5 Essential Steps to Revive Your Quran Memorization

If you've ever listened to the re:Verses Podcast - and we trust that you have 👀 - you'll know that our resident Ustadhs are often asked how to recover portions of Quran that were once memorized but are now forgotten. It's a lot more common than you think; whether it's life that gets on top of us or we fall out of routine with our memorization schedule, it's easy for the verses or surahs we've memorized to quickly slip away if not revised with care and undivided attention.

But we're not here to dwell on the things that make us feel down and out and if the golden nuggets of wisdom on re:Verses has taught us anything, it's this:

It's never too late to recover what you think you've lost and you can ALWAYS get back on track with your Hifz inshaAllah. Here are 5 practical steps to help you reclaim the verses you've committed to memory: 👇

1. Spiritual and Mental Wellbeing

• 🤲 Seek Forgiveness: It's important to make taubah to Allah for allowing our memorization of the Quran to leave us but sincere repentance will open up the doors to increased rizq, one benefit of which will be the ability to learn and retain Allah's book.
• 💭 Be Mindful and Make Dua: Don’t underestimate the power of spiritual wellbeing in enhancing memory. Practicing mindfulness and making dua for ease in memorization can align your spiritual and educational goals, fostering a conducive environment for learning.
• 🥗 Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: Ensure you're getting adequate sleep, eating nutritiously, and exercising regularly. A healthy body supports a sharp mind, which is crucial for memorization.

2. Regular Revision

• 📆 Create a Schedule: Establish a consistent schedule to review what you've previously memorized. Daily revision, even for just a few minutes, can significantly boost retention. Use Tarteel's Memorization Journey Planner to lock in your goals, plan ahead and hold yourself accountable.
• 🎧 Use Audio Aids: Listen to recitations of the forgotten portions during your daily activities, such as commuting or before sleep, to reinforce memory through auditory learning.

3. Focused Relearning

• ❌ Identify Problem Areas: Break down the portions you struggle with into smaller segments. Tackle them individually, focusing on mastering one segment before moving to the next. When you're ready to test yourself, Tarteel's intuitive Memorization Mistake Detection is on hand to help you figure out where you're solid and where you can use more work. It even builds a log of your most common mistakes so you know where to put your focus!
• 📝 Write it Down: Transcribing verses as you memorize them can help reinforce memory and provide a visual method of learning, which complements oral recitation.

4. Group Recitation

• 🛟 Join a Study Circle: Engaging with a community or a study group that regularly recites the Quran can provide motivation and corrective feedback, ensuring your recitation remains sharp and accurate.
• 🫂 Create a Group on Tarteel: Our newly launched Groups and Leaderboards feature lets you get your pals together for some friendly compeition as you read, recite and memorize more, and stack up the good deeds in the process, together!

5. Visualization Techniques

• 🎨 Visual Mapping: Create mental images or diagrams that connect the meanings of verses to visual symbols or storylines. This technique can help solidify the verses in your memory by linking them to strong visual cues.
• 🏞️ Setting Scenes: Imagine the scenarios described in the verses and their translations, placing yourself within the narrative or setting. This method not only helps in memorizing the text but also deepens your understanding and emotional connection to the material.

Forgetting what you'd previously memorized isn't the end but a simple bump in the road of a lifelong journey towards learning and spiritual growth. By adopting these steps, you not only work towards reclaiming lost verses but also fortify your overall relationship with the Quran. Embrace this challenge as an opportunity for deeper engagement, persevere and don't forget to listen to the re:Verses Podcast for more EPIC advice around the Hifz journey, led by you, the Tarteel Community!