08 Sep Hifdh Help: Balancing University & Hifdh
Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullah
Beloved Quran Hearts,
This week’s post – Hifdh Help – is all about answering and addressing your hifdh-related concerns.
- Have a hifdh question? Need some advise? Email: rayhaanah@gmail.com with ‘Hifdh help Q & A’ in the subject line, or leave a comment at the end of this post. Your question could be featured in an upcoming post & benefit many others.
Q: Assalamualaikum, can you give me advice on how to balance hifdh with University course work? [Riham]
A: Wa ‘alaykumus salaam wa Rahmatullah dear sister Riham,
May Allah Most Merciful grant you ease, joy, and success in your hifdh journey – ameen.
Shukran for your email, and a very beneficial question.
My advise to you would be as follows –
- Begin by outlining your hifdh goals on 2 levels: on a semester basis, and secondly, on a yearly basis. This will help you keep track of and stay accountable to yourself and your hifdh teacher, and keep you focused on your intended goal.
- Consult your hifdh teacher, and draw on her valuable advise and guidance.
- Prioritize: hifdh needs time and our mental energy – try to consider which additional / extra curricular activities you could compromise with, so as to have more time, energy and space for hifdh in your life.
- Set up a simple, flexible and realistic timetable for everyday hifdh : taking into consideration what’s expected of you, draw up a timetable where you can allocate time to learn and to revise.
- Time management: though it may initially come across as a struggle or challenge, find ways of maximizing your time and multi-tasking. This will hold you in good stead, and prevent a feeling of overwhelm later on.
– Offset the ratio: work out a system where, for example, for every hour of studying, you connect to the Quran for the next 10 minutes.
– During your daily commute to Uni, and to and from lecture halls, try including audio practise into your hifdh – meaning, listen to some of your newer hifdh that needs reinforcement, while walking or driving to class.
– Regularly – preferably daily – incorporate hifdh revision into your salah (qiyaam).
- During those very busy (and stressful!) exam periods, work on the ‘just 5 minutes’ rule: at very busy times such as these, it can be tempting to defer or delay our hifdh. But even if you’re just revising older hifdh during this time, that’s perfectly fine!
Cardinal rule: not to forget what you’ve already preserved! So, set your timer for 5 minutes, and apply yourself , perhaps during a study break? , to some revision or aayah repetition. You’d be amazed at the productivity and progress that a mere 5 minutes can yield!
- Plan ahead: decide ahead of the semester breaks and holidays, how you intend ‘catching up’ during your free time. It may be that during a particularly challenging semester you are unable to make the progress you had intended, and so the holiday period would be ideal for this.
It can be a delicate balancing act – between Uni and hifdh – and yes, it may not always be easy. So always stay positive, remembering there is a reason for every season in our lives, and reframe your mindset, if need be. The balance may not always be equal, and that is alright, too: remain grateful for the gift of hifdh in your life.
Wishing you success at every stage of your hifdh journey!
Rayhaanah
No Comments