It is necessary that parents teach their children during their early childhood years.
This is the time when the child looks up to his parents, and they can easily guide him due to his full attachment to them. Also, this is the time when the child’s memory is strong and his mind is pure. The child is mentally prepared to receive and memorize whatever knowledge he is taught. As old saying states “Memorizing while young is like carving into a rock.” That which is carved into a rock cannot easily be removed; rather, it remains as the years pass.
Likewise, the memorization of one who memorized in his younger years will remain strong for a long time, especially if it is supported with consistent and structured review. Memorization of the Qur’an and learning its proper recitation during one’s childhood is a blessed and successful method that was commonly practiced by the Pious Predecessors of this ummah.
Al-Waleed ibn Muslim30 said, “When we used to sit in al-Awzaa’ee’s circle and he would see a new young boy with us, he would ask him, ‘0 young boy, did you memorize the Qur’an?’ If he said ‘Yes’, al-Awzaa’ee would say, ‘Then read from the following verse: “Allah instructs you concerning (the inheritance rights of) your children …”
If he said, ‘No’, al-Awzaa’ee would tell him, ‘Go and memorize the Qur’an first before you seek knowledge.”
Our Pious Predecessors who memorized the Qur’an at a young age are too many to count. Imam Ibn al-Jazaree'” (may Allah have mercy on him), one of the leading scholars of Qur’an, described one of those great scholars as follows:
“He is Zayd ibn al-Hasan ibn Zayd, the scholar, Taajud-Deen, Abu al-Yumn al Kindee AI-Baghdaadee. He was a merchant, a scholar and teacher of Qur’an, a grammarian, a linguist, a scholar of eloquence, and a Hancifee.
He lived in Damascus and was born in Baghdad in the month of Sha’baan, 520 AH. He completed memorizing the entire Qur’an through oral repetition, under the guidance of al-Khayyaar’s grandchild, at around the age of seven, which is amazing.
Even more amazing is the fact that he completed the study of the ten modes of recitation of the Qur’an when he was only ten. It is not known that anyone before him was able to accomplish this task at such a young age.
Yet even more amazing is that he lived a long life and had the shortest chain of narration in Qur’an and hadeeth. He lived after memorizing the ten modes of recitation for another eighty-three years. We do not know of this happening to anyone in the history of Islam.” [Ghaayat an-Nihaayah, vol 1, p 297]
This great gift (of memorizing Qur’an in childhood) has been passed down from generation to generation as an honor from Allah to this blessed ummah. We witnessed children, including non-Arabic speakers, who memorized the entire Qur’an by the age of ten. This is a great bounty from Allah which He bestows upon whom He wills and Allah is of great bounty.
In our opinion, the best age for the child to begin memorizing the Qur’an is, at the latest, three years before puberty. This is because the closer the child is to the age of puberty, the more his scope of interests widens, which may then weaken his determination and desire to memorize the Qur’an.
If it is possible for the child to start memorizing at the age of five, then this would be ideal. This will help the child attain proper pronunciation from the very beginning of his studies.
In addition, his heart will be filled with light when Allah’s words are the first words of knowledge that enter into his heart. We are sure that the greatness of such a wonderful blessing is apparent to intelligent readers like you.
Before starting, it is important to persuade the child to study and memorize the Qur’an, so that he does so willingly and lovingly, without being forced. This is because children differ in their intelligence levels, mental capacities, and ways of thinking.
It is narrated that Ibraaheem an-Nakha’ee said regarding the Pious Predecessors, “They used to dislike teaching their children until they were able to understand.” This is because the child may not be able to bear such a task and he may get bored of it. He may end up disrespecting the Qur’an without even realizing it. And Allah knows best.