When she wanted to quit Hifz

The Diary of A Hāfiz - Issue #143

Dec 31, 2024

Bismillāh al-Rahmān al-Rahīm

Assalāmu ‘Alaykum!

Alhamdullāh, hope you’re doing well.

Today I share a really beautiful and motivational Hifz story with reflections as we go into the new year of 2025. We ask Allah for safety, protection, blessing and mercy for the Ummah.

Requesting your prayers,

- Qāri’ Mubashir

I Wanted to Quit Hifz, Then This Happened

I want to share with you a wonderful story about a sister who nearly quit her Hifz.

"I was memorising the Qur’an, but after starting, I began facing problems. These were trials and challenges, as Allah wills. One day, the problems increased significantly, and I thought to myself, 'That’s it, I can’t continue memorising the Qur’an. I don’t know how to keep memorising. On one hand, I want to memorise and review, but on the other hand, it’s too difficult with all these challenges.'

So, I went to my teacher and told her, 'I have a lot of problems, and I can’t continue memorising the Qur’an. Please forgive me, but I want to withdraw from the course.' The teacher replied, 'Why? Tell me the reason.'

She said, ‘Life keeps throwing something at me. I am struggling with the problems i am facing.’

Her teacher said, 'My dear, you are so mistaken. Do you know why? Because the Qur’an can only truly be memorised amidst struggles and challenges. The one who has no problems, whose life is peaceful and calm, is unlikely to memorise the Qur’an. That’s why most of those who have memorised the Qur’an have gone through significant hardships. It was during those hardships that they emerged as Huffādh of the Book of Allah.'

So she says, "The teacher’s words stuck with me. She said, 'The Qur’an isn’t something you can wait for when your problems are gone. If you’re thinking, "When my problems disappear, I’ll memorise," you’ve misunderstood. Memorising the Qur’an doesn’t come from waiting for the perfect moment. It doesn’t happen when you say, "After my kids grow up, I’ll memorise," or "When I finish my responsibilities, I’ll memorise."'

She continued, 'Why wait? Why delay the opportunity to combine both—raising your children and engaging in obedience to Allah? Your problems shouldn’t stop you; rather, they should motivate you. I know it is difficult, but why should the problems stop you?'

Finding Strength in the Qur’an: "The teacher gave me an important piece of advice: 'Any problem you face, turn to the Qur’an. By the permission of Allah, it will solve your problems and make them disappear from your life.' SubhanAllah, I took her words to heart. I began memorising again, even as my problems increased. But as I memorised, I found that the Qur’an was like a balm for my troubles—a healing solution. It was as if every verse I memorised acted like a dose of Panadol for my issues.

"I continued attending my circle and reviewing with my companions. Over time, my problems began to fade away, one by one. And in their place, my memorisation of the Qur’an took root in my life. Eventually, I graduated from the circle as a strong Hafidha, with an excellent grasp of the Book of Allah, Alhamdulillah.

How the Qur’an Helped: "The Qur’an became a solution to every difficulty. If not for my focus on the Qur’an, I don’t know how I would have managed the challenges I faced. SubhanAllah, if you have problems, know that your solution lies in the Qur’an—not in abandoning it for other concerns. Your success, your child’s success, and the solutions to your problems are all tied to the Qur’an."

"Many people say, 'I’ll stop memorising because my child has exams,' or 'I can’t continue because of my responsibilities.' But why not memorise and make du’a for your child at the same time? Read verses over water and let your child drink it. Let Allah bless their efforts and grant them success through your connection to the Qur’an.

"Never give up. Stay strong and avoid being defeated by challenges. Don’t say, 'I can’t do it.' You absolutely can. Others have done it, and so can you. The easiest task in life is memorising the Qur’an, by Allah’s will. The Qur’an is unique; it’s unlike anything in the world. Even if it feels daunting, Allah has made it easy to memorise."

"Repetition is your tool. Use the mushaf consistently. Memorise in small sections—quarter by quarter (or less)—and connect these together through review. Repeat each verse seven times while looking and seven times without looking, more more if you need to. After memorising a Surah, consolidate it by reciting it in your prayers. Regularly revisit and use the verses in your daily recitation and prayers."

"Many people start memorising the Qur’an, face challenges, and then quit. But trials are temporary guests. They visit for a short time and then leave. Your role is to remain steadfast. Remember, the Qur’an strengthens you, supports you, and deepens your relationship with Allah. And when Allah is with you, nothing can overcome you."

"If you could see the rewards being written for you as you engage with the Qur’an, you would say, 'Alhamdulillah that I spent my life with the Book of Allah.' You would regret every moment spent away from the Qur’an. So, from now on, let’s stop saying, 'I have a problem, so I can’t memorise.' Instead, say, 'I have a problem, so I must turn to the Qur’an to find peace and solutions.'"

"Be steadfast, rely on Allah, and remain connected to His Book. As the saying goes, 'A mountain is not moved by the wind.' May Allah keep you firm, strengthen your efforts, and make you among those who memorise and act upon His Book. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you."

Reflections

My brothers and sisters, this story is not just a story, it’s a reality. As we approach the new Gregorian year and the sacred month of Rajab, the month of Allāh, the real beginnings of Ramadan, we need to reflect. Instead of waiting for the "perfect" time to begin or continue your Hifz journey, start now. Embrace the challenges. Get organised. Embrace change. Make a decision.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported the efforts of the How To Memorise The Qur’an this year 2024. I’m grateful. Alhamdulillāh, a year where I have had the tawfeeq to release many tools and projects.

Remember…

Your first 100 verses may be bad.

Your first 100 paragraphs may be bad too.

Your first 100 attempts will not be perfect.

Nobody can pick up a book and become a professional overnight.

Nobody will lead on something without getting a few things wrong.

Nobody learns how to walk after the first step.

We all do bad at the beginning

But…

Children can do what most adults fail to do.

We always think children need our guidance to figure out life. But they know things that most of us have forgotten.

We don’t become better by giving up. We keep trying.

Do babies stop trying to learn to walk after falling the first time? No, they keep trying.

That is why everything seems to be possible when you were a child. There was no ego. You only see a finish line and you want to cross it.

I didn’t have a super sailing journey on the road to memorising the Qur’an. Some people said I wouldn’t do it. But I still kept at it. I even forgot my memorisation.

I know people who memorised the Qur’an but then forgot it. That didn’t stop them too. They regained what they had lost. They showed up until they figured it out. And they still show up to this day.

The truth is no matter how smart you are.

WE ALL DO BAD.

Most people give up right away.

A few people stick around until they get it right.

It means nothing if you are good at something but adding no value. It is better to show up every day and try.

We do bad and it is fine.

Because that is just the beginning.

May Allāh bless you, may the new year 2025 be full of blessings for you and our communities.

Remember me in your prayers.
Sukran.

Qari.

Read more:

🔗 See The Daily Routines Of Those Memorising The Quran (33 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 17 complete):
“I have been revising a quarter at a time but this time I am linking them together each day. I am also doing a page a day from the 8th Juz’ and linking them.”

🧕🏼 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 20:

“This week, my madersa was closed for holiday break and I didn't revise on my own. I still felt overwhelmed with revision, but I pushed myself to go for a run or a walk outside a couple days in the week. I think that physical exercise and fresh air made a huge difference in helping me reset and focus.
I only revised 4 paras during the whole week, but Alhamdulillah I feel like my mind is in a better place now. I also memorized 4 new pages, almost until the end of 16th juz.
Next week, I think my madersa will be closed for 2 days, but other than that, I plan to revise 3 paras a day. And I plan to complete the memorization of 16th juz, which will be my 20th juz total, so it's a big milestone for me.”

🧕🏼 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 7:

“Assalamualaikum warahmatullah,

Current Juz : 11

New : Alhamdulillah completed Surat Tawbah. I'm continuing with the 1 page sabaq , will try to stick to this atleast till my revision gets stronger.

Connection : 1/2 of 10th juz and 1/4th of 11th.

Less sabaq means less para sabaq , this has been easy Alhamdulillah .

Revision : Juz 1 to 1/2 of 10th juz over 6 days = 1.5 juz daily (32 pages)

Alhamdulillah I'm improving in this but need to recite even better insha'Allah.

I might have tests again in Rajab and this time I'm ill prepared and am afraid I might not pass, if that happens tikrar will exclude (shut) my account.”

👉 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

For those of you that want to join Hifz Camp, I am looking to open this during January 2025. Check out: Hifz Camp.
Some of you have submitted your recitations at Rate My Quran Recitation - In shā’ Allāh, I will strive to get back to you all.

📢 📢 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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