Guiding Women to Memorize the Quran: Challenges & Solutions
The Quran is the sacred word of Allah, and Muslims have an immense love for it. It is a source of peace and comfort for the restless, a remedy for the sick, light for the hearts and vision of the lost, and a fountain of guidance for the misguided soul. For a believer, the Quran is the guarantee of success in both this world and the Hereafter. Due to this profound love for the Quran, its memorization has been a common practice throughout all periods of history. There is no corner of the earth, no land where Muslims reside, where a Hafiz (one who has memorized the Quran) is not found.
Because of this immense love Muslims have for the Quran, the disbelievers have repeatedly tried to burn or destroy this sacred book, but they have never succeeded in their efforts. The reason for this is that Allah Himself has taken the responsibility of protecting the Quran. It is said, “Whomsoever Allah protects, who can harm him?”
نورحق شمع الہی کو بجھا سکتا ہے کون
جس کا حامی ہو خدا اس کو مٹاسکتا ہے کون
Islam is the only religion whose holy book, the Quran, has so many memorizers across the world, and no other religion has such an example. The disbelievers may burn the Quran or martyr a few Huffaz (those who memorize it), but they can never remove it from the hearts of millions of Muslims. This is a special grace of Allah upon Muslims.
There are many men who memorize the Quran, but women are no less in number. In the current time, due to the increasing household and social issues, it appears difficult for women to memorize the Quran while managing home responsibilities. This pertains to women who did not have the opportunity to memorize the Quran during their childhood. Otherwise, memorizing the Quran in early youth is very easy, and it makes no difference whether the child is a boy or a girl, as long as the guardian pays attention.
For a woman whose age is near to marriage, or if she is already married and then develops a desire to memorize the Quran, there is no harm in this. Even at this stage, with some effort and dealing with challenges, she can still memorize the Quran. However, some issues may arise, which is why Mrs. Zeeba Fatima from Bihar, India, asks me, “Some Muslim women are memorizing the Quran, can you give them some advice to make their goal easier, considering they are memorizing while managing household chores and all responsibilities? Also, can a person memorize the Quran on their own at home, or should they do so under the supervision of a Hafiz?”
The book of Allah was revealed to be read, understood, and acted upon. The more a person attaches themselves to the Quran, the more their motivation to act upon it will increase. Therefore, we see that the status of the Hafiz is very high. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
يُقالُ لصاحِبِ القرآنِ اقرأ وارتَقِ ورتِّل كما كنتَ ترتِّلُ في الدُّنيا فإنَّ منزلَكَ عندَ آخرِ آيةٍ تقرؤُها
(صحيح أبي داود: 1464)
Translation: “It will be said to the companion of the Quran, ‘Recite and ascend, and recite as you used to recite in the world, for your station will be at the last verse you recite.’”
Here, the “companion of the Quran” refers to a Hafiz. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمه الله) explained that the meaning of this hadith is that this great reward will be given to the one who memorizes the Quran and strengthens his recitation and understanding, as it deserves. (Mir’at al-Mafatih, Kitab Fadail al-Quran)
The parents of a Hafiz will be crowned with a light on the Day of Judgment, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
من قرأ القرآنَ وتعلَّمه وعمِل به ؛ أُلبِسَ والداه يومَ القيامةِ تاجًا من نورٍ
(صحيح الترغيب: 1434)
Translation: “Whoever reads the Quran, learns it, and acts upon it, his parents will be given a crown of light on the Day of Judgment.”
In addition to these, there are many other virtues of being a Hafiz of the Quran. Just considering these two narrations, it becomes clear that every Muslim man and woman should strive to memorize the Quran (as much as possible), acquire its knowledge, and act upon it.
Therefore, I want to tell my Muslim sisters that your endeavor to memorize the Quran is a very blessed act. Through it, both your religion and your Hereafter will be beautified. You will be able to correct your beliefs and act upon them correctly. Moreover, you will be able to guide other women in a better way. For example, if you encounter a woman who visits shrines, prays to others besides Allah, makes vows for the deceased, or uses the Quran as a talisman in her life, you can read and explain a few verses from the Quran to her, give a brief explanation, and in that moment, you will have corrected her belief. Whether she accepts or rejects is her choice, but you will have fulfilled the duty of giving her the message. And believe me, explaining the Quran to her will have a great impact. There is a great need for women to be reformed.
Women who wish to memorize the Quran will face many challenges and stages along the way, such as work, marriage, parents, husband, children, etc. You may encounter difficulties in all these stages. However, before anything else, it is essential to understand that memorizing the Quran brings great reward. But it is not obligatory for every Muslim to memorize the entire Quran. However, it is necessary to memorize enough to be able to perform the five daily prayers (Salah) and recite in Taraweeh and Tahajjud easily.
When you decide to memorize the entire Quran, keep the following points in mind:
- Purify Your Intention: First and foremost, make a sincere intention and seek Allah’s help for ease in memorizing the Quran.
- Make a Firm Resolve: Firmly resolve that you want to memorize it. Set aside a specific time each day to memorize, so you can consistently dedicate that time without distractions. Remember, without a genuine passion for memorization, it will become more difficult, so don’t let your enthusiasm diminish.
- If You Have a Strong Ability to Read (Nazirah): If your recitation (Nazirah) is good and you are memorizing with complete focus, you may be able to memorize independently at home. However, it’s always better to have a teacher or a helper. It is recommended to choose a good reciter whom you can listen to daily. If it is not possible to listen daily, at least listen to the week’s memorized portion once a week, but ensure that any necessary corrections are made.
- If You Can’t Find a Reciter: If you cannot find a reciter or if you occasionally miss the opportunity to listen to one, use your mobile phone, computer, or tape recorder to listen to your memorized portion. This will not only help you with memorization but will also improve your recitation.
- Choose a Single Mushaf: For memorization, stick to one Mushaf (copy of the Quran). Early morning (Fajr) or late evening (Isha) is an excellent time to memorize. Choose a time that works best for you.
- Understand What You Memorize: Along with memorizing, whenever you find time, try to understand the meaning of the verses and study their brief Tafsir (explanation).
- Don’t Neglect Your Duties: If you are married, make sure that your Quran memorization does not interfere with fulfilling your rights and responsibilities. Even if you are unmarried, make sure to perform all your duties.
I want to share two incidents here for the inspiration of women in Islam:
- A Personal Experience: During my student years, I saw a young man who was studying religious knowledge and also memorizing small portions of the Quran on his own. Later, after completing his studies at the madrasa, he had memorized the entire Quran.
- An Incident in Saudi Arabia: I once heard a story on a radio program called “Idha’at al-Quran” in Saudi Arabia. The program, “Ma’a al-Quran,” airs in the afternoon, and participants are required to recite a specific set of verses from various places. One day, a woman, around fifty years of age, recited the Quran beautifully. When the radio host asked how much of the Quran she had memorized, she replied, “I am blind, but through listening to the tape recorder, I have memorized 23 Juz of the Quran, and only a few Juz remain.” I was deeply moved, and tears filled my eyes.
Living in Saudi Arabia, I realized that the average man here has memorized as much of the Quran as many scholars in my homeland. Similarly, it is common for women in Saudi Arabia to memorize the Quran as well. This shows the importance of the Quran for both men and women in their society.
May Allah grant our men and women the passion for memorizing the Quran and make it easy for all women who are striving to memorize it. Ameen.
By MAQUBOOL AHMAD SALAFI
Islamic Dawah Center, Northern Taif (Misrah), Saudi Arabia
