Bismillāh al-Rahmān al-Rahīm
Assalāmu ‘Alaykum!
Alhamdullāh, hope you’re doing well.
Today, I share a basic Hifz method and a powerful reminder of what we’re dealing with. I also realised, it’s been 9 years (this month) since The Promise of Ten was released. It’s been that long?!
I thought this email had gone out during the day but a dear student of mine sent me a message saying it wasn’t sent (I am travelling at present so good thing I’ve gotten the message, thank you dear!)
Requesting your prayers,
- Qāri’ Mubashir
A step-by-step method and retention from start to finish
Whether you are starting new memorisation or reviewing old memorisation, this method will work for both. This is especially beneficial for women, mothers, and anyone busy.
For New Memorisation:
Let’s say you want to memorise three verses a day. Here’s the process:
Day 1: Memorising the first three verses:
For the first verse: Recite it seven times (or more) while looking at the Qur'ān (this is what I mean by “present”), then seven times (or more) without looking at the Qur'ān (from memory).
For the second verse: Do the same—seven times looking, seven times without looking.
After that, recite both verses together seven times with the Qur'ān, and seven times from memory.
Finally, do the same for the third verse, and recite all three together seven times with the Qur'ān, and seven times from memory.
Repeat and Pray with the Memorised Verses:
After memorising, recite the verses in your prayers throughout the day—in Duha (mid-morning prayer), Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers.
Before going to bed, recite the verses again and review them with a partner if possible.
Cumulative Review:
On the second day, after memorising three new verses, recite both the new verses and the previous day’s verses in your prayers and before sleep.
Continue this process, so by the third day, you will have nine verses to review and so on.
Every week, aim to have memorised a quarter (about two and a half pages according to the ‘uthmāni script) of the Qur'ān.
For Retention and Strengthening Memorisation:
Once you’ve memorised around ten pages, you will start the cumulative revision method:
Begin by reading the tenth page with your eyes first (this is “present” recitation). Then recite it from memory.
Move to the ninth page, read it with your eyes first, then recite it from memory along with the tenth page.
Repeat this process, working backward through the pages: eighth, seventh, and so on, until you reach the first page.
This backward review ensures that you reinforce the last parts you memorised, which are often the weakest. You will end up reviewing the final page multiple times, making sure it becomes as strong as the earlier pages.
Benefits of the Cumulative Method:
Strengthens the Connections between pages and verses, helping you recall the flow of the surah more easily.
Focuses on Weak Points: The ending verses of surahs are often the weakest, and this method ensures they are just as strong as the beginning.
You can apply this method to specific surahs that are weak or difficult, like the end of Surah An-Nisa’ or Surah Al-Baqarah, helping you improve retention and the ability to recite seamlessly.
What to Do After Completing a Juz’:
After completing a quarter or a Juz’ of memorisation, you will still need to review it daily in your prayers. Once you have finished a new quarter, review both the new and old sections in the same way.
As you progress and complete entire Juz' (sections), use the same cumulative revision method for the Juz'. Recite the last quarter first, then add the third quarter, the second, and finally the first.
For Reviewing Old Memorisation:
If you already have old memorisation that you need to review, begin by reviewing one page each day. After reviewing four or five pages, apply the cumulative revision method to solidify those pages.
Each time you complete a review of five pages, use the backward cumulative method: recite the fifth page first, then add the fourth, third, and so on.
Once you finish a Hizb (half of a Juz'), apply this method to the whole Hizb.
For Strong, Long-Term Retention:
Continue to pray with your memorised sections. It’s essential to recite from memory in your prayers. If you can’t recite from memory in prayer, it means your memorisation is not solid yet.
Key Time Frames for Memorisation and Retention:
Daily Routine:
Memorise three verses every day (after Fajr prayer is ideal).
After memorisation, review these verses throughout the day in your prayers (Duha, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha) and before sleep.
This ensures constant repetition and reinforces daily retention.
Weekly Goal:
Aim to memorise a quarter of a Juz' (two and a half pages) each week. By the end of the week, you should have memorised one quarter, and then you will start on the next.
Monthly Review:
After you’ve completed ten pages of memorisation, dedicate time for cumulative review using the backward revision method. This is crucial for ensuring that both the earlier and later memorised portions are equally strong.
For Strong Retention:
Continue this process for two to three months after you’ve memorised and reviewed the Juz’, reciting it in daily prayers to solidify the memorisation further.
Only after consistent review and prayer for several months can you consider the memorisation fully retained and move on to newer Juz’ without forgetting the old.
Read more:
🔗 25 Hifz Methods You Can Use To Memorise The Qur’ān (44 mins)
🔗 Strong Methods For Memorising The Quran Quickly (4 mins)
The Enemy of Hifz & The Huffaz
As we reflect on life, we know that time is our most precious commodity. Allah swears by time in Surah al ‘Asr: "By time, indeed mankind is in loss." We are just moments of time in this world, breaths that are numbered, and we must use this time wisely.
We often hear stories about families where the sick outlive the healthy, where the old outlive the young, and it is a reminder that none of us know how much time we have left. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we have plenty of time or that sickness only strikes others. But this is an illusion.
How do we make the best use of our time in the worship of Allah? We need to reassess our priorities.
The real problem lies within ourselves. Are we truly aware of what is required of us? Are we fulfilling our responsibilities? How can we build leaders for the Ummah if we ourselves are not fulfilling our role properly? The people of Gaza are producing hundreds of Huffāz, while many of us struggle to even pick up the Qur'ān regularly.
Imagine if we replaced our phones with Qur'ān—how much more would we memorise? When the Qur'ān becomes a part of your life, it reshapes everything about you. Imagine reviewing a Juz’ (part) or a Hizb (section) daily—how would that change you?
We have become so distracted. The modern world is pulling us in every direction, from one app to another—Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp. We are wasting our time on conversations and debates that don’t benefit us. We spend hours consuming content when we could be using that time to earn Paradise.
The reality is, life without the Qur'ān is like walking through a desert. You see mirages of water that don’t exist, and your soul feels dry and empty. The dunya (world) will consume you, and by the time you realise it, your life will be over. The Qur'ān, on the other hand, brings light and guidance into your heart.
We need to start with ourselves. Each of us needs to identify where we are going wrong, where we are wasting time, and where we can improve. The phone, for many of us, has become the biggest distraction. I hear so many stories from people who tell me they can't put their phones down. We are being fooled, and so are our children.
"My phone never leaves my hand. I’m constantly switching between apps—Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook—and before I know it, hours have passed."
We are being deceived into thinking these apps are harmless when, in reality, they are stealing our time and preventing us from achieving our potential. The time we waste could be spent memorising the Qur'ān, performing good deeds, or deepening our connection with Allāh and His Messenger (ﷺ).
Our children are growing up in this environment, and we are losing our ability to guide them. Parents tell me they no longer have the power to control their children's use of phones and apps. But why? Why can’t we sit with our children and explain how these distractions are affecting their future? But most importantly, we don’t give them personal time, if we did, they wouldn’t need to go on apps.
Many young people today have poor academic performance because their attention is constantly scattered by their phones. They are so used to instant gratification that when it’s time to study or focus, they feel overwhelmed and unmotivated. This is the reality we are living in.
We need to rebuild the relationship between parents and children. We need to reconnect with our children and have open, honest conversations. Why is it that our children are sharing their secrets with their friends instead of with us? It’s because we’re not listening to them the way we should. Their friends are the ones who listen attentively without judgment, while we, as parents, are distracted or quick to criticise.
When our children try to share something with us, we need to listen without interrupting or jumping to conclusions. We need to be their safe place, where they feel heard and understood.
Let’s not lose our children to the distractions of this world. Let's prioritise their upbringing, spend time with them, and instil in them a love for the Qur'ān, a fear of Allāh, deep love for His Messenger (ﷺ) and a desire to serve the Ummah.
Read more:
🔗 Your Focus Levels Are Being Stolen (7 mins)
📖 THE DIARY OF A HĀFIZ
This is where we try to learn by watching others memorise. A roundup reporting the progress of two brothers and a sister in their pursuit of memorising the Qur'ān:
👳🏼♂️ Muhammad, 36, founder
Background: After forgetting what he memorised (half the Qur'ān) and kept struggling to start again. So he decided to share his diary and mission with us. After 19 weeks of struggle, he finally started. It took him a few months to do a few Juz’. He’s a few months away from having a years diary complete.
What he accomplished last week (Year 2 Week 2 complete):
“After completing the 7th Juz’, I have started the 8th but it’s been a difficult week with a few days having gone missed with both revision and memorisation.”
🧕🏼 Aaliya
Background: I'm 28 and I started memorizing full time about 2 years ago. I have almost 17 juz memorized Alhamdulillah. I go to a masjid hifz class everyday and I'm trying to increase my daily revision to 2-3 juz. I'm hoping recording weekly diaries will motivate me to be more consistent and inshAllah help others who read it too.
Week 5:
This week I was babysitting for family, so I ended up missing a few days of madersa and didn't keep up with my revision schedule. But Alhamdulillah I managed to recite at least something everyday. I also completed 14th juz Alhamdulillah and started 15th.
Next week I plan to restart my daily 3 juz revision schedule inshAllah. I also have a lot of stoppings in my 13th juz, so I will focus on strengthen it again.
🧕🏿 Halima, 47
Background: Halima is a homemaker, volunteer and part time tutor. She has 3 adult children who are in university and grad school, Alhamdulillāh. She began memorizing the Quran about 5 years ago. It's been on and off with different teachers and motivation levels. She was inspired as a child to memorize Quran but my family lacked the access to a madrassah due to financial costs. She is the oldest of eight children. As a child she had never read more than the last ten surahs. Later in life, she rekindled her connection with Allah swt, and began taking tajwid classes in 2011, then finished her first reading of a khatam of Qur'an to her teacher in tajwid, from then her hifz struggles eased a bit. Currently, she is memorizing Surah al Araaf with Hafidha Jamela.
Week 39:
“Alhamdulillahi Rabbal alameen! Attended virtual study hall. Hifz Surah Araf 1 - 30 Repeat revision of pages 128-131. Barakah Allahu feekum.”
👉 If you have any questions, just drop a reply to me and I'll feature the questions and answers in relevant issues.
Allāh grant us all success and ease on this path!
⭐ COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS & UPDATES
What’s new / recent
Alhamdulillāh, some of you watched the workshop and had benefitted. I’ll be letting some of you into Hifz Camp today, in shā’ Allāh.
As for further workshops, what would you like me to do one on?
📢 📢 Requests
1️⃣ My request is also on-going, share your usual hifz schedule with me. Please fill in the Form. (I have had several which I will add online soon)
2️⃣ Those of you that are teaching or have an institute can get listed on the Teachers directory.
3️⃣ Finding My Half has now around 40+ profiles, it needs a push, would you mind sharing it?
4️⃣ If you have anything to add, have hifz stories, want to share your own journey, have advice, have teachers, have anything you want to add to the weekly emails, do let me know.
5️⃣ If whatever advice, motivation, strategies I have shared have helped you memorise please, check out Impact and share your thoughts.
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جزاك الله خيرا.السلام عليكم و رحمة الله وبركاته.
I really love this newsletter because, I am practically trying to review my memorized pages and also doing hifz at the same time. The method of reviewing will be very helpful in sha Allah.
جزاك الله خيرا 💌