Introducing a new Hifz diary 👋
The Diary of A Hāfiz - Issue #64
Bismillāh al-Rahmān al-Rahīm
Assalāmu ‘Alaykum!
Hope you’re doing well.
Today is the Day of Arafah. It is an incredible day full of incredible opportunity. I make du’ā’ that Allāh grant each and every one of you and I, His Graceful Gaze and cure us of our ailments, forgive us, grant us healing, grant us His Love, grant us blessing in the form of the Qur’ān in our hearts and grant us everything that is best for us. Ameen.
Today, I introduce a new Hifz diary, look at how we can memorise multiple pages, and revisit notes on love and listening.
In This Issue:
How To Memorise Two Pages Of The Quran Daily: Brief notes on memorising a page and more.
How to Memorise by Listening to the Qur’ān: Updates on listening to the Qur’an as a means of memorisation and its benefits.
The Qur’ān is a Love Letter: Brief updated notes on how the Qur’ān is a love letter and how this perspective changes everything.
The Diary of A Hāfiz: A roundup reporting the progress of a brother and a sister in pursuit of memorising the Qur'ān.
Motivation, Tips & Tools: Any resources, tips, and tools shared in the community and more.
Community Highlights & Updates: Make sure you share your experiences, requests and engage with emails for this to be a success.
Let’s get to it!
- Qāri’ Mubashir
🔗 TO READ
How To Memorise Two Pages Of The Quran Daily (5 min read)
Usually it can take anywhere between 1 to 4 hours to memorise a page well, sometimes less. So naturally memorising 2 pages or more would therefore require double the amount of time and effort. So memorising 2 pages might take 1 to 8 hours. This is why it’s usually those that are doing Hifdh full-time that get to memorise multiple number of pages. However, it is possible even when doing it part-time, to memorise 2 pages. I got to a level where I memorised a Juz’ in 9 days, part-time (2 hours after school).
However, the time it takes to memorise will vary person to person.
How to Memorise by Listening to the Qur’ān (9 min read)
Here are some lessons I learned that day:
Don’t disregard your age, it doesn’t matter what age you are. Just pursue the goal with the right intentions.
It is great to be amongst the young even if you are a lot older. You inspire them and they can inspire you too.
Don’t underestimate what you feed your children at a young age. What they listen to and what they see. Children learn with their eyes and ears. In fact, it is said that they learn 80% with their eyes. It shapes them. So make sure you get them attached to the sound of the Qur’ān before they open their eyes. When they open their eyes, have them see your attachment to the Qur’ān. It will help ease memorisation for them.
The Qur’ān is a Love Letter (6 min read)
When we connect with the Qur’ān from the perspective of a love letter, we yearn more for meaning. We begin to explore the words even more. If we established such a relationship, we would see immediate change. This is why it is said, “The People of the Qur’ān do not take their needs to the People of the world, but the People of the world take their needs to the doors of People of the Qur’ān.”
Create such a connection and relationship with the Qur’ān! Keep in mind what you are about to recite. A precious treasure beyond imagination.
📖 THE DIARY OF A HĀFIZ
This is where we try to learn by watching others memorise. Today I share a roundup reporting the progress of a brother and a sister in their pursuit of memorising the Qur'ān.
Muhammad, 36, still on Surah an-Nisā’
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 again. It took him a few months to do a few Juz’ and now he’s been on Surah an-Nisā’ (5th Juz’) for a while carrying his struggles.
What he accomplished last week (days 290 to 296):
"Alhamdulillah. Brief from me today. Although I missed a day or two, I focused on reviewing the 5th Juz’ and maintained my revision. I want to make sure I know a Juz’ really well before moving forward."
Iman on a mission to complete her Hifz
Background: “When I was younger, I started memorizing some of the 30th juz, but I never finished and I didn't really think much about memorizing the Qur'ān. I officially started my Hifz journey towards the end of 2018. I experienced some struggles like excessive sleepiness, and I learned later that it was depression. Alhamdulilāh I've been trying to change my lifestyle a bit more after getting some therapy, and I am feeling better than some years ago.”
Goals Today: “Currently, I am memorizing my 12th juz, but I have some weak ajzaa' that I'm also trying to get back, in shā Allāh. My goal is to finish memorizing by the end of the next Hijri year (1445), in shā Allāh.”
Week 1 Hifz Diary:
"Dear Allāh,Allāh. Allāh. Allāh.
Saying Your Name brings peace to my heart.
Thank You, Allāh.
Every Laam and Haa. What beauty lies in just Your Name! I can't fathom the greatness of Your Being! Allāhu Akbar!
Ya Rabbi, it's been a long journey. Times I felt so deep in the waters, like Yunus (as) in the depths of the ocean. Times I felt like I couldn't stop crying. Like Ya'qūb (as) when he lost his son. Times I felt suffocated. Like Yusuf (as) in the well. Times I felt...like I had no feeling.
Ya Rabbi!
How far You've brought me! And how far the road ahead is. You helped me climb up the rocky terrains, and You helped me stand back up after, well...what felt like the greatest of falls.
Thank You, Allāh.
And as I traverse these rocky paths ahead, I call out to You.
Allāh.
Help me find You.
Yesterday, I thought my biggest goal was to finish memorizing the Qur'ān by the end of next year. But then, You made something amazing happen. You brought me together with two like-minded friends.
Lost. Searching. Thirsty.
And You made us realize, it's not the conquest of quantity, but rather, the conquest of having YOU. It's to reside in You through thick and thin. Through light and dark. It's to talk to You. To pour our hearts in Dua to You.
And more importantly,
We learned that our greatest goal is
To search for You and attain Your Closeness.
For, what is the purpose of my Qur'ān if there is no love? No deep rooted connection? How can I truly connect with a story without connecting with the author?
Yā Rabb!
Thank You ❤️
I started off thinking that I'd memorize the Qur'ān in a year. But we plan, and You plan. And You are the best of Planners.
I learned that the ride is not just about getting to the destination, but to also try to enjoy the journey and scenes we pass through.
Ya Rabbi,
Allāh.
Thank You for bringing me this far.
Currently, I'm struggling with memorizing even one Ayah consistently. Perhaps because I feel that it's too little. But I understand that that's a trick from shaytaan. He'll try anything to stop me, even if that means playing with my insecurities.
Yā Allāh!
I beg You for consistency and love. A love so, so deep for You that my actions and thoughts become the Qur'ān and become Your Love! Āmīn!
Ya Rabbi,
Sometimes I cry thinking of how hard this journey is. The journey of Hifz.
How will I make it to the end?
But You remind me time and time again that it's not always about how fast I go to the finish line, but rather, how close I get to You.
And perhaps this is where my downfall lies. Dreaming too far, but not enjoying the present enough. Not thanking You enough.
Yā Rabbi,
Forgive me, please!
I know this is one ride of a journey, and the road is still long, but with Your Closeness, anything is possible! So my beautiful Allāh, in order to develop more love for the Quran, such that I may be consistent and devoted, I will try to connect with You everyday. Even if it's just 1 minute. I will try to remember You with sincerity, in shā Allāh.
Help me please, Yā Rabbi! And keep my thoughts forever pure for Your sake alone, āmīn!
In search of You,
Iman Khan
(Monday, Dhul Hijjah 8, 1444)"
👉 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!
⚒️ MOTIVATION, TIPS & TOOLS
A motivating Hifz story:
“There are a few people that I know who question reciting the Quran when you don’t understand the words. They think that because you don’t understand what it is you’re reading, it’s pointless and doesn’t do much for you. I was looking at the calendar and started thinking about the time when I first started my journey to memorize the Quran way back in 2010 – yeah, its been 10 years since I first embarked down that path!
Simply put, I am where I am today because I was granted the ability to stick to the Quran – even though I didn’t understand it. I still don’t understand it. But that doesn’t mean I won’t eventually get there. Maybe I haven’t been granted that ability because I haven’t made enough of an effort – or that I have not yet gained the mental capacity to understand. My hope and belief is that I will if Allah wills.
Around the time that I decided to begin this journey, I was leaving behind a very dark time in my life. I had left reading Quran at the age of 11 because I was struggling to recite properly. I used to get stuck and make many mistakes and in response, I received harsh words instead of the encouragement I needed to thrive. This made me want to give up reading and I started to feel as if I was never going to be good at this. On top of all this, I began to hate my voice because people would make fun of me every time I read aloud.
Over the next 4 years, I started feeling like I was living a meaningless life that was devoid of any purpose. I felt as if things would never get better and that I was going nowhere. At the end of this dark time I had decided to leave high school because the environment wasn’t something I wanted to be apart of. I tried to fit in but there was a major conflict with the values I learnt at home and the values normal society wanted me to adopt.
I had to endure taunts of people that I would never succeed because of the decision to leave high school. Those taunts didn’t get any less or better when I embarked on the memorization journey. But I chose to stick to my decision and push forward because I knew they didn’t matter.
A few months after this decision, I started to memorize the Quran. After making this decision, I slowly started to see many things change in my life. One of the very first things I noticed was my ability to think had strengthened -- within a matter of weeks. Isn’t it strange that I was reading and memorizing a book that I didn’t – and don’t - understand but somehow that book had increased my minds capabilities? One of the miracles of the Quran itself. This directly affected my academics; my grades had significantly improved.
I still had trouble with my mindset because I didn’t know why I was doing this. I didn’t understand the significance behind my efforts. All I saw were the immediate effects this had on my life and this pushed me to pursue this goal even harder. I started feeling differently, having a change of attitude, within a matter of months. I was much happier; I became more sociable and began to strengthen my relationship with my parents. More importantly, I started to develop a stronger relationship with the Quran. A strange thing would happen if I went a couple days without reciting, I would start to see myself slipping back into the same state I was before. When this would happen, I wouldn’t feel better until I read. This taught me that I needed Quran in my life to be happy.
But the struggle didn’t end there. I then faced another challenge in the form of judgement. I was told that I wouldn’t develop any social skills because I chose to finish my high school education online. I was told by people that I was never going to get anywhere in life and that memorizing the Quran would cause me to lose my confidence. I was even told that no one would ever want to marry a religious person. Being a 16-17 year old kid, it was very difficult for me to push through all the noise because I saw no end to the journey I was on. I didn’t know where it would take me and if there was any success at the end. I just put my head down, put my trust in Allah SWT and kept going.
I fell behind in school but I started to realize later on, and also now when I look back, that Allah SWT gave me all that time back, and put me way ahead of everyone that said I would get nowhere in life. Not only did I do everything that people said I wouldn’t be able to, on account of my Quran memorization, I exceeded beyond my own expectations. It was all very simply because I brought Quran into my life. Allah SWT is the master of time - When you give time to Him, He will give it back to you!
I was told I would fail in my education, but I finished my education and started my career earlier than most. I was told I wouldn’t develop social skills, but I still got into University and made tons of connections, and am now working a job where I easily connect with people. I was told I would have a hard time finding someone to share my life with, and here I am happily married at a very young age. All this happened simply because I stuck to Quran. People will talk at every stage of your life. It is your choice whether you let it control you.
I share my story with the intention that those who have thought about it or are going through a similar process need to hear that things will get better. The journey is not an easy one, and the progress and life changes will not happen immediately. Don’t expect immediate results. It’s been a 10 year process for me, and I still believe that 10 years from now, if Allah wills, I will be in a much better place – but ONLY if I stick to the word of Allah SWT and make consistent effort to grow closer to him. The important thing is, if you have faith, you will not be disappointed.
If you are thinking of starting the journey – then say bismillah and start it! If you stumbled in your journey to complete it – then pull yourself up and get back out there. If you finished your journey and lost your relationship with the book of Allah SWT then pick it back up! Allah will make it easy. The only question is – are you willing to put in the effort? The Quran will change your life in ways you cannot imagine even if you dont understand it!”
- Talha
⭐ COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS & UPDATES
1️⃣ Whoever wants to find a Hifz buddy, a teacher, or make a du’ā request for your journey, this is your space! Just send me an email.
2️⃣ My request is also on-going, share your usual hifz schedule with me. Please fill in the Form.
What’s new
I need some volunteers to maintain the groups and communities (Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, etc). If you’re interested, then let me know.
I’ve been working on a few ideas for this platform. If Allah wills, I will take them forward.
Got 5 seconds? How did you like today's email?
Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions. Tell me what you liked and how I can make these newsletters better for you. You can even suggest anything you'd like me to write about next.
Brought to you by Qāri' Mubashir.