How I Mastered Quran Memorization While Working a 9 to 5 Job — You Can Too!

Learn from my experience and don’t make the mistakes that I did

Photo by Ayesha Firdaus on Unsplash

Students memorizing Quran @ Pinterest

Be happy O student of Knowledge! who has decided to traverse this path of Knowledge (Ilm). Scholars say whoever wants to begin seeking knowledge should start with the Quran.

What can be better than holding on to the Quran as your guide and friend in these times of trials and tribulation in 2024?

TLDR;

My experience working as a Software Engineer at a top firm, working from 9am to 6pm 5 days a week, is on a journey of Quran Memorization.

1. The things that have helped me.
2. The routine that I follow.
3. Things that harmed me during this journey. ( You better avoid them).
4. How Quran Memorization impacted other areas of my life.
5. Improvement in the Quality of Life

NOTE: Right now I’m on my 3rd Juz Alhamdulillah!

My Quran Memorisation spot in the local masjid.

First things first, You can’t achieve anything in life except with the help of Allah. All these traits that drive a person like willpower, motivation, discipline, and consistency are from Allah.

Below are the things that I did before getting started — You should too!

1. I made sincere Dua to Allah to help me in this path of Knowledge, Quran Memorization
2. I read about the effects of Sins. Sins have effects on us in this Duniya and hereafter. Read bout it online or on this video to get an idea. Also, bookmark this info
3. [IMP] Leave 100% of the Sins: This topic in itself is sufficient for a thousand pages but I’ll just say if you can take care of this point you will fly your way to becoming a Hafiz in no time ( TRUST ME!)

Effects of Sins!

4. Understand that this connection with Quran is the solution to all your problems in life. Keep reminding yourself of this point through videos or verses from the Quran.

Surah Yunus 57–58

Execution

Now maghrib to Isha is the best time to memorize and revise. I made it obligatory for myself to stay in the masjid from Maghrib till Isha, on days when I like it or on days when I don’t feel like doing. No excuses!

Weekends, workdays, and holidays every day in the masjid between maghrib and Isha.

Now once you are in there and have started the memorization. There are three things

1. Sabaq ( the portion you memorized on a day)
2. Sabaq Juz( The portion of the Juz you have already memorized)
3. Aamakhta ( The previous Juzs that you have memorized)

Typically in proper Hifz schools, the timings are different for each of the above three, but because you are occupied with a 9–5 hence you do all of the three in a single sitting between Maghrib and Isha.

Step by step what I do daily -

1. Pray Maghrib in Jamaah, Pray the sunnah.
2. Go back to my spot and take the Quran.
3. Begin reciting half Juz from Amakhta ( say Surah Fatiha to mid of Juz 1)[ If you have starting today, you can skip this step]
4. Begin reciting the Sabaq Juz from the first page till the page where I’m currently memorizing.
5. If all went well without major mistakes I’ll start with the Sabaq. else will only refine and work on already what I have memorized.
6. As soon as the Isha Azaan is called I’ll stop what ever page I’m on and will start preparing for the Salaah.

It may feel simple and not much impactful at the start but with daily efforts with the help of Allah. It will become part of your identity and you will not even notice but begin to memorize and revise daily wherever you are, to the extent this becomes automatic in your behavior.

No matter even if you are on vacation or in another city you can still find a mosque and just sit in there between Maghrib and Isha and do it every single day.

The Before and After of Quran Memorization in my personal Life —

Before

1. My life was messed up.
2. I was sleeping late and waking up late.
3. I was having anxiety, mood swings, and struggling at work.
4. Zero happiness in life though I had quite a lot of worldly possessions from phones, and smart watches to a nice house but I felt so empty from inside.
5. Lack of purpose and clarity in life.
6. Eating junk food and not well maintain hygiene.

After

1. I was able to start my day at 4 am with most of my day’s chores finished even before 6 am.
2. I would study straight for my career from 6am onwarrds till 8–9am.
3. I started to have an amazing breakfast.
4. I was on time at work.
5. My memory became super sharp which helped me at work. ( I started memorizing important concepts which was mostly asked at interviews, which helped me do really well at interviews)
6. My productivity became 10X. ( I was able to do work in few hours which will normally take my lazy ass a whole week)
7. I can start to relate to the below hadith

This stared to make sense ( sunnah.com)

8. I would smile for no reason. Finally, I started to notice a spark, light in my light, and especially my chest became lighter as if all worries and anxiety just left me in peace.

For indeed Quran is the rope of Allah, whosoever will hold fast on it will benefit immensely.

I hope my experience was of benefit to you. May Allah make it easy on you and me to conitnue this journey of Quran Memorization and make it a way to traverse the path of Ilm and enter Firdaus insh allah! Ameen.

Ameen!

I’ll appreciate your response and input on this, and if you are already a student of knowledge with a 9–5 job, how are you managing it?