Question

Assalamalaikum. I am trying tajweed by  myself by repeating and reading the Qur’an  with cassettes of famous qaris, but I’m still slow in memorising the Qur’an. I am now 40 and know I am not young, but when I was young I never read the holy Qur’an. Now my best form of relaxing is reciting the Qur’an with tajweed. I also hope to became a hafiz, but I can’t seem to memorize like before, although I am a financial consultant and I had passed professional exams in the past. Please advise me as I love reading the holy Qur’an and I want to continue, may Allah give me the memory to become a hafiz, as I have heard a hadith that the hafiz  will be with the holy prophet on the day of qiyamah.    Wasalaam.

 Answer  

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh. May Allah grant you your desire and make you of those that have memorized the Qur’an and applied it to their lives. 

Our first advise to you is to not think about your age.  We know of Muslim converts that have memorized surah al-Baqarah in eight months and they are over 40 years of age. These converts had to learn how to read Arabic first, perfect the letters, then struggle through memorizing an important surah and the longest of the Glorious Qur’an.  There are converts that have memorized the whole Qur’an in five years, others in 10. We also know of an Arab sister who memorized the Glorious Qur’an after the age of 50.  Yes, it may take longer than some youth, but the more you memorize, insha’ Allah the easier it will become.

Repetition is the most important thing, and think of all the reward you will receive, by Allah’s mercy for repeating the same aayaat over and over:

 The Prophet, , said in a Saheeh hadeeth ” Who recited a letter from Allah’s book will get a “hasanah” [good deed], and the hasanah is of 10 of its kind.  I do not say that alif laam meem is a letter, but alif is a letter, laam is a letter, and meem is a letter.” 

In another hadeeth related by At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah and graded as Saheeh by Sheikh Albani, the Messenger of Allah, said, “The companion of the Qur’an will come on the Day of Resurrection and the Qur’an will say, “O Lord, jewel him”, so he is dressed in the jewels of honor.  He [the Qur’an] then says, “O Lord increase him.” So he is dressed in the crown of honor.  He [the Qur’an] says, “O Lord, be pleased with him.”  So He is pleased with him and it is said to him [the companion of the Qur’an], “Recite and raise and he is increased by every aayah a hasanah.”

Make a lot of dua’, for we achieve nothing without Allah’s Will and Assistance, and take all the “sabab” (causes/reasons) for becoming a haafith, such as spending long hours repeating and studying, getting up the last third of the night to study and pray, listening to the Qur’an in the car and whenever you can, etc.  If there is a masjid that has a class near you, by all means join it.  It will give you added motivation and the teacher will help you with your tajweed insha’ Allah.

As you can see, there is much honor on the Day of Resurrection for those that have memorized the Qur’an, although we are not familiar with a hadeeth that specifically states that the memorizers will be with the Prophet, . 

 

We ask Allah, Ar-rahmaan Ar-Raheem, to make easy for you the memorization of the Qur’an with proper tajweed and the application of the Qur’an to your life.  May Allah make you of the people of the Qur’an and Allah’s special ones.  May Allah make you of those that are jeweled with the jewels of honor on the Day of Resurrection, and grant that you are with those you love.  Ameen.