The following are some important and necessary guidelines which, if taken seriously, will hopefully ease the memorization of the Qur’an:
1) Your intention should be pure that is your memorization of the Qur’an should solely be for the sake of Allah, the Most High.
2) choose an Allah-fearing, proficient and righteous Qur’an teacher, who has memorized the entire Qur’an and knows to recite it with accurate tajweed. This is the successful way, which has been divinely prescribed for us.
Allah, the Most High, said to His Prophet: “And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are receiving the Quran from the One, All-Wise, All-Knowing.” (Surah Naml: 6)
Meaning: it is being given to you through revelation from Allah, the Most Exalted. The receiver here is Allah’s Messenger (sallahu alahi wassalam) and the one who it is being received from is Allah, with Angel Jibreel as the intermediary. Allah stated: “And when We have recited it to you (O Muhammad), then follow his recital”
Meaning: if our messenger and the ambassador of our revelation (jibreel) recites it to you (then follow his recital). This verse implies the significance of the teacher from whom a person learns the recitation of the Qur’an.
Furthermore, Allah said, “Indeed you are receiving the Qur’an from the One who is All-Wise and All-Knowing”, even though the Prophet (sallahu alahi wassalam) was not receiving the Qur’an directly from Allah, but through an intermediary. This is the beginning of the chain of recitation and narration. So, the learning of the Qur’an is based on the chain of narration. The beginning of the chain goes back to the Lord of creation. The Qur’an was first received by the trustworthy messenger, Jibreel, who heard it from the Lord of the creation. Jibreel, the strong and trustworthy, and the most accurate with regards to the revelation, was the messenger between Allah and His prophets. Then, Allah’s Messenger (sallahu alahi wassalam) received the Qur’an from Jibreel, memorized it by heart, and perfected its recitation.
The Prophet (sallahu alahi wassalam) was reported to have said: “Learn the Qur’an from four people: ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood, Saalim the slave of Abee Hudhayfah, Mu’adh ibn Jabal, and Ubayy ibn ka’b.” (Sahih bukhari)
This hadith shows the legitimacy of carefully selecting the most proficient reciters from the People of the Qur’an in order to learn from them. Thus, the Qur’an is not to be learned from just anybody, rather it is learned through the oral recitation and instruction of the Qur’an teachers. To whom was the Prophet (sallahu alahi wassalam) directing his instruction “Learn the Qur’an from four people”? He was speaking to the Companions, who were the most fluent and eloquent Arabic speakers of this nation.
Despite this, the Prophet (sallahu alahi wassalam) did not allow them to depend on their eloquence, rather, he ordered them to learn through oral instruction. This is because the Qur’an is recited in a very specific and fixed way, with no room for personal deduction. So even the first generation of Muslims, the most eloquent of Arabs, was not allowed to recite it in whichever way their tongues desired”
So, it is now apparent that the recitation of the Glorious Qur’an cannot be learned from the mus-haf, because the mus-haf cannot demonstrate to you how to recite. It can only be learned through hearing. The same applies to computer programs and cassette tapes: they do not have the ability to correct the mistakes of the student. Also, tajweed rules are theoretical and one cannot learn their real meanings and application unless they learn it through oral instruction from a Qur’an teacher, who learned it through the same way from his teacher, and so on.
Experience has shown that memorization of the Glorious Qur’an is based on two fundamental pillars: the student who recites and memorizes, and the teacher who listens to the student’s recitation and corrects his mistakes. When mentioning the etiquettes of the student of the Qur’an, Imam an-Nawawee also described the traits of the teacher from whom the student should learn. He said, “It is important that he does not learn except from one who is fully qualified, well-known for his adherence to Islam, his proficiency and knowledge, and his retention. Muhammad ibn Sirin, Maalik ibn Anas and other scholars from the Pious Predecessors used to say, “This knowledge is your religion, so carefully consider the one from whom you learn your religion.” Additionally, Imam Ibn Jamaa’ah said, “The student is expected to carefully consider and pray istikhaarah to Allah regarding the person from whom he will learn (religious) knowledge and gain good manners and etiquettes.”
3) Maintain the best of character and exceptional manners with all, especially with your Qur’an teacher. This is one of the greatest factors of success in studying Islamic knowledge, generally, and in memorizing, the Qur’an, specifically.
4) Let your Qur’an teacher feel your determination and keenness in learning and memorizing the Book of Allah.
5) Be particular regarding punctual arrival, such that you arrive to class before your teacher does. Also be meticulous in how you look when coming to class, ensuring that you come in a complete state of purity and cleanliness in your body and clothes.
6) Always practice the etiquette of being a good listener and avoid king distracted and moving around needlessly in class.
7) Seek permission from your teacher when you want to leave and give him salaams upon arrival and departure.
8) Stay far away from backbiting and concerning yourself with the faults and mistakes of your Qur’an teacher or classmates.
9) Always bear in mind that simply memorizing the Qur’an, without acting upon it, is not enough. Acting according to the Qur’an’s teachings is more important than memorizing it. Allah stated: “Those to whom We gave the Book recite it as it should be recited.” Mujahid explained the meaning of this ayah, saying “They act upon it as it should be acted upon.”
10) Protect and respect your mus-haf, for it contains the words of Allah, the Most Exalted, which you are memorizing. Do not hold it or place it down carelessly. Be sure to avoid putting it in places that are not befitting for it and to protect it from any damage. Doing so is a way of honoring the symbols of Allah. Allah said in this regard:
“And whoever honors the symbols of Allah, then it is truly from the heart’s piety.”
11) Take advantage of your youth to complete the memorization of the Qur’an. It is the most ideal time in your life for memorization due to the fact that your mind is still free of -distractions and your responsibilities are few. This, however, does not mean that learning and memorizing the Qur’an is impossible for those who have passed this stage. Even an older person can accomplish this, but with greater effort. I have encountered a number of people who have memorized the Qur’an after the age of thirty or even forty, and all praise is due to Allah.
12) Do not get too preoccupied to recite and review the Qur’an, because (the more you recite, study, and review it, the stronger your memorization will become. The example of one of the scholars from the Pious Predecessors clearly demonstrates this. Abu ‘Abdillaah ibn Bishr al-Qataan said about Imam Abu Sahl ibn Ziyaad, a scholar of hadith in Iraq.” “I have never seen anyone who could extract a Qur’anic ayah as quickly as Abu Sahl ibn Ziyaad could. He was consistent in his night prayers and recitation. Due to his abundant studying of the Qur’an, it was as though the Qur’an was always in front of his eyes.
13) Forgetting what one has memorized from the Glorious Qur’an is unpraiseworthy. There are many ahaadith of the Prophet (sallahu alahi wassalam), as well as statements of the Pious Predecessors, which have been narrated in this regard.
14) Furthermore, let your teaching of the Qur’an be solely for the sake of Allah, and without compensation, if possible, especially if you are financially at ease.
15) Finally, never forget the contribution of your Qur’an teachers and your parents as long as you live. Work hard to try and return the good that they gave you with even more good. Be gentle, humble and kind with them. Always pray that they achieve their wishes and desires and that their status is elevated. These acts are a demonstration of loyalty and good manners, both of which are qualities we are ordered to adorn ourselves with. You will definitely see the fruits of this in this life as well as in the Hereafter. Allah, Most High, will bless you in your knowledge and your deeds. Also, He will cause the ummah to benefit from you and will grant you the success of achieving all types of good. He will then accept it all from you – all by His permission.
May Allah make Qur’an memorization easy for you! Ameen!!