All praise is due to Allah, who has favored this Muslim ummah (nation) with the Glorious Qur’an. All praise is due to He who has taken it upon Himself to protect the Qur’an from the distortions and alterations of the wicked. Allah, the most High, said:
“Indeed We have sent down the Reminder (the Qur’an) and surely, We will protect it.” [Surat Al-hijr 15:9]
To preserve it, Allah selected a special group of His slaves and made their hearts carriers of His Glorious Book. Allah, Most Exalted, said:
“Then We caused Our chosen slaves to inherit the Book. Among them is he who wrongs himself, among them is he who is moderate, and (yet) among them is he who is foremost in good deeds, by Allah’s permission. That (inheritance) is truly a great bounty.” [Surat Faatir 35:32]
May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the best of mankind, the leader of all memorizers and reciters of the Qur’an, our Prophet and Messenger Muhammad, and on all of his family and companions. To proceed:
For several years, many authors have written books explaining the methods and produced practical guide on how to teach the memorization of Allah’s Book based their experiences in the field. The following points have been observed from their writings:
Firstly, Learning how to recite the Qur’an properly, as it was revealed, is obligatory upon every Muslim: old and young, male and female. However, memorizing the entire Qur’an is a communal obligation; that is, if enough individuals fulfill this obligation, it becomes a recommended act upon the rest of the community. [Sunan al-Qurraa wa Manaahij al-Mujawwideen, by Dr Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdul Fattaah Al Qaaree, P.110]
Secondly, Everything you read in a book is a summary of years of experience working in the field, free of theories unsupported by academic and practical experience.
Thirdly, the goal of these books are not to mention all the verses and hadeeths regarding the merit and importance of memorizing, reciting, learning, and teaching the Glorious Qur’an. Nor is it to write about the specific rules of Tajweed.
This is because the Islamic libraries, by Allah’s grace, are full of books that cover these topics in great detail. The sole goal of these books is to clarify the method of producing a generation who are carriers and masters of Allah’s Book, who recite it properly and beautifully, and who act upon it.
This generation, by Allah’s permission, will become the light of guidance for their brothers wherever they may reside, just like their Pious Predecessors were.
To show the great status of the Noble Qur’an, as well as the merit of those who recite and memorize it, it suffices to mention the saying of the Prophet (Pbuh) the leader of all huffaaz (those who memorized the whole Qur’an):
“The best of you is the one who learns the Qur’an and teaches it” [Sahih Bukhari]
This magnificent hadeeth was the greatest incentive for the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, to race to study, memorize, and teach the Glorious Qur’an. From then on, until this very day, the best of the Ummah continued to follow their example in this regard.
After narrating the above mentioned hadeeth, Imam Abu Abdir-Rahman as-Sulamee, may Allah have mercy on him, said “This hadeeth is what caused me to sit in this very seat.”
He meant his sitting in the Great Masjid of koofa (in Iraq) to teach the Qur’an, which he continued to do for over forty years, hoping to achieve this great merit. Amongst this great Imam’s students were the Prophet’s grandchildren; al Hasan and al Husayn, May Allah be pleased with them.
Due to the Quran’s superior status, the Prophet (pbuh) advised us to continuously recite it. He said:
“Recite the Qur’an, for it will intercede for its companions on the Day of Judgement. Recite (surat) al baqarah and Aal-Imran, for they are the ‘two shinning ones’. They will come on the Day of Resurrection in the form of two clouds pleading for their companion.” [Sahih Muslim]
Fourthly, When preparing to teach others to memorize the Qur’an, one must bear in mind that quality is more important than quantity. What it means is that a small group of well-taught, skilled and proficient huffaaz who understand the Qur’an and apply it, is more beneficial to the present day Muslim Ummah than a large group of “huffaaz” by name only.
Hence, we need to find the best, quickest and the most efficient way to memorize the Qur’an in our present day and age. Actually many methods exist in teaching the memorization of the Glorious Qur’an. All of them produce their fruit by Allah’s grace.
Fifthly, When a person memorizes the Qur’an, Allah will protect him, make him steadfast, and give him success in all his endeavors. The Muslim Ummah today, and at all times, is in need of spreading the Qur’an amongst its people, especially the youth and the educated.
The reason educated youth need to go for this is because it is common that most Muslim professional neglect the Qu’ran and its memorization, and the ones who usually memorize the Qur’an are the poor, uneducated, and low class of society.
The Qur’an should be for all people and not just a certain group. Secondly, because of the impact the educated can have on the society around them and the positive reformations that they are in a position to make.
Sixthly, Memorizing the Glorious Qur’an in actually an easy task if Allah wills to make it easy, regardless of the student’s language, race or nationality. Allah, the Most exalted, said, “And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy to remember, so is there anyone who will remember?” [Surat Al Qamar 54:17]
It has been narrated that Imaam Abu Waa’il Shaqeeq ibn Salamah al-Asdee al-Koofee, may Allah be pleased with him, memorized the Qur’an in two months.
In our times, we have seen large numbers of Muslim children in Saudi Arabia who have memorized the entire Qur’an at a very young age, including children who do not speak Arabic. Yet, their language barrier did not stop them from accomplishing this great task. Furthermore, many of these children were not even older than ten years of age.
The key to accomplishing this noble task, according to the proper method, is to purify one’s intentions and dedicate one’s actions solely to Allah, the Most High. This is because Allah does not bless or accept any action unless it is done sincerely for His sake.
Seventh, Accurate memorization of the Qur’an (in the case of children) is based on three fundamental pillars:
1- One or both parents
2-The child
3- The teacher