Comparing your Hifz to others
A mother, a career, and the day she finally stopped comparing herself - Issue #171
Bismillāh al-Rahmān al-Rahīm,
Assalāmu ʿAlaykum!
Today’s story is different. It isn’t just about memorising the Qur’ān.
It’s about letting the Qur’an reshape you, even when you feel like you’re failing.
This is the story of a woman who tried to memorise over and over for 10 years, who always started and stopped, who thought she wasn’t worthy, until something clicked.
Read to the end. There are lessons here for all of us.
From Competition to Emptiness
She grew up in Jordan, Palestinian origin. She studied law in Jordan, then moved to Dubai, then Riyadh, then Canada.
Eventually she pursued self-development and training certifications in Dubai and Riyadh. She then worked in law in Canada but found it overwhelming and conflicting with family priorities, leading her to leave the profession. She then reoriented her career to focus on teaching Arabic and Qur’an.
She began Qur’ān memorisation in primary school competitions. From first grade, Qur’an competitions were her life.
“At first, it was all about prizes. That was my only motivation.”
Year after year, she never placed in the top three. At the time, it hurt. But later, she realised that failure kept her striving.
But over time, her connection became mechanical, memorise to win, forget, start again.
A Night That Changed Everything
In her teens, she got lost in novels, poetry, and image. Inside, she felt an emptiness she couldn’t fill.
One Ramadan night, she heard a beautiful recitation in her aunt’s kitchen. When she asked whose voice it was, she was stunned to learn it was her cousin.
That moment stirred something she didn’t have words for.
On Laylat al-Qadr, she prayed alone. She cried. She asked Allah to guide her and help her wear hijab sincerely.
About 20 days later, she was reprimanded at school for wearing short clothing. And in a moment she can’t explain, she promised to return wearing a long dress and hijab, which she did, marking her conscious return to a life closer to Allah.
When she put on hijab, she felt it was a moment of intense tawfīq, she described it as if her heart was turned by Allah in an instant, without clear planning.
A New Start
After hijab, she thought: “Maybe this is the start of a better life.”
But her journey wasn’t a straight line.
She kept trying to memorise Qur’ān, joining centres, then dropping out again and again.
“For ten years, I tried without a plan. Every time, I’d feel disconnected.”
She was also building her career. She studied law. She earned training certifications. She worked as a lawyer.
And she found herself overwhelmed:
“Law took everything from me, my peace, my time, my family.”
She realised she needed to sort her priorities honestly.
What really mattered?
The Qur’an or her career?
Peace or endless striving?
Presence with her children or climbing the ladder?
The Realisation About Memorisation
She discovered that memorisation without understanding would never last.
When she finally enrolled in a dedicated 2-year course, everything changed.
The program was different:
Weekly 10-page memorisation.
Intensive pre-memorisation study, meanings, themes, connections.
Small group discussions.
Regular revision exams.
She described it as “the best experience of my life.”
Balancing Motherhood and Hifz
She has four children. For a long time, she saw them as obstacles to progress.
Then she learned something no book taught her:
“Your children don’t block you from Qur’an. They can be your partners.”
She learned to:
- Memorise during nap times.
- Play Qur’an while cleaning or driving.
- Accept some mess in the house.
“Some mess is necessary to stay sane.”
Daily exposure to Qur’an, even if only by audio, “renews your connection.”
She recommended involving kids by:
Having them recite along with her.
Playing Qur’an audio during meals.
Letting them “see” her love for the Qur’an so they absorb it naturally.
The Danger of Yo-Yo Memorisation
Every time you drop and restart, it gets heavier. Yo-yo memorisation kills motivation.
Her advice?
- Don’t wait for the perfect season.
- Even 10–15 minutes of daily contact can change you.
What the Qur’an Taught Her
Patience.
Returning to Allah.
“At the start of the journey, there was pain. At the end, there was relief.
Even when life stayed hard, she changed inside:
“The Qur’an gave me the confidence to face everything with peace.”
She said memorising and reflecting on the Qur’an gave her emotional stability she never found elsewhere.
She stressed that barakah in time is more important than how many hours you have, because when she was away from the Qur’an, time felt empty and overwhelming.
On Not Comparing Yourself
She said: “Comparing myself to others was the biggest reason I quit over and over.”
When she finally let go, she felt free to move at her pace.
The Importance of Tadabbur
She realised:
Tadabbur made memorisation personal.
It wasn’t enough to recite without understanding.
Daily exposure to the Qur’an, even by listening, renewed her heart.
“Tadabbur made the Qur’an feel like it was talking to me.”
Practical Lessons for You
Here’s everything she learned, so you don’t have to repeat her mistakes:
Start with correct recitation.
Memorising without understanding has a different taste.
Daily contact, even 15 minutes, can transform you.
Choose your life battles, don’t waste energy on distractions.
Make your children part of your journey.
Don’t compare yourself to others.
Ask Allah for barakah in time.
Be flexible, accept your limits.
Trust that sincere intention will bring tawfīq and guidance.
When you make Qur’an your anchor, everything else feels lighter.
📩 A Question for You
What’s stopping you from making Qur’an your companion right now?
If you’re waiting for the perfect time, know this: It doesn’t exist.
Start now, with whatever you have.
You’ll be surprised how much barakah Allah can put in one sincere step.
Read more: 🔗 An Amazing Hifdh Story Everyone Needs To Hear
🤲 Requesting your prayers,
- Qāri’ Mubashir
📖 THE DIARY OF A HĀFIZ
This is where we try to learn by watching others memorise. A roundup reporting the progress of our brothers and sisters in their pursuit of memorising the Qur'ān:
🧕🏼 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 48:
“Last week was a struggle again, I missed madersa most of the week. But I did go back and pushed myself. I stayed focused on 15th and 16th paras again, and revised 14th para as well.
This week, I'm hoping to revise 13th-10th paras inshallah. Ya Rabb, thank you for allowing me to reach this far. Grant me the tawfiq to continue and increase me in knowledge, ameen.”
🧕🏼 Aisha
Background: I'm a 36 yr old, mother of 6. Getting married while memorising the Qur'an, my hifz got weaker and eventually led to forgetting it. Came across this wonderful website by Qari Mubashir and learnt many tips, connected with my childhood friend as a hifz buddy. Hoping to complete hifz with a strong revision!
Week 35:
“Assalamualaikum warahmatullah,
I have been very busy, apologies for being absent.
I reached my home country last Tuesday and have been busy all these days.
Loss of focus is causing my hifz to take a backseat, still trying to revise a few lines at least.”
👳🏼♂️ Muhammad
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 38 and has been the most consistent of our diaries despite continued struggles.
Year 2 Week 46:
“Alhamdulillah! I’m continuing and well into the 7th Juz’ now”
👉 If you have any questions, just drop a reply to me and I'll feature the questions and answers in relevant issues. If you want to join the diaries, get in touch also!
Allāh grant us all success and ease on this path!
⭐ COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS & UPDATES
I’ve had more feedback on the Hifz Tester and will look to update the tool.
I’m also working on updating the site and letting you into Hifz Camp
📌 Your Turn: How Did You Find This Post?
🔥 Reply & let me know what helped you most today.
💬 Reply & tell me: What’s your biggest struggle in Hifz right now? Have a question? Reply to this email (or answer the question below) and let me know—I’ll try to feature your question in upcoming posts.
Wow . The weekly catalyst.