract the mind and focus. Whatever is suitable for light reading is not needed for genuine work and focus, as mentioned in rule 4.
v. Face the Qibla - (direction of prayer towards Mecca) and sit in a state of submission, tranquility and respect.
3. [“Warm up”]
Begin the “warm up” process (for want of a better expression). It is the preparation where you read a few pages of the Quran before starting the memorization process, whether from memory or looking.
Recite nicely, listening to yourself without haste or delay.
This is a fundamental component in preparing the self. You will find many successful memorization teachers do not allow the student to memorize before getting them to revise the previous session and letting the sheikh hear. This is to prepare him psychologically and spiritually for memorization, whilst the student may be totally unaware of the teacher's aim.
4. [Be controlled in recitation]
Beware of your voice’s beauty from distracting you at this point. The sweetness of your tone encompasses you in the atmosphere of chanting. So you start thinking that you’re so-and-so, the famous reciter, then you assume his persona and start to recite with deliberation and perfecting the letters. You repeat it and recite it again like some of the reciters. Perhaps it all goes over the top and you bring out a microphone and recording equipment. Time will pass by whilst you are unaware, and you become like that young man who really wanted to memorize the Quran but every time he sat down to memorize he opened the Quran at 7-rah Y-suf and began to chant it until the time passed him by and he memorized absolutely nothing.
5. [“Feel that urge…”]
About 10-15 minutes of the warm up exercise and personal preparation you will feel a strong desire in yourself to memorize, with that it is possible for you to start with a new page you want to memorize.
6. [Focus]
Here begins an important stage, you really have to doubly focus on the verses. Imagine that your eye is a camera lens, and that you want to film the page with sound and image. Be careful not to shake the camera.
7. [“Action!”]
Open your eyes well. Free your mind from any distraction. Read by looking at the first verse at the top of the page in an audible voice with tajw5d [the correct rules of recitation]. Read correctly with concentration. Lets use an as example His statement, the Most High:
سيقول السفهاء من الناس ما ولاهم عن قبلتهم التي كانوا عليها قل لله المشرق والمغرب يهدي من يشاء إلى صراط مستقيم
The fools among the people will say, "What has turned them from their prayer direction to which they were used to face in prayer." Say, "To Allah belong both, east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a Straight Way.” [2:142]
Read three or more times until your mind takes it all in, then close your eyes and picture in your mind the places of the words and read them. If you succeed in reading them completely without any mistake, don’t get excited but instead repeat two, three or five times.
8. [Repeat]
Then open your eyes a second time. Read the same verse from the book to confirm the correctness of your memorization. If you are certain that you’ve memorized it correctly, don’t get excited. Instead close your eyes and read another time. With this you have chiseled in your mind an engraving that is impossible to disappear with the permission of Allah, the Most High. Try the steps carefully, you will definitely find this approach sound.
Note: During the process of recall and repetition, be careful not to divert your gaze to the things around you such as written notices distributed upon walls, posters, artwork, or décor. Do not follow a whirling fan. Do not be concerned about the type of furniture or coverings you’re sitting on. Be careful of excessively looking out of the windows, perhaps your eyes will chance upon something that will not please you, or perhaps you will be distracted by the scene of people in the street, or the scene of cars as happens to students during their revision for their exams. One of them stands at the window with the excuse of getting fresh air, then there he takes a census of cars based upon make and model, and in this manner time passes him and is wasted whilst he hasn’t benefited a single thing.
You have no business with these distractions, my brother. You have put yourself forward as someone from the people of the Quran and from its memorizers, and that requires motivation, perseverance, focus and an absence of distractions.
9. [Next verse]
After that move to the verse immediately following it:
…وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطا
Thus we have made you a middle nation…[2:143]
and begin with the same steps we outlined with the previous verse. If you think the verse is long, then divide it into several parts corresponding to correct and sound stops and normal meanings. Then repeat and repeat many times until it is engraved deeply in your memory.
10. [Connection process]
Begin now with the connection process which I mentioned in the eighth rule of memorization. That is by opening the book and focusing on the last part of the first verse - for example - إلى صراط مستقيم …and read it with an audible voice then connect it quickly without any stop with the first part of the second verse وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطا. Repeat this process many times but no less than five times.
After reading these steps - if you like them - begin implementing them straight away and record in a special notebook the date of beginning memorization. Contact someone you love and trust, and then tell them that you have found a technique in memorizing the Quran that you began applying today, so that you can be someone who guides to good.
One of the benefits of contacting someone like this is that it will be an encouragement for you in memorization and continuation, as it reflects an increased conviction in oneself with what you’ve read.
This is what is confirmed in psychology, if a person does something and he convinces someone else about it, then it is like taking a firm stance without retracting from it and his behavior increases his conviction in what he does.
It is possible to summarize this method in the following steps:-
1.Personal composure
2.Warm up
3.Concentration
4.Repetition
5.Connecting
Result = a strong memorization with the best method.
Source: Kayfa Tahfaz al-Qur`aan al-Kareem (“How to Memorise the Noble Quran”)
SOURCE: http://talk.islamicnetwork.com/showthread.php?t=5643
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Muhammad AlShareef: Quick Tips to Help in Quran Memorisation
1. You absolutely must have a teacher. Do NOT memorize on your own. You must have a teacher who you respect and whom you fear. Don't ask "how" to memorize the Qur`ân. Ask where you can find the best teacher. The teacher will then guide you on the "how."
2. Distractions. In memorizing the Qur`ân, you must free your mind and environment of distractions. Imagine trying to memorize at a football game? Tough, huh? How about a theme park, could you sit down and control yourself to memorize? Probably not. Getting into a Qur`ân Hifdh program with a teacher and discipline will assist you in creating the perfect atmosphere for memorization.
3. Memorize through Audio. A lot of people think they are memorizing the "look" of the Mushaf, but actually you are memorizing the "sound" of Ayat. When I review, I record my recitation on CD and listen to it again and again. The students that read the loudest in class are all the strongest students. Why? Because they can hear themselves the most?
When I was in Qur`ân school, the boy beside me read so loud. I asked the teacher to ask him to read more quietly. He said a most powerful statement that became my motto: "No, you read louder" I did and it benefited me unbelievably.
4. Location of the Mushaf. Your eyes follow a specific direction depending on what you are thinking or doing. If you are lying, your eyes go left. If you are remembering something visual, like where you left your keys, your eyes will look upwards.
When you memorize, the direction of memorization is right and left, not downwards. The mistake I see people make is that they put their mushaf low on the ground and then try to memorize. In order to fully harness the power of your mind, you must keep the mushaf at eye level, and not dip your head..
5. Eat brain food. We've all heard the advice of uncles that you have to eat Badams (almonds) to improve memory. Well, I'm here to tell you that the uncles were right! The food you eat, the drinks you drink, directly affect your ability to excel in memorization of the Qur`ân.
Do not eat fatty, unhealthy food. Do not drink soda. Eat a nutritious light breakfast, a nutritious light lunch, with almonds for snacks during the day. Subhan Allah, you will find you accomplish much more in your day.
6. Make everyday a victory. You can move a mountain rock by rock. Enjoy every page you memorize, every Ayah.
I am often asked about my secret to memorizing the Qur`ân. They are expecting me to teach them a special "south-beach-hifdh-diet" or something. (I call it tip shopping, they are expecting a specific tip). I say again and again, there is no doubt that there are three ingredients. If you have these three ingredients, you will accomplish what you set out for:1. Dua, supplication (you must always reflect your desire to Allah).
2. Sabr, patience (it will be a testing path, fill your bags with Sabr powerbars).
3. Taqwa, protecting yourself from sin.
If you do not remember anything from this article except these three ingredients (DST: Dua, Sabr, Taqwa - DST) then, bi idhnillah, it will suffice.
SOURCE: http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=1482
*********************************************************************************
The Best Way to Memorise the Noble Quran according to my Personal Experience
By Dr. Yahya al-Ghouthani, Jeddah (world leading Quranic recitation authority)
Translated by Abu Muqatil - may Allah be forgiving to him and his parents
In light of the principles which have passed us by in the previous section, I say to whoever wants to memorize a page from the Noble Quran from any chapter that I hope that you will stay with me so we can read the following steps together at ease paving the way to apply it precisely.
1. [Obtain a good mus-haf ]
Try to obtain a good copy of the Quran whose size is according to your need and never ever replace it so that you will be strong in memorising the parts of the pages and the lines. The mus-haf al-huffaaz (the memorisers’ codex) [i.e. the text of the popular green edition from Madina written by the world famous calligrapher, Ta Ha Uthman] is preferred which starts with the verse at the start of the page and finishes with the last verse, and it is divided up well, whereby the Quran being thirty juz` (parts), every juz` has 20 pages and every page has 25 lines. The King Fahd organization in Medina al-Munawwarah has built a printer for this copy and I advice getting it as it is the most accurate contemporary print.
2. [Set the scene]
Setting the scene for memorization according to the following:-
i. Self-composure - Have the correct intention in mind and a desire for reward from Allah
ii. Wudoo` (ablution) and complete purity - Do not take the easy option of those who give a fatwa (legal edict) for its opposite as that goes against what befits high regard of the Speech of Allah and good manners with it.
iii. [Comfortable setting] - Sitting in a place where you feel at ease, and there is no more sacred place than the mosque.
iv. [Free of distractions] - It is preferred that it is a place without many pictures, carvings, decorations and distractions. The more enclosed the place is - with all due regards to fresh air - the better, compared with open space, trees and gardens. Even if some may differ with me, but I say this based upon experience not from abstract thinking. The atmosphere for light reading is different from the atmosphere for focused memorization, as wide spaces, sceneries and trees distract the mind and focus. Whatever is suitable for light reading is not needed for genuine work and focus, as mentioned in rule 4.
v. Face the Qibla - (direction of prayer towards Mecca) and sit in a state of submission, tranquility and respect.
3. [“Warm up”]
Begin the “warm up” process (for want of a better expression). It is the preparation where you read a few pages of the Quran before starting the memorization process, whether from memory or looking.
Recite nicely, listening to yourself without haste or delay.
This is a fundamental component in preparing the self. You will find many successful memorization teachers do not allow the student to memorize before getting them to revise the previous session and letting the sheikh hear. This is to prepare him psychologically and spiritually for memorization, whilst the student may be totally unaware of the teacher's aim.
4. [Be controlled in recitation]
Beware of your voice’s beauty from distracting you at this point. The sweetness of your tone encompasses you in the atmosphere of chanting. So you start thinking that you’re so-and-so, the famous reciter, then you assume his persona and start to recite with deliberation and perfecting the letters. You repeat it and recite it again like some of the reciters. Perhaps it all goes over the top and you bring out a microphone and recording equipment. Time will pass by whilst you are unaware, and you become like that young man who really wanted to memorize the Quran but every time he sat down to memorize he opened the Quran at 7-rah Y-suf and began to chant it until the time passed him by and he memorized absolutely nothing.
5. [“Feel that urge…”]
About 10-15 minutes of the warm up exercise and personal preparation you will feel a strong desire in yourself to memorize, with that it is possible for you to start with a new page you want to memorize.
6. [Focus]
Here begins an important stage, you really have to doubly focus on the verses. Imagine that your eye is a camera lens, and that you want to film the page with sound and image. Be careful not to shake the camera.
7. [“Action!”]
Open your eyes well. Free your mind from any distraction. Read by looking at the first verse at the top of the page in an audible voice with tajw5d [the correct rules of recitation]. Read correctly with concentration. Lets use an as example His statement, the Most High:
سيقول السفهاء من الناس ما ولاهم عن قبلتهم التي كانوا عليها قل لله المشرق والمغرب يهدي من يشاء إلى صراط مستقيم
The fools among the people will say, "What has turned them from their prayer direction to which they were used to face in prayer." Say, "To Allah belong both, east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a Straight Way.” [2:142]
Read three or more times until your mind takes it all in, then close your eyes and picture in your mind the places of the words and read them. If you succeed in reading them completely without any mistake, don’t get excited but instead repeat two, three or five times.
8. [Repeat]
Then open your eyes a second time. Read the same verse from the book to confirm the correctness of your memorization. If you are certain that you’ve memorized it correctly, don’t get excited. Instead close your eyes and read another time. With this you have chiseled in your mind an engraving that is impossible to disappear with the permission of Allah, the Most High. Try the steps carefully, you will definitely find this approach sound.
Note: During the process of recall and repetition, be careful not to divert your gaze to the things around you such as written notices distributed upon walls, posters, artwork, or décor. Do not follow a whirling fan. Do not be concerned about the type of furniture or coverings you’re sitting on. Be careful of excessively looking out of the windows, perhaps your eyes will chance upon something that will not please you, or perhaps you will be distracted by the scene of people in the street, or the scene of cars as happens to students during their revision for their exams. One of them stands at the window with the excuse of getting fresh air, then there he takes a census of cars based upon make and model, and in this manner time passes him and is wasted whilst he hasn’t benefited a single thing.
You have no business with these distractions, my brother. You have put yourself forward as someone from the people of the Quran and from its memorizers, and that requires motivation, perseverance, focus and an absence of distractions.
9. [Next verse]
After that move to the verse immediately following it:
…وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطا
Thus we have made you a middle nation…[2:143]
and begin with the same steps we outlined with the previous verse. If you think the verse is long, then divide it into several parts corresponding to correct and sound stops and normal meanings. Then repeat and repeat many times until it is engraved deeply in your memory.
10. [Connection process]
Begin now with the connection process which I mentioned in the eighth rule of memorization. That is by opening the book and focusing on the last part of the first verse - for example - إلى صراط مستقيم …and read it with an audible voice then connect it quickly without any stop with the first part of the second verse وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطا. Repeat this process many times but no less than five times.
After reading these steps - if you like them - begin implementing them straight away and record in a special notebook the date of beginning memorization. Contact someone you love and trust, and then tell them that you have found a technique in memorizing the Quran that you began applying today, so that you can be someone who guides to good.
One of the benefits of contacting someone like this is that it will be an encouragement for you in memorization and continuation, as it reflects an increased conviction in oneself with what you’ve read.
This is what is confirmed in psychology, if a person does something and he convinces someone else about it, then it is like taking a firm stance without retracting from it and his behavior increases his conviction in what he does.
It is possible to summarize this method in the following steps:-
1.Personal composure
2.Warm up
3.Concentration
4.Repetition
5.Connecting
Result = a strong memorization with the best method.
Source: Kayfa Tahfaz al-Qur`aan al-Kareem (“How to Memorise the Noble Quran”)
SOURCE: http://talk.islamicnetwork.com/showthread.php?t=5643
*********************************************************************************
Muhammad AlShareef: Quick Tips to Help in Quran Memorisation
1. You absolutely must have a teacher. Do NOT memorize on your own. You must have a teacher who you respect and whom you fear. Don't ask "how" to memorize the Qur`ân. Ask where you can find the best teacher. The teacher will then guide you on the "how."
2. Distractions. In memorizing the Qur`ân, you must free your mind and environment of distractions. Imagine trying to memorize at a football game? Tough, huh? How about a theme park, could you sit down and control yourself to memorize? Probably not. Getting into a Qur`ân Hifdh program with a teacher and discipline will assist you in creating the perfect atmosphere for memorization.
3. Memorize through Audio. A lot of people think they are memorizing the "look" of the Mushaf, but actually you are memorizing the "sound" of Ayat. When I review, I record my recitation on CD and listen to it again and again. The students that read the loudest in class are all the strongest students. Why? Because they can hear themselves the most?
When I was in Qur`ân school, the boy beside me read so loud. I asked the teacher to ask him to read more quietly. He said a most powerful statement that became my motto: "No, you read louder" I did and it benefited me unbelievably.
4. Location of the Mushaf. Your eyes follow a specific direction depending on what you are thinking or doing. If you are lying, your eyes go left. If you are remembering something visual, like where you left your keys, your eyes will look upwards.
When you memorize, the direction of memorization is right and left, not downwards. The mistake I see people make is that they put their mushaf low on the ground and then try to memorize. In order to fully harness the power of your mind, you must keep the mushaf at eye level, and not dip your head..
5. Eat brain food. We've all heard the advice of uncles that you have to eat Badams (almonds) to improve memory. Well, I'm here to tell you that the uncles were right! The food you eat, the drinks you drink, directly affect your ability to excel in memorization of the Qur`ân.
Do not eat fatty, unhealthy food. Do not drink soda. Eat a nutritious light breakfast, a nutritious light lunch, with almonds for snacks during the day. Subhan Allah, you will find you accomplish much more in your day.
6. Make everyday a victory. You can move a mountain rock by rock. Enjoy every page you memorize, every Ayah.
I am often asked about my secret to memorizing the Qur`ân. They are expecting me to teach them a special "south-beach-hifdh-diet" or something. (I call it tip shopping, they are expecting a specific tip). I say again and again, there is no doubt that there are three ingredients. If you have these three ingredients, you will accomplish what you set out for:1. Dua, supplication (you must always reflect your desire to Allah).
2. Sabr, patience (it will be a testing path, fill your bags with Sabr powerbars).
3. Taqwa, protecting yourself from sin.
If you do not remember anything from this article except these three ingredients (DST: Dua, Sabr, Taqwa - DST) then, bi idhnillah, it will suffice.
SOURCE: http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=1482