The Holy Quran is a book revealed to Muslims from God Himself. This is the reason why it is so sacred. You will come across so many people that want to memorize it by heart because the blessing and rewards of doing so are many. It has all the recommendations and regulations of how a good Muslim can spend his life.
For most Muslims, reading the Quran is just not enough, they want to learn it. Yes, you must have heard of a Hafiz or Hafiza, a person who has learned the Quran by heart.
Mostly, this happens at a very young age. The kids go to Madrassas and learn the Quran by heart. But, this is not the only way and time to do so. Many adults are also thinking about how to learn the Quran.
If you are one of them, you can always hop on the internet.
Here you can look for reliable, authentic, and trustworthy applications, websites, and courses. Many are teaching Quran online to adults.
One of the biggest and saddest misconceptions we come across is that learning Quran is not possible for adults. People believe that the Quran can be learned only at a smaller age as smaller minds are easier to mold and have better learning skills than the elders.
To be honest, that is true. Kids don’t have any responsibilities, have a better attention span than adults, and even learn quicker as their minds are in the developing stage. But this does not mean that adults can’t learn the Quran.
Do you want to know the most beautiful thing about it? I have come across so many adults that say that they learned reading, reciting, and even memorized the Quran at a bigger age. They swear by the fact that even though it seemed difficult at first, they felt like Allah (SWT) was making things easier for them.
Don’t let people hinder you from this beautiful path of learning the Quran. Once you start, things are going to become so easy that you will be amazed at it.
Why Should Adults Learn Quran Online?
Before we start to talk about how to learn the Quran, let’s see why learning the Quran online is a good idea. There are two options to go for. Either you can hire a Quran teacher who will come to your house and teach you or you can learn online.
When thinking of learning it online, the most obvious reason is the convenience it has. You can learn from the convenience and comfort of your home and don’t need to even step outside, isn’t that convenient?
Another very important advantage is that learning online gives you a lot of flexibility over the timings and days. There is no hard and fast rule that you have to sit for 2 hours a day or you have to come online exactly at 5 p.m.
You can select the time when you are free from kids, office, or household chores. Once you are relaxed, learning the Quran can become easier.
In learning online, you have a lot of options to pick from. You can either go for a Quran teacher, course or visit different websites. The options are many and it is important to do proper research before you pick a medium.
Go for only properly learned Quran teachers to ensure you are learning it right. You can select courses, teachers, and materials from all over the world.
When it comes to E-learning, there are so many different methods that are being used to learn Quran. You can take different quizzes, interactive platforms and see different videos of recitations.
Apart from this, you can find several videos on the different Surahs and listen to stories. After all, the Quran is a Book and the Surahs are different Chapters telling us about the teachings of Allah (SWT). Seeing a pictorial representation and video makes retention of the Surah easier.
These are just some of the major reasons why online Quran learning for adults and kids is one of the best options.
Learn Quran with Tajweed
Even though Quran is the Holy Book of Muslims, it is in the Arabic language. Sure, you can find the translation of the Quran in every other language imaginable, reciting and reading the Arabic version has a greater reward.
It also makes you feel closer to God as it is the language that God chose to give his direct message in and gives you more rewards in this life and hereafter.
Now the problem that arises is that for Arabs and people who know Arabic, reciting it is easier. But for people who don’t know the language, it can become tough to recite it with the proper Tajweed.
So, how to overcome this problem? The first thing you need to do is not to try reciting it at home. You need to go online and learn from someone who is an expert.
What Exactly is Tajweed?
Linguistically, Tajweed means “doing well” and “proficiency”. In simple terms, it means to improve and to do better.
As we already know, every language has some rules and regulations. For instance, in English, there is pronunciation, grammar, sentence structure, etc. The same is the case with Arabic.
There are some rules of the language and reciting the Quran with Tajweed is important. Otherwise, you can end up changing the meaning of the words. That is why you should know some rules before you can learn Quran online.
Some important points about Tajweed that you need to be aware of are:
- Emission Points: There are many emission points, 17 in total. These are known as makhārij al-ḥurūf. These are pronounced by emission points that are located in different parts of your mouth like the throat, nose, lips, and tongue.
- Thinness and Thickness: Some words are pronounced thick and some are pronounced thin. The alphabets خ ص ض ط ظ غ ق are pronounced with a thick sound and these sounds need to come from the throat. The rest of the alphabets have a much lighter tone to them.
- Prolongation: Some words need to be prorogated. If not, they lose their essence. Whenever you see a maddah sign it means you need to prolong the words.
So, these are some very basic examples of Tajweed. Once you search online, you will see that there is a list of principles and that need to be taught by someone who knows the principles very well.
This is a very important reason you need to learn Quran. You simply can’t open the Holy Quran and start reciting on your own. You need to have some guidance to know that you are reciting the Quran correctly and don’t end up mispronouncing some words.
How to Learn Quran
Learning the Quran is not an easy task. The Quran has 114 chapters and has more than 6,000 Ayahs. Don’t panic! Our guide will give you some easy tips and tricks to learn the Quran without any hassle.
Surprisingly, around 65% of Muslims from all over the world are turning to different sources online for learning the Quran.
First things first, you need to be willing to learn. Once you have made up your mind and are motivated enough, only then can you learn the Quran. The feeling comes from within.
Next, you need to get hold of a Quran. Even though you will be able to learn online and that is the best way to do it, you can always revise. Another reason to have the Holy Quran with you is that the sense of fulfillment and happiness you get by holding it. So, keep the Quran with you even if you are going for Quran learning online.
Pre-requisites
Always do you Wazzu before you sit down to learn the Quran. There are some different schools of thought on this. Some Maulanas believe that you don’t need to do your Wazzu if you are not going to touch the Quran. Others believe it is important to do your wazzu.
If you ask us, we always prefer to do wazzu before reciting, even if it is an online recitation. After all, we are going to read the Book of Allah and need to be at our best, don’t we?
You can think of it like this: When we are about to have guests over, we wear our best clothes to look our best, wear perfume to smell our best. Then, why not do all of this when we are going to sit and recite Allah’s Book?
When it comes to online learning, all you need is a device and an internet connection and you are good to go. Only people who don’t have a tablet, mobile phone, laptop, or other devices can face a problem in learning online. Who are we even kidding? How many people do you know who don’t have access to these?
Therefore, you can see why learning the Quran online is becoming more and more popular amongst the masses.
Tips and Tricks to Learn the Quran
Undoubtedly, every person is different and can dedicate different time to learning the Quran. If a person gives 4 hours a day, he will generally learn quicker than the person who can only give 20 minutes a day. Again, this is no hard and fast rule.
By following the tips and tricks mentioned below, you can learn the Quran quickly and won’t forget even a single ayah.
1. Pick a Peaceful Spot
Reciting the Quran needs peace of mind and a peaceful environment. Distractions are not welcome, are they? When we are talking about ways in which to learn the Quran this needs more attention and concentration than when you simply recite it.
So, the trick is to find a peaceful corner in the house where there will be no one coming to disturb you. I know so many adults that are scared of memorizing the Quran at home as they think it can be done only in a Mosque.
The reason why people suggest learning the Quran in a Mosque is that it is going to peaceful. You need to find such a corner in the house.
2. Timing is the Key
When learning, you need to know exactly how long you can absorb. Some people have a very short concentration span, others have a long one. Depending on you, you can go from a 15-minute session to a 45-60 minute one.
We do not suggest sitting for hours and hours as learning for so long is not possible and you need a break!
The best way is to start from 20 minutes and see if you can add to the time or not. No need to rush as it is going to do you no good and you will end up oversaturated and forget the little you learn.
This time is enough to learn an Ayah or a couple of them. We don’t even suggest anything more as it can end up being too much.
3. Pick a Surah
Most of the people you are going to come across are going to tell you to start learning the Quran from Chapter 1, Ayah 1. True, that does make sense and this is the method used while teaching Hafiz-e-Qurans (people who learn the Quran by heart).
The reason for this is that for kids, it becomes easier going in a flow and maintaining the tempo. As adults, we don’t need to follow the same pattern.
The best way to go about it is to start with a Surah that you can relate to. Something that is close to your heart or which you have an affiliation with.
Remember, you can pick any Surah you like from the Quran. But, once you have selected a Surah, you need to start learning from the first Ayah. Don’t change the sequence of learning these Ayahs as you can end up messing up the entire sequence.
So, always start from Ayah 1 and learn it by heart. Slowly and steadily, go ahead and completely learn the Surah. The trick is not to go very fast. You need to learn it by heart and that will take some time.
If you ask me, I would advise picking a Surah from the last Chapter, i.e. Chapter 30. The Surahs in this chapter are easier, shorter, and can be learned quickly. This will give you a head start and you will see how easy it is to learn them.
4. Understand Before Learning
We are stressing the fact that reciting and learning in Arabic is going to be more fruitful and rewarding. This does not mean that you learn without understanding. Once you understand something, it is easier to memorize it, right?
If Arabic is not your native language, you can head over to the translation of the Ayah you have selected. Read the translation and know what the ayah is talking about. Knowing the meaning will help you in learning it in Arabic.
Think of it like this; if you don’t understand what you are learning, what is the use of it? The reason we recite the Quran is to understand what Allah (SWT) wants to say to us. Therefore, you need to know what you are reading to understand and to follow His command.
5. Hear it Out
Go online and hear the recitation of the Surah. This will help you understand the Tajweed and the sounds of the words. You will know how certain words are pronounced when to give a stop when to elongate words when to take out sounds from the throat etc.
Once you know the Tajweed, learning will become easier and you will know how to learn Quran without any hassle.
6. Read the Complete Surah a Few Times
Read the Surah a couple of times. This will give you a sense of the flow of the Ayahs and help you further. Try to learn the entire Ayah in one go. Don’t break them into smaller parts. Reading the Ayah a few times will help you retain quite a lot.
Once you have recited it a couple of times, take a break. Don’t get up or anything, just close your eyes and try to bring the words in front of you and concentrate on them. Open your eyes and see how much you have retained.
The beauty of it is that you will see that the Surahs have a rhythm to them. Most of the Surahs have the same ending words, include repetitive words, have a sort of charm and flow to them. Hence, learning them is easier.
7. Check and Re-check
With every Ayah you learn, it is important to check and re-check them. The easiest way to do so is to go ahead and record the final recitation when you think you have learned it.
Now check it against the recitation online and see whether you are reciting with the proper Tajweed or not. If yes, perfect, you have nailed it. If no, nothing to worry about. You can always revise and repeat until you get the hang of it.
The first couple of Ayahs are a little difficult. After that, you will get the hang of it and things will become easier from there.
8. Proceed on
Nailed the first Ayah, didn’t you? Told you, it is going to be easy. Now is the time to move on to the next one. Just remember, when you reach Ayah Number 2, start from the beginning. For example, while learning Ayah number 2, read Ayah number 1 along with it.
9. Revise, Revise and Revise
As you proceed to the next Ayahs, always start revising from the beginning of the Surah. This will ensure that you don’t forget the beginning ones and learn the Surah completely. Once you have done one Surah and move on to the next, come back to this one.
Does this seem like a long and tedious process?
Sure, it does look like this. Be assured that this method may look long and time-consuming, it is foolproof. Once you are done with learning the entire Quran, you will have gone over the Surahs so many times that they will be etched in your memory and heart and your lips will automatically recite them.
1. 1 in 7 Days Rule
Follow the 1 in 7 days rule. This is a simple rule that means that you should recite each memorized Surah once every 7 days. Don’t go long without reciting a Surah so you don’t forget it.
The easiest way to recite them is during the day. If you don’t want to spend a chunk of your learning time on revision, you can keep reciting them while doing household chores. In this way, you won’t even miss out on learning new Surahs.
2. Recite Daily
Try not to miss reciting and learning for a single day. This will break your tempo. If someday you are busy and don’t have time to read, try to revise the older Surahs you have learned. Something is better than nothing!
Conclusion
With our detailed guide, we hope we have cleared all your queries related to the question of “how to learn the Quran”. Not only have we told you the easiest ways to learn and retain the Quran, but we have also tried to tell you the importance of learning it online.
It is imperative to understand that each individual is different and you learn at your own pace. Sometimes, you get the feeling that you are not doing so well or you are going too slow.
Don’t let this bother you or bring you down. It takes years to learn the Quran completely. So, hang in there! We are all in this together!
Life has become fast-paced and taking out time to sit down and learn from a Quran teacher is not easy. Learning online is the best option you have. The pandemic is also a big reason to avoid contact with others and go online to learn.