How to Memorize the Holy Quran Despite a Lack of Time? (Practical Guide for Busy People)

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Praise be to Allah, Who revealed the Book to His servant, negated all doubt and suspicion from it, entrusted it with amazing knowledge, and made it a guidance for people and clear proofs in the most eloquent language and clearest speech. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner, the Lord of all lords. And I bear witness that our master Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his companions until the Day of Return.

The Holy Quran is the source of guidance and the path to happiness. From it, rulings are derived, and through it, the lawful and the forbidden are known. Allah (The Exalted) sent it down as a methodology for His servants to govern their lives, regulate their actions, and implement it as a practical reality in all their affairs. It contains an educational system that leads its followers to happiness in both worlds. Every happiness attained in this world and the Hereafter is due to being guided by and following it. Allah (The Exalted) says about it:

“By which Allāh guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path.” (Quran, Al-Mā’idah: 16)

({يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ})

Our Lord (Glorified and Exalted be He) sent down the Holy Quran as a mercy to the worlds, a proof against all creation, and an enduring miracle for the master of the first and the last. Allah elevated its status, raised its authority, and weighs people with its balance. Whoever elevates it, Allah will elevate him, and whoever degrades it, Allah will degrade him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Indeed, Allah elevates some people by this Book and degrades others by it.” (Hadeeth: إن الله يرفع بهذا الكتاب أقواما ويضع به آخرين)

Our Lord (Glorified and Exalted be He) urged us to read what is easy of it, saying:

“So recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’ān.” (Quran, Al-Muzammil: 20)

({فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ})

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) encouraged us to recite it, saying:

“Recite the Qur’an, for it will come as an intercessor for its companions on the Day of Resurrection.” (Hadeeth: اقرءوا القرآن فإنه يأتي يوم القيامة شفيعا لأصحابه)

A heart that contains nothing of the Holy Quran is a heart that is deprived and desolate. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Indeed, the one who has nothing of the Qur’an in his heart is like a ruined house.” (Hadeeth: إن الذي ليس في جوفه شيء من القرآن كالبيت الخَرِب)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said:

“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will have a good deed for it, and the good deed is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif, Lām, Mīm is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lām is a letter, and Mīm is a letter.” (Hadeeth: من قرأ حرفا من كتاب الله فله به حسنة، والحسنة بعشر أمثالها، لا أقول (الم )حرف، ولكن ألف حرف، ولام حرف، وميم حرف)

In an age where life’s pace has accelerated and time has become a valuable commodity, many struggle with its escape while feeling perpetually busy. The preoccupation with social media has led to a constant sense of time scarcity. Time is wasted, days pass without achievement, and life ends without benefit, while the childhood dream of memorizing the Quran remains unfulfilled.

Know, may Allah preserve you, that life span is the basis for accountability and questioning on the Day of Resurrection, which is an interpretation of the noble verse:

“Did you think that We had created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?” (Quran, Al-Mu’minūn: 115)

({أفحسِبتُم أنّما خَلقناكُم عَبثًا وأنّكُم إلينا لا ترجعون})

Thousands of books and tens of thousands of articles have been written on learning the Holy Quran and the best methods for memorizing it since the dawn of Islam until today, and thousands more will be written until the Hour is established. However, in this article, we specifically address busy individuals who cannot find time to go to physical centers or schools for memorization due to the nature of their work and their time constraints.

Here are the steps they should follow:

 

1. Rectify the Intention and Be Sincere in Quran Memorization. (Sincerity is the Secret to Success)

The more sincere your intention is, the greater your reward will be with Allah (The Exalted). This is based on the comprehensive Hadeeth narrated by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim from ‘Umar bin Al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding sincerity. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "Actions are but by intentions, and every man shall have but that which he intended. So, he whose emigration was to [achieve] a worldly gain or a woman to marry, his emigration was to that for which he emigrated." (Hadeeth: إنما الأعمال بالنيَّات، وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوى، فمَن كانت هجرته إلى دنيا يُصِيبها، أو إلى امرأة يَنكِحها، فهجرتُه إلى ما هاجر إليه)

Allah (The Exalted) said:

“Indeed, those who recite the Book of Allāh and establish prayer and spend [in His cause] out of what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, [can] expect a commerce that will not perish — That He may give them in full their rewards and increase for them from His bounty. Indeed, He is Forgiving and Appreciative.” (Quran, Fāṭir: 29-30)

(إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنْفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَنْ تَبُورَ * لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, as in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah: “Indeed, Allah has people [special to Him] from mankind.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He said: “They are the people of the Qur’an; they are Allah’s own people and those closest to Him.” (Hadeeth: إن لله أَهْلِين من الناس. قالوا: يا رسول الله، مَن هم؟ قال: هم أهل القرآن، أهل الله وخاصته)

How Can I Have Blessing (Barakah) in My Time?

How do I seek Barakah (blessing) from Allah in my time through various means?

1. Abandoning Past Sins and Transgressions.

Sins eliminate Barakah Among the punishments of sins is that they eliminate the Barakah of one's life, the Barakah of provision, the Barakah of knowledge, the Barakah of deeds, and the Barakah of obedience. In general, they eliminate the Barakah of religion and the worldly life. You will not find anyone with less Barakah in their life, religion, and worldly affairs than one who disobeys Allah. Barakah is only removed from the earth because of the sins of mankind. Allah (The Exalted) said:

“And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allāh, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning.” (Quran, Al-A‘rāf: 96)

({وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ})

And He (The Exalted) said:

“And [Allāh revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant provision, [Testing them with it].” (Quran, Al-Jinn: 16-17)

({وَأَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُمْ مَاءً غَدَقًا - لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ})

Indeed, a servant is deprived of provision because of a sin he commits. In the Hadeeth: “Indeed, Rūḥ Al-Qudus (Jibrīl/Gabriel) breathed into my heart that no soul shall die until it completes its provision. So, fear Allah and be moderate in seeking it, for what is with Allah cannot be attained except through obedience to Him. And indeed, Allah has made comfort and joy in contentment and certainty, and has made worry and grief in doubt and displeasure [with fate].” (Hadeeth: إِنَّ رُوحَ الْقُدُسِ نَفَثَ فِي رُوعِي أَنَّهُ لَنْ تَمُوتَ نَفْسٌ حَتَّى تَسْتَكْمِلَ رِزْقَهَا، فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُنَالُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا بِطَاعَتِهِ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَعَلَ الرَّوْحَ وَالْفَرَحَ فِي الرِّضَى وَالْيَقِينِ، وَجَعَلَ الْهَمَّ وَالْحُزْنَ فِي الشَّكِّ وَالسُّخْطِ)

The saying mentioned by Aḥmad in his book Az-Zuhd (Asceticism) states: “I am Allah. If I am pleased, I bless, and My blessing has no end. And if I am angry, I curse, and My curse reaches the seventh generation of offspring.”

The abundance of provision and deeds is not due to their quantity, nor is the length of life due to the number of months and years, but the abundance of provision and the length of life are due to the Barakah in them. (Kitāb Ad-Dā’ wa Ad-Dawā’ by Ibn Al-Qayyim)

 

2. Piety toward Allah (The Mighty and Majestic)

Allah (The Exalted) said:

“And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allāh, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning.” (Quran, Al-A‘rāf: 96)

 

({وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَكِنْ كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ})

 

3. Frequent Gratitude to Allah (The Mighty and Majestic)

Gratitude increases blessings. Allah (The Exalted) said:

“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' ” (Quran, Ibrāhīm: 7)

({وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ})

 

4. Keeping Good Company

To obtain the Barakah of the gatherings they hold and the deeds they cooperate in completing. Good company gathers for the remembrance of Allah, and Allah sends down His mercy and forgiveness upon those sitting, whereas bad company gathers for prohibited acts. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The believer to the believer is like a structure, each part supporting the other." (Hadeeth: الْمُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ كَالْبُنْيَانِ يَشُدُّ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضًا)

 

5. Reciting, Contemplating, and Memorizing the Holy Quran

This is a goal and a means at the same time. One of the most important causes of Barakah in time is reading and memorizing the Holy Quran.

Shaykh Sulaymān Ar-Ruḥaylī (may Allah preserve him) said: "By Allah, if you read the Quran on your day, you will accomplish deeds that you wouldn't accomplish in [many] days. One of the greatest causes of Barakah in time is being keen on reciting the Quran, and when our attention to the Quran weakened, the Barakah in time vanished."

Allah (The Glorious and Majestic) said:

“And this is a Book which We have sent down, full of blessing and confirming that which preceded it.” (Quran, Al-An‘ām: 92)

({وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ مُصَدِّقُ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ})

And He (The Mighty and Sublime) said:

“And this is a Book which We have sent down, full of blessing, so follow it and fear Allāh that you may receive mercy.” (Quran, Al-An‘ām: 155)

({وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ})

And He (The Exalted) said:

“And this [Qur’ān] is a blessed reminder which We have sent down. So are you with regard to it rejecting?” (Quran, Al-Anbiyā’: 50)

({وَهَذَا ذِكْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ أَفَأَنْتُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُونَ})

And He (The Glorious and Exalted) said:

“[This is] a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessing, that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember.” (Quran, Ṣād: 29)

({كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ})

The scholar Ibn ‘Uthaymīn (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "Allah described the Quran as blessed (Mubārak), and undoubtedly it is so. It is blessed in its recitation, blessed in its effect, and blessed in its influence... So it is blessed in all types of blessings, and from every aspect."

Imam Ar-Rāzī (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "The people of meanings said: A blessed book means: abundant in its good, its blessing and benefit are permanent. It gives good news of reward and forgiveness, and warns against evil and sin."

The scholar ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān As-Sa‘dī (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "It is from which the blessings are extracted. There is no good except that it has called to it, encouraged it, and mentioned the wisdom and benefits that urge one towards it. And there is no evil except that it has forbidden it, warned against it, and mentioned the repulsive reasons for doing it and its dire consequences."

Allah (The Mighty and Majestic) said:

“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allāh. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allāh hearts are assured.” (Quran, Ar-Ra‘d: 28)

({الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ})

 

6. Minimizing the Use of Social Media

This is the greatest source of time scarcity and the constant feeling of stress and pressure for its users, especially those addicted to it. If one who complains about lack of time checks their social media account and finds out the time they spend on that platform, they will find themselves spending several hours daily without realizing it, despite their constant complaint of having no time. (You can watch a video here about time tracking by the young man ‘Alī Muḥammad ‘Alī).

 

7. Choose a Proficient Teacher for Yourself

The Holy Quran teacher is the pivot of education, the lesson, and good memorization and upbringing. No matter how perfect the curricula you set, how suitable the conditions you provide, and how many aids you offer, all of that is no substitute for the effective tool in the educational process, which is the competent teacher in the right environment. Educational components might be of the highest specifications, but they decline and drop in quality under the guidance of an unqualified teacher.

There are many proficient male and female teachers of the Holy Quran who teach the Quran remotely. You can learn or memorize with a proficient teacher from your home or workplace without the need for complete devotion or going to a physical center for Quran education if you have other preoccupations.

You can choose an online Quran teaching academy or center that provides an advanced electronic platform. The platform will specify the suitable teacher and program for you, and you can choose the available time that suits you.

Tawāqah Academy for Teaching the Holy Quran and the Arabic Language Remotely is distinguished by having an excellent elite of proficient and qualified male and female teachers for teaching the Holy Quran and Tajwīd remotely. Every teacher has a dedicated profile on the platform with certificates and Ijāzāt (licenses) that qualify them to teach others. You can view the Ijāzāt, certificates, and the teacher’s available time, and the student can choose the suitable appointment and the duration of the session by clicking on the teacher’s photo on the "Teachers" page here.

8. Set a Fixed Time for Yourself

The Muslim who wants to memorize the Holy Quran must set and fix a time that no distraction interrupts, and in which their heart is not diverted from the Holy Quran, in order to memorize their daily portion and attend the session with their teacher. Organizing the appointments for sessions or circles is one of the most important contributing factors to the continuity of memorization and the constant achievement of progress in online education.

The student’s schedule on their account will contain every session with its time and teacher.

9. Set a Plan for Yourself

10. Take a Righteous Companion and Friend

The righteous friend who memorizes and reviews with you is one of the most important factors that assist and help you in memorizing the Holy Quran, for a companion pulls. Allah (The Exalted) said:

“Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous.” (Quran, Az-Zukhruf: 67)

({الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ})

The interpretation of the verse states that friends who befriended each other for disobedience to Allah in this world will disown each other on the Day of Resurrection, but those whose friendship was based on the fear of Allah will have a lasting friendship in this world and the Hereafter.

11. Evaluate the Experience Monthly

12. Be a Person of High Resolve and Yearning Soul (Nafs Tawwāqah)

For those who wish to learn more and know about online memorization through the Tawāqah platform, they should read the article: "Learning the Holy Quran Remotely with Tawāqah Academy?" (here).

We also advise everyone who wishes to memorize the Quran to listen to this blessed course by Dr. Sa‘īd Abū Al-‘Alā Ḥamzah.

We wish you continuous success and pray that our Lord (Glorious and Exalted be He) completes the memorization of the Holy Quran for you.