I was blessed to complete my memorisation of the Qur'an at the age of 13. The date was 10/10/11 - five days before my birthday. But this post isn't about self-congratulation.
It's to show any busy professional reading this that you can get started this Ramadan - and to share the exact system I followed 🤲
If I'm being honest, one of the things that motivated me as a kid was wanting to finish before my older brother, who completed his at 14. I was competitive. I wanted the praise, and I definitely wanted the presents my dad promised me for every 10 juz I completed 😅
You could argue that those aren't the purest reasons to memorise the Qur'an. And you'd be right.
But my dad was spending close to £200 a month for a Qur'an teacher to come to our house privately. In the early 2000s, that was serious money. He saw it as a charity, not a burden. And I think God put a lot of blessing in that - because all four of his sons went on to complete their memorisation.
He incentivised us, rewarded us at every milestone, and taught us the deeper meaning behind what we were doing. That combination - incentives plus understanding - is what works with children. We shouldn't feel guilty about rewarding our kids for Islamic studies the same way we reward them for good grades.
Since then, I've encouraged people close to me to start their own journey. And the thing I always tell them is: it's not as difficult as you think. The barrier isn't ability. It's just starting.
If you've ever thought about it, these steps genuinely work - even with a full-time job:
1️⃣ Get a teacher. Non-negotiable. You need someone to recite to and hold you accountable.
2️⃣ Fix a consistent weekly slot. Once a week is infinitely better than zero. Book it in like you would a gym session.
3️⃣ Set realistic goals. One side a week from the 13-line Qur'an is roughly four sides a month. That's 1 juz in about 6-7 months. Not glamorous - but consistent and doable around a busy schedule.
4️⃣ Use a system that builds retention. Memorise a new section, then revise it the next day before starting the next one. Once you pass half a juz, your recitation should cover three things:
- Your new section
- Recent sections from the last few lessons
- Older material to keep it strong
5️⃣ Show up. That weekly session forces preparation - partly because you're paying them, partly because nobody wants to turn up unprepared. That gentle pressure is the engine.
🎁 Bonus: find a group. The best progress I've seen comes from people memorising together and motivating each other.
Every hafidh will tell you the same thing - the hard part isn't memorisation. It's retention. That's why the system matters more than the speed.
But the most important step is the first one.
God willing, the rest will follow 🤲
Posted on LinkedIn on 26 February 2026 with some stylistic changes by SunnahOnline.com