When is the best time to memorise?

15 Dec When is the best time to memorise?

Bismillah
Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullah,
Beloved sisters:

All praise to Allah for the precious gift of our lives & our belief in His Oneness. How fortunate we are, to rise each morning, to stand in communion to Him & to preserve the Glorious Words!
When it comes to memorising Al Qur’aan, one of the key questions is: ‘When is the best time to memorise?’ – meaning, is memorisation more effective during the early morning hours or is an aspiring haafidha able to retain more, when memorising at night?

Really, there is no set answer – Why? Well, there are numerous reasons, some of which are : everyones daily schedule differs, the amount being memorised varies from student to student, pending on ones level of tajweed & arabic, whether one is attending tahfeedhul Qur’aan on a full-time or part-time basis.

For some students, memorising in the early morning (i.e.: before & after Fajr) is ideal. They feel that their bodies have been well-rested, their minds are clear & free of any concerns & that this is a refreshing, imaan-booster start to the day!

For other students, memorising in the early / late evening is better suited. They feel that before / after completing homework, whilst their minds are receptive to learning, this is the most efficient route to take!

Different methods work well for each individual. I know of students who have tried both & thereafter settled on one method which has worked well throughout their memorisation. I’ve also come across students who have alternated between these 2 primary time-slots, pending on whether it was school / vacation time (i.e. part-time hifdh students).

Over the past 6 months, I’ve posted on numerous methods & advise pertaining to Qur’aanic memorisation & hope that they have been informative in offering you numerous options to enhance your learning, inshaa Allah.
Consider a time that bests suits you &I’d suggest reading through your new lesson 20 times, whilst looking into your mus-haf, noting the words, sequence & tajweed of the aayats – this is irrespective of whether you choose to memorise in the evening or morning. This recitation helps tremendously in familarising yourself with the words, order & rhythm of the verses, saving you time, improving the quality & confidence of your learning & allowing you to accelerate your memorisation pace, inshaa Allah:) Try reading your homework at night, just before retiring to bed & you will find that you’ve more effectively retained your memorisation.

With your teacher’s recommendation, consider what works best for your learning, remembering that: good lighting, silence & a comfortable, non-distracting environment go a long way in helping you make the most of your learning time!
Either way, always remember to be flexible in your learning times – there may be instances where you need to memorise whilst travelling, fasting, holidaying or whilst unwell. Consider every verse memorised as an achievement from The Most High, give abundant thanks & enjoy the bounty of preserving our Noble Book..in your heart:)

May each verse that you memorise draw you closer to His Mercy & love!
Rayhaanah