7. Correcting Recitation

by Shaykh Yahya al-Ghawthani

When you intend to memorise a verse of the Qur’an, a recommended practice is to first recite it to a teacher. Never rely on yourself as you are bound to make mistakes which you won’t notice.

There are two ways to achieve this:

1. Before you start your Hifz, perfect the recitation of the complete Qur’an from start to finish.
2. Or, you only work on correcting the portion of the Qur’an you wish to memorise.

A student who spends time improving his recitation for at least a year, in the presence of his teacher,  will create a connection with what is to be committed to memory. I recall that my father (may Allah have mercy on him) adopted this method and though he did not complete his hifz, he had was able to recite from whichever part of the Qur’an he wished.

However, with the second method, as you work on your recitation alongside your hifz, you will have easily memorised a fair portion of the page and will find it easier to complete the rest.

With regards to the encouragement of children, a lady asked about using harsh words to pressure her daughter to memorise. The speaker advised her that using harsh language is not recommended and it would be more effective to encourage her daughter in a positive way by identifying her personality type. An introvert will do as they please and will not pay much heed to what others say while an extrovert is the opposite of this. It is up to the parent to adapt accordingly.