The Qur'an Changed My Life—It Will Change Yours
Here's a lesson in planning that works - Issue #152
Bismillāh al-Rahmān al-Rahīm
Assalāmu ‘Alaykum!
Dear Seeker of the Qur'an,
Ramadan Mubarak! I want to share a story with you today that isn’t just about memorising the Qur’an—it’s about how the Qur’an reshapes life. This is the story of Muhammad, who has memorised 18 Juz’, not in a prestigious academy or through fancy online programs, but in a humble madrasah of a village, under the watchful eyes of a blind teacher.
What follows is not just his story—it’s a roadmap for you, filled with practical strategies you can apply right now, whether you’re at the start of your Hifz journey or trying to reclaim forgotten pages.
It’s a quick email, as it’s Ramadan, I am very busy (hence the email is out later than usual).
🤲 Requesting your prayers,
- Qāri’ Mubashir
The Village Where It Began
Muhammad’s story begins in a small village, where memorising the Qur’an wasn’t a project for weekends or summers—it was a way of life. His classroom was at the madrasah, a small, simple room where students sat cross-legged, holding wooden tablets instead of notebooks.
Each day began the same way:
Writing the verses by hand—with homemade ink.
Reciting aloud until the words lived in the heart.
Revising until the tongue could flow without hesitation.
There was no rushing. Each page was a trust, and every ayah was recited dozens of times before moving on.
The Kuttab method had a simple but powerful structure, something many of us neglect today:
1️⃣ Old Memorisation (Al-Madi) – Every single day, students reviewed what they had previously memorised.
2️⃣ New Memorisation (Al-Lawh) – The daily portion was written on the wooden tablet, recited repeatedly, and reviewed in front of the teacher.
3️⃣ Daily Linking Review – Before learning new material, students linked the previous verses together, ensuring seamless flow and deep-rooted recall.
This system was non-negotiable. There were no shortcuts.
Writing = Memory Insurance
One secret that made their memorisation strong was writing down every single ayah. The physical act of writing didn’t just reinforce memory—it etched the āyāt into the visual, physical, and mental memory banks.
As they say: "Writing a quarter once equals reading it 15 times."
This is the kind of deep learning we rarely see today.
Moving out
Muhammad’s life didn’t stop at the village. Later, he traveled abroad, studied, worked, and saw the world—but the Qur’an remained his anchor. The words he wrote as a child never left his heart, because they were planted through repetition, structure, and patience.
Why Most of Us Struggle
Many of us rush through Hifz like it’s a race, always thinking about the finish line. We memorise without mastering, move forward without linking, and neglect to review properly.
The result?
Pages blur into confusion.
Surahs refuse to flow.
And frustration replaces the sweetness of Qur’an.
But what if you slowed down, like the students of the Kuttab? What if you gave every page the attention it deserves?
Muhammad’s Time Management Secrets
Hifz wasn’t the only thing Muhammad learned from his blind teacher. He also learned that time is life—waste time, and you waste your future. That’s why every day had a plan:
✅ Morning Goal Set Before Fajr – Each day started with a clear goal for what to memorize and review.
✅ Daily Review Built Into Salah – What’s memorised gets recited in every prayer.
✅ Evening Wrap-Up With Gratitude – Each night ended with reflection and shukr: “Alhamdulillah for one more day with the Qur’an.”
This system creates momentum—you go to sleep knowing tomorrow is already planned.
The real beauty? Memorising the Qur’an isn’t just about knowing the words—it’s about letting those words shape your thinking, your habits, your priorities.
Muhammad says the Qur’an taught him discipline, built his Arabic, and even changed how he manages his work and family life. It becomes your compass, steering you toward what matters.
A Simple Plan for You
Inspired by Muhammad’s story, here’s a plan you can follow today:
🌿 Morning: Review yesterday’s memorisation 5 times after Fajr.
🌿 Daytime: Memorise today’s portion—write it by hand if possible.
🌿 Salah: Recite today’s and yesterday’s portions in every prayer.
🌿 Evening: Quick recap of today’s portion 3 times before bed.
🌿 Weekly: Full review of everything memorised that week.
This is how Kuttab students memorised, retained, and perfected the Qur’an.
The Final Advice from Muhammad
"Don’t waste time waiting for motivation. This is your issue. Just show up instead. Show up when you’re tired. Show up when you’re busy. Show up when you feel uninspired. That’s the real secret. Every page you hold onto today is a page that will hold onto you on the Day of Judgment."
Whether you’re starting your Hifz, restarting after forgetting, or struggling with consistency, this plan will work for you—if you work for it.
May Allah make us all from the people of the Qur’an, those who memorise it, live by it, and are raised with it.
Let’s make the Qur’an the project of our lifetime. Are you in?
📖 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 27 complete):
“I have been continuing with the 8th and my struggle with Surah al-A’raf has continued in the 3rd quarter. Revision is consistent with doing a quarter a day. With Ramadan, it is especially difficult to memorise especially at the time that I have dedicated to (after Isha prayer) but I’ll keep going!”
🧕🏼 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 28+29:
“Not heard from her today once again, we know she’s been having a difficult time, please continue to pray for her.”
🧕🏼 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 16:
“Assalamualaikum warahmatullah,
Current Juz : 13
New : I have paused new memorisation for now to focus on perfecting revision.
Connection : Surah Hud and Surah Yusuf
Last 2 pages of Surah Yusuf not yet memorised , maybe in a few days I'll do it inshallah.
Revision : 2 juz daily , I'm reciting my connection and revision in taraweeh.
I somehow never manage to find enough time to complete Quran khatam while focusing on revision, this time I've started again and hoping I'll complete it inshallah.”
👉 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
Alhamdulillah, Hifz Together challenge was complete last week. Many of you were able to get into a routine and show up daily due to it. Would love to get your feedback please!
I’m now working on updates for the tools, sending you all feedback on your recitations, and more is coming, in shā’ Allāh!
📢 📢 Requests
I’d love to know what would support you best on your Hifz journey right now.
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.
📌 Quick Feedback: How Did You Find This Post?
🔥 Reply & let me know what helped you most today.
🔥 Have a Hifz question? I’ll answer in next week’s post!
📩 Your Turn!
💬 Reply & Tell Me: What’s your biggest struggle in Hifz right now?
💡 One Small Step Today = Huge Progress Tomorrow.
🚀 Keep going, and may Allah bless your Hifz journey!