Can you imagine starting your journey to memorise the Qur'ān when you reached the age of 80? Probably not.
Why would you leave it that later in life? Why would you take on such a task when you can't learn things like you used to? When you truly love the Qur'ān and have a relationship of love with the Qur'ān - age and time is just a number.
The man who became a Hāfiz at the age of 100
Every Ramadān I have time to reflect on many things and amongst my many thoughts are our brothers and sisters who are no longer with us.
Those who showed us the way.
Those who showed us not to give up.
Those who showed us when you want to do something, do it with labour of purity and love.
There's one old gentleman who was a father to a young scholar. He loved the Qur'ān. He had a lifelong wish to memorise the Qur'ān but it never materialised until he reached his 80s. He started memorising the Qur'ān when he was 80 years old and completed the process 20 years later! He became a Hāfiz at age 100!
A few months after completing it he returned to Allāh on the 2nd of Ramadān 1435 / 2014. What an amazing end to life!
"Whoever draws close to Me by the length of a hand, I will draw close to him by the length of an arm. Whoever draws close to me by the length of an arm, I will draw close to him by the length of a fathom. Whoever comes to Me walking, I will come to him running" (Sahih Muslim)
This man is a great motivation for us that if we are sincere we can also complete the memorisation. To memorise in 10, 20 or 30 years, all you need to do is commit. Commit to what? A relationship of love!
That love will take you to places you can't imagine. It would take you to memorise a single verse a day.
May Allāh bless him and all those that have passed. May Allāh make him and us from the people of the Qur'ān. Āmeen!
How can the elderly memorise the Qur'ān?
I shared the story of a doctor who memorised it at the age of 55 and his thoughts. I also shared a method used in Jeddah that is suitable for those more advanced in age. Today, I'm going to share a basic method that was shared in Eygpt for the elderly but can also be used by anyone at any stage in life. You can be in your 40s, 50s, 60s or much younger.
There are three stages:
- A process before memorisation
- A process during memorisation
- A process after memorisation
Before memorisation
The first step is to renew your intentions and your why. Work on your determination and drive. After this, you will want to find a teacher or someone that will agree to take you on. It is necessary that you take out the time to do this. This is sacred for you. It is also appropriate to appoint a place to do your hifz that is away from your regular environment.
During memorisation
You will memorise as you are capable by reciting the first āyah carefully with reflection (translation and tafseer). You will want to repeat an āyah from anything between 20-200 times as quick as you can. When you move to the next āyah, first repeat the last word of the first āyah alongside the first word of the next āyah. Then repeat the āyah in the same way. After this, you will want to memorise both of the āyāt together. Do this up till the point that you are able to memorise.
After memorisation
After memorising, recite the entire portion in a beautiful way throughout your day. Do not hesitate. Pray it in your salāh. Teach the āyāt to younger people. Fix one day in the week to review everything.
May Allāh grant ease and blessing!
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