Securing the Remembrance

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

:sl:

Title: Securing the Rememberance

Author: Hafiz Sohail Bengali Saheb [sallamahullaah]

There are 10 chapters in total and then a conclusion. So bear with pateince:)

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

PREFACE

This book in your hand is prepared by my friend, Hafiz Sohail from Chicago. I know Hafiz Sohail for the past three years. We have spent some days together in the past two Ramadhaans at Darul Huda, Springfield, Virginia, USA after he would complete his Taraweeh in Chicago.

Alhamdulillah, Hafiz Sohail possesses many outstanding qualities. He is a very good Hafiz with extremely sweet recitation. Hafiz Sohail is an IT Specialist and is doing his Aalim course in his spare time. He is very humble and soft by nature and threads the path of Taqwa to the best of his ability.

This book is an expression of some of his abovementioned qualities. Hafiz Sohail presents ten chapters with thirty points dealing with many issues of memorising the Qur'aan, virtues of a Hafiz, obstacles in becoming a Hafiz, respect to teachers, parent's responsibilities, du'aas for hifz, etc.

I have read the book and it touched my heart. It is my fervent du'aa that Allah accepts the efforts of Hafiz Sohail and I take a good omen on his name (Sohail - easy) that the contents of this book will encourage people to become Huffaaz and assist those who are becoming Huffaaz. This book is a must for every household, parents and Huffaaz. I name this book, 'Securing the Remembrance'.

Ebrahim Desai
Shawwal 24, 1425

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Qur'an as Mother of All Miracles

Prophet Muhammad {peace be on him) categorically said in one of his sayings that the Quraan is the miracle bestowed on him by Allah Almighty:

Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet (peace be on him) said, "Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed but what I have been given is the Divine inspiration which has been revealed to me. So, I hope that my followers will out-number the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection.'

In fact, in answer to those who were asking Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) for a miracle. Allah asked him to answer them as follows:

"Is it not enough for them that we have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the book (Qur'an), which is rehearsed to them. Verily in it is a mercy and reminder to those who believe.’

As proof of Divine and miraculous nature of the Holy Qur’aan, two arguments are advanced by Allah Himself:

* the fact that the Prophet was unlettered

‘Those who followed the Messengers, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad) they find written in the Torah and the Injil (Gospel).’

* The testimony of the Qur’aan to the effect that Muhammad (peace be on him) could never have composed the contents of the Holy Qur'an; he could not have been its author:

"Neither did you (O Muhammad) read any book before it (the Qur'an) nor did you write (any book) with your right hand, in that case the followers of falsehood might have doubted."

The Immediate Ayah i.e. verse, states categorically that the Qur'an is the miracle for men of wisdom, people with literary and spiritual insight who are honest to themselves:

"Verily, here (in Qur'an) are signs (miracles) self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge and none but the unjust shall reject our signs (miracles."

Identifying Allah's Miracle
Five conditions have to be met by an event to qualify as a miracle from Allah.

1. That no one except Allah, the Lord and Master of the worls, is able to do it by Himself or through any of His messengers.

2. That the incident breaks the usual norms and differs from the law of nature.

3. That it serves as a proof for the trust and claim of the messenger

4. That it happened in accordance with the messenger’s claim, and

5. The the event happens through the messenger and no one else.

The stand of Islam on miracles is that it is exclusive for the messengers and apostles of Allah. He honoured them with the ability to perform certain feats by His leave. Apart from messengers and apostles of Allah, certain human beings, at one time or the other, were also honoured to perform wonders similar to the miracles of the messengers of Allah. This is distinguished from magic, whose source is Satan and which is wrought by evil men and women.

Dr. Kamil Kayejo Oloso

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 1

THE IMPORTANCE OF HIFZ

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَـفِظُونَ

“Verily, We, it is We Who revealed the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely We will guard it (from corruption)” (15:09)

One of the names of the Holy Quran is 'The Remembrance' (Al-Dhikr) and in this verse, Allah U takes the responsibility for guarding this Remembrance (Dhikr).

My teacher, Qari Abdul Mannan (db) says regarding this verse:

“Allah U chooses which hearts to put the Quran into, which hearts to pour this light (Noor) into so that it is safe-guarded against corruption."

Thus the Huffaz are actually chosen by Allah U to be co-guardians of this Remembrance.

So the first reason for memorizing the Quran is to guard it from corruption, and one can gauge that importance by seeing the changes that have occurred with the Tauraah and the Injil over the years.

"According to reports from the Banu Isra'il themselves, the ruler of Rome, Anitos Apifonis got every single copy of the Tauraah burnt until no copy was left. The same happened to the Bible so the original transcriptions became extinct as a result of the attacks of Titus of Rome..." (An Approach to the Quranic Sciences)

Even though time and again libraries of the Muslim world have been burnt and ransacked; scholars and huffaz massacred, the Quran has been preserved as it was revealed and this will continue to be so, Insha-Allah because of the guarantee of Allah U to preserve it.

"Supposedly, if all the written copies of the Quran were to disappear even now there are hundreds of thousands of Muslims who are holding it as a sacred trust within their hearts. If anyone tried to change a single word in it, even small children would find out". (An Approach to the Quranic Sciences)

The Hafiz thus becomes a co-guardian of the Quran by the will of Allah U and is addressed as such, Hafiz being one of the 99 attributes of Allah U.

The second reason for memorizing the Quran, is that it is the bedrock of all Islamic Sciences (Uloom). The proof of this is found from the sayings of our pious predecessors.

Shaykh ul Hadith Maulana Zakariyah (rah) writes:

“According to Imam Abu Hanifa (rah) one should memorize the Quran before becoming a faqih. (Maulana Zakariyah Muhajir Madani, Vol. I).

One of the apparent reasons is that the Quran is the first source from which Islamic Law (Shariah) is derived, the other sources being Hadith, Consensus (Ijma), and Analogy (Qiyaas).

Many of the Sahaba who were Muftis, were also Huffaz.

Some of Sahaba that were Muftis & Huffaz were: Hadrat Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar, Abu Hurairah, Zaid bin Thabit, Abu Mu'sa Ashari, Abdullah ibn Masu'd, Ubay ibn Ka'b and Hadrat Ayesha y

Traditions establish all of the above Sahaba y as being Huffaz according to Mufti Taqi Usmani (db) in his book "An Approach to the Quranic Sciences"

He also says that there were numerous Sahaba y who had memorized the whole Quran but were not mentioned in the Traditions. In fact he writes:

"This is corroborated by the fact that there had been times when the Prophet r had sent up to seventy recitors for teaching the Quran to only one tribe."

"There are traditions mentioning the martyrdom of seventy recitors from among his Sahaba y in the battle of Bir Maunah, and an equal number of Sahaba y martyred in the battle of Yamamah after the death of the Holy Prophet r Actually, another account places the number of martyred Sahaba y at Yamamah at seven hundred recitors"

The above facts only relate to those Sahaba y who had memorized the entire Quran, so it is easy to estimate that a fairly large number of Sahaba y were Huffaz.

Mufti Taqi Usmani (db) writes:

"Further he r did not teach them only the meaning of the Quran but had them memorize its words as well. The Sahaba y were themselves so keen to learn and memorize the Quran that everyone of them wanted to excel the other."

"There were women who demanded nothing else as mahr (dower) from their husbands except that they should teach them the Quran."

"Hundreds of Sahaba y ridding themselves of all worldly cares, had devoted their entire lives for this purpose. Not only did they memorize it but also revised it in their nightly Salah."

"Sayyidina Ubadah ibn Samit t has stated that whenever someone migrated from Makkah to Madinah, the Holy Prophet r entrusted him to the care of one of the Ansars so that he could teach Quran to the newcomer. So much noise was created in Masjid Nabawi by the voices of the learners and the teachers of the Quran that the Prophet r had to tell them to lower their voices so that there was no confusion." (An approach to the Quranic Sciences)

Shaykh ul Hadith Maulana Zakariyah (rah) also says:

“According to Imam Bukhari (rah) one should memorize the Quran before becoming a muhaddith. (Maulana Zakariya Muhajir Madani, Vol. I)

One reason for this is because hadith is the explanation of the Quran, and it falls under the same protection as mentioned in the verse:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَـفِظُونَ
“Verily, We, it is We Who revealed the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely We will guard it (from corruption)” (15:09)

In his commentary of this verse Mufti Shafi (rah) writes:

"And it is obvious that the meanings of the Quran are the same as [that which] the Holy Prophet r was sent to teach as pointed out in the Quran":

لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ

You have been sent to explain the meaning of

what was revealed to them"(16:44)

And this is what the following verse also means:

وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
"Teaches them the Book and the Wisdom" (3:164)

And this is why he r also said:

انما بعثت معلما

"As for me, I have been sent as a teacher"

"Now when the Holy Prophet r was sent to explain the meanings of the Quran and to impart education to people he used a set of his sayings and doings as the medium of instruction for his community, and this very set of his words and deeds is known as hadith. In addition to that, the Hadith of Rasulullah r is really the explanation of the Quran and the meaning of the Quran. Their protection is something which Allah U has undertaken himself." (Maarif-ul-Quran, Volume V)

So if one were to undertake the study of hadith, it would be quite beneficial to have secured that Kitab, that Dhikr, that Tanzeel, that Quran of which the hadith are an explanation.

بَلْ هُوَ ءَايَـتٌ بَيِّنَـتٌ فِى صُدُورِ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ

Nay, but it is (Quran), the clear Ayat, (preserved) in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge (29:48)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir (rah) also mentions a similar observation regarding this verse:

“Meaning, this Qur'an is clear Ayaat which indicate the truth, commands, prohibitions and stories. It is memorized by the scholars for whom Allah U makes it easy to memorize, recite and interpret.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

He goes on to say: “According to the hadith of `Iyad bin Himar, recorded in Sahih Muslim, Allah U says:”

إِنِّي مُبْتَلِيكَ وَمُبْتَلٍ بِكَ، وَمُنْزِلٌ عَلَيْكَ كِتَابًا

لَا يَغْسِلُهُ الْمَاءُ، تَقْرَؤُهُ نَائِمًا وَيَقْظَانًا

"I am testing you and testing others through you, revealing to you a Book which cannot be washed away by water, which you recite while you are asleep and while you are awake.''

“This means, if the manuscript where it is written were [it] to be washed with water, there is no need for that manuscript. This is because it is preserved in the hearts and is easy on the tongue (i.e., is easy to recite), and is controlling people's hearts and minds. It is miraculous in its its wordings and in its meanings. In the previous Scriptures this Ummah was described as carrying their holy Books in their hearts.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The third reason for memorizing the Holy Quran is because of the verse:

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

“And indeed, We have made the Qur'an easy to remember;

then is there any that will remember”(54:17,22,32,40)

Shaykh ul Hadith (rah) writes:

“The author of Tafseer Jalalayn writes that the interrogatory clause in this ayah is in fact an imperative one. Thus Allah U has stressed over and over again the importance of memorizing the Quran.” (Fazail-e-Quran)

If there were no other reason for memorizing the Quran, this verse alone would justify the importance of hifz.

In addition, the fact that it is easy to memorize can be quickly ascertained by knowing that hundreds of thousands of huffaz who are not familiar with the Arabic language and yet are able to recite a Kitab that has no equal in eloquence among Arab and Ajam alike.

Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.

When you create an account, you can participate in the discussions and share your thoughts. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and make new friends.
Sign Up

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 2

WHAT IS DETRIMENTAL IN HIFZ

SINS


Imam Al-Zarnuji (rah) writes in Ta’lim al Mutallim quoting Imam Shaafi (rah) :



شكوت الى وكيع سوء حفظى

فارشدنى الى ترك المعاصى

فان الحفظ فضل من الهى وفضل اللّه لا يهدى لعاصى
I complained to Waki' of my bad memory

So he directed me to cease from evil doing;

For verily memory is a benefit from Allah U

and a benefit of Allah U is not given to one who sins.



So the first principle in committing the Quran to memory, is that before even taking the first lesson, one should make an intention (niyyah) of leaving sins. By Allah's U will the light (noor) of the Quran, coupled with one's niyyah of leaving sin will Insha-Allah protect the hafiz-to-be and increase his capacity to memorize and retain the verses.

ARTIFICIALITY

Hafiz Ibn Qayyim Al Jawzi (rah) writes:

“The Heart, in its journey to Allah U is like that of a bird: Love is its head, and fear and hope are its two wings. When the head and two wings are sound the bird flies gracefully; if the head is severed, the bird dies; if the bird loses one of its wings, it then becomes a target for every hunter or predator.” (Madarij us Saalikeen)

Similarly a person who does hifz is also on a journey. In this journey, he is also like a bird. Sincerity is its head, while commitment and dedication are its two wings. When the head and two wings are sound the hifz will Insha-Allah be completed. If the head is severed, then disaster will ensue because if hifz is not done with a sincere purpose one will never attain the sweetness and the pleasure that Hifz brings. Artificiality, that is memorizing the Quran to impress others, etc. will bring about ruin for one in this life and in the hereafter.

In retrospect artificiality should be avoided at all costs, because while hifz will make a person eligible for Heaven, artificiality and insincerity in this will make a person eligible for Hell.

In 1981, Shaykh ul Hadith (rah) visited the Dar ul Uloom Al Arabiyah Al Islamiyyah in England for the Bukhari Graduation, a graduation ceremony when students become Alims.

In his address he said:

"Imam Bukhari (rah) commenced his book of with the Prophetic statement, ‘Actions are according to intentions’. And completed it with the Hadith, ‘There are two words which are dear to the Most Beneficent and very easy for the tongue to say, are but very heavy in the balance. They are: ‘Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi’ and 'Subhan Allahil Azim.’"

“[In doing so], he indirectly conveyed a very profound message to the Ummah which amounts to this: - "There are only two things to be done in this world, 1. To be sincere in the heart and 2. To praise Allah U with the tongue."

If the fact that Shaykh ul Hadith (rah) had experience teaching Bukhari Shareef for 45 years is kept in mind, one can well realize with what profound insight he was speaking.

Since the Quran itself is a Dhikr, one can understand the two step process gained from the statement above: Sincerity of Heart and Praising Allah U is the correct approach to the Quran since the Quran is also Dhikr.

Shaykh ul Hadith (rah) writes:

“The Quran altogether is a dhikr of Allah U in the sense that no ayaat of the Quran is devoid of remembrance and attention towards Allah U.” (Fazail-e-Quran)

“It can be concluded that repeated recitation of the Quran will result in the reader being influenced by the qualities of the Originator of the verses and in developing a natural affinity with Him.” (ibid)

As we progress to the third thing which is detrimental to the one doing hifz, keep in mind, the intended message conveyed by Imam Bukhari (rah) that there are only two things worth doing in this world: Sincerity of Heart and Remembrance of Allah U.

ATTACHMENTS

When many instances of social events, visiting friends, or other such activities crowd the calendar then one can well appreciate the message of Imam Bukhari (rah). In this respect, lets look at the advice of a great scholar: Imam Abu Hanifa (rah):

Imam Abu Hanifa (rah) besides being a Hafiz, Alim, Sufi Mufti, Faqih, and Mujtahid was also a very successful businessman. His days were spent in teaching Fiqh and nights spend in Tahajjud. With all the constraints on his time, he would be the perfect guide on time management. Rightly so, here is an incident from his life:

"Somebody having asked the Imam what could aid one in learning fiqh, he answered "Peace of mind." "How to acquire it?" asked the man. "Reduce your attachments," replied the Imam. "How can one reduce one's attachments?" asked the man further. "Take what is essential and leave what is not," counseled the Imam. (Sirat-e-Nauman)

The same can be applied to hifz. It is not attained but by reducing one's attachments, as much as possible. The most important consideration should be that as much as possible social activities, mixing with friends and the like should be restricted as much as possible. This might seem harsh, but hifz is a monumental undertaking.

If the advice of the respected Imam (rah) is not convincing enough then let us look at the life of our Beloved Prophet r about whom Allah U states in the Quran:

لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ

Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have

a good example to follow (33:21)

Let us examine his r blessed example in regards to the preference for the Quran over other obligations:

Maulana Yusuf Kandhalwi (rah) writes:

“Aws bin Huzaifah Thaqafi stated: In the Thaqif’s delegation we came to Rasulullah r. So the Ahlafi gentlemen stayed with Hadrat Mughirah bin Sh’obah t and his holiness r put up the Malikiyin in his own tent. After the Isha prayer his holiness r used to come to us and would talk so long that owing to standing for long, he r would change his steps, and often in these talks with us he r complained against the Quraish. He r used to say: ‘We had been considered weak in Makkah. Then, when we went to Madinah we got revenge on the community; the mode of fighting sometimes turned out to be favorable to us and sometimes to them. The narrator says that ‘one night he was delayed in coming to us the way he used to come to us. Then, when he came to us, we said: ‘O Rasulullah r, Tonight you have come late to us in that part of the night in which you used to come’. So he said ‘As it was time to recite the fixed portion of the Quran I used to recite, I thought it better, not to stir out until I had recited it’ or he said ‘until I completed it…’”(Hayat-us-Sahabah, Volume III)

“Hadrat Mughirah bin Sh’obah t said: a man sought permission to come to Rasulullah r while the latter was between Makkah and Madinah. So Rasulullah r said: ‘Tonight I have missed the reciting of my portion of the Quran and I can’t give preference to anything over it.’” (ibid)

This is the example of our beloved Rasulullah r whose responsibilities included: inviting others to the Deen of Islam, judging cases, training the Sahabah, administrating the Dar-ul-Islam, being a husband, a father, and so much more.

Here it is important to understand that no matter how much one explains to his friends the time required in memorizing Quran and reviewing it (especially if one is doing Hifz part-time) they will rarely understand. This is because the demands of Hifz can only be understood by one who is engaged in it.

Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Masud t observed:

“It is proper for a hafiz of the Quran to recognize (the value of) his nights when the people may be sleeping, and take care of his day when the people may be eating and drinking, and recognize his sorrow when the people may be rejoicing, and keep weeping when the people may be laughing and keep silent when the people may be causing confusion and employ his fearfulness when the people may be showing pride. It is proper for a hafiz of the Quran that he may be a weeper, melancholy, prudent, forbearing, knowledgeable, and quiet. It is not proper for a hafiz of the Quran to be hard-hearted, negligent, clamorous and noisy.” (Hayat-us-Sahabah, Volume III)

Allah U has made Hifz easy but to give social events preference over the work at hand will certainly not help one’s progress, in fact it will ruin whatever progress that has been made.

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 3

WHAT IS BENEFICIAL IN HIFZ

TEACHER

Mufti Taqi Usmani (rah) has quoted an Arabic maxim:

لكل فن رجال

“There are men for every art”

“…which means that one has to go to a master to learn. If, for example, it is a question of fiqh, we have to approach a Mufti, who knows the answers.” (Spiritual Discourses)

Similarly in hifz one has to naturally approach a Hafiz who is well acquainted with the rules of recitation (Tajweed). A teacher is essential and quite beneficial because he will prevent the student from memorizing incorrectly, control the flow of how much he memorizes, develop the pronounciation, and help him in keeping a disciplined and rigid schedule.

In fact, a teacher might as well be compared to a faucet, where one just has to find it and water becomes accessible as compared to digging a well, which is what one will be doing if he decides to go it alone.

The teacher is not only the faucet, but the fountain by which the rivulets of the body, mind and soul are replenished. One word of encouragement from the teacher is enough to renew one's resolve and courage in hifz. This is of particular importance because laziness is often a factor between those that start and finish hifz and those that start and never finish their hifz.

As in every walk of life, a coach or a mentor is needed, so in hifz also a teacher is needed. His task is to develop one's ability and fortify one's strengths, identify weaknesses and work on them.

A case in point is of the famous Imam Abu Hanifa (rah) who was a silk merchant by profession and was going to see another merchant when Imam Sha'bi (rah) stopped him and asked him whose lessons he attended. When the Imam (rah) replied "No one", the person who was to be one of his teachers in hadith advised him to seek knowledge because he saw signs of wisdom on the Imam (rah).

Another example is related in Talim al Mutallim when Imam Bukhari (rah) reportedly came to Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan (rah) to learn fiqh, the latter advised him to study hadith. Generations have past and Imam Bukhari's (rah) name is still synonmous with hadith and his book Sahih al-Bukhari is considered as the most authentic compilation of hadith.

Hence, the foresight and experience of teachers is another reason they are of such importance, and they can assist and recommend the amount of memorizaton one should begin with by observing the individual, his time constraints, etc.

QURAN TAPE/CD SET
Although recitations of the Quran are available online, in cassettes, CD's, mp3’s and various software programs, they will never be a substitute for a teacher.

The best way is to memorize with a teacher, and to use the Quran recitation tapes/cds in a supporting role, to strengthen one’s daily lesson, and to review what has already been memorized.

Among the best reciters are: Shaykh Sa’d Al-Ghamdi, Shaykh Ali Al-Huzaifi, and Shaykh Saud Ash-Shuraim. Their recitations are widely available, not too fast nor too slow, and have a clear, lucid quality which enables one to follow along with ease.

However, if a particular reciter is preferred over those mentioned above, one should listen to him instead because the voice of the reciter is a factor in listening to him, and the more one likes the reciter, the more one will listen to him.

Frequent listening to the Quran being recited by fluent and capable reciters will enable one to develop a proper tone of one's own when reciting the Quran. It will also assist in inculcating a beautiful and melodious voice that is specific to the Quran and which does not resemble a song.

The listener will observe that when the Quran is being recited in a proper manner and sweet tone, each of its verses will exit the mouth like a pearl on a necklace, one by one following each other in a rhythmic cadence.

The above is necessary because reciting the Quran in a beautiful and melodious voice and in the tone of the Arabs [while observing the laws of Tajweed] is from amongst the adaab [etiquettes] of the Quran according to Maulana Qari Ismail Ishaq (db) in his book Tajweed for Beginners.

Regarding the preference for reciting the Quran in a beautiful voice is the following riwaayah in Muntakhab Ahadith:

"Bara t narrates that Rasulullah r said: Embellish the Quran with your voices, for indeed a beautiful sound (voice) enhances the beauty of the Quran" (Mustadrak Hakim)

In addition to a proper tone, listening regularly to audio of the Quran will also help in correctly placing the makhaarij, thereby quickening the pace at which one learns Tajweed.

MUSHAF
A Mushaf is a copy of the Quran from which one will memorize. It is available in 13 lines, 15 lines, 16 lines etc.

This is a matter of personal taste and one should choose whatever one is comfortable with. Care must be taken however not to choose a mushaf that is rare, because if it needs to be replaced, or if one needs a second copy then it will be difficult to obtain.

Another scenario is if one stops in a masjid, has some time and wishes to memorize or review, then that Quran might not be available in the masjid.

Once a Mushaf has been chosen, and memorization has begun from it, it shouldn't be changed because it causes difficulty in the placement of the verses when one goes back to review that which has already been memorized.

One should look for a Mushaf where the verse ends at the end of every page. This is easier for taking lessons.

Those Mushafs that do not have glossy pages tend to be easier on the eye and therefore easier to memorize from. Often light reflects off glossy pages in a sharp manner thereby hindering the sight. Hence, soft and muted colors of the pages that are not glossed over are preferred for this reason. This is also one of the possible reasons for the renowned prowess in memorization that is the hallmark of scholars from Shinqit (Mauritania).

Abu Umar Abdul Aziz writes in an article on the memorization techniques of the Mauritanians that they memorize off of a lahwah, a small wooden board of tan/brownish color.

"Allah knows why, but if you try memorizing in a similar manner, it will become easier for you. Perhaps it is the tan-brown color of the board that is relaxing to the eyes as opposed to the sharp color of white paper. Allah knows best." (Methods of memorization in Mauritania)

Qurans whose pages are of a soft, muted color and are unglossed are widely available. Qurans from the Haramayn Sharifayn, with their subdued light yellowish background are also nice and the verse ends on every page thus making it easier to take one's lesson in an organized format.



No one is replying. Plz state your opinion ppl :)

[Mu'maneen]

:sl:

Mashah'Allah. That is excellent information you have posted up. I have read chapter one now and am going to read the other chapters later Inshah'Allah.
Jazakallahkher Fe Dunya Wal Akhira Dear Brother of Islam.


--------------------

Vist my new Islamic Site:
http://hstrial-besmail.homestead.com/islam.html

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapeter 4

WHAT SHOULD BE ACQUIRED FROM THE TEACHER

ADAB

Unfortunately I myself have not fulfilled the rights of my teachers as I should have. It is easy to advise others but hard to put into practice on one's own. Insha-Allah the advice will benefit both the writer and the reader.

Adab is one of the hidden treasures of doing hifz because it enables one to learn it (Adab) directly from the teacher. In western institutions there is often a disregard for this, if not a total lack of it.

In Islam, one should always be mindful of the teacher, and associate with him in a respectable manner otherwise one will not be able to benefit from him.

Although in reality Adab is only learned by associating with the teacher, by way of introduction, following is some pertinent advice regarding Adab from Hadrat Ali t:

“It is the right of a teacher that you do not put too many questions to him and do not put him to the hardship of answering. Don’t insist upon him when he avoids (answering). Don’t clutch his clothes when he may be feeling tiredness. Neither gesture towards him with hand nor wink at him. Don’t put to him a question in his majlis nor seek his disgrace. Should he commit a lapse, give him time to retract and accept his retraction. Don’t tell him that such and such a person has said contrary to his statement. Don’t disclose his secret and don’t backbite against anyone before him. Guard him in his presence and in his absence. Salute all the audience and salute him particularly and sit before him. Should he need anything, make yourself ready to serve him earlier than all other men…” (Hayat-us-Sahabah Volume III)

Adab is generally looked upon as servitude by an unfortunate few who have been inculcated with the mannerisms of the West. If they were to glance at the glorious history of Islam they would find even crown princes striving to serve their teacher.

Maulana Maseehullah Khan (rah) writes:

“All are familiar with the name of Khalifa Haroon Rashid. His kingdom stretched from the Sea of Sindh to Spain. His two sons were acquiring knowledge from the Arabic grammar master, Farraa. On one occasion when the Ustaadh arose after having imparted the lesson, both sons of the Khalifa rushed to put in position the shoes of their Ustaadh. Both reached the shoes together and a dispute developed between them who was to have the honour of bringing the shoes to the Ustaadh. Finally, they resolved the dispute. Each carried one shoe so that both may obtain the honour of having rendered service to the Ustaadh."

"The palace spies immediately notified the Khalifa of this incident. The Ustaadh was called to the royal court."

Haroon Rashid asked: “Who today on earth has the highest rank and is the most honored, Farraa?”

“Who can be more honourable than Ameerul Mumineen” the Ustaadh replied.

“No! He is the most honorable, over whose shoes even princes dispute.” Haroon Rashid replied.

The Khalifa, in gratitude and happiness awarded each son ten thousand silver coins for their high moral character and ten thousand silver coins to the Ustaadh for the beauty of his instruction to the princes.

Another story is told about how a crown prince was sent to be tutored by Al-Asmai, a famous grammarian. During their studies the Khalifa stopped by and found his son pouring the water for ablution (Wudu) while Al-Asmai washed his own feet. When the Khalifa saw this he said: “I have sent him to learn Adab also so let him hold the water with one hand and wash your feet with the other.”

If the Khalifa of the then Islamic empire saw it as imperative for his sons, the heirs to his throne, to learn Adab by serving their teacher in this manner then what about the average person?

May Allah U enable all of us to serve our teachers in a like manner. Ameen.

TAJWEED

Learning Tajweed is obligatory whether one does hifz or not, because it prevents from reciting the words of the Quran incorrectly. One letter mispronounced can vastly change the meaning of the Quran.

Take for example قلب (heart). If the ق is changed to ك, the result will be كلب (dog). Since both ق and ك are pronounced alike by many people, a common mistake is that the heart is changed to a dog or vice-versa.

There are many other examples like this, so its important, that regardless of whether one does hifz or not he should atleast fix his Tajweed. This way their reading (Nazirah) of the Quran is corrected.

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rah) writes:

“Tajweed is that science by which one pronounces the letters from their correct articulation points (makhaarij) while observing the characteristics of each letter.” (Jamal-ul-Quran)

My sincere advice is that tajweed should be started immediately, even if one intends to begin hifz a couple of months later. This is because if one is from a background which is not Arabic-speaking it will take a while for one to correctly pronounce the letters from their correct articulation points (makhaarij).

I narrate my own example as a case of what not to do. When I started hifz it was Monday through Thursday, at a house in Skokie where Maulana Akbar (db) came to teach. He immediately impressed upon me to learn Tajweed. My response was: “What is Tajweed?”

That was the first time I had heard of the word. Due to the small amount of time he had, and his obligations to other students in teaching them reading (Nazirah), he was unable to teach me. However I continued to memorize the first juz under him and then in the the summer he directed me towards the Jamia Masjid where a full time hifz class was in session. There the Ustaadh would have more time to teach me Tajweed.

Summer came and I went to the Jamia Masjid. There I met Maulana Qari Abdul Mannan Saab (db) who was to be my future hifz teacher and under whom I am presently doing the Alim course. When I recited to him my first juz it was pretty solid, and I was clearly hoping to hear how impressed he was, that I had managed to memorize one whole juz part-time in two months.

His response was: “I can't even understand what you are reading,” he paused “You will have to learn Tajweed”. Its very difficult for a Qari to listen to somebody make so many Tajweed mistakes. I look back upon this incident and think, he was extremely patient in listening to me although I felt very embarassed at the time.

Well after this wake-up call, I practiced Tajweed a lot. Even at break time, I used to practice with the other students. I even wrote down the rules in the back of my Quran to review when I was free from memorizing.

Tajweed is hard work, and much like a language. It requires constant practice. Patience is key also. Making Tajweed a top priority when beginning hifz can save a lot of time and frustration.

REPUTATION

Building a reputation with the teacher is very important and necessary for the teacher to regard the student as being serious. This is because the teacher recognizes that hifz is not a thing to be taken lightly, and from his own experience of doing hifz understands the sacrifices that need to be made in order to complete it.

The best way to build one's reputation is to be punctual with the schedule that one has set. One cannot expect the teacher to have much confidence if the student doesn’t even show up regularly. Once it is demonstrated that the student is serious, then the teacher will also take his task of teaching seriously.

In addition, time must be spent outside of class memorizing the new lesson (Sabaq), and reviewing what one has previously learnt. This will keep one’s Quran solid, and demonstrate to the teacher one's willingness to sacrifice time at home in order to have his lesson ready for the teacher to listen to.

The result of a good reputation with a teacher creates an ideal atmosphere of memorizing. The teacher will show interest in the student’s hifz and go beyond his responsibilities as a teacher to assist the student in successfully completing his hifz. This is because teachers are never jealous of their students, rather they see them as an extension of themselves, and if a student were to surpass his teacher it would only make the teacher happier.

When the student sees the teacher interested in his progress he will respond with increased enthusiasm also, and the process of hifz will become much, much easier.

If however, the student does not do so, the teacher will come to disregard him which will result in the student feeling slighted. Then Shaytaan and his Nafs will intervene and cause the student to stop coming to class, and this process will continue to build up until he will not only stop hifz but stop it with the thought that it was his teacher’s lack of attention that brought an end to his hifz. That will be a very harmful stage, because one will then entertain unfounded suspicion about a person who is 1.) Muslim 2.) Hafiz and 3.) His teacher.

Regarding suspicion, Allah U says:

إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ

“Indeed some suspicion is sin” (49:12)

In addition, one can well imagine what that will do to his future educational endeavors in any field of Islam, because Shaytaan will now have a loophole to derail the student from the path of Knowledge (Ilm).

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 5

THAT WHICH INCREASES THE MEMORY

Allah U has created everybody with different capacities in terms of memory. Some have a photographic memory, others have an average memory and so on.

Besides the memory of each individual, there are also external factors which though they do not affect memory, affect the ability to memorize. As a result somedays it is easier to memorize, somedays it is difficult, and somedays it seems well-nigh impossible.

Tiredness can be a factor, incidents from work, school, or home can be a factor, and on some days just the passion to memorize is not there.

When tiredness or the passion to memorize is a factor, the best thing to do is to take a break and return a while later, or perhaps if one is tired of reading, then he should listen to his lesson (sabaq) by means of a tape/CD or take a quick nap to refresh the mind.

When distractions from work, school, or home are a factor such as an argument, or impending work, then in the latters case it is best to attend to the work at hand if one cannot divert his mind from it.

If an incident occurred, such as an argument, it is best to resolve it as quickly as possible (which is not always easy) because one cannot fight a two front war. Shaytaan and Nafs are already allied and waging their offensive, if a third army is added to this group, the battle will be lost for that day, week or however long that incident continues to affect the mind.

Where individual memory is concerned, Allah U in his Infinite Mercy and Blessings upon this Ummah has chosen to reward us even when our memory is not the best.

“Mulla Ali Qari has reproduced from the riwayat of Tabrani and Baihaqi that one who cannot memorize the Quran well and yet persists in learning it by heart gets double reward. Similarly, one who cherishes a longing for memorizing it and does not possess the ability to do so, but does not give up his efforts either, will be reckoned by Almighty Allah U among he huffaz on the Day of Resurrection.” (Fazail-e-Quran)

While there are many methods for increasing the memory, the following have been selected for their ease of application and proven effect:

RECITATION OF QURAN

The first thing that will increase memory is recitation of Quran. By continuously memorizing, one’s ability to memorize more and more will increase along the way. In the beginning one may only be able to memorize one verse or two verses daily, then after memorizing one juz or two juz that capacity might increase to four verses daily and so on. What seemed difficult in the beginning will seem very easy later on, because the mind has become adapted to memorizing.

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db) has stated:

“The most important thing is to train the mind to memorize and remember. There are many people in the world with weak memories but are also Hafiz of the Quran. That was also due to training the mind to remember.”

DHIKR/DARUD

Another advice that he renders is:

“Recite Durood as much as possible and place one’s right hand on the forehead after each Fardh Salaat and recite ‘Yaa Qawiyyu’. This has been tried and tested to be beneficial”

The benefit of Durood in increasing memory is also corroborated in Talim al Mutallim, Chapter of what increases Memory:



A lot of Salawaat should be sent on Rasulullah r

since verily he r is a mercy for the worlds.

MISWAAK

A third factor in increasing memory is the use of a miswaak. A miswaak is a ‘natural toothbrush’, essentially a twig of certain specific trees such as an olive tree, a walnut tree, etc.

Kitaabut-Tahaarah mentions that the use of a Miswaak at the time of recitation of the Quran is a Sunnah.

Hadhrat Ali t said: 'Verily, your mouths are the pathways of the Quran (i.e. you recite with your mouth), therefore cleanse your mouth with the Miswaak thoroughly'. (Ibn Majah)

A miswaak is quite beneficial for cleaning the teeth and it also clears the voice. A clear voice assists in making the recitation of Quran pleasant and clear which in turn enables the one reciting it to better hear and remember his own recitation.

Further, according to Ali t Miswaak increases the memory. (Kitaabut-Tahaarah). A similar view is also cited in Talim al Mutallim.

By way of diversion, a story about the memory of a Quranic commentator, Kalbi is being mentioned here:

"Kalbi himself used to say, I have exhibited the excellency of my memory as nobody could have done, and also that of my forgetfulness as nobody could have done. The example of my memory is that I had memorized the whole Quran in six or seven days. And the case of forgetfulness is that one day I held my beard in my fist to trim it below the fist but through forgetfulness I cut it off above the fist." (An Approach to the Quranic Sciences)

[Far7an]

Barakallah feek wa Jazakallah Khair

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

thers more coming Inshallah

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 6

THAT WHICH ENCOURAGES IN CONTINUING HIFZ

COMMITMENT TO A SCHEDULE

In this regard, one should draw up a schedule with one’s teacher (if doing hifz part-time), as to what times he would be able to come and recite. This is according to one’s own personal design, and how other obligations and responsibilities are simultaneously met.

Ideally, the schedule should run six days a week, because hifz is such a thing that is forgotten easily. If the teacher is not available six days a week or is far away for one to go to him six days a week then the maximum number of days will be best. In addition the days that one is not going to the teacher to recite, he should recite at home.

In addition to a commitment to a set schedule, there should also be a commitment to what one will memorize.

Dr. Abdur Rahman Al-Baasha mentions about the Tabiee Rafi ibn Mahraan (rah):

:يرسم لطلاب العلم الطريق الأمثل لحفظ القران فيقول

تعلمو القران خمس ايات خمس ايات فانه ايسر على اذهانكم

فان جبريل عليه السلام كان ينزل به على النبى

خمس ايات خمس ايات
"Rafi ibn Mahraan (rah) wrote for the students of knowledge, an example of memorizing the Quran. He stated that one should memorize five verses at a time as this is easy for the mind. That is because Jibreel u used to descend upon Nabi r with five verses at a time."(Suwarum min hayatit Tabieen)

While this advice is five verses at a time, those who are not familiar with the Arabic language, or who have time constraints should begin with one verse or two verses and increase gradually with the consultation of their teacher. The idea being conveyed here is consistency in ones’ schedule and amount of memorization.

It would be apt to mention a Chinese proverb here:

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”.

As long as one is progressing step by step, he is getting closer to that goal, closer to finishing hifz, and closer to Allah U by engaging in such a noble effort.

HABITUAL RECITATION DAILY

Reciting everyday is important and necessary to keep what has already been memorized fresh in the mind. The more times one reviews and recites, the stronger it will become. So whether one's schedule calls for four days a week with a teacher, or five days a week, habitually one should recite to himself if he can't get somebody else to listen to him, so that a day isn't missed.

The reason for this is that missing days of recitation causes weeks of harm. As the memorized portion becomes weaker, one will have to expend further time and effort to make that portion strong again. This in turn will take time away from his new lesson (sabaq) which will then cause a halt to his progress for some time.

Many times it has been noticed that students have to stop taking new lessons (sabaq) for many days, due to the neglect that memorized portions have suffered. Although it is very tempting to go onwards one should never move forward until what has already been memorized is solid.

By way of example if one memorized the first juz and then left its recitation completely for a couple of days, then when he decides to recite that first juz again after a couple of days, he will find that it has become somewhat weaker. If the lapse is longer, the damage will be greater. Eventually when he has a couple juz memorized, he will have to break his daily recitation into manageable chunks, such as one juz daily or two juz daily. This is important so that the turn of each juz comes quickly.

STARTING FROM SURAH BAQARAH

One of the first things that is encountered when beginning hifz,, especially of adults, is the thought of memorizing so many verses. Naturally questions about one’s ability to do so might come up. To remove this psychological barrier, the best advice is to begin hifz from Surah Baqarah, which is the first surah after Al-Fatiha.

There are a couple reasons for this, one is that it gives a sense of organized approach starting from the beginning going towards the end. Secondly, it follows the order in which the Quran has been compiled and meant to be read.

However, the most important reason of all is that it helps break that psychological barrier about one’s ability to do hifz. This is because Surah Baqarah is the longest surah in the Quran spanning almost two and half juz. It also contains the longest verse in the Quran, which is itself one page long. When Surah Baqarah has been memorized, then a person has proven that he can memorize the Quran, because if he can memorize the longest Surah in the Quran, surely he can also memorize the shorter Surahs. Its not as if his memory will run out; from now on he just has to stick with his hifz schedule and see it through to the end.

This is in contrast to if one begins with the the 30th juz and finishes it; Then, a person might feel as if he has memorized so many surahs (due to them being shorter towards to the end) that this is enough and sufficient for him. This attitude then takes a person from having started hifz with the intention of memorizing the whole Quran, but stopping after one juz because it was felt that it was enough.

The overcoming of such psychological barriers is even more so important in the West especially with the demands of school, work, career development, material attraction and the general attitude prevalent today regarding hifz as not being of a high priority to the 'average' Muslim family.

The following hadith from Muntakhab Ahadith further details the rank of Surah Al-Baqarah:

Abu Huraira t narrates that Rasulullah r said: Everything has a peak and indeed the peak of the Quran is Surah Al-Baqarah. And in it there is a verse which is the chief of all the verses (in the Quran) and that is Ayat-ul-Kursi (Tirmidhi)

In addition, Surah Baqarah also has a special spiritual benefit.

Hadrat Abu Huraira t that Rasulullah r said "Do not make your houses graveyards. Indeed Shaytaan flees from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah is recited." (Sahih Muslim)

This benefit of the devil fleeing due to recitation of Surah Baqarah will be very useful in hifz as will be discussed in the ensuing chapter.

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 7

THAT WHICH DISCOURAGES IN CONTINUING HIFZ

WHISPERINGS OF SHAYTAAN

Allah U has said regarding the Shaytaan:

إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

“Verily, he is a plain enemy to you” (36:60)

Recently somebody asked on askimam.com, the online fatwa reference site that:

“Alhamdillah, I'm currently doing hifz. But recently, I had a dream. I don’t remember what happened (it had to do with quitting hifz), but I remember that when I awoke, I felt depressed and didn’t feel like doing hifz anymore. I've been in hifz for a while now, and sometimes I don’t feel like reading. But when I force myself and begin reading I feel like continuing reading. But even after I started reading, after I had the dream, my mood was off. It slowly wore off in a few of days, but yesterday I had another dream. I remember I was put back into secular school and wasn’t sure if I was hafiz or stopped memorizing, but now that I think about it I think I quit hifz. I still feel like reading, unlike last time, but I remember during my dream I was depressed. What do these dreams mean?”

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db) responded to this question:

“The dream has no significance. These are the whispers of Shaytaan stopping you from becoming a Hafiz. The virtue of a Hafiz can never be comprehended. Continue doing your hifz with commitment and dedication and pay no attention to these dreams.” (Ask Imam Website)

Shaytaan can never brook the idea of somebody performing a good deed, and more so when one takes on the task to do hifz.

Allah U states:

فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْءَانَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ الرَّجِيمِ

“So when you recite the Qur'an, seek refuge

with Allah from Shaytan, the outcast” (16:98)

This is known as Isti’adhah which Ibn Kathir (rah) describes as:

“Isti`adhah means, "I seek refuge with Allah U from the cursed Satan so that he is prevented from affecting my religious or worldly affairs, or hindering me from adhering to what I was commanded, or luring me into what I was prohibited from."

"Indeed, only Allah U is able to prevent the evil of Satan from touching the son of Adam u.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

So one shouldn't pay any attention to dreams or thoughts that paint a negative aspect of one's hifz. On the contrary one should always convey to himself and to others a positive and optimistic outlook of one's efforts so that what has been started will Insha-Allah be finished by the Grace and Mercy of Allah U

READING OTHER BOOKS

When the urge to memorize Quran comes, it is often accompanied by an excited feeling that at that very moment one wants to gain all the Islamic knowledge: Fiqh, Hadith, Tafsir, etc. While this intention is ambitious and very good indeed, it can be harmful to one’s hifz. Man by nature is weak.

Allah U says:

وَخُلِقَ الإِنسَـنُ ضَعِيفاً

“And man was created weak” (4:28)

Many people find it difficult to even devote time to regularly reading the Quran everyday, hifz then is a considerably more time-consuming undertaking. Now if one were to add along with this other books, then the person from lack of time will eventually get frustrated and lose the possibility of becoming a Hafiz.

"Qurzah bin Ka'b stated: "We stirred out with the intention of going to Iraq. Hadrat Umar t came with us up to Saurar well. He performed ablution and then said: 'Do you know why did I accompany you?' The Sahaba y said: 'Yes, We are all Allah's Messenger's r Sahaba. (Hence) you came with us. Hadrat Umar t said: 'You will be going to such townspeople for whom there is a light voice with the Quran, like the humming of the bees. Don't express hadith to them lest they should engage you in it. Make the Quran exclusive and report traditions from the Rasulullah r sparingly. Now you go and I am with you.' When Qurzah came to Iraq, the people asked him to relate hadith. He replied: 'Ibn Khattab t has forbidden us.'" (Hayat- us-Sahabah, Volume III)

This incident narrated highlights the importance of gaining knowledge in a focused manner. The Quran is sure enough present in our houses but is not read as it should be. Thus, if a focused effort is made, first to memorize the Quran then to proceed with other Islamic sciences, it will be better rather than a haphazard dive into all the Islamic sciences.

In addition we humans tend to gauge ourselves by the progress we make, and this is especially true in the West, where achievements are everything. When this mentality is applied to the Quran, then a person wants to progress quickly, he feels one juz should finish every two months or so, and he has calculated the exact date of when he will become a Hafiz.

This is a trait that is quite difficult to get rid of. So in order to continue progressing a person should devote as much time as possible for hifz. That way the progress he makes serves as an encouragement for him to continue forward.

That being said one should not completely neglect reading other Islamic books, rather he should increase his time spent on hifz, and not give anything preference over it until he becomes a Hafiz.

However if a person is found to have a superb memory, and complete dedication and devotion then that is a different story. Such a person may pursue both hifz and uloom as much as possible, but this book is being written with the thought that those reading have other obligations such as work, school, etc.

So the basic concept is that ‘if one’s plate is already full’ there is no need to add more to it. If work, school or other obligations which take up a greater part of one’s day are present, then doing hifz will be more than enough to ‘fill that plate’.

RESTAURANT FOODS

Speaking of 'filling the plate', as much as possible one should avoid foods that are bought from restaurants especially because of the fear of haram being inadvertently eaten.

Many times it has been noticed, that even if all the factors that make food halal have been observed, even then something as small as the fact that the knife used to cut the sausage pizza was the same as used to cut the cheese pizza even though the cook was told to wash it and he didn't. There is no limit to the types of scenario resembling something like this that could materialize.

If this seems harsh, one should consider the following analogy. When dieting all types of food are avoided that are deemed harmful by the originator of that particular diet. Whether its a low carb diet, a low fat diet or a low calorie diet.

So when one is dieting he strictly follows the regimen prescibed by that particular diet to get into shape, to lose a few pounds, etc. Would it be too difficult to avoid restaurant foods to be able to progress in one's hifz?

Another analogy can be deduced from a person who has diabetes. They have to restrict their intake of sweets. Due to their being passionate about the health of their body, they willingly turn a blind eye to pastries, candies, cakes and sweets, only indulging in these up to the limit their doctors allow them. Similarly the person who is doing hifz, in order to mantain 'the health of his hifz' should refrain from restaurant foods as much as possible.

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db) writes:

"At the outset, it must be noted that the Shariah has emphasized exercising precaution in consuming halal and abstaining from haram. Therefore, the Noble Quran advises to eat that which is Tayyib (halal beyond doubt).

Furthermore, Rasulullah r advised us to abstain from places where one can be accused of engaging in haram.

Basically there are two points to consider before eating at any
place.

a) The food outlet must be owned (not managed) by a good and upright Muslim. When in doubt, abstain - that is best for your taqwa.
b) The fact that a non-Muslim owned outlet selling only fish, for example, also cannot be "trusted" simply because the law of halaal applies beyond the frontage of the outlet. The area of concern is the kitchen. In one case, a strictly fish outlet - served nothing but only fish - looked absolutely fine until a Muslim employee expressed concern that the owner and family regularly prepare their meals at the same kitchen serving pork, bacon, etc. prepared in the same fryer, utensils, etc.

Therefore it is a misconception by some that we may eat if "alcohol is not served" or "not served to us".

Alternatively one can eat at halal restaurants but there too he must ascertian that the food is in actuality halal.

Regarding this issue, Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db) writes:

"Tayyibaat refers to that food which is pure (Halal) beyond doubt. Therefore, precaution should be exercised in determining which food is Halal beyond doubt. It is not sufficient to rely on the Halal signs advertised on windows of food outlets as many people use the sign only for commercial purposes."

The best case scenario is to eat homemade food as much as possible.

[Ibn Syed]

:sl:
Good post!
:w:

[Uthman]

:sl:

Excellent! *Smithers style* :)

:w:

[Ibn Syed]

:) :) :') :) :) :) :) :) :) :) Excellent

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 8

DUAS FOR HIFZ

“It is reported from Hadrat Ibn Abbas t that ‘When we were with Rasulullah r, Hazrat Ali t came there and said: ‘May my parents be sacrificed over you! This Quran has escaped my heart. I do not find power in myself for the Quran’. So Rasulullah r said to him: 'O Abul Hasan! May I not show you such words as Allah U may benefit you through them and benefit those also whom you teach these words and whatever you may learn may stick to your heart.' Hazrat Ali t said: ‘Yes, O Rasulullah! r Please teach me.’ He said: ‘When it is Friday night, if you can get up during the last one-third part of the night, for at that time angels are present and invocations are accepted, and my brother Prophet Yaqoob u had told his sons ‘I shall ask forgiveness for you from My Lord’, that is, he said that he would ask forgiveness for them when the night of Friday would come.’ And if you can't, get up in the middle of the night and if this too is not possible, then get up in the first part of the night and say four rakahs of prayer: In the first rakah Surah Fatiha and Surah Yaseen, in the second rakah Surah Faitha and Surah Ha-Mim Ad-Dukhan, in the third rakah Surah Fatiha and Alif Lam Mim Tanzil as-Sajdah and in the fourth rakah Surah Fatiha and Tabarakallazhi fully. When you have completed the tashhahud, praise and laud Allah U and send darud to me and send it well and send darud to all the Prophets; seek pardon for all the male and female believers and also for those brethren of yours who surpassed you in embracing the faith. Then at the end say:



اللّهم ارحمنى بترك المعاصى ابدا ما ابقيتنى وارحمنى

ان اتكلف ما لا يعنينى وارزقنى حسن النظر فيما يرضيك عنى

اللّهم بديع السموت والارض ذالجلال والاكرام والعزة التى لا ترام

اسئلك يا اللّه يا رحمن بجلالك ونور وجهك ان تلزم قلبى حفظ كتابك

كما علمتنى وارزقنى ان اتلوه على النحو الذى يرضيك عنى

اللّهم بديع السموت والارض ذالجلال والاكرام والعزة التى لا ترام

اسئلك يا اللّه يا رحمن بجلالك ونور وجهك ان تنور بكتابك بصرى

وان تطلق به لسانى وان تفرج به عن قلبى وان تشرح به صدرى

وان تغسل به بدنى فانه لا يعيننى على الحق عنيرك ولايؤتيه

الا انت ولا حول ولا قوة الا باللّه العلى العظيم

“Allahumar hamnee bitarkil ma’aasee abadammaa abqaytanee warahmnee an atakalafa maalaa ya’neenee warzuknee husnan nadharifee maa urdeeka ‘annee. Allahuma badeeus samaawaati wal ardi zal jalali wal ikraami wal ‘izatil latee laa turaamuasaluka yaa Allahu yaa Rahmaanu bi jalalika wa noori wajahika an tulzima qalbee hifza kitaabika kamaa ‘alamtanee warzukneean aqrahu alan nahwil lazee urdeeka ‘annee. Allahuma badeeus samaawati wal ardi zal jalali wal ikraami wal ‘izatil latee laa turaamu asaluka yaa Allahu yaa Rahmaanu bi jalalika wa noori wajhika an tunaw wira bikitabika basaree waan tutliq bihi lisanee wa an tufarrij bihi ’an qalbee wa an tashraha bihi sadree wa an tugsil bihi badaneefa innahu laa yu’enunee ‘alal aqua ghayruka wa laa yu’tihi illaaanta wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billahil ‘aliyil ‘azeem.

“O my Allah U! Show mercy unto me so that as long as You keep my alive I may give up sins and show mercy unto me so that I may not involve myself in works which may be of no use to me and bestow upon me the care of those things that may please You with me! O my Allah U, the Fashioner of the heavens and the earth. O Owner of Glory and Might and of Honor which nobody can even guess and imagine to acquire. I beg of You, O Allah U, O Beneficient One! In the name of Your glory and the light of Your countenance that even as you have given me the knowledge of Your sacred book, let it be the lot of my heart too to memorize it, and make its reading practicable for me that You may be pleased with me.

O Allah U! The Fashioner of the heavens and the earth, the Owner of Might and Glory and of Honor which one can’t even imagine! I beg of You, O Allah U the Beneficient One, in the name of Your greatness and Your lustrous countenance that You illumine my eyes with Your book and fissue it on my tongue and remove sorrow from my heart by its blessing and open my chest (for relief from anxiety) and wash all my body with it; because in a right thing none save You will help me nor will give it to me save You. Neither is there any power in me to do good nor the strength to save myself from evil except with the grace from Allah U, the Sublime, the Tremendous.”

“O Abul Hasan! Do like this on three Friday nights or five Friday nights or seven Friday nights. By Allah’s U order your invocations will be accepted. And by that Being Who has sent me with the truth! This invocation has never left any believer disappointed!”

“Hadrat Ibn Abbas t says: ‘Then by Allah U only five or seven Fridays I passed when Hadrat Ali t came to Rasulullah r in a similar majlis and said: ‘O Rasulullah r formerly during the days that have passed I could commit to memory four or similar number of verses and even when I recited them I used to falter, while now I memorize forty or as many verses and feel as if Allah U has inscribed them before my eyes. And I used to hear hadith but when I repeated them a large portion was left out, and I hear the hadiths today and when you relate them I don’t miss a single word.’ To him Rasulullah r ‘O Abul Hasan! By the Lord of the Kabah! You’re a believer.” (Hayat-us-Sahabah, Volume III)

This dua is beneficial for adults who wish to memorize the Quran; with children there general disposition towards the Quran makes it easy for them.

DUA OF THE TEACHER

My own Quran, when I finished Hifz was not solid. With great difficulty I would manage to recite the parts that I had already memorized. This was primarily towards the end of my Hifz when I out of a foolishness to finish as fast as possible, and ignoring the advice of Ustaadh Saab, started taking three pages of Sabaq daily. In the end it all came back to haunt me, and the day after I finished Quran, I returned to start making it solid. However much I tried though, it still didn't come together to the point where I could be comfortable with it.

That year I led Taraweeh in the Muslim Education Center in Morton Grove, Illinois. I had to recite only a quarter of a juz at that time and that too was quite difficult for me. I would study the quarter juz which I had to recite the whole day and would barely be able to pull it off in Taraweeh. This is why Taraweeh is a litmus test for a Hafiz. He can clearly identify how solid his Quran is, where and in what juz improvements need to be made and so on.

After that experience, I returned to Jamia Suffah and continued to recite to Ustaadh Saab to make my hifz as solid as possible. Soon, Alhamdulilah through the barakah of his dua I was able to recite to him two juz daily right after Fajr.

By the time Ramadan came I was able to get a good three months or so of this two juz daily routine. Ustaadh Saab, happy with the progress we had made, recommended that I lead the entire Taraweeh in Jamia Suffah. Still not confident about my ability to recite in Taraweeh but knowing there would be virtually nobody behind me, I willingly accepted.

By way of encouragement, Ustaadh Saab, asked two or three students from the Jamia to stand behind me to give corrections. In addition to this my father and brother would be there, and once in a while a homeless person that lived near the Jamia would also come.

Emboldened by my first recitation and eager to finish the Quran by myself in Taraweeh I started reciting between one and a half juz and two juz daily, thinking that after I am done, I will relax the last ten days and read Taraweeh behind Ustaaz Saab at Noor Masjid.

The Taraweeh began very well, Alhamdulilah, primarily because my first couple juz were very solid due to constant recitation, and I had already started reciting them before Ramadan began.

As I crossed the halfway mark, at the 15th juz I surprised myself by being able to recite one and half juz. However a couple factors such as the 'no fear' factor played a part because all the people praying behind me knew me and vice versa.

In addition I took my time between rakahs to review all my mistakes that I got when I recited during the day to someone (all mistakes were marked with a special mark, so I could identify them quickly).

This Taraweeh was like a protected cocoon: it saved me from having to lead people I didn't know, I was able to look at the Quran in between rakahs, and had lots of time to go back and correct my mistakes in Taraweeh. Everything was blissful and serene. There was no heart pounding and no sweating.

That all changed when I got to the 20th juz. Ustaadh Saab's father had become very sick in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan. Ustaadh Saab had to catch the earliest flight out to Islamabad.

Ustaadh Saab leads Taraweeh at Masjid Noor, which is a sizable masjid in Chicago, and the headquarters of the local Tablighi Jamaat. Due to the fact that in the middle of Ramadan a substitute wouldn't be found so quickly, I had to lead Taraweeh there in his place starting from the 17th Juz.

It would be hard to imagine what was going through my mind at that time. Getting stuck between a rock and a hard place would have been easier. Coupled with the thought of having to lead so many people, there would also be senior huffaz behind me and should I hesitate for a split-second a correction would surely come from behind.

My voice was getting scratchy as it always does, and I had to use Ustaadh Saab's remedy which is honey and milk warmed and placed inside a nicely insulated thermos. I have to say that really helped, and the credit for suggesting that to me goes to the second Ustaadh at Jamia Suffah, Qari Abdus-Samad Saab (db). With my voice getting better, I was able to proceed with ease because I had to recite only one juz everyday, and my practice of reciting two juz everyday to Ustaadh Saab made one juz easy, Alhamdulilah.

One minor incident did happen, on the 28th juz I faltered thrice in the same surah, and the person correcting me each time was standing directly behind me. It was a grave voice, coming quickly like lightning, and struck me like that too. I would just pause to repeat the verse which I had faltered on, when I got the correction all three times.

When one is reciting and receives correction so quickly, it is quite unnerving and makes you start thinking about the mistake, which in turn causes more mistakes, and takes away from the attention one is supposed to have in Salah.

The next day I found out that the person behind me was a scholar (Alim) from India who had his own Hifz school there. That was a fact I didn't want to hear, because it makes you even more uncomfortable to know that the person behind you is of that caliber. Praise be to Allah U he only came when I was on the 28th juz! I proceeded to review my recitation with more caution and was able to finish Alhamdulilah without further incidents like these.

Alhamdulilah I finished my Quran on the 27th night of Ramadan. I made dua and proceeded to do itikaf for the remaining days in the Islamic Community Center.

The gist of this long story is that when Ustaadh Saab returned, the people who had prayed Taraweeh behind me and knew that Ustaadh Saab was my teacher commended him saying I had done a good job. He mentioned that sometimes dua is asked for and sometimes it is just given from the heart, and the latter has a greater effect. After that Taraweeh, my confidence in my memorization grew and I became quite comfortable in my recitation. So dua has a power of its own that should never be underestimated. In addition one can see how encouragement from the Ustaadh is beneficial, and the dua that is the result of listening and responding to this encouragement is a benefit on top of that benefit. Asking the Ustaadh to make dua for his student is essential to hifz. Looking back on my hifz years, I wish I had asked for dua earlier instead of waiting for a situation to transpire that would cause my Ustaadh to make dua for me.

DUA OF THE PARENTS

My mother always said that she made dua that Allah U make one of her sons a Hafiz. When my brother finished his memorization of the 30th Juz my mother thought that he would be the one. Then he stopped.

When I started my memorization of the Quran, my mother used to tell me that she often made this dua. Then Alhamdulilah when I had memorized a little more than two-thirds of the Quran my mother reminded me again about the dua that she made regarding one of her sons becoming a Hafiz. My brother was present on this occasion and he asked, "Why don’t you make dua that both of your sons become Huffaz?’" My mother then immediately made dua that both her sons should become Huffaz. Alhamdulilah, my brother has already recited Taraweeh with me once, and has memorized more than two-thirds of the Quran. May Allah U make is easy for him to complete it. Ameen.

So the dua of the parents and the dua of the Ustaadh is very important and essential. Besides, it is very easy to obtain. Their duas carry a lot of weight.

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 9

THAT WHICH ASSISTS IN RETAINING THE QURAN

Once the Quran is being memorized, there is a need to review it constantly to keep it solid.

In a riwaayah from both Sahih Bukhari and Muslim it is stated:

“Abu Mu’sa Ash’ari t reports that Rasulullah r said, 'Be watchful towards the Quran. I swear by Him in Whose hands my life is, that the Quran is apt to escape from the hearts more rapidly than do the camels from their strings.”

Thus it becomes clear that the preservation of what one has memorized, whether it is one juz, fifteen juz or the entire Quran, is necessary. Regarding this our pious predecessors had a few practices.

TILAAWAT

The first practice is that one should continuously stick to is recitation (Tilaawat) of the Holy Quran. This will keep the memorized portions fresh in the mind, and easy to recall.

In addition Tilaawat is necessary so that one can recall it on the Day of Judgement:

“Mulla Ali Qari t has quoted from one hadith that, if a person reads the Quran very often in this life, he will remember it in the life Hereafter, otherwise he will forget it." (Fazail-e-Quran)

Even when one’s schedule is constrained he shouldn’t disregard Tilawat. If one’s preoccupancy with the Quran leaves little time for dua or dhikr, one should not worry:

“Hadrat Abu Saeed t narrates that Rasulullah r said: “Almighty Allah U says: “If anybody finds no time for My remembrance and for begging favors of Me, because of his remaining busy with the Holy Quran, I shall give him more than what I give to all those who beg favors of Me. The superiority of the Word of Allah U over all other words is like the superiority of Allah U over the entire creation.” (Fazail-e-Quran)

TAHAJJUD

The second practice is the Qiyaam-ul-Layl which along with Adab is another of the hidden treasures of doing Hifz. Even those Huffaz who get up for Tahajjud sparingly, attest to the wonderful feeling one gets from reciting long surahs in Tahajjud. Standing alone in the night when people are asleep, conversing with the Lord through his Majestic Quran has a sweetness (halaawat) of its own. Not only are rewards of Tahajjud great, but a Hafiz free from the obligations that occupy him during the day, can easily recite one or two juz if he gets up an hour or so before dawn.

Shaykh ul Hadith (rah) states:

“Hadrat Abdullah ibn Amr t reports that Rasulullah r said: “The sawm and the Quran both intercede for the obedient person. The fast submits, “O Allah U! I prevented him from eating and drinking during the day, so You accept my intercession on his behalf and the Holy Quran says, “O Allah U! I denied him sleep at night so You accept my intercession for him.” (Fazail-e-Quran)

“It is given in some hadith that the Holy Quran will appear in the semblance of a youth and will say, “It is I who kept you awake during the night and thirsty during the day.” (ibid)

“This hadith implies that a Hafiz should recite the Quran in nafl salaah at night.” (ibid)

In the same regard there is another hadith regarding a hafiz praying Tahajjud:

“Hadrat Abu Hurairah t narrated that Rasulullah r said: “Learn the Quran and recite it, because the example of one who learns the Quran, reads it and recites it in Tahajjud is like an open bag full of musk, the fragrance whereof spreads over the entire place, and a person who has learnt the Quran but sleeps while the Quran is in his heart, is like a bag full of musk but with its mouth closed.” (Fazail-e-Quran)

TARAWEEH

This is the ‘litmus test’ for every Hafiz and gauges whether his Quran is solid enough so that he can recite approximately one juz or so every day in Taraweeh.

A hafiz should recite Taraweeh every year so that he can himself see the status of his hifz, and identify and fix weaknesses if any. In addition, it should be remembered that if one is not comfortable leading in front of lots of people, he can perform Isha with Jamaat and then lead Taraweeh at home or at a friends home where a few people can gather to pray behind him.

If one cannot recite the whole Quran by himself, then he can partner with another hafiz and split the rakahs. The possibilities are endless, but he should recite Taraweeh so that along with Tilawat and Tahajjud he can also benefit from the Thawaab and keep his Quran strong.

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Chapter 10

THE REWARDS OF ONE WHO BECOMES A HAFIZ

IN THE DUNYA

The Hafiz of the Quran has such a rank in this world that he is one of only two types of people considered worthy of envy.

Under the Chapter of the Blessedness of the Holy Quran's keeper in Sahih Bukhari is the following hadith:

"Abu Huraira t narrated that Rasulullah r said: There is no jealousy but of two men: A man whom Allah has taught the Quran and he recites is during the hours of the night and during the hours of the day, and his neighbor listens to him and says: "I wish I had been given what has been given to so-and-so, in order that I might do what he does; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it on what is just and right, whereupon another man may say: "I wish I had been given what so-and-so has been given, for then I would do what he does" (Sahih Bukhari).

In a riwaayah from Tirmidhi listed in Muntakhab Ahadith is the following detail of the reward for reciting each letter of the Quran:

Abdullah ibn Masud t narrated that Rasulullah r said: He who reads one letter of the Quran it (becomes) for him a good deed, and a single good deed is rewarded (by Allah) by ten times the like thereof. I am not saying that Alif-Lam-Mim is (just) one word, but that Alif is a (separate) letter (word), Lam is a (separate) letter (word), and Mim is a (separate) letter (word). (Tirmidhi)

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db) writes:

“For every alphabet of the Quran he had recited, he earned a minimum of ten rewards. The maximum reward is best known by Allah U. The Quran has 6666 verses. Every verse has many alphabets. Imagine the number of alphabets a Hafiz recites. On an average of 3 alphabets per verse a Hafiz will recite approximately, 20,000 (twenty thousand) alphabets in the entire Quran. That multiplied by ten rewards per alphabet is 200,000 (two hundred thousand). In the course of memorising the Quran, a Hafiz makes great sacrifices. He recites one verse many times. If he had recited one verse at least 10 times, the reward of completing the Quran only once will be two million. Imagine how many times thereafter, a Hafiz recites the Quran, how many Taraweehs he performs, the rewards of all that is far beyond our very limited comprehension. Probably, mathematical figures will be exhausted but not the infinite rewards of Allah U for a Hafiz-ul-Quran.”

In addition to the rewards one accrues for the hereafter there are also benefits which are become manifest in the dunya also:

“Hadrat Abu Hurairah t says: In the house where the Quran is read, the household members increase, virtues and blessings multiply, angels descend upon the house and Shaytaan quits the home.” (Fazail-e-Quran)

ON THE DAY OF QIYAMAH

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db) has written:

“Mu'aadh al-Juhani narrates that Rasulullah r said, 'Whosoever recites the Quran and practices upon its injunctions, the reciter's parents will be given a crown on the day of Qiyaamat. The brightness of that crown will be more intense than the brightness of the sun in your actual house.'

Rasulullah r further said, 'What do you think will be given to the Hafiz (reciter) of the Quran himself?'” (Mishkaat Vol I.)

Shaykh ul Hadith writes in Fazail-e-Quran that Hadhrat Umar t reports that Rasulullah r “Three persons are such as will have no fear of the horrors on the Day of Judgement, nor will they be required to render any account. They will stroll merrily on mounds of musk until the people are relieved of rendering their account. One is a person who learnt the Quran, merely seeking Allah’s U pleasure and therewith leads people in salaat in a manner that they are pleased with him…”

He writes further: “The severity, the horror, the dread and the miseries of the Day of Judgement are so great that a true Muslim is neither mindful nor unaware of them. To be relieved of those worries in any way on the Day of Judgement is a favor that surpasses thousands of blessings and millions of pleasures. The narrator of this hadith, Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Umar t is quoted as saying: “If I had not heard this hadith from Rasulullah r once, once again, and once again (he repeated it seven times), I would never have reported it."

TOWARDS JANNAH

Maulana Ashiq Ilahi (rah) writes that Hadrat Ali t reports that Rasulullah r said:

“Anyone who knows the Quran by heart and follows the lawful and the prohibited according to it, he will be sent to Heaven by Allah U.” (Tirmidhi).

He continues: “One who knows the Holy Quran by heart will be allowed to intercede for ten persons with success. But one should mention that the intercessor must be practicing the laws mentioned in the Quran and fulfilling all the demands of the Book of Allah U. (What Happens After Death)

It is narrated from Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Amr t that Rasulullah r said: Allah U will say to a Hafiz (upon his death and on the day of Qiyaamat) 'Recite the Quran and (upon reciting each Verse) climb (a stage in Jannah) and continue reciting as you used to in the world as your abode in Jannah is upon the last verse you recite.' (Mishkaat vol.1 pg.186; Me'raaj)

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db) commenting on this hadith states: “Obviously, the Hafiz will stop at the last verse of the Quran. The commentators of [this] Hadith have stated that the highest abode in Jannah is equivalent to the number of verses in the Qur'aan. Therefore, upon completing the recitation of the Quran, a Hafiz will be in highest abode of Jannah."

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

CONCLUSION

Hopefully, Inshallah, the advices and encouragement contained in this book will encourage you to pursue hifz. Although this book is concise and straight to the point, the advices contained in it are a result of everything valuable I have found regarding hifz. There are obviously more beneficial things, but it is hoped that these 30 points will Insha- Allah faciliate the memorization of the 30 juz of the Holy Quran

If you cannot begin hifz now, at least make the intention that should in the future your responsibilites lessen, you will begin your hifz. Insha-Allah.

When you begin your hifz, consider the following dua by Hafiz Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawzi (rah), it is especially relevant for those who will or are already pursuing the path of hifz, sulook or ilm.

الهى لا تعذب لسانا يخبر عنك

ولا عينا تنظر الى علوم تدل عليك

ولا قدما تمشى الى خدمتك

ولا يدا تكتب حديث رسولك

فبعزتك لا تدخلنى النار

فقد علم اهلها انى كنت اذب عن دينك



Ilahi laa tu'azib lisaanan yukhbiru 'ank.

Wa laa 'aynan tanzuru ilaa 'uloomin tadullu alayk.

Wa laa qadaman tamshee ilaa khidmatik

Wa laa yadan taktubu haditha rasulik

Fabi 'izatika laa tadkhulnin naar.

Faqad 'alima ahlahaa annee kuntu adhubbu 'an deenik.



O my Allah U! Don't give punishment to that tongue (meaning my tongue) that informs people about You and Your laws.

And don't punish those eyes either (meaning my eyes) that looks at those Islamic sciences which guide people toward You.

And don't punish those feet either (meaning my feet) that walk in Your Divine service.

And don't punish those hands either (meaning my hands) which write the hadith of Your beloved Messenger r.



By your Honor! Don't enter me into the fire, because the people of this world know that I defended Islam from its adversaries, and protected your religion from their intrusions.

(Targheeb-ul-Muslimeen)

[Fatimab]

:):)

[jzcasejz]

jazakallakhair for that. it's excellent

[wafa islam]

:sl:

Maasha Allah

:w:

[ژاله]

That Book Is Really Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Bro Ahmed

[ژاله]

;D That Book Is Really Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Bro Ahmed

[ژاله]

From Where Can We Get This Book?in Pakistan ?do You Have Some Idea?

[shariq_0189]

some really good advice..mashallah

[ehha]

hmm interesting thread
salaamz

[siFilam]

In The Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

:salamext:


bro Al Madani, Jazakallah Khair. This is really great. I'm going to print them out for my sister.


wasalam
-SI-

[BlackMamba]

Mashallah thats some good info right there I'll try to keep that in mind
jazakallh brother

[nightingale]

An excellent guide, must read.

Jazakhallah khayr brother.

[Moizraza]

Any important Benefits to read Surah

[MazharShafiq]

good informative sharing thanks for this.