1. Make the sincere intention to memorize the Quran

Allah’s Messenger said: “Certainly, Allah does not look at your shapes (appearance) or wealth. But He only looks at your hearts and deeds.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Everyone knows the famous hadith that teaches us that actions are by intentions. But perhaps we need to revisit this topic, as the number of huffadh (individuals who have the Quran memorized by heart) in the West has increased dramatically. While being proud of our children’s achievements is natural, when it comes to the Quran, we need to check the message we pass onto our young ones when we intend for them to memorize. Take a moment to ask yourself: What is your motivation behind driving your child to memorize Quran? Is it to add a feather to our caps, a boast at a relative’s wedding or one-up at a neighbor’s get together. Do I believe memorization is synonymous with my child being God-conscious and religious? Because that is usually not the case. The memorization of the Quran is an activity we partake in to develop a worshipful, observant, spiritual, and sincere connection with Allah and a means to a blessed life and Afterlife. If you’re driving your child harder than he/she can handle or putting them in situations where there’s too much pressure, check your intention. The purity of your intention will transfer to the experience your child has with the Quran and the development of their character.  

Write down a goal that you want to achieve by the end of the year

You don’t have to memorize the entire Quran this year – choose a reasonable goal that won’t discourage you from trying to achieve the goal you have set for yourself. Keep it somewhere that you will always be reminded of – on the fridge, wall, as your wallpaper on your phone, etc. Forbes published an article in April 2018 on the power of writing down goals: individuals who wrote their goals down were 1.2-1.4 times more likely to achieve them than those who didn’t. That’s a pretty powerful difference from just writing things down on a piece of paper. Neuroscience proves that when you generate an idea and write it down, you are not only more likely to remember it, it’s more likely to encode in your brain, which means it travels to the part of your brain that analyzes, discards unimportant information and set things down to be permanently remembered. 

Break down your goal into smaller goals

All larger goals are achievable only by breaking them down into smaller tasks/goals. Human beings are meant to experience success so they can continue to feel drive and motivation. That feeling cannot be absent for long periods of time or the sense of losing purpose will set in. As you meet your smaller goals, your motivation will increase and the sense of being overwhelmed by a gargantuan goal will diminish. In order to break down your goals for Quran memorization here are some questions you can ask yourself:

How much do you need to memorize each month in order to consistently work towards your year-end goal?

How much do you need to memorize each week?

Don’t forget to reward yourself with something nice or that you love after completing your smaller goals!

Schedule your time with the Quran

Choose a time every day where you can commit to sitting down and working on your memorization. Fajr time is the best, but if that doesn’t work for you, choose a time that will set yourself up for success.

Set up a nice, quiet, and convenient area in your home to go to everyday for your memorization

Having a place that is always set up and ready for you will make it easy for you every day – set your Quran on a small table next to a chair or cushion, so you can just sit down and start.

Tell someone else your goal and how you are going to achieve it

It’s all about accountability. Knowing someone who you have shared your goals with (maybe he/she even shares the same one!) keeps you accountable and  will help you in staying consistent with your daily routine to memorize.

Get a memorization partner

Do you have a friend or family member who has a similar goal? Ask them to join you this year and you can memorize together or keep each other updated on your progress!

Start a memorizing group in your masjid

Start a group in your masjid. Meet once a week to review with each other and set goals for the next week.Take a walk together afterwards or bring a treat and socialize afterwards. Don’t shy away from doing what it takes to stay consistent and looking forward to parts of achieving your goals.

Set weekly or monthly reminders on your calendar to remind you of what you are wanting to achieve

Set a reminder on your calendar or phone that reminds you of your goal for the day, week, month and year. Always keep it in the forefront of your mind, so you don’t get off track.

Get a teacher to help you

Meeting regularly with an online Quran teacher or one from your community can help guide you and keep you on track. Just as importantly, they can check for small mistakes or errors that can be hard to uproot if you’ve memorized incorrectly. Someone who knows more than you that checks your memorization is a valuable asset to the process.

Extra Tip: Don’t give up!

If you fall off the track, don’t just quit! Get yourself back on track when you can and keep trekking along. Change your yearly goal. Update and edit it by rewriting it and posting it back up. You’ll be surprised how quickly a little review will brush up forgotten parts and strengthen previously weak portions you had memorized. If you need accountability, start online Quran classes to keep a steady schedule.

What are your goals for this year? Have more tips? Share them in the comments and share with your friends!