Al-Insomniyya

So over the last week I've neglected my ANKI deck. Inevitably the reviews built up and I stopped learning new words. My hifz I have kept up obviously - this is my first and foremost priority. But I got to a portion yesterday where I did not recognise 3 words in the 5 line segment I was due to learn for that day. Immediately this was a problem. Until now I have been learning with meaning, as I had already learnt the words in advance via ANKI. I realised not only did this help with making sense of what I was learning, the actual phonetics of those invidividual words were already in my head - i.e. part of the memorising was already done. Many times I have heard people doing hifz (who do not understand any Arabic) trying to relate the words or sounds they were memorising to their mother tongue. Well I prefer to relate it to the actual meaning! Learning these new unknown words took me back to my two previous attempts from yesteryear at hifz where I was just memorising sounds. Lear...

A new technique I'm trying to implement - reciting 5 lines in one breath. I'm trying to apply this both to revision and to the new 5 lines I'm learning every day. I remember Shaykh Akram Nadwi mentioning once how in Nadwatul Ulama they had an entire verb table 3 times in one breath. I actually think there's a logic to this apparent madness. If you can recite something fluently (without compromising accuracy) then it is better encoded. I'm finding I'm remembering previous day's memorised portions better with this 'speed reading' technique. At present I'm not just sticking to reading the new portion 10 times throughout the day in isolated episodes, but especially whilst driving really mastering a new portion well so that I can (almost) read that new 5 line segment in one breath. Inevitably the efficiency is also increased with this technique. You end up reading very fast. Couple of other things: Driving to and from work is a real blessing...

Top three screenshots are from the Quran app. Very handy as it is always in my pocket. It has same template as Uthmani mushaf and also has meaning and audio, although lacks a word for word breakdown. I do try and use a physical mushaf when possible as it let's you visualise which page you are on, which side of the Mushaf it is on etc.  The fourth screenshot shows the tally app I am using which also reflects the revision pattern I'm following at present and which appears to be working for me. Although it says last 3 pages to be read 5 times, at present this is 9 pages (what I have memorised of Surah Baqarah). There's a satisfaction in being able to recite everything you know from memory in one day although obviously the more I learn the more difficult this will become and eventually impossible. Final screenshot is of ANKI, hammering home all the individual words. 

Surah Baqarah – 2.5 Juz Mid March – Surah baqarah (p49) By end of March – 3.5 Juz (including Kahf) April – 10 lines per day: 1 juz per month = Total = 4.5 juz May– 10 lines per day: 1 juz per month = Total = 5.5 juz June – 10 lines per day: 1 juz per month = Total = 6.5 juz July- – 10 lines per day: 1 juz per month = Total = 7.5 juz August 2016: 1 page/ day =  1.5 juz per month = Total = 9 juz Sept: 1 page/ day =  1.5 juz per month = Total = 10.5 juz Oct: 1 page/ day =  1.5 juz per month = Total = 12 juz Nov: 1 page/ day =  1.5 juz per month = Total = 13.5 juz Dec: 1 page/ day =  1.5 juz per month = Total = 15 juz Jan-Nov 2017: 1 page/ day =  1.5 juz per month = Total = Finished by (start) Nov 2017 inshallah. This is on the big assumption that not a single day is missed i.e. on consistent learning.

So once I finished Surah Kahf, I started Surah Baqarah. I actually very much wanted to memorise the 30th Juz (or rememorise as I had memorised this a long time ago when I was 20), but my teacher was insistent that I go on to Surah Baqarah. I had no big issue with this. The buzz I was on the day I memorised Surah Kahf, I can only imagine what it would feel like to memorise Surah Baqarah. Additionally, on my Arabic course we will soon start the analysis of Surah Baqarah so it should all tie in nice inshaAllah. Anyway I memorised about 10 pages (half of juz 1) and now I need to restart. Reasons: I realise now I need to thoroughly revise what was learnt over the last week or so thoroughly - and this until now was just once a day but actually I realise now has to be several times, maybe 3 at least, perhaps even more. I guess I will just learn with experience. My focus on 'revision' until now has been Surah Kahf - I've used my driving time to and from work daily to revise t...

I have heard conflicting stories about whether Arabic helps or hinders hifz. Previously I heard from some that, obviously it helps. Others have said it slows them down as it makes them ponder. From memorising Surah Kahf with the Arabic meaning I've learnt that for me: Initially you depend on the meaning. Once you start reading daily, the older parts become consolidated and part of your memory and reading rhythm to the point where you dont have to think about the meaning.  You actually start forgetting the vocabulary of what you learnt a while back even though you are revising your hifz daily - because you are not consciously thinking about the meaning. This is where the beauty of ANKI comes in. Because I have also plugged in all the individual vocabulary into there I am constantly revising the vocab and so there's multiple reinforcement of the language. So for example at present with Surah Kahf - which is 12 pages in my mushaf (the common Uthmani mushaf), the first 9 page...

So I've memorised Surah Kahf over the last few months. Initially I wanted to just practice tajweed through it but my teacher (a young Qari from Al-Azhar) said to start memorising. A few learning points: It's always better with a teacher. When I knew I had to read to him, it automatically brought me to a focus. Having said that it's also been very difficult with my changing shift patterns and booking locum work at weekends to keep regular appointments with him. The Arabic during Hifz helps immensely. I can't stress this enough. When you know what you are memorising (even if its a very superficial, basic vocabulary level) it makes a huge difference.  It makes memorising easier.  It makes retaining easier,  When you are thinking 'what is the next verse?' when you think of the meaning it often comes back to your memory what the following verse is. Admittedly some verses appear not to flow from one to the other (to the layman like me anway) but for 90% of ...

Hifz - The Last Attempt I'm now in my 30s. Working stupid shifts in hospital. My family are hugely on my case to get married. It's my last big chance to do the one thing I need and want to do before what limited spare time will inevitably be taken away once I get married, and that is the memorisation of the Quran. Previous hifz attempts - at age 13 sent by my mum to local madrassah where I just rebelled, left and played football every day after school for the remainder of my schooling years. Time in which I could have easily memorised the Quran. Time in which hundreds of others, not necessarily the brightest, memorised the Quran because of one simply quality - consistency. They didnt complain, they didnt moan, they just went to their maktabs every day after school and by their late teens they were huffaz. Second attempt was when I was on a year out at age 20. I started off seriously, memorised a couple of juz then got distracted by training, I had to get a full time job. ...