10 TIPS TO HELP CHILDREN MEMORIZE THE QURAN EFFICIENTLY

Every righteous mother has a desire that her child memorizes the Quran, whether all of it or a part of it. Many of them start enthusiastically only to lose all motivation soon afterwards. There are many things that can lead to stopping or slowing down on this blessed journey. Here are 10 practical tips that will help you to make your child memorize the Quran efficiently.

1. EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE LEARNING THE QURAN

A young child is not able to fully comprehend why they are memorizing the Quran on a daily basis. Why is to so important? Why should they give up play time and memorize the Quran? When you explain some of the virtues of memorizing the blessed Book, they will know the purpose of these sessions – to come closer to Allah. Teaching them the virtues of memorizing the Quran before the memorization itself will result in sincere intentions, consistency and steadfastness. Below are some of the virtues of memorizing the Quran that are worthy of teaching your child, it may amaze and excite your child!

THE HIGHEST PLACE IN JANNAH
The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “It will be said to the companion of the Qur’aan: Recite and rise in status, recite as you used to recite in the world, for your status will be at the last verse that you recite.” (Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi)

LOVING THE QURAN
Abdullah ibn Masood (radi-Allahu anhu) said:
“The one of loves the Quran, loves Allah and His Messenger.”

THE SPECIAL PEOPLE OF ALLAH
The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Allah has His own people among mankind.” The Companions said: “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He said: “The people of the Quran–they are the people of Allah and those who are closest to Him’” (Ibn Mâjah)

THE CROWN OF LIGHT
The Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Whoever recites the Quran and acts upon it will be given a crown of light to wear on the Day of Judgement, and its light will be like the light of the sun.” (Al Haakim)

THE BEST ONE
The Prophet (sallahu alayhi w sallam) said:
The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” (Bukhari)

Remember to remind your child of these virtues often as children are more prone to forgetfulness.

 2. DU’AA

Once you have explained the virtues of memorizing the Quran and planted the seed of good intentions in your child’s heart, turn to Allah in du’aa to make this journey easy and blessed for all of you. Make du’aa for steadfastness, being sincere and for a good memory. Ask Allah subhanu wa ta’ala to make your child a Hafidh, make big intentions! And most importantly, make du’aa that your child does not just carry the Book of Allah on their tongue but rather in their heart and that its knowledge reflects on their life.

WHEN IT GETS HARD…
There will be times when your child will feel what is known as a mental block or finds the pronunciation of some words difficult. Remember to stay calm and go back to Ar-Rahman! Teach your child to depend on Allah by making du’aa to Allah when anything gets difficult.

3. GOOD MANNERS

Children should be taught some of the important etiquettes of learning the Quran so that they will gain maximum benefit from the blessed Book.

– To always say Ta’oodh (a’oodhu billahi min ash-shaytaani ar-rajeem) before recitation. If your child interrupts the recitation with worldly talks then ask them to repeat the ta’oodh.
– Begin every surah with Bismillah.
– Not to yawn while reciting.
– Not to giggle during the recitation.
– To realize that Allah is All Hearing and is attentively listening to the recitation.
– To beautify their voice according to their capability.
– Among the etiquettes of learning the Quran is that you explain to your child the simplified and summarized meaning of the Surah they are learning. Also, teach them the meanings of a few easy and most repeated words. This will make memorising more easy. Keeping Tafsir As-Saadi (available in English) handy is very beneficial.

They must also be reminded that since they are learning the Quran they are “Quran Learners” and thereby it’s not appropriate for them to behave inappropriately even after the sessions. For example, they must not lie as it is a sin and Allah loves those who are truthful. Similarly, they must also be advised not to listen to music because the Quran is the Word of Allah while music is the voice of the shaytan and so they must protect the Quran that they have learnt.

 4. SET GOALS

They say, if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. Setting goals keeps you and your child motivated. Make both long and short term goals. Sit down with your child and discuss how many Surahs you would like to cover in a month. Make achievable goals! Keep in mind your child’s capability. Also keep in mind the interruptions that may occur during the time you set as your goal such as sickness, travel or exams.
Long term goals can include setting an annual goal, perhaps from one Ramadan to another.When your child accomplishes a goal, don’t miss the opportunity of appreciation by rewarding with a treat or present!

 5. CREATE ROUTINE

Creating a routine for Quran memorization is the most beneficial means to success. Your children will be psychologically prepared once they know when to expect the memorization session and so you will not have to waste your time and effort in convincing them to sit down with you daily. Having a routine also means regularity which is the cornerstone of your child’s progress.

Choosing Maghrib time is one of the best options. Pray Maghrib salah together with your child and then begin the Hifdh class. Choose a calm, comfortable and distraction-free corner for the sessions and then keep to this routine. It creates discipline as well! Make sure your child has had a satisfying meal/ snack and enough rest so that they are energetic and their concentration is at its peak. Remember not to keep the sessions too lengthy so that it turns out to be tiring and boring for the young kids.

You will be able to accomplish your goals only if you have a set routine and are regularly consistent.

 6. MULTIPLE SENSORY LEARNING

Scientific research has shown that the more senses we involve in learning the better we learn and recall from memory. Make your child hold and look at the surah they arememorizing in the Mushaf even if they can’t read yet. It will give them an elevated sense of bonding with the Quran. If your child is old enough to read then they should read from the Mushaf while memorizing. Let your child also listen regularly to the Quran recitation that’s slow and clear. Make sure you don’t change the reciter every now and then as listening to one Qari will benefit the listener for the purpose of learning. Reciting the lessons repeatedly and loud is also one of the best means to memorize efficiently. In this way your child’s sight, touch, hearing and speech will be involved thus making it easier to memorize.

 7. MOTIVATION

Motivation is described as a need or desire that energizes behaviour and directs it towards a particular goal. There are several ways to motivate your child – spiritual, psychological, rewards and competition.

We have already discussed the impact of spiritual motivation when we looked at various ahadith about the virtues of memorizing the Quran.

Humans by nature do better when they are rewarded and is repeatedly used in the Quran. One of the easiest ways to encourage your child is to keep a reward chart and award them on their accomplishments. You can find Ummi’s free printable Quran memorization reward chart here.

There are plenty of other thoughtful ways to encourage your child. You may record their voice and send it to family and friends and ask them to give their loving feedback. Being appreciated with so many people will definitely motivate your child.

Children who are young and don’t completely comprehend the importance and blessing of memorizing the blessed Quran and so at some point or another they will get sluggish and feel uninterested. It’s a good idea to have them watch other children reciting the Quran on Social Media. There are many inspiring videos for your child. Make sure however that you do not compare your child with others by any means. This will create jealousy and other ill feelings. Your goal after all is to inspire your child, not hurt.

Having a memorization competition is another exciting idea to get your child interested in memorizing the Quran. Humans after all love to compete, let them compete in good deeds! Gather a group of their friends or siblings for the competition, set a goal and reward the winner with a present.

DON’T SEEK PERFECTION JUST YET…

Don’t be too rigid about the Tajweed rules with young children. If you keep correcting every word in each ayah then your child will feel discouraged and will soon lose the interest in learning with you. Sometimes frequent correcting can be very overwhelming and thus damaging and may make your child dislike learning the Quran all together. Stick to correcting only one or two types of mistakes every day. To keep a record of their errors and track their progress, mark their mistakes on the mushaf with a pencil or use Ummi’s Quran Memorization Tracker.

 8. REVIEW

Reviewing is the heart of the Quran and yet many a times the most neglected part. Nothing except the advice of our Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) can put light on its importance –

Abu Musa reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Review the Quran, for by the One in whose hand is my soul, it can leave more swiftly than a camel from its reins.” (Sahih Bukhari)

For young children, it’s good to know how your child prefers to do revision. Some may like reviewing the old lessons in the beginning of the session while others may feel uninterested. If your child is enthusiastic about learning the new lesson first then let them follow the lead. You can review once they are satisfied with the new lesson. Remember to not make the revision too lengthy as it can be mentally draining for a little child. Depending on your child’s energy level and enthusiasm decide how much you would like to review the Quran that day. Sometimes it can be just a couple of Surahs while other days it can be a couple of pages. As long as you are regularly reviewing, take it easy. If on a particular day, your child is just not in the mood to review then let go and catch up with it later at bedtime!

For older kids and those who have memorized a juzz or more, you should divide the revision into equal portions and cover it throughout the week portion by portion daily.

 9. MAKE IT A REWARDING AND BLESSED EXPERIENCE

The Quran memorization sessions should be warm, calm and a blessed experience – for both of you. You must realize that you and your child are indulged in one of the best acts of worship. Therefore, do not let your rewards decrease due to losing your patience with your child or not being gentle with them. You may not realize it but your child will remember the time they spent with you decades later. So make it a beautiful memory for your child. One that they will be delighted and proud to recollect.

Remember to smile at your child and use words of praise and encouragement, hold theirhands to show love while they sit beside you and let them know how proud they make you. Your compassionate gestures will make them long for the sessions! To know how you can become the best teacher of your child read, ‘The manners of the teacher with her students’ here.

 10. ENROLL FOR MEMORIZATION CLASSES

While all the above tips and means are beneficial for helping the young children memorize the Quran at home, it cannot be emphasized enough, how blessed and immensely beneficial it is to make children a part of Hifdh circles at the Masaajid or Quran memorization institutes. It is a great means of motivation for your child to see and meet other children who are on the same path. It also allows your child to be friends with well mannered and purposeful children. And most importantly, your child gains blessings and rewards of visiting the Houses of Allah regularly.

Know that enrolling your child in the masjid or memorization center or hiring a private teacher does NOT free you from your responsibility of taking care of your child’s Hifdh. Your support and involvement plays a pivotal role on this journey of your child. You can still follow the above nine tips even if your child studies the Quran at the masjid. It will reinforce the memorization and also help them realize that the Quran is not just limited to the masjid rather it is a part of their daily life even at home.

May Allah make the memorization of Quran easy for us and our children, put blessing in our efforts and make us from among His chosen servants. Ameen.