A Guide for Memorising the Noble Qur'aan

Before One Begins to Memorise

Whether memorising the Qur'aan or doing anything for Allah, a most important obligation is to purify the intention and correct the goal.

Thus, one's concern to memorise Qur'aan and preserve it must be secured for Allah, the Sublime and Exalted, for gaining His Paradise and attaining His Pleasure, and for acquiring the great rewards that are reserved for those who recite the Qur'aan and memorise it. Allah says (what means):

So worship Allah, making the Deen (religious deeds) sincerely for Him (alone). Indeed, to Allah the pure Deen is due.5

He also says (what means):

Say: I have been commanded to worship Allah making my actions sincerely for Him (alone).6

And the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

"Allah the Exalted said: Among all of the partners (claimed and worshipped by people), I am in least need of shirk (insincere deeds). Thus, he who does a deed for someone else's sake as well am Mine, I renounce him and his shirk."7

Therefore, there is no reward for the one who recites the Qur'aan or memorises it for people's sake: to show off and to be heard of. And the one who recites the Qur'aan seeking by that a worldly benefit or reward is greatly sinful.

2. Knowing the Greatness of the Book of Allaah

Among the matters which bring this about are:

1. Remembering that the greatness of the Qur'aan is taken from the greatness of Allaah. There is none greater than Allaah and so it follows that there are no words more great than His.

2. Knowing the matter for which the Qur'aan was revealed and this is the guidance of mankind to the truth and taking them out of the darknesses into the light. Allaah said:

This is the Book, wherein is no doubt. Guidance for those who have taqwa of Allaah.8

The month of Ramadan in which the Qur'aan was sent down as guidance for mankind, clear manifest proofs of guidance and a criterion (of truth)9

3. It is from the greatness of the Qur'aan that it was revealed in the greatest of months, the month of Ramadan.

And it is from the greatness of the Qur'aan that it was revealed in the greatest of nights, the Night of Qadr.

And it is from the greatness of the Qur'aan that it was revealed to the greatest of the Messengers, the Imaam of the Prophets and the Leader of all the sons of Aadam, Muhammad ibn Abdullaah.

And it is from the greatness of the Qur'aan that the best one among mankind is the one who learns it and teaches it to others as the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'aan and teaches it. "10

And Allaah the Exalted has described the Qur'aan with greatness (adhmah) when He said:

And We have given you the seven oft-recited verses and the Great Qur'aan.11

3. Knowing the Reasons Behind Reciting and Memorising the Qur'aan This occurs by the following matters:

1. Knowing the great reward that one receives and which has been reported in the authentic texts mentioned above.

2. Having the correct beliefs and ideas about Allaah, the creation and the purpose in this life, how to fulfil it in the manner requested by the Creator, and knowing that there is no other way to accomplish this except by the Qur'aan and by its explainer, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) . Allaah the Exalted said:

And We have revealed to you (O Muhammad) the Book as an explanation for every single thing12

And We have revealed to you the Reminder that you may explain to them what has been revealed to them13

3. Acting upon the Qur'aan and obtaining, as a result, happiness and success in both the worlds. Ibn Abbaas said: "Allaah guarantees the one who reads the Qur'aan and acts upon whatever is contained within it that he will not go astray in this life and will not be wretched in the Hereafter."

4. Being aware that the Qur'aan is in fact easy to memorise for the one who desires to do so due to the saying of Allaah:

And We have made the Qur'aan easy for remembrance (and understanding), so is there one that will receive admonition?14

And Qurtubee (rh) said concerning this verse: "Meaning, We have made it easy for memorising and We assist and help the one who desires to memorise it, so is there one who requests and desires its memorisation that he may be helped in doing so?"

4. Having a Truthful and Firm Resolution to Memorise it.

A person should have such an intent when commencing its memorisation, in the midst of it and even after it when one needs to return to what he has memorised in order to preserve it in his memory.

Without this firm resolution a person will treat the whole matter lightly, will become tired easily and will not even be able to achieve his goal.

One of the ways a person develops a firm intent is to know the excellence of the Qur'aan and its reciters and memorisers, as has been explained above.