24 May [REPOST] 8-part Ramadan Readiness Series
Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullah
Beloved sisters,
With Ramadan 1438 close approaching, I’ve collated a series of articles from previous Ramadan Readiness posts (most of which are in Q & A format), for easy access.
Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee, peruse, and draw inspiration or ideas for your personal Hifdh connection.
Bismillah!
Rayhaanah
PART 1:
With just three months remaining until Ramadhan, my inbox is quickly filling up with questions from concerned hafidhaat on how best to prepare for the month of Qur’aan.
Welcome to a new feature on the Fee Qalbee hifdh blog entitled: ‘Ready for Ramadhan?’
This weekly post (to be updated every Tuesday until end-Sha’baan, inshaAllah) will focus on helping YOU develop consistent and effective review techniques ahead of Ramadhan.
Please bear in mind that every hafidha will face different challenges & concerns with regards to her personal hifdh journey and that this series should be regarded as a general overview.
Focus of the week: Niyyah, purpose of intention
Niyyah is our aim, the intention or purpose for which we wish to do (or say) something. Allah’s Beloved Muhammad (sallalaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Actions are (judged) by intentions, so each man will have what he intended.” [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]
In the past, scholars would remind believers that the niyyah is the ‘soul of one’s actions.’ Niyyah in itself is classified as being a part of faith and the essential link between knowledge and action.
- Establish an intention: set out your reason, your purpose for Qur’aan review. Whilst many students of Qur’aan may be working towards an approximate deadline of (the month of) Sha’baan, take a step back and …REFLECT.
- Reflect on the reason behind your Qur’aan review. Is this review only for the month of Ramadhan? Are you reviewing only because your parents have nagged you? Or because your hifdh teacher expects this of you? Is it perhaps the nagging, unpleasant thought which doesn’t leave you?
Hard-hitting questions, I know, but in recent years I’ve observed an increasing number of hifdh students and graduates neglecting the Qur’aan for most of the year, selectively reviewing certain surahs / ajzaa’ only and then racing against time to complete a thorough review in time for Ramadhan. This cycle or habit tends to repeat itself every single year.
The tragedy is that whilst many in the hifdh teaching fraternity may be well aware of this, very few regularly address this alarming trend, choosing to touch briefly upon it in the weeks leading up to Ramadhan and Taraweeh.
If you have found yourself in this predicament during past Ramadhans, please know that it need not be so.
Create meaningful and consistent changes.
Challenge yourself.
Connect to the Qur’aan.
Honour the gift of tahfeedhul Qur’aan.
Establish, renew your intention: to Review the Glorious Qur’aan for the Pleasure of ALLAH every single day, inshaAllah in preparation for Ramadhan and beyond.
Recommended Reading:
Further Reading:
PART 2:
This weekly post will focus on helping YOU develop consistent and effective review techniques ahead of Ramadhan, inshaAllah Ta’ala.
Following the introductory post which dealt with establishing one’s intentions, this week’s post seeks to assist you in formulating a (general) ground plan in preparation for a month of reading and reflecting upon the Qur’aan.
Focus of the week: Laying the foundation
‘Getting a head S – T -A -R -T with your Qur’aan’ introduces the Fee Qalbee reader to one of my methods utilised when teaching and mentoring women through the Hifdh journey:
The most important aspect of a successful and fruitful Ramadan is the Qur’aan. This is because Allah SWT says,
“The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’aan was revealed as a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and criterion between right and wrong.” (AlBaqarah:185)
It has been said that everything has a beloved and the beloved of the month of Ramadan is the Glorious Qur’aan. For the duration of this month, Muslims worldwide honour Ramadan’s beloved, eager to draw nearer to Allah SWT.
Many of us have different goals in our journey towards the Qur’aan: some of us are striving to recite the Qur’aan with correct pronunciation and fluency; others have embarked on memorisation, whilst several sisters have aspired to further their knowledge of Qur’aanic vocabulary and commentary, etc.
Once we have identified our personal goals, we need to then formulate a ground plan of consistency and progress. For our Qur’aan goals to be achieved, it’s essential to develop a plan that can be implemented during and post Ramadhan – one that is integrated into our daily spiritual routine.
Perhaps you could try incorporating the S – T – A – R – T system in your preparatory process.
Start off by setting the wheels in motion. Set your intention, remembering that your intention is the soul of your actions. Establishing your intention and renewing your purpose will provide motivation in your learning experience. Your aspirations are your possibilities!
Target, aim, goal! Set your goal(s) with the intention of achieving them. These would include both short term and long term goals, regarding your intended progress. Set your personal targets and embark on accomplishing them. Remember that “Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.” [Brian Tracy]
Assistance of a teacher, mentor, sister or spouse. Support is vital for your progress. With support comes assistance, either from a teacher explaining your Qur’aan lesson, a mentor coaching you through your Qur’aan journey, a friend encouraging you with regards to your goals, or a spouse who acknowledges your milestones.
Reviewing your tajweed lesson, hifdh homework or tafseer lesson ensures that you maintain a high standard of learning and retention. Hifdhul Qur’aan consists of the 3 R’s: Recite – Retain – Review. What generally sets apart the diligent student from the distinguished one, is constant review, review and… review! Work towards integrating review in your daily Qur’aan commitment, and begin noticing the significant improvement in your recitation and memorisation.
Time appreciation and effective time management will enhance your Qur’aan progress. One of the primary concerns of a Qur’aan student is the need to develop and maintain consistency. The solution lies in avoiding procrastination & valuing every available moment. Develop a weekly planner and organise your audio files or CD collection of Qur’aan, so as to introduce the spirit of this month gradually.
Strive towards a dedicated plan for your Ramadan experience and harvest the rewards beyond this Ramadan, insha Allah!
This article was first published in SISTERS magazine
PART 3:
This week’s focus is drawn from my recent correspondence with a regular Fee Qalbee blog reader and the question she posed regarding her son’s Qur’aan recitation:
Q: Salam Alykom from Paraguay! This blog is something of a hifdh resource tool for my family and I. May Allah reward you! We reverted to Islam 5 years ago and since then, have studied tajwid with our children (Yusuf 12, Somayah 7). Since completing our khatme of Qur’aan we have commenced with memorisation. Now, Yusuf is busy memorising Juzz 29 but I’ve found that whilst his work is good, his recitation is really unclear, almost as though he’s mumbling through some words. With Ramadhan literally ‘round the corner, we would like for his recitation to have more clarity. Can you advise us please?
Ruqaya Oum Yusuf
Nemby, Paraguay
A: Wa ‘alaykumus salaam wa Rahmatullah dear Oum Yusuf, Welcome to Fee Qalbee and shukran for your important question. MashaAllah! you have all made excellent progress with your Qur’aan goals and we pray that ALLAH keep you steadfast & sincere in His Path, ameen.
Indeed, the recitation of alQur’aan has one basic obligation: the Tarteel (distinct intonation and pronunciation of the words) must be applied at all times. As such, your concern is valid and key to Yusuf’s progress: unclear recitation can negatively affect the quality and progress of a hifdh student.
Regarding the clarity of recitation, I would like to share some learning tools that you may choose to incorporate into daily review and lesson plans:
- The ideal starting point is sitting down and talking to Yusuf: Try discussing this concern directly and clearly express your concern over the recitation, as well as your intention to help resolve this. He needs to at all times, be reassured that his parents are with him, assisting and encouraging his hifdh efforts. Could it be that he finds specific words challenging to pronounce or even memorise? Or that review time is set for too late in the day by which time he may possibly be too tired or overwhelmed? Hosting a group of his hifdh friends would also prove to renew his interest and motivation.
- Introduce a daily routine of audio review: Begin with Yusuf’s favourite surah – allow him to independently listen to the surah twice, after which he should recite along without looking into the mus-haf. By this stage, he will probably recognise that there are certain words which he is reciting incorrectly, as a result of the unclear recitation. Set a time and goal for the day: focus on addressing and rectifying the hifdh / tajweed of some words. Encourage him and acknowledge his wonderful effort a working towards a clearer recitation. Here, it’s important for me to mention that the Qaari he listens to should be a distinguished expert, the likes of: Sh. Hudayfi or Sh.Husary
- I highly recommend that Yusuf recite his daily revision as loud as possible. Together with improving the clarity, it will help develop concentration – a key component often attributed to unclear recitation. Also, encourage him to recite his Nafl prayers out aloud.
- Take note of his breathing and whether or not he is pausing or stopping at the end of verses correctly.
- When Yusuf completes a surah, allow him to record and thereafter listen to his own recitation. As he becomes aware of the vast improvement, he will be motivated to continue working diligently at correcting his recitation. InshaAllah, you will also notice your teen developing a much healthier approach and attitude to his learning.
- Never underestimate the benefits of some healthy competition between Yusuf and his little sister. It will also develop a beautiful spiritual link between them. Let’s face it, which big brother wouldn’t be up for a challenge!
- MashaAllah! as parents, you have made the best choice: striving towards becoming a Family of alQur’aan. And the best example lies within you: Reciting even 10 minutes of Qur’aan or the sura Yaaseen out aloud each morning, applying tajweed & tarteel is a case in point and a realistic, inspiring example that Yusuf is bound to follow.
Recommended Reading: The Excellence of Learning the Qur’aan
PART 4:
Welcome to part 4 in our quarterly series ‘Ready for Ramadhan’, as we seek to prepare for the blessed month by addressing issues of key concern regarding tahfeedhul Qur’aan.
Weekly focus: hifdh & salah
An important review tool for both hifdh students and graduates is to incorporate ones hifdh into the five daily salah and Nafl salaah.
A key concern at this time of year arises from (mainly) hafidhaat who may completed Qur’aanic memorisation yet rarely recite in salaah: meaning, they may have certain and very specific surahs or verses which they have, for years on end, been routinely reciting in salaah but have not recited any other surahs aside from these.
How do they cross this bridge? Create this meaning, crucial and consistent change in their hifdh review routine? And, as many query, how important is this inclusion?
Suffice to say, it is an indispensable component in your connection to Faith & alQur’aan. The practise of incorporating hifdh in salaah assists in:
(a) Improving hifdh review
(b) Enhancing long-term retention
(c) Strengthening ones concentration and attention span, leading to overall improvement in hifdh progress and the development of khushoo’ in salaah
(d) The blessings of increased attachment to alQur’aan
(e) Spiritual purification and growth that is attained from this routine
Stepping Stones…
I’m convinced of the benefits, but how do I start?
Draw up a list of all the surahs / juzz which you have memorised. With the guidance of your teacher, work at evaluating each surah / juzz on a scale of 1 up until 10, with 1 representing extremely weak memory retention and 10 signifying meticulous retention.
Once the evaluation is complete, set out your first realistic yet flexible schedule on how best you hope to incorporate both strong and weak hifdh into your salaah: My recommendation would be to strike a consistent balance that would lend to enhanced hifdh standards: by reciting your stronger hifdh in salaah you would be encouraged to now review the weaker sections so that they too, will attain the same standards.
Some of my hifdh has never been recited in salaah. Is it too late for me start?
Not at all – the best time is NOW! I’ve mentored numerous hafidhaat who had only ever reviewed juzz ‘Ammaa in salah, and then went on to gradually reciting the entire Qur’aan in slaah with relative ease and fluency, mashaAllah!
In most instances where a student has not regularly incorporated all hifdh in salaah, I would recommend that they follow the principle of gradualism: If for example, surah Taghaabun is weak, begin by reviewing with your mus-haf on a verse-by-verse basis. Thereafter, practise without reciting the surah (thrice) out aloud without the use of your mus-haf. Now incorporate the first five verses into one rak’aat of Nafl salaah, together with reciting a stronger surah / section in the second rak’aat. In the event that you are unable to complete the five verses (due either to: forgetfulness / concentration span / recollection of similar yet incorrect verses), simply begin again or resume with another surah. After the completion of salaah, open your mus-haf and recite thrice out aloud and once from memory. Attempt to include those verses in the forthcoming salaah. Within a matter of days, you will find the process much easier to accomplish and inshaAllah, begin cherishing the moments in which you recite hifdh in salaah.
Note: As you familiarise yourself with this process, try increasing the amount of verses recited in each salaah. Regularly review your juzz assessment sheet / ratings with your teacher & amend accordingly. The amount reviewed in salaah would differ from one individual to the other, based on the personal progress made or challenges faced.
I’ve repeatedly started the process, but always stop after a few days. I honestly find it overwhelming when I realise how many sections of my hifdh are not ‘strong enough’ in my memory. Please help!
One of the important lessons we learn from the hifdh-salaah routine is that there is always room for improvement, even for the best memorisers. It literally sets the platform for healthy competition and ambition within our own selves: How well have I memorised surah alKahf? Have I remembered the similarities within surah alBaqarah? Am I able to recollect – with relative ease – the sequential order of verses in surah arRahmaan?
This process is an acute indicator by which we can measure and assess the progress of our hifdh. It is a vital link for a haafidha (one who has completed Qur’aanic memorisation) to bridge her association between similar yet different words / phrases(alMutashaabihaat) and by which she remembers hifdh & honours the spiritual gift of Qur’aanic preservation within her heart.
Do not give up: persevere! With the advice and guidance of your teacher, the support and encouragement of friends or family, you will in due time, find this process incredibly rewarding sans any anxiety or feeling of overwhelm: Allow the outcome of your hifdh-salaah review to lend support to future hifdh revision, for as teacher of the past would counsel: “Reciting hifdh in salaah is by all means the surest way to gauge how well you know your hifdh.”
May your salaah be the coolness of your eyes, as it was for Rasoolullah (sallalaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
PART 5:
The striving believer realises that her health (both physical and mental) are blessings from Allah Most High; but they are also trusts (amaanat) for which we are responsible and accountable.
Food intake directly affects our ability to memorise, retain and recollecttahfeedhul Qur’aan – all of which are critical steps in the process of memorising alQur’aan.
Welcome to part 5 in our quarterly series ‘Ready for Ramadhan’, as we seek to improve our mental and physical health.
Weekly focus: hifdh & brain foods
This is a topic of importance primarily for mothers and teachers, but students too (especially young adults) need to understand the importance of brain food during tahfeedh: it provides nutrients and minerals that keep your brain operating in a healthy way.
In fact, one of this blog’s popular posts (for close onto 18 months!) has been: Memory Enhancers: top 10 foods ! which details a listing of foods that are great for your brainpower.
It’s time to bring in more perspective and options to the drawing board, so even if you’re a picky eater, there’s bound to be a favourite food in one of these recommendations, in shaa Allah:
6 foods to help improve your memory brain power
10 foods to boost your brainpower
In general, it’s been said that staying hydrated and including almonds and apples regularly into ones diet is vital for improving mental concentration.
Some cultures have dietary specifications for hifdh students. A common examples is the following combination prescribed by Hakeems: To chew three almonds, three sugar lumps, three raisins and three black peppers, before having breakfast.
In addition to this, most Indian spice / grocery stores stock an item called ‘chaar magaj’ – a mixture of blended nuts, seeds, etc. which can then be milled and half a teaspoon added to a glass of warm milk at breakfast time. It’s an acquired taste for many, but I know of hifdh graduates that couldn’t go a day without their ‘brain drink’!
The key is to go for wholesome, fresh produce and refrain from processed foods and those containing colourants, additives and preservatives.
In the same manner that we seek to purify and maintain clean hearts in which to preserve alQur’aan, let us honour the mental and physical strength and abilities that Allah most High has blessed us with.
So, for the moms and teachers: here’s a golden opportunity to make those much needed dietary improvements for the aspiring huffaadh in your midst!
Share some love and drop a comment or an email today!
PART 6:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيم
Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu,
Welcome to the 6th segment in our quarterly series ‘Ready for Ramadhan’, as we seek to gain hifdh momentum in the weeks leading up to Ramdhan.
Weekly focus: reviewing hifdh during haidh
Q: I am blessed to be surrounded by a handful of huffaadh in my home: my husband, father-in-law and sons. Honestly, I can’t thank Allah enough!
There is always someone reciting, learning or listening Qur’an at any given time. However, as a beginner hifdh student still taking her ‘baby steps’, I need your advise on a specific topic as, understandably, none of them can relate to this concern: I am an adherent to the Hanafi madh-hab and would like to know how best to review my hifdh during haidh (when I do not recite), especially during Ramadhan? Love and salams, Maryam [Canada]
A: Masha Allah, indeed a very blessed household! May Allah ‘Azza wa Jall honour you with increased love and devotion to alQur’aan, and congratulations on having embarked on your hifdh journey, too!
It is vital that your haidh time is seen not as an impediment but rather a catalyst to your hifdh journey. The more time, effort and energy you invest into your hifdh during this time, the better your ‘returns’ for a successful and memorable hifdh future, insha Allah!
I invite you to try implementing some of these learning exercises during haidh. I am certain that post-haidh you will note a vast improvement in your ability to recollect the majority of your pre-haidh lessons, both during Ramadhan & in other months:
- Maintain discipline and routine: sustain the hifdh momentum which you have worked so diligently to uphold. This means allocating time during each haidh day for review of a portion of ol(der) hifdh as well as newer lessons.
- Once your timetable has been set, ensure that you listen to your hifdh. Choose a recite with high standards of tajweed (in this way, you can work on reviewing tajweed principles, too!) and listen carefully. Initially, you may find it challenging to listen without wanting to read along or memorise further but, in time to come, this crucial listening exercise will become easier. Listen carefully and you will note any common or established errors which you have been making in your recitation. Keep your notebook at hand and jot down these points: it will come in handy to review and refer to, especially during the first week post-haidh.
- A significant number of students have found the Qur’aan website:www.tanzil.net to be highly effective in review during haidh: it allows for thorough audio and visual review.
- Allocate time to catch up on further Qur’aan / hifdh –related reading literature: tafseer, Qur’aanic grammar, vocabulary, etc., all of which enhance the spiritual experience of tahfeedh and nurture the growth of knowledge.
- You mentioned your household of huffaadh: masha Allah! Just volunteering to listen to their hifdh review (crucial as we draw closer to Ramadhan & Tarawih duties) will assist you in strengthening visual and audio memory of your hifdh. Even if they happen to recite from ajzaa’ which you are unfamiliar with, it provides a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your best friend, alQur’aan!
- Put aside 10 minutes each day to develop memory skills: in particular, focus on ways in which to improve retention and recollection skills.
- It’s highly recommended to review and amend (if necessary) your hifdh goals once a month: why not utilise this time to do just that?
- Increase in making du’a for the ease, progress, success and Divine acceptance of your hifdh; invoke Allah ‘Azza wa Jall by His Majestic Names and after praising Him, thank Him. For as you mentioned in your correspondence, we can’t thank Allah enough! Alhamdulillah!
It is only natural for us to feel sad or even lonely during this time: after all, the closest companion of the aspiring haafidha / haafidha is alQur’aan. The above-mentioned points should give us insight and encouragement into realising that there are options for effectively reviewing our hifdh even during this time of the month. Khayr, in shaa Allah.
PART 7:
Our dear sister, Ommalmuqarraboon at Al Muqarraboon has graciously allowed Fee Qalbee to post her insightful & thought-provoking post entitled: “I used to be a haafidhah” on our blog, as part of our Ramadhan readiness focus.
Bismillah alhamdulillah
What a depressing statement. “I used to be a haafidhah.”
I used to have these surahs memorized. I used to be able to recite this in salah. I used to…but not anymore.
This isn’t something I’m mentioning just to scare people. It’s a reality. A friend of mine attended a Jumuah Khutbah a while back and shared with me some of what she learned. The facts are from what she heard and reported to me, and I edited the quotes to correct for grammar but not meaning.
She mentioned: “Eighty percent of women forget half of what they memorize after they get married.”
Subhanallah
She told me the story of a sister who memorized Qur’an from the ages of 10 to 21. That is the prime-time of her memory! She spent over ten years memorizing and reviewing, just think about that! Listen to what she says now…. “I can’t even remember two ayaat in [their correct] order.”
Subhanallah…
Reflect upon that. You will realize that the way you live your life after marriage is but a reflection of how you were living your life before marriage. If right now, as a single sister, you cannot find time for Qur’an and reviewing is not a priority of yours, then surely things will only get worse once you are responsible for a husband and kids. The people who cannot make time for memorization when they are single, it’s not expected that they will be able to make the time later, even if they want to. Subhanallah, even if they want to.
When married sisters assume that I have a lot of free time just because I am single, I sometimes find it slightly offensive (that’s too strong of a word in this context but) because it is as if there is no such thing as being “busy” outside of marriage. But I know that is not how they mean it. We look at the past through rose-colored glasses. They are looking at their single-life-past, through rose-colored glasses and remembering it as a time of being carefree and without worries and to a certain extent, they are correct. Helping out around the house with your sister and mother is not the same as having someone ‘depend’ on you for their food and clothing. If you had a hard day at school, your mother will understand and let you skip some of your chores. But what about the married sister who is pregnant? There is just not that much leeway in this situation. You can’t take a “break” from being married or pregnant, it doesn’t happen.
Now is all the time you have. Take advantage before you have to look at your past and remember all those hours that you could have devoted to building a relationship with the Qur’an, but rather you let them pass you by, one by one (one nap here, one argument there, one movie here, one novel there).
And review, review, review what you have memorized until you become flawless in it and you feel secure that it has entered your long-term memory. Don’t ever let yourself become someone who says “I used to…”
Some Tips:
- Actively work to memorize the entire Qur’an before marriage. If you cannot complete it, do as much as you can. The sister said “especially the harder surahs,” but refer to HD 6:Stop with the Negative Influence! for why I do not endorse her statement.
- Don’t memorize without review. A lot of what we memorize is still sitting in our short-term memory, ready to run away. We need to tie it down with revision.
- If you are already married, don’t despair. Even you have more free time than you think. Start finding those pockets of free time, and use them! 🙂 There are stories of amazing sisters who have memorized after marriage, after kids, in hard times. We really have no excuse inshaAllah.
- Have good manners and leave sins. Being a good wife, mother, sister, and daughter all counts as ibaadah. Do not scream at your husband about how he’s “keeping you away from your goals in life.” Treat people well, keep up with all of your duties, and leave sins. All of these things will help you towards your memorization.
And Allah Knows Best
One of the comments posted on her blog – by Umm Sulaym – is regarded as vital in understanding this post:
Asalamoalaykum Dearest Sister,
Mashaa’Allah each post I read of yours seems wiser and wiser. May Allah SWT grant you and me wisdom.Ameen.
I used to get offended too when married sisters used to say that you have a lot of time on your hands because you’re single etc. which I felt was a false statement. The fact of the matter is you’re never going to have time. You have to make time. And like you said to a certain extent it’s true regarding the married sisters but I can swear by Allah SWT it is a major excuse Muslim women use. They justify their lack of time management by blaming it on their marital duties. I can say that the frequency and the quality of your Hifdz will definitely change after marriage but sisters who are doing it sincerely for His Pleasure and who did not initially began just to ‘pass time’ in their single life, actually excel. It all boils down to one’s sincerity. As soon as your Hifdz is getting weak, know that your sincerity is messed up. However, if your sincerity is intact, you’ll be surprised how Allah SWT aids you. The probability of success and all the outcomes of one’s aims lies within one’s heart.
May Allah SWT make us among those who memorize and recite Quraan day and night and give its proper Haqq.Ameen.
I’m enjoying your HD posts. Makes me feel that I’m not alone, walhamdolilah because in all honesty, loneliness in a path to khayr can sometimes become a huge impediment to one’s success. BarakAllahu feeki…may Allah SWT find you a companion of Quraan.Ameen.
Lots of love and many duaas,
-UmmS.
PART 8:
Qur’aan Readiness for Ramadhan
“For me, Qur’aan Readiness for Ramadhan is about having more time than the rest of the year. Over the past couple of years I have done the following and it has really been worth the sacrifice. I cancel all extra activities that I normally do, for example: no weekly mother and child workshop, no book club with my little ones, and no sporting activities for the elder ones. I also ensure that I don’t do any shopping in Ramadhan, everything must be done before. I then have extra time which must be planned very carefully so as to maximise my time for the Qur’aan, and I try to include days which will be missed for haidh.”
*
“May Almighty Allah grant us all the ability to perform tahajjud salaah regularly Aameen! Another way to recite a juz a day would be to recite four pages each daily in our five obligatory salaah and four pages in two nafil salaah (ie Ishraaq, chaast or awwabeen). One could even read two pages in each of these salaah and read and review half a juz daily.”
*
“Endeavour to recite two pages in each rakah of your tahajjud and try to pray ten rakahs. In that way you would read a juz in a night and finish the Qur’aan in a month. This will prepare us for the Holy Month. May Allaah may it easy for us and let us witness Ramadhan.”
*
“Use the remaining weeks before Ramadhan to review the central points of focus in each Sura, so as we stand in taraweeh, we may ponder over the focus of each, rather than our minds drifting off to worldy matters.”
*
“Start observing how you use your time. Do you waste or procrastinate unnecessarily? Every minute counts! So if you find just 10 minutes more of free time each day, I would suggest reciting Qur’aan out aloud for those ten minutes. It will help to improve concentration and correct tajweed mistakes.”
*
“From Rajab, my family and I (we are 7) spend 15 minutes after supper together: We recite one hadeeth on the virtues of reciting Qur’aan and one family member will recite a sunnah surah, for example: surah waqiah, mulk, etc. whilst the rest of us listen to the recitation.”
*
“I have four daughters all of them are in primary school and do hifdh part-time. We set up a hifdh star chart and from Rajab until the start of Ramadhan, the star chart is used to encourage thorough revision of all their hifdh surahs and ajzaa’. The one who has performed the best with revision gets to choose a Qur’aan quiz or books for our home library.”
*
“Last week I set up an appointment to meet up with my son’s Qur’aan teachers and check on their progress. I also explained to their teacher that since both my husband and I have completed hifdh, we see Ramadhan as a wonderful opportunity to devote our time as a family to Qur’aan. So we discussed how he can improve and set Qur’aan goal for Ramadhan. I think that the goals will help us all stay focused at the end of Ramadhan we will have seen an improvement and a greater love for Qur’aan.”
*
“To be honest, I’m guilty of only reciting specific surahs in my daily salah. So this year I chose to be brutally honest with myself. Its 18 years since I’ve completed hifdh so I’ve committed to improving my memorisation especially of those outstanding surahs. I read the surah repeatedly 5 times in a row and then use parts of that surah in my salah throughout the day, completing it by Esha time. I’ve already noticed an improvement and have been able to pick out my errors, alhamdulilla.”
*
“I’ve 3 ajzaa and last month I started writing out the verses from memory. Gosh! I didn’t realise the multiple tajweed mistakes and hifdh errors that had crept into my work. I put aside about 30 minutes every day of the week and so far, so good. I really encourage you all to work on writing out your hifdh. You will definitely notice the difference!”
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