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Some people think there are magic spells in Islam. It is common to hear things like, "Recite this verse before bed and good things infinitely out of proportion will happen to you."
And these same people talk about the greatness of memorizing the Quran, even though they have no understanding of what it actually means.
Memorizing the Quran is great when it is the result of deep knowledge and understanding, not when it is the result of months of memorization.
If you haven't learned Arabic well, and if you haven't read the Quran a dozen times with different Tafsirs, what use would it be to memorize the Quran, a book that you don't understand, or that you understand incorrectly?
It might have been good in the past when books were expensive. But what practical use does it have now? We have access to the Quran all the time. Why should we hurry to memorize it before we have learned it by heart?
A person who forces himself or herself to memorize the Quran will have to continuously revise it to avoid forgetting it. It becomes a tiring process of carrying a text that keeps slipping out of the mind. Why do this when we can just do the reading and learning now, and let the memorization happen by itself?
The Quran is a book to be read and learned, not memorized:
Some scholars would say the verses from chapter 75 only applied to the Prophet SAW. But why shouldn't we benefit from it too? Why would it be in the Quran if it wasn't for us to learn from? Do these scholars have a better method of learning the Quran than what Allah AW describes?
Memorizing the Quran is something that happens to the attentive learner. It is a beautiful phenomenon and it should reflect the person's knowledge of the Quran, not the person's ability to memorize text.
And these same people talk about the greatness of memorizing the Quran, even though they have no understanding of what it actually means.
Memorizing the Quran is great when it is the result of deep knowledge and understanding, not when it is the result of months of memorization.
If you haven't learned Arabic well, and if you haven't read the Quran a dozen times with different Tafsirs, what use would it be to memorize the Quran, a book that you don't understand, or that you understand incorrectly?
It might have been good in the past when books were expensive. But what practical use does it have now? We have access to the Quran all the time. Why should we hurry to memorize it before we have learned it by heart?
A person who forces himself or herself to memorize the Quran will have to continuously revise it to avoid forgetting it. It becomes a tiring process of carrying a text that keeps slipping out of the mind. Why do this when we can just do the reading and learning now, and let the memorization happen by itself?
The Quran is a book to be read and learned, not memorized:
"...and recite the Qur'ân in a slow style. [73:4]
"16. Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'ân, O Muhammad) to make haste therewith. 17. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it (the Qur'ân), 18. And when We have recited it to you, then follow you its recital. 19. Then it is for Us (God) to make it clear to you." [75:17-19]The above verses beautifully describe the correct way to learn the Quran. They say read it in a slow style (take the time to reflect upon it). Do not try to force yourself to memorize it. It says when Allah has recited it (which for the Prophet was through Gabriel and for us is through the book of the Quran and other reciters), we have to follow its recitation, i.e. be attentive to it.
Some scholars would say the verses from chapter 75 only applied to the Prophet SAW. But why shouldn't we benefit from it too? Why would it be in the Quran if it wasn't for us to learn from? Do these scholars have a better method of learning the Quran than what Allah AW describes?
Memorizing the Quran is something that happens to the attentive learner. It is a beautiful phenomenon and it should reflect the person's knowledge of the Quran, not the person's ability to memorize text.
