286 verses long, 43-65 pages long, and with the longest verses of the Qur'ān, many feel overwhelmed with the Sūrah.
It's a chapter that has great excellence and virtues, including:
There are numerous experiences from people that have witnessed these blessings firsthand in their lives. A sister that was inflicted with great affliction, depression, stress, injustice, and grief from her in-laws, who found relief from the blessings of the Sūrah. Like this, there are many that have faced issues where through reciting the Sūrah, Allāh has provided a way out for them.
So how can you memorise Surah al-Baqarah?
I'll share some general suggestions that not only apply to this Sūrah but any Sūrah of the Qur'ān.
Be realistic
The first thing to do is to figure out what you can commit to. How much can you memorise? How frequently can you do this? When can you review?
Stick to that. The ways you could do this include:
Focus on a page a week
If you can do a page a week, you can complete the entire Sūrah within a year. That's an amazing achievement! You'll be memorising an average of 2-2.5 lines daily.
Focus on five a day
Memorise 5 lines or 5 āyāt a day (you'd complete it in two months). Take a line or āyah (at times you'll need to chunk them into smaller segments) to memorise at 5 points of the day. Combine as you build each day. Appoint one day to review it all in the week.
Ramadān sprints (or any month)
Let's say you wanted to memorise it all within a month. This can apply to any other chapter. Memorise 2 pages minimum a day and review them on days 6, 12, 18, 24, and 29.
Mind mapping
One of the most helpful tools you can use especially if you're a visual learner is to mind map the āyāt and themes of the Sūrah. It has many topics and similar verses. Mind mapping can help put them together and remember sequences.
Study and divide
This means to read the translation and tafseer. Following this, you can appreciate the sūrah, section, or page. You can now memorise by creating links and groups by meaning.
Unconventional
Instead of starting from the beginning, memorise certain sections within the Sūrah first. These can be the longest verses, the hardest portions of the Sūrah in the 2nd Juz', or memorising the narratives first (like the vent of the angels, Ādam and Iblīs). Going with the difficult portions first will remove any friction, give you a boost of confidence, and train you well for the Sūrah.
Listen and repeat
Make a habit of reciting and listening to the Sūrah daily without a specific sitting to memorise it. Target 3 days with Juz' 1 on day 1, then Juz' 2 on day 2, and then the remainder from Juz' 3 on day 3. So every 3 days you can complete it. You'll notice yourself becoming faster and increasingly fluent. You will also begin to feel as though you've memorised parts of it already by just being consistent with the recitation. When you feel you want to begin having active memorisation sessions, you can start and it will be a lot easier.
Remember, you can do it! The only prevention is yourself. You will need time. Will you give it time?
