Read, reflect and think about the following Hifz stories. Come back to it often. They will always inspire you.
The man who started Hifz at age 40
I once heard of a Hifdh story of a man who began memorising Qur’ān at age 40 and finished when he was 70! It took him 30 years to complete it. There's a similar story of a sister too.
He would memorise 1 Juz’ a year.
Can you imagine if you only focused on 1 Juz' a year, what would happen? Perhaps you're reciting the same 20 or 30 pages hundreds of thousands of times throughout the year. Wouldn't you know it really well? Wouldn't your fears of it being difficult become a distant shadow? Wouldn't the struggles you face with time become eased?
The same was true for this individual. He never used to make mistakes!
Even though he was already 40 years old, he knew that it was never too late to start memorising. His commitment to his daily routine paid off. Why can’t yours?
The sister that memorised Qur'ān over 9 years but gave up 20 times
The reality of Hifdh is that there will always be ups and downs.
A sister that memorised the Qur'ān over 9 years but had in fact given up 20 times during those 9 years. Every thorn became her rose. She kept going despite forgetting what she'd been memorising. Every thorn grew her even more. She returned. Had she not, where would she have been?
A brother who memorised the Qur'ān in a shorter period of time - towards three years as a university student - struggled to balance study with Hifz. He had to cut sleep. Had to sacrifice extracurricular activities, events, or gatherings. But what we don't hear is that, he had completely shut down from it for months on end. He couldn't do it anymore!
Months passed and he finally came back. He kept going.
This path is not a straight ride and for the most part, do not expect that. Nothing so great comes without hard work, effort and some sacrifice.
For some of us, it is harder with our environments and commitments. We want to do things but keep being pulled away by the people around us and their needs. For others, it's the struggle within. But you keep chipping away with the hope of reward, love and forgiveness.
The veterinarian who found peace in memorising the Qur'ān
He says:
"I found memorisation to be very lucrative. The Book of Allāh brings me peace and tranquility. It has been the reason for my career success."
A veterinarian with a dream and passion to journey with the Qur'ān. It took him 17 years to complete his memorisation! He even obtained a sanad but it was his passion that propelled him forward over the 17 years. He would have continued all of his life if he needed to.
Again, memorising the Qur'ān takes years of dedication, countless hours of recitation. Yet no one regrets a single moment of it. It's never a waste of time. It brings you benefit.
I spoken about the rewards and benefits previously but this brother highlights two things:
- Any engagement with the Qur'ān is supposed to bring you peace and tranquility. If you're feeling the opposite then there's a need for you need make self-reflection. There's a need for you to reflect over why this is the case. The Qur'ān never came to us to make us feel anxiety, or depression, but it came to give us hope, guidance, and healing.
- There is a direct correlation in many lives where the commitment to the Qur'ān has impacted their dunya. It has positively changed their dunya. It has caused them to find success in careers. Why is this the case? Those who give to the Qur'ān will always receive. The journey itself also build within you the skills and tools you need to succeed. The journey builds in you consistency, time management, patience, organisation, resistance, perseverance, better memory, determination, and effort. Things that will help you in the dunya.
The man who served in the military wanted the Qur'ān
A man who served in the military for 36 years had a family of five children. He had everything going for him. But something was missing.
He wanted the Qur'ān.
So he started to work on this goal and over 6 years, he became a Hāfiz at the age of 59. All of his children had also memorised.
He said that the issues were inconsistencies in not reciting daily. Periodic and regular revision is required. This is the most difficult part and is the part that we can all relate to. Again, we see a common theme in these stories. There will always be struggles but all of them kept going!
He said he now reviews 3 ajzā' daily and if he is busy, he won't do anything and so the next day he will do 6 ajzā'!
His children, all of them, mā shā' Allāh, memorised with excellence and attained Ijāzah. This family lives in Dubai and when he was asked about what encourages him, he said:
54:32 وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ
And We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there anyone who will be mindful?
There was another military officer who retired at the age of 60 and decided to memorise the Qur'ān without any expectations. You know what happened? 20 years later, he finished memorisation at the age of 80!
If you direct your hearts towards the Qur'ān, regardless of the result, Allāh will shower His favours upon you. But it won't be without its tests.
Will you keep building?
Will you continue regardless of the result?
At the age of 71, an elderly woman, was weeping struggling to pronounce the Qur'ān and trying to re-learn the Qur'ān because she suffered from Alzheimers. She said, if she could go back in time, she would keep going with her effort to memorise the Qur'ān so she could teach her children and grandchildren. She began to cry.
She said my memory has gone but yours is fresh, you are young, and you have time to memorise, even if it is 5 āyāt. She said to never give up on the Qur'ān even if it's a lifetime of trying.
If this dear aunty can persevere week in and week out, who are we to say we can't or that it's too hard?
May Allāh grant us the same resolve and success, or better, as those before us in memorising the Qur'ān and transforming our lives through its guidance.
Come back to this when you need it.
Share it with a friend.
Requesting your prayers in my favour.
