Memorising Qur'ān in Morocco?

The Diary of A Hāfiz - Issue #141

Dec 17, 2024

Bismillāh al-Rahmān al-Rahīm

Assalāmu ‘Alaykum!

Alhamdullāh, hope you’re doing well.

Since I’m currently in Morocco, I thought I’d share a story of a brother from America, who came here to memorise the Qur’ān and tidbits from a local. I’m on the move so I’ll be quick.

Again, requesting your prayers,

- Qāri’ Mubashir

The Journey of an American Muslim Engineer Who Memorised the Qur'an in Morocco

This is the story of Abu Bakr Siefallah Khalid Amin, an American Muslim engineer of African-American descent, who embarked on a unique and challenging journey to memorise the Qur’an. His quest took him and his family to Morocco, where he overcame numerous obstacles to achieve his goal.

Abu Bakr was born in New York into a Christian family. During his early years, he experienced racial discrimination, particularly in school, where conflicts with white students deeply affected him.

At the age of 18, he encountered the Nation of Islam, a group prominent during the civil rights movement. Initially, he believed this was Islam. However, after the death of Elijah Muhammad and the guidance of Warith Deen Mohammed, he transitioned to mainstream Sunni Islam. This pivotal moment steered him toward authentic Islamic teachings.

Determined to have his children memorise the Qur’an, Abu Bakr’s father decided to move the family to Morocco. He believed Morocco had some of the strongest Qur’an memorisation schools in the world, particularly the “kuttab” system in rural areas.

In 1992, at the age of 7, Abu Bakr, alongside his two brothers (Harun and Abdullah), began their journey. The family faced immediate challenges:

The contact they were supposed to meet in Marrakech failed to show up.
They spent weeks searching for a Qur’an school, traveling through major Moroccan cities like Tangier, Fes, Rabat, and Casablanca without success.

By chance, a Moroccan taxi driver introduced Abu Bakr’s father to a student of a Qur’an school. They visited the school, met the faqih (teacher), and decided to settle. Abu Bakr and his brothers enrolled and began their formal Qur’an memorisation journey.

Life in the Moroccan kuttab was strict, disciplined, and immersive. Abu Bakr’s routine included:

Writing Qur’anic Verses: Every day, students wrote new verses on wooden boards (ألواح).
Memorization: They recited verses to their teacher in the evening and corrected any mistakes.
Repetition: Old lessons were reviewed and polished before moving forward.
Punishments and Motivation: If students made errors or showed laziness, the teacher would discipline them to ensure high standards.

Daily Routine:

Walking 1 hour to and from the kuttab.
Spending the entire day memorizing, reciting, and reviewing the Qur’an.
Playing soccer in the evenings, providing balance and joy in their rigorous schedule.

Abu Bakr faced the added challenge of being an American in a foreign land. However, he quickly adapted, learning both Classical Arabic and Moroccan Darija (colloquial Arabic) within six months.

After 4 years of dedicated effort, Abu Bakr successfully memorized the entire Qur’an. At the age of 12, he returned to America with a profound sense of accomplishment and discipline. His experience shaped his identity and faith, instilling lifelong confidence and resilience.

Upon returning to the United States, Abu Bakr pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Despite initially struggling with math after years of religious studies, his confidence and discipline from memorizing the Qur’an allowed him to excel.

He attributes his success to:

The blessings of the Qur’an: “If you can memorize the Qur’an, nothing in life is too difficult.”
Strong time management and persistence.

During his studies, he took on various jobs, including teaching Arabic and Qur’an, driving school buses, and working in construction to support himself financially.

Abu Bakr says that the Qur’an is not just for memorisation but for implementation in daily life. He advises parents to:

Prioritise the Qur’an in their children’s education.
Provide an environment of love, discipline, and encouragement.

Reflecting on his own upbringing, Abu Bakr highlights the sacrifices of his parents, particularly his mother, who supported the family’s journey despite immense challenges.

He says: “The Qur’an is the foundation. With it, everything else becomes possible.”

“When you give the Qur’an to a child, it’s like giving them the entire world. What can be harder than the Qur’an? Nothing.”

“Revision of the Qur’an is more important than just finishing it. The goal is to live it, not forget it.”

“The blessing of the Qur’an stays with you. It helps you overcome life’s challenges and gives you confidence.”

“Every day is an opportunity to do better. Don’t waste it.”

—

A local Moroccan says:

The method I use is simple and straightforward. It involves reviewing, repetition, and consistent tracking to ensure steady progress.

Steps:

Step 1: Read the verses repeatedly until you are familiar with them.
Step 2: Use a notebook or agenda to track your memorization progress. Write down the verses you are focusing on daily.
Step 3: Break the memorization into smaller portions (half a page, a quarter, or a few lines at a time). This makes it easier to retain and recall.
Step 4: Test yourself by writing or reciting the verses without looking.
Step 5: Always review previously memorized sections to keep them fresh.

Time management is key to successful memorization. Whether you are at home, work, or commuting, make use of every free moment.

Practical elements:

Listen to the Qur'an during your commute or breaks.
Record your own recitation and listen back for mistakes.
Dedicate at least 30 minutes daily to memorization, even if split into shorter intervals.
Use a specific Mus'haf (Qur'an copy) consistently for memorization to build familiarity.

Many people face challenges like fatigue, distractions, or lack of time. Here’s how to overcome them:

Fatigue: Take short breaks, pray, and refresh your energy.
Distractions: Find a quiet space and eliminate unnecessary interruptions.
Busy Schedules: Prioritize Qur'an memorization by waking up early or using breaks effectively.

Consistency is the key to success. Even memorizing one or two verses daily adds up over time.

Motivational Reminders:

Remember the reward and honor of memorizing the Qur'an.
Set realistic goals and celebrate small achievements.
Seek support from family or friends who share similar goals.

Here is how I organize my time for memorization:

Morning: Review verses while preparing for the day.
Midday: Focus on memorizing new verses during lunch breaks.
Evening: Recite what I’ve memorized and write it down to test myself.

Read more:

🔗 How To Balance Student Life With Hifz-ul-Quran (28 mins)

🔗 Easy Breathing Exercises To Memorise The Quran Quicker (14 mins)

📖 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:

👳🏼‍♂️ 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 15 complete):
“Read over the first quarter of the 8th juz’ and revised a juz’, a step to focus on quality.”

🧕🏼 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 17 & 18:

“Alhamdulillah I've returned back home but jet lag has made things difficult. I am disappointed in myself for not keeping up with my revision plans during my trip, but I can't change the past now, just gotta keep moving forward and do better from now. I did keep reading my para sabaak, 16th juz, so it's not weak. But my newest daur 15th is very weak. And I can't jump straight into 4 paras for daily revision, it feels too overwhelming so I'm doing 1-2 juz daily and then working up from there inshAllah. Next week I plan to complete 16th juz and start 2-3 juz daily revision.”

🧕🏼 Aisha

Background: I am a 36 yr old, mother of 6 kids. I memorised 20 juz in a madrasa but got married and although completed my hifz on my own , my revision was poor and I couldn't recite anything properly except for 5 or 6 juz. It's been 12 years of ups and downs trying to rememorise with little success. Alhamdulillah I found Qari Mubashir’s website that answered so many of my questions and took me out of self doubt, I discovered the tikrar program, downloaded the app and Alhamdulillah my path to rememorise has finally been made possible by the grace of Allah. I started on the 20th of June and so far have completed 8 juz , currently doing the 9th . I also gave my first test for juz 1 - 6 last month and passed it Alhamdulillah. I am looking forward to completing hifz, with a solid revision this time, bi iznillah.
Week 5:

“Assalamualaikum warahmatullah,

Current Juz: 11

New : Alhamdulillah completed the 10th juz and started the 11th.

I decided to decrease my portion to 1 page , although half heartedly , but I need to focus on the quality of my revision rather than finishing quickly.

Connection : 9th juz (1/2) and 10th juz (daily)

I've been very inconsistent with this the past week , I have to make sure I keep revising this portion to avoid forgetting again.

Revision : Juz 1 to first half of juz 9 over 6 days , almost always just done half of the daily portion , trying to complete the next day and adding to my anxiety for not managing my hifz well.

I pray that Allah strengthens my willpower and purifies my niyyah , give barakah in time and keep me going , for no one can do good without His taufeeq and none can abstain from evil without His protection.

Ameen.”

👉 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

What’s new / recent

Currently in Morocco so I’m on the move, hope to capture some stories here
I’ve been delayed working on the Hifz Camp (my apologies).
More updates to follow.

📢 📢 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. Especially if you have any questions for me to address through the weekly newsletter.

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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