" And when My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I respond to the dua (prayer) of every suppliant when they calleth on Me " [ Quran 2:186 ]
1. Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come and keep us safe from the torment of the Fire (2:201)
2. Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance and make our foothold sure and give us help against those who reject faith. (2:250)
3. Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or fall into error. (2:286)
4. Our Lord! Lay not upon us such a burden as You did lay upon those before us. (2:286)
5. Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear, grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us. You are our Protector. Help us against those who deny the truth. (2:286)
6. Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after selves, and unless You grant us forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we shall most certainly be lost! (7:23)
13. Our Lord! Place us not among the people who have been guilty of evildoing. (7:47)
14. Our Lord! Lay open the truth between us and our people, for You are the best of all to lay open the truth. (7:89)
15. Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy, and make us die as those who have surrendered themselves unto You. (7:126)
16. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the evildoing folk, and save as by Your mercy from people who deny the truth (10:85-86)
17. Our Lord! You truly know all that we may hide [in our hearts] as well as all that we bring into the open, for nothing whatever, be it on earth or in heaven, remains hidden from Allah (14:38)
18. Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Your presence and dispose of our affairs for us in the right way. (18:10) & (59:10)
19. Our Lord! In You we have placed our trust, and to You do we turn in repentance, for unto You is the end of all journeys. (60:4)
20. Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for verily You have power over all things. (66:8)
21. Surah Al-An'am 6.162: Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists). Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for verily
You have power over all things. (66:8)
22. Surah Al-An'am 6.162: Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).
Thursday, 17 November 2011
SUBMIT, or else!
I am sometimes overwhelmed with a great dread when I look at the Ummah. I have worked in educating Muslims, young and old. And there are so many I can find who can recite verse after verse, quote narration after narration, and talk on scholars opinions for hours. But, so many of them lack the one true quality that will make it all worth while. What is it? ....
SUBMISSION!
Just to illustrate, let us consider a verse I am particulary enamored with lately.
God says what means, " He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Wisdom. And verily, they had been before in manifest error." [ AlJumu'ah 62: 2 ]
The word used here for reciting is 'yatlu'. Its construct as a noun would be 'tilaawah', a very familiar term to those accustomed to listening to Qur'aan. Now, this term is invariably translated as 'reciting', but I will attempt to show how that is a very limited meaning.
Elsewhere in the Qur'aan, God seeks to explain what 'tilaawah' is. He says, what means, "Those to whom We gave the Book recite it as it should be recited they are the ones who believe therein. And whoso disbelieve in it, those are they who are the losers." (AlBaqarah 2: 121) Now again the word used for recite is from the form of 'tilaawah'. As the verse indicates, these fortunate people 'recite it as it should be recited'. What does this mean?
If we look into the commentary of Ibn Katheer, we find some very interesting explanation. The Prophet (God's prayers and peace be upon him) is recorded as saying, ". . . follow it as it should be followed . . ." (AlQurtubee). Now, admittedly, this narration has a weak chain, but AlQurtubee states that its meaning is sound. In support of this, Ibn Katheer quotes more than one Companion who said exactly the same thing in explaining this verse. The word our Prophet (God's prayers and peace be upon him) used was 'Ittiba`'. If we look into this word a little we find some illuminating things.
'Ittiba`' means adherence to and compliance with something. The root of the word carries the additional meaning of being subordinate to something. So this is the way we should approach the Qur'aan. We should adhere to it, comply with it, and be subordinate to it; ACTING on its commandments, and BELIEVING in its ambiguous texts, as AlHassan AlBasree said.
Read: SUBMIT TO IT!
This quality should be nutured in all of us, young and old, first. With this submission in place, a little or a lot of knowledge will not matter as much. You will submit to whatever you learn readily. As God indicated in the verse we quoted at the beginning, this was the FIRST stage of the Prophet's (God's peace and blessings be upon him) mission. Yet we seem to be missing this in so many of our lives and much of our world. Through this submission, we are exalted. Consider what Imaam Malik recorded one of the Companions, "Sadaqah does not decrease property, and God only increases a slave in worth for his restraint, and no slave is humble but that God raises him."
So it is by this that honor is found. By being humble (for God's sake) and submitting ourselves WILLILNGLY to God, in this is our success. Consider the very name of our Way of Life, AlIslaam. It is derived from a word that connotes submission. Everywhere you look in our Way of Life you will find it, so why do we run from it?
I have written this not to show case my knowledge, for how could I show what I do not have, or to advise the Ummah (alone). By far, I am in need of this advice as much and even more than most of you. So please, take it as a serious attempt at trying to fulfill my obligations of advising the Muslims, myself included.
"The Way of Life is giving good counsel".
Article written by : Sa'eed R. Purcell, USA
SUBMISSION!
Just to illustrate, let us consider a verse I am particulary enamored with lately.
God says what means, " He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Wisdom. And verily, they had been before in manifest error." [ AlJumu'ah 62: 2 ]
The word used here for reciting is 'yatlu'. Its construct as a noun would be 'tilaawah', a very familiar term to those accustomed to listening to Qur'aan. Now, this term is invariably translated as 'reciting', but I will attempt to show how that is a very limited meaning.
Elsewhere in the Qur'aan, God seeks to explain what 'tilaawah' is. He says, what means, "Those to whom We gave the Book recite it as it should be recited they are the ones who believe therein. And whoso disbelieve in it, those are they who are the losers." (AlBaqarah 2: 121) Now again the word used for recite is from the form of 'tilaawah'. As the verse indicates, these fortunate people 'recite it as it should be recited'. What does this mean?
If we look into the commentary of Ibn Katheer, we find some very interesting explanation. The Prophet (God's prayers and peace be upon him) is recorded as saying, ". . . follow it as it should be followed . . ." (AlQurtubee). Now, admittedly, this narration has a weak chain, but AlQurtubee states that its meaning is sound. In support of this, Ibn Katheer quotes more than one Companion who said exactly the same thing in explaining this verse. The word our Prophet (God's prayers and peace be upon him) used was 'Ittiba`'. If we look into this word a little we find some illuminating things.
'Ittiba`' means adherence to and compliance with something. The root of the word carries the additional meaning of being subordinate to something. So this is the way we should approach the Qur'aan. We should adhere to it, comply with it, and be subordinate to it; ACTING on its commandments, and BELIEVING in its ambiguous texts, as AlHassan AlBasree said.
Read: SUBMIT TO IT!
This quality should be nutured in all of us, young and old, first. With this submission in place, a little or a lot of knowledge will not matter as much. You will submit to whatever you learn readily. As God indicated in the verse we quoted at the beginning, this was the FIRST stage of the Prophet's (God's peace and blessings be upon him) mission. Yet we seem to be missing this in so many of our lives and much of our world. Through this submission, we are exalted. Consider what Imaam Malik recorded one of the Companions, "Sadaqah does not decrease property, and God only increases a slave in worth for his restraint, and no slave is humble but that God raises him."
So it is by this that honor is found. By being humble (for God's sake) and submitting ourselves WILLILNGLY to God, in this is our success. Consider the very name of our Way of Life, AlIslaam. It is derived from a word that connotes submission. Everywhere you look in our Way of Life you will find it, so why do we run from it?
I have written this not to show case my knowledge, for how could I show what I do not have, or to advise the Ummah (alone). By far, I am in need of this advice as much and even more than most of you. So please, take it as a serious attempt at trying to fulfill my obligations of advising the Muslims, myself included.
"The Way of Life is giving good counsel".
Article written by : Sa'eed R. Purcell, USA
7 tips for improving your relationship with the Qur'an
Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Qur'an? Or do you read daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Qur'an.
1. Before you touch it, check your heart. The key to really benefiting from the Qur'an is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Qur'an": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Qur'an, he lived it.
2. Do your Wudu (ablution). Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.
3. Read only 5 minutes everyday. Too often, we think we should read Qur'an for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!
4. Make sure you understand what you've read. Five minutes of reading the Qur'an in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you're reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the Qur'an in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you've read that day.
5. Remember, the Qur'an is more interactive than a CD. In an age of "interactive" CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Qur'an is not like that. Remember that when you read Qur'an,you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.
6. Don't just read, listen too. There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Qur'an, a number of them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Qur'an reading, not as a replacement for it.
7. Make Dua (supplication). Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Qur'an. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
1. Before you touch it, check your heart. The key to really benefiting from the Qur'an is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Qur'an": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Qur'an, he lived it.
2. Do your Wudu (ablution). Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.
3. Read only 5 minutes everyday. Too often, we think we should read Qur'an for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!
4. Make sure you understand what you've read. Five minutes of reading the Qur'an in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you're reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the Qur'an in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you've read that day.
5. Remember, the Qur'an is more interactive than a CD. In an age of "interactive" CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Qur'an is not like that. Remember that when you read Qur'an,you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.
6. Don't just read, listen too. There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Qur'an, a number of them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Qur'an reading, not as a replacement for it.
7. Make Dua (supplication). Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Qur'an. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
The Qur'aan And What It Means To Muslims
Allah states: { And if anyone of the mushrikeen (polytheists) seeks your protection, then grant him protection, so that he may hear the word of Allah (the Qur’aan) }[Qur’aan 9:6]
The Qur’aan was brought down by Jibreel (Gabriel) to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and over a period of 23 years it was revealed in portions and piecemeal as circumstances warranted.
Allah states: { And truly this ( the Qur’aan) is a revelation from the Lord of the 'aalamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists ) which the trustworthy Ruh (Gabriel) has brought down }[Qur’aan 26: 192-193.]
And He said: { And those who disbelieved say: ‘Why is not the Qur’aan revealed to him all at once?’. Thus (it is sent down in parts ) that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages }(Qur’aan 25:32)
The Prophet peace be upon him would memorize the verses he received and recite them to the companions and ordered them to write them down immediately. Whatever those expert scribes and appointed recorders wrote was checked by the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) himself. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) had no formal schooling and he is referred to by Allah as being ummee or illiterate. This adds to the miraculous nature of the Qur’aan and the Prophet’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) own statements which could not have been uttered by one such as he without divine intervention.
The Qur’aan is the last of Allah’s scriptures divided into 114 Suwar (chapters) of unequal length. It starts with Surah Al-Faatiha (The Opening) and ends with Surah An-Nas (Mankind). It is one of the fundamental sources of Islamic teachings. It guards the previous revelations and reinforces the eternal truth of monotheism.
The Qur’aan stands today as it first came down and it always will be. To it there has never been any addition, from it there is no omission, and in it there has occurred no corruption.
Allah said: { Do they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully? Had it been from other than Allah they would surely have found therein much contradictions }[Qur’aan 4:82]
The Qur’aan was brought down by Jibreel (Gabriel) to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and over a period of 23 years it was revealed in portions and piecemeal as circumstances warranted.
Allah states: { And truly this ( the Qur’aan) is a revelation from the Lord of the 'aalamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists ) which the trustworthy Ruh (Gabriel) has brought down }[Qur’aan 26: 192-193.]
And He said: { And those who disbelieved say: ‘Why is not the Qur’aan revealed to him all at once?’. Thus (it is sent down in parts ) that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages }(Qur’aan 25:32)
The Prophet peace be upon him would memorize the verses he received and recite them to the companions and ordered them to write them down immediately. Whatever those expert scribes and appointed recorders wrote was checked by the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) himself. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) had no formal schooling and he is referred to by Allah as being ummee or illiterate. This adds to the miraculous nature of the Qur’aan and the Prophet’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) own statements which could not have been uttered by one such as he without divine intervention.
The Qur’aan is the last of Allah’s scriptures divided into 114 Suwar (chapters) of unequal length. It starts with Surah Al-Faatiha (The Opening) and ends with Surah An-Nas (Mankind). It is one of the fundamental sources of Islamic teachings. It guards the previous revelations and reinforces the eternal truth of monotheism.
The Qur’aan stands today as it first came down and it always will be. To it there has never been any addition, from it there is no omission, and in it there has occurred no corruption.
Allah said: { Do they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully? Had it been from other than Allah they would surely have found therein much contradictions }[Qur’aan 4:82]
The Holy Quran
As people would hesitate to travel without a map and guide book, so the Muslim carries with him/her the Qu'ran; their guidebook, manual and map, to take them safely through this life into success in the Hereafter.
Human beings left to themselves achieve as much greatness as the ancient empires that ended up by destroying themselves through disease, violence, oppression and war. Even in today's world, the people, who profess high technology and 'development', are destroying themselves through the dissolution of the family, hopelessness, depression, suicide, sexually transmitted diseases, which are the product of promiscuity, and an artificial approach to life that places importance on beauty and wealth and renders the poor, weak and un -beautiful of the world, completely without value, and with little hope.
Child pornography, prostitution, drug abuse, corruption, social inequality, monopolization of money and goods, and general godlessness, spell ruin to all those who are not a part of the elite few of the modern world, who own the banks, the multi national companies and the economic reins of power.
Historians agree that the best time to have been alive in the history of the world, is the 80 or so years since the advent of Muhammad (peace be upon him). They came to this conclusion by analyzing the factors of safety, justice, peace, equality and development. What was it that turned desert nomads into the position of deserving such a title? The simple answer, is that the revelation of the Qu'ran had a natural affect on the body, mind and spirit of individuals who submitted to the right of Allah, to be worshipped and obeyed.
The Qu'ran outlined the position of the human being before Allah, before fellow human beings and before the whole of creation. Through the guidance of the Qu'ran, the Muslim came to know what was expected of him/her by their Creator. They knew the rights of the people over them and even the rights of animals and nature. The Muslims came to know their tremendous responsibility to act as the viceregent of Allah on this earth; the caretaker of creation. Look around today, and notice the pollution of air, land and water, the injustices and oppression that is carried out daily in every country of the world and the monopolization of power in the hands of the unscrupulous few. The Qu'ran remains with us, as a blessing and source of guidance. However, if we continue to act against it, it will in turn be a witness against us on the Day when all humanity's deeds and misdeeds are opened; when the cries of the helpless and oppressed will ring out and the tyrants will be brought to justice.
The cure for the ills of the world, lies in our adherence to the morals, principles and laws of the Qu'ran. Surely, left to ourselves, we will destroy all that is around us.
Is it pride that prevents us from submitting to the Creator?
Or is it foolishness?
Contributed by : Velma Cook, Australia
Human beings left to themselves achieve as much greatness as the ancient empires that ended up by destroying themselves through disease, violence, oppression and war. Even in today's world, the people, who profess high technology and 'development', are destroying themselves through the dissolution of the family, hopelessness, depression, suicide, sexually transmitted diseases, which are the product of promiscuity, and an artificial approach to life that places importance on beauty and wealth and renders the poor, weak and un -beautiful of the world, completely without value, and with little hope.
Child pornography, prostitution, drug abuse, corruption, social inequality, monopolization of money and goods, and general godlessness, spell ruin to all those who are not a part of the elite few of the modern world, who own the banks, the multi national companies and the economic reins of power.
Historians agree that the best time to have been alive in the history of the world, is the 80 or so years since the advent of Muhammad (peace be upon him). They came to this conclusion by analyzing the factors of safety, justice, peace, equality and development. What was it that turned desert nomads into the position of deserving such a title? The simple answer, is that the revelation of the Qu'ran had a natural affect on the body, mind and spirit of individuals who submitted to the right of Allah, to be worshipped and obeyed.
The Qu'ran outlined the position of the human being before Allah, before fellow human beings and before the whole of creation. Through the guidance of the Qu'ran, the Muslim came to know what was expected of him/her by their Creator. They knew the rights of the people over them and even the rights of animals and nature. The Muslims came to know their tremendous responsibility to act as the viceregent of Allah on this earth; the caretaker of creation. Look around today, and notice the pollution of air, land and water, the injustices and oppression that is carried out daily in every country of the world and the monopolization of power in the hands of the unscrupulous few. The Qu'ran remains with us, as a blessing and source of guidance. However, if we continue to act against it, it will in turn be a witness against us on the Day when all humanity's deeds and misdeeds are opened; when the cries of the helpless and oppressed will ring out and the tyrants will be brought to justice.
The cure for the ills of the world, lies in our adherence to the morals, principles and laws of the Qu'ran. Surely, left to ourselves, we will destroy all that is around us.
Is it pride that prevents us from submitting to the Creator?
Or is it foolishness?
Contributed by : Velma Cook, Australia
7 Reasons to Read The Glorious Quran
- (1) Intimate:
It dares you to disprove it. How? It says that humans can not write a book like this even if they pooled all their resources together and got help also from the spirits. The Quran said this fourteen hundreds years ago and yet no one has been able to disprove it. Billions of books have been written - but not another one like the Quran.
- (2) Incorruptible: It is the only religious sacred writing which has been in circulation for such a long time and yet remains as pure as it was in the begining. The Quran was kept intact. Nothing was added to it; nothing was changed in it; and nothing was taken away from it ever since it was completely revealed 1400 years ago.
- (3) Unsurpassable:
The Quran is God's final revelation to humankind. God revealed the Torah to Moses, the Pslams to David, the Gospel to Jesus, and finally the Quran to Muhammad. Peace be upon all of them. No other book will come from God to surpass his final revelation.
- (4) Indisputable:
The Quran withstands the test of time and scrutiny. No one can dispute the truth of this book. It speaks about past history and turns out right. It speaks about the future in prophecies and it turns out right. IT mentions details of physical phenomena which were not known to people at the time; yet later scientific discoveries confirm that the Quran was right all along. Every other book needs to be revised to accord with modern knowledge. The Quran alone is never contracdicted by a modern discovery.
- (5) Your Roadmap for Life and Afterlife: The Quran is the best guidebook on how to structure your life. No other book presents such a comprehensive system involving all aspects of human life and endeavour. The Quran also points out the way to secure everlasting happiness in the afterlife. It is your roadmap showing how to get to paradise.
- (6) God's Gift of Guidance: God has not left you alone. You were made for a reason. God tells you why he made you, what he demands from you, and what he has in store for you. If you operate a machine contrary to it's manufacture specification you will ruin that machine. What about you? Do you have an owner's manual for you? The Quran is from your funtion for success lest you fail to function. It is a healing mercy from God. It satisfies the soul, and cleans the heart. It removes doubts and brings peace.
- (7) Your Calling Card to Communicate with God: Humans are social creatures. We love to communicate with other intelligent life. The Quran tells us how to communicate with the source of all intelligence and the source of all life- the One God. The Quran tells us who God is, by what name we should address God, and the way in which to communicate with God. Are these not seven sufficient reasons for reading the Quran?
Tips for Memorizing the Qur’an
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an (interpretation of the meaning): “Those who recite the Book of Allah, establish regular prayer, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for commerce that will never fail” (Fatir 35:29)
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As may Allah bless him reported: The Prophet peace be upon him said, "The one who was devoted to the Qur'an will be told on the Day of Resurrection: `Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.''' [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
This Hadith mentions the merit of those who memorize part or all of the Qur'an. Some scholars, in explaining this Hadith, have mentioned that the number of ranks (levels) in Paradise is equal to the number of ayahs in the Qur’an, and that a believer will rise one rank for each ayah that he or she memorizes.
In another Hadith, Othman ibn Affan may Allah bless him reported that the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said, "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.'' [Al-Bukhari].
In what follows we list a few hints regarding memorizing the Qur’an, some of which were presented to us by the knowledgeable Sh. Osama Abdul-Azeem of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As may Allah bless him reported: The Prophet peace be upon him said, "The one who was devoted to the Qur'an will be told on the Day of Resurrection: `Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.''' [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
This Hadith mentions the merit of those who memorize part or all of the Qur'an. Some scholars, in explaining this Hadith, have mentioned that the number of ranks (levels) in Paradise is equal to the number of ayahs in the Qur’an, and that a believer will rise one rank for each ayah that he or she memorizes.
In another Hadith, Othman ibn Affan may Allah bless him reported that the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said, "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.'' [Al-Bukhari].
In what follows we list a few hints regarding memorizing the Qur’an, some of which were presented to us by the knowledgeable Sh. Osama Abdul-Azeem of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.
- First, make sure to correct your tawbah (repentance to Allah), as sins do not leave any room for the Words of Allah. The Imam Al-Shafie has a famous verse of poetry in which he complained to his scholar about having difficulty in memorizing. His scholar advised him to abandon sins
- Have your intention ready, and bear in mind the reward and virtues of this great deed as mentioned in the Hadiths above. Ask Allah sincerely to assist you in accomplishing this.
- Dedicate a specific time each day (or every couple of days) for memorizing. This should be a time when you are not busy with other things.
- Use the same copy of the Qur’an each time. This is because your mind takes a ‘snapshot’ of the pages.
- Start with the surahs that are easiest to you. Many people recommend beginning with the last five juz’s (the 30th, then the 29th, and so on).
- Other surahs to begin with are those that you enjoy reciting most of all, and those that you frequently listen to and thus probably already know part of by heart.
- The younger you are, the easier it will be. As you grow older, you get busier and your capacity for memorizing decreases. However, it’s never too late in shaa Allah. If you haven’t memorized a lot during your childhood or teens, you can still catch up.
- After completing a couple of ayahs, recite them in the next nafl (voluntary prayer) that you pray. Alternatively, practice them with a friend or your spouse.
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