In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful. The greatest miracle of Allah performed through His prophet (SAW) is the Holy Quran, a timeless and literary miracle which cannot be duplicated by anyone. Allah (SWT) even gave a challenge in Quran 17:38 that “ Say: ‘if all mankind and jinn would come together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce its like even if they exerted all their strength in aiding one another'” and also in Quran 2:23 as “ and if you all are in doubt about what I have revealed (i.e. the Quran) to My servant ( prophet Muhammed), bring a single chapter like it, and call your witnesses besides God if you are truthful”. This book is a book of guidance, healing, satisfaction, and an admonition to ensure we are on the right path as Muslims always and that we do not stray.
Learning to read the Quran especially online
Islam has spread from the countries of the Middle East to every corner of the world. It is the world’s fastest-growing religion and has been estimated to be the largest religion in the world by 2075. Having more adherents to this faith means most people may not come from the middle east or have Arabic as their mother tongue. Nonetheless, The Quran which is the book of Islam was revealed and is usually in the Arabic language to preserve its meaning and ensure the correct propagation of the message. It is always ideal to learn to read the Quran in its mother tongue, and better if one learns the language too so you can understand what you are reading and gain the most knowledge from it.
However, learning the Quran might not be the easiest task and would require a lot of time, effort and personal will. A solution for most arises when we learn Quran online. Learning Quran online would provide an easier, more convenient, personalized and focused approach. This approach is also ideal for people who want to learn without being stigmatized or who do not have any Quran teacher readily available for a physical class. An online Quran teacher would also be more flexible and accommodating.
It is ideal to learn the Quran with Tajweed. Tajweed is a set of rules for the proper pronunciation of the Arabic letters during recitation. Reading the Quran with Tajweed is the best way and ensures you are pronouncing the words the right way, and therefore evoking the right quality and meaning. So it is advisable to learn Quran online with Tajweed.
Benefits of learning and reading the Quran
The benefits observed with learning and reading the Quran include
• It is an Islamic duty.
• The Quran serves as proof for us on the day of Judgement.
• Learning, reading and teaching the Quran would make you among the best of people.
• For every letter you read, there are 10 rewards attached.
• The Quran consists of rules by which the Muslims are supposed to model their lives by and reading the Quran exposes us to those rules.
• Learning the Quran ensures we can pray properly as Quranic verses are to be recited during prayer.
• Many Quranic verses can be used to make different forms of supplications either for ailments or normal daily supplications.
Quran memorization
During the time of the prophet (SAW), the Quran was revealed periodically in bits over a period of 23 years and most of the earliest companions memorized the Quran as it was being revealed. They taught one other and pored over the meanings and lessons from every single revelation and made sure to embody the lessons within. This first generation of Muslims was known to be the best and we have been enjoined to emulate them in all their ways and conduct. Being a hafiz (memorizer of the full Quran) was one of the many features observed in this generation of Muslims.
This shows that Quran memorization is indeed very important and should be strived for as much as possible. We should remember to only go into this with the best of intentions, seeking Allah's favor only and not the favor of our fellow man.
Allah (SWT) blessings on the Hafiz
On an individual basis, memorization is a great tool to improve memory, make us smarter, increase our memory space, stimulate creativity, slow down mental deterioration, reduce stress and generally improve health. For a Muslim who is a Hafiz, there are some roles he might be expected to fill in the society and privileges granted upon him by Allah ( SWT) including
• The Hafiz usually takes precedence in terms of leading the prayer in a gathering.
• He is usually more sought after for leadership roles and is thrust with more responsibilities to serve Allah and his community at large.
• His status in the hereafter would commensurate with the last aya(verse) he memorized. That means, he would be told to recite the verses he has memorized and based on the number, his status would be elevated.
• He would be in the company of the angels in the hereafter.
• He would be clothed with a crown of honor and a garment of honor.
• Also, the Quran would intercede for him on the day in which there are no intercessors and all mankind is to get the result of their actions on earth.
Tips to make online Quran memorization easier
Knowing the benefits of memorizing the Quran, the next step would be how to memorize the Quran in the easiest and most efficient way possible. You can learn through online Quran courses and below are tips that can help us, Inshaa Allah
• Having the right intention
This cannot be over flogged as it is the most important tip. If we get this right, we should be able to have an easy enough memorization journey. Having the right intention helps to motivate and set our priorities right. So, first, we need to ask ourselves why do we want to memorize the Quran. The right intention includes; to gain reward from Allah, to teach others including family and friends, and to develop a better relationship with Allah through his Holy book. Any intention that involves showing off and getting praises is considered minor shirk, a sin and should never be entertained. It is important to always seek refuge in Allah to keep us steadfast on the right intentions only.
• Improving your lifestyle
To be able to memorize the Quran, you would need to make out time from your schedule. The best time to memorize is early in the morning and late at night, when there is more serenity. This means that you would have to rearrange your schedule by waking up earlier and/or sleeping later. Either way, improvement in our lifestyle to accommodate this new practice is essential.
An improvement would also mean cutting out some activities from our lives, especially the minor sins that we tend to undermine. Minor sins are known to cause distractions and reduce our ability to concentrate and grasp the verses we plan to memorize. Therefore, pulling yourself out from distractions and what could cause distractions is another good plan.
• Make a plan, then break it up
Having a conclusive plan on when you want to finish memorizing the Quran is important. However, breaking it up into smaller achievable bits with a shorter timeline is even more important. This would ensure you can easily measure progress and adjust and amend the plan initially as required. The only way you can know how far you have gone, how far you can go and the feasibility of your original plan is by having initial small measurable targets.
• Reward yourself
It is always a thing of joy to meet set goals, so why not reward yourself? Remembering how you felt and enjoyed yourself the last time you met your goal would certainly serve as motivation so you can continue to meet all your set goals and the ultimate plan that was formed. Rewarding yourself could even be taking some days off from recitation and having adequate rest or time for other worthwhile activities.
• Stay healthy
It is possible to get worked up and stressed due to balancing normal life activities and memorization plans but you must always remember that only a person that is of sound physical and mental health can achieve set goals. You must ensure to never completely let yourself go and always find time to rest properly. Resting appropriately is important for good health and you should always relax when you feel too tired, stressed or are not physically and mentally prepared for memorization.
• Find a Quran buddy
Healthy competition may just be the difference between reaching your set goal at the right time and not doing so. Having someone who is willing to memorize the Quran with you and can ensure you are always on your toes too is always a good option. This could be your spouse, a family member or a friend. You need to be sure this person is serious about memorizing too because an unserious partner could hinder and cause you to lag behind instead of motivating you.
• Start small
Making a plan to complete your Quran memorization can only be achieved when you start small. What we mean is that you pick a minimum amount of verses you can memorize in a week and increase it with time, according to your convenience and capability. It is also better to start with familiar chapters so you can fall into memorization easier.
Having regular weekly or monthly reviews on your memorization progress would determine how much more you can add up or if your progress is just right enough.
• Read tafsir
Learning the tafsir (translation) of the memorized verses would help to connect better with the Quran and build a deeper relationship. Connecting more with the Quran and ultimately what is being memorized would certainly influence better memorization of the Quran.
When we know the meaning of what we are reading, we can relate better to it and also learn so that we may impact what we have learnt into our lives.
• Revise during solat
Learning online and not applying what we learned in a practical sense would cause us to forget. It is always advisable to read our memorized verses while praying and especially during Fajr prayer as the recitations in this solat (prayer) is especially witnessed by the angels.
• Surround yourself with the Quran
You do not have to have the Quran in every part of the house, office or class for it to surround you, but you need to always have your memorization goals on your mind. You may schedule a particular time and place for memorization, but revision should occur almost all the time. Playing online Quran lessons in your car while driving, poring over your notes during lunch break, playing your target memorization verses during short breaks at work or in between classes, etc. ensures you are surrounded by the Quran at all times. You can easily pick up at any point and continue your memorization when you are free to.
Conclusion
Learning the Quran and taking it a step further by memorizing it would only serve to benefit us and keep us closer to the words of Allah. Memorization ensures we always have the Quran with us, even if it’s just in memory. Constant revision is the only way to ensure we do not forget what we have so eagerly learned. As Quran 54:17 states “And we have certainly made the Quran easy to remember. So is there any who would remember it?”
We should also make sure to not just read and memorize the Quran, but also always act upon it. May Allah (SWT) continue to guide all our affairs and accept our good deed as an act of Ibadah. Ameen.
For More Information learn Quran online