Posts Tagged memorizing qur’an
HD 18: Never Give Up; Never Surrender
Posted by almuqarraboon in Hifdh Diaries, Memorizing Qur'an on January 17, 2014
Bismillah walhamdulillah
It just occurred to me that all of my HD posts are stemming from my own mind – so they must only be helping like-minded individuals. So I thought to talk about something that I think I haven’t experienced so far (wa lillahil hamd), but I get the feeling that others out there might have. It is the feeling of just wanting to give up. See, now I’m facing a writer’s block because I can’t say too much about something I can’t remember having felt myself, but I will try to do my best, and I hope that those who have actually felt this can come forward with their experience.
Here are some tips:
1. Never stop making dua. Where your self-motivation and energy fail you, a dua that you once made will kick in and take over where you left off. All of a sudden, without being able to explain it, you will feel motivated to keep going. So never get tired of making dua for your hifdh. Put it in your dua-list (if you don’t have one of these, you need to make one ASAP), say it often, and always be on the look-out for those special times when dua is being accepted.
2. The mind is a powerful tool; you can work it in many different ways. We all face a lapse in our memorization, some more than others. (It probably happens more to those who are not enrolled in a timed program, like myself.) When you find yourself in a lapse, control your thoughts. DON’T think, “I’m taking a break.” DON’T think, “I’m going to stop my memorization until ____.” Each day that passes without you making a move forward, censure yourself and make a firm resolve that tomorrow will be different. Don’t beat yourself up (some people can take that to another level); just acknowledge that you made a mistake and that you don’t want to make it again. I believe this mindset has helped me to move forward. I try not to tell myself that I’m “taking a break,” regardless of the circumstances. Even if it is Finals Week, don’t tell yourself you’re taking a break from your hifdh. You’re just letting shaytan delude you. The truth is, reciting and memorizing Qur’an puts more barakah in your time and makes your day easier, so you never actually need a break.
3. Never miss a day of class. Even if you did 5% of the homework, travel all the way to your teacher just to take the beating. I guarantee you, you will find yourself with motivation you didn’t have before, inshaAllah. Even if this happens countless times, don’t miss class. As much as your teacher is disappointed in you, he or she is also secretly impressed that you keep coming back to them. They see your consistency in attendance as a sign of your commitment. As long as they see that you haven’t given up, they won’t give up on you. Teachers are also greedy for that ajr of helping someone memorize Qur’an. :)
4. Set end dates. Have a date in mind where you would like to finish your hifdh. I will be honest and say that I have had many dates, some more realistic than others, but all have passed without me making the deadline. The last time this happened, I picked a new date and asked someone who intimidates me to help me meet this deadline, inshaAllah. Always have a date in mind. And watch the countdown. If it passes, figure out what went wrong, how you can change it, and PICK A NEW DATE. I have an app on my phone that counts down the days to a certain event. So I titled the event “Hafidhah” and I watch it countdown every day. You can understand that if you don’t even have an end date in mind, you are more likely to face a moment where you think “I’m going to stop” or “I’m taking a break.” On the other hand, if you have an end date, it’s like you can always see the finish line. Let’s do an imagination exercise:
Imagine being in a race. You have been running for miles and you stop to take a breath. You look up and you see in the far distance — the banner that signifies the end of the race. It seems so far away, but at least you can see it. The finish line is in your view, so even if you stopped running for some reason, you have every intention of making it to that finish line. Now imagine you are in the same race, and you stop to take a breath. You look up and all you see is more track. The finish line is not in your view…you walk off the race track, and take a bus home.
5. Let people know that you’re memorizing. Understand this carefully. I’m not telling you to rent a blimp and advertise to your town that you are memorizing. I’m saying, let your family and a few close, trusted friends know about your intention and efforts towards completing your hifdh. Let them know you are memorizing and that you would just like for them to check up on you every once in a while. That way, if you lose some internal motivation, you can have an external push. And find other ways to surround yourself with reminders – like quotes on your wall or refrigerator.
6. If you can’t run, walk. Remember that the point is that you should not give up, but that doesn’t mean you are expected to always keep the same pace. Things happen. So no matter what, keep inching towards your goal. If I feel like I can’t do anything else, I might just lay down and listen to a recitation of what I need to memorize or review. Even small efforts go a long way.
7. Recite Qur’an. Memorizing Qur’an does not mean that you turn your relationship with the Qur’an into a purely academic pursuit. Have a portion of Qur’an that you recite daily – keep yourself connected to Qur’an, always. As long as you have some sort of connection to it, and some source that is strengthening your imaan, you won’t be able to reach a place where you are going to give up.
WaAllahu Ta’aala ‘Alam
HD 3: “Would you like me to be mean or nice?”
Posted by almuqarraboon in Hifdh Diaries on January 2, 2012
Use the Buddy System –Find a friend to recite to, preferably someone who is also memorizing to create some peer pressure.
I asked my friend this question (in the title). She started to recite Qur’an to me, and I wanted to know how she wanted me to be towards her.
We were in the public bathroom making wudoo. “Would you like me to be mean or nice to you when you recite?” I asked her.
“Be nice. No, wait, maybe you should be mean…” she replied.
In the end I believe she left the decision up to me.
So what should I do? Should I be mean or nice? Dilemma…
So I have two options:
On the one hand, I know of the story of one my teachers. His was reciting Surah al Baqarah to his best friend, when suddenly, his friend starts yelling at him. And it wasn’t even an actual mistake, but his friend said, Allah swt made the distinction, so you make the distinction. He was referring to the ayah in Surah al Baqarah “Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.” [Ayah 7]. The distinction he was referring to was that there is a seal upon their hearts and hearing, but over there vision there is a veil, so you should stop after “their hearing,” and then continue.
My teacher says that he remembers that to this day, and he also remembers the other corrections that his friend made, due to the extremely harsh nature of the correction.
On the other hand…
There is a danger, for those of us who are not well-grounded in knowledge and humility, that we may become arrogant if we begin to harshly correct others. And on top of that, we don’t want to scare people away.
To reconcile these two points, perhaps a good approach is to be harsh, with kindness. Be strict and firm, but don’t take it too far up to the point that you may chase the other person away. And as always, gauge the person’s character and determination and see how far you can push them. Some people can be pushed more than others, and so they should.
This is not just in regard to their mistakes, but in general. For example, if they haven’t memorized their new portion, you have to be strict and put your foot down. You are not doing them any favors by being lax with them. This is one of the ways that we distinguish those who love each other for this world, and those who love each other for the sake of Allah. The ones who love each other for the sake of Allah will be harsh with one another when the time calls for it.
waAllahu ‘Alam
Al Muqarraboon 