Seal it within the heart, to grow your love of Him 

Yesterday on my Insta stories I asked sisters this: who has memorised juz amma in adulthood, especially after becoming a mother? 

I feel SO overwhelmed with the 60 plus messages I received with sisters sharing their experiences, journey and success. I asked because I started my own journey without really thinking much about it. It wasn’t planned, it was just one surah after another. And now that I’m more than half way to the finish line, I feel I need the extra push and inspiration. A friend very close and dear to me memorised surah Baqarah this Ramadan, and I remember thinking I need to sort my own memorisation out. I’m slow. Very slow. I struggle and can only manage a couple of ayahs a day. 

The responses I got from other sisters has shown me how amazingly people managed and achieved their goals. I’ve had responses from sisters who have 4+ children, sisters who work full time and have little babies, sisters who memorised alongside their children, a sister who memorised 4 juz at the age of 54, sisters who set up memorisation groups and pushed each other. So absolutely lovely to know all this. 

I initially was going to share all the practical tips they all gave me, but I realised that each one of us work differently. Some say after fajr, some before bed at night, some when cooking. Some memorised a surah a day, some half an ayah a day. Some memorised in just over a month, others over two years. But the most important thing that they all stuck to, was to not give up. They all remained glued to their intention, their want, their goal. Even when they failed, they went back to it. 

And even more important than that was to love the words of Allah. And they only increased their love by putting the words into their hearts, sealing it away, so they could take from it when they needed. 
Here’s a short list to sum up some of the ways most of the sisters memorised juz amma:
🔹Make dua for Allah to help make it happen

🔹select a time in the day that works best for you

🔹make sure you do it daily

🔹read translation and Tafsir of the surahs you memorise

🔹find a memorisation buddy

🔹or an accountability partner 

🔹recite to someone else to check Tajweed

🔹listen to the recitation by a Qari throughout your day

🔹revise your memorised ayahs throughout the day

If like me, you want to embark on this journey or already have but keeping having setbacks, then know that so many sisters have done it. They all felt like we do. They all struggled. It wasn’t easy but it was possible. There is something comforting about knowing others feel what you feel, something that makes you feel a part of something bigger. And that’s what I felt after asking the question of juz amma. 

Many of the sisters have gone on to memorise more juz, and have set up a daily routine dedicated to their hifdh. 

This is motivation for me, I hope it is for you too.

Anas (ra) reported the Prophet (saw) said:

“To Allah belongs a special group of people.” It was said, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?” He (saw) replied, “They are the people of the Quran; the people of Allah and his select group of people.” 

(Musnad Imam Ahmad)