Memorising the Qur'ān in Ramadān can be a challenge, let alone trying to memorise the entire Qur'ān in 30 days. There are always inspiring stories that emerge out of the month of Ramadan. I'm about to share yet another. This individual memorised the entire Qur'ān in Ramadān.
There was no one available to lead Taraweeh prayers
Situation: there's no one to lead the Tarāwīh prayer during Ramadān, what do you do?
You can either get someone to lead and recite whatever they know, or you can get someone to try and memorise a Juz' during the night and day, and then lead the prayer?
In this story it is the latter.
This is the story of how a grandfather, who was 74 when I last heard about him (April 2021). He memorised the Qur'ān in 1965. He was 19 years old at the time. Since there was no Imām, he took the task upon himself to lead the community every night. He would spend his time with the Qur'ān memorising during the night and day. He would get tested and then lead.
Should you look to memorise the Quran in 30 days?
I once had someone ask me how they could memorise the Qur'ān completely in 30 days.
This is not something that I would ever recommend you to even attempt on doing. Those that have done it are outliers and Allāh granted them not only the ability but blessing and reason to do so. This is not the norm.
You should focus on trying to memorise in accordance to your circumstances and abilities, both systematically and methodologically.
Memorising in 30 days, requires that you memorise a Juz' a day. For the most of us, depending on age and ability, we can memorise a page of the Qur'ān within an hour or more. You would need 20 hours to memorise a Juz' in a day which is practically speaking something out of reach for us.
The ideal schedule for memorising a Juz' a day, at the height of ability, would be to memorise a page within 10 to 15 minutes. Meaning you can memorise a Juz' within 4 to 5 hours. Then you can revise it after a break. Those 4 or 5 hours can be divided across a day.
However, there is some context that is forgotten. Those that can memorise very quickly amongst adults tend to have something in common. They all have a routine of reciting the Qur'ān consistently in and outside of Ramadān. They make regular and frequent recitation of the Qur'ān completely many khatm throughout the year. Why does this impact memorisation? It creates familiarity and links in the memory. That familiarity in return creates fluency and speed. All of this in return helps you memorise the Qur'ān even better.
What we learn from these individuals
There are many stories like this of those that memorised the entire Qur'ān in Ramadān. Some have mentioned to me, Mawlana Saleem Ullāh Khan, Shaykh Abu Sayeed, Shaykh al-Imām Ahmad Ridā Khan, and others also did likewise. May Allāh have mercy on those that have passed and increase those still among us.
They inspire us.
They show us what's possible when we really go for it. They remind us what we are capable of.
Not everyone can do the same but we can all accomplish great things with love and effort.
"… every soul may be rewarded according to their efforts." (20:15)
"… each person will only have what they endeavoured towards." (53:39)
Your task is to make the effort. Your task is to strive despite the struggles you face.
May Allāh grant success and ease!
