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Question

Assalamu Aleikum

I would like you to help me with this little problem. I usually learn by heart verses and surats from listening to the rhythm and pace of a reciter, usually a slow pace. For instance, if the Qari reads slowly with a rhythm that I know I will be able to remember, I take that rhythm and use it. Alhamdu Lillahi, Allah helped me remember surats and verses up till today. However lately, I have been learning surat Al Insan (chapter 76) by listening to sheikh Mustafa Isma'il on IslamWay and picked up his way of reciting. However, I am having problem remembering when I pray. To be more specific, if I decide to read it, not in the regular prayer, the way he (the sheikh) reads, I have no problem. I do remember it very well. But once I start reading it in the prayer, I sometimes cannot seem to remember as quickly as I could and sometimes go blank. What should I do in order to master correctly this surat ?
P.S. I can read well in Arabic. And the reason I take a reciter's style is because it helped me a lot, and I cannot remember if I learn a surah or verse from my own style.

May Allah help you find an answer inshallah
Ma Salam

Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh. 

The true test of our memory is when we pray using a surah or aayaat that we have memorized.  Sometimes when we are reciting outside of prayer, we may look at the Qur’an when we get stuck and not realize it, or put it out of our mind.  This may or may not be your problem in this case.  It may be that the method of recitation you are listening to is not conducive to recitation during prayers.  You will have to determine if that is the case or not.

Make sure you understand the meaning of what you memorize.  You do not have to be extremely fluent in Arabic to do this.  Read the explanation of the meaning of the surah in English or your native language. Make a list of vocabulary words that you do not know from the surah and memorize their meaning, then test yourself to make sure you understand them.  This should help greatly.  When you memorize each aayah, make sure you understand the meaning of the aayah, then place its meaning with the aayah before and after it so you understand the sequence of meaning of the aayaat.  Look at the surah for aayaat that are similar, for example in surah al-Insaan, there are some similarities in aayah 5 and 11.  Make sure you comprehend which name for the drinks that the people of Paradise drink from comes first in the surah, and which comes second, plus make note of what follows each of these different aayaat. 

Relying on a reciter’s style may make you dependent on the sounds not the words.  This is a disadvantage in memorizing and you will maybe only remember the aayaat if you remember the tone changes used by the reciter.  Memorizing the meaning along with your own style of reciting makes sure you have memorized completely and then you will not dependent on a sequence of sounds to recall the aayaat.

Insha’ Allah this will be of assistance to you.

We pray that Allah will make easy for you memorization of the complete Qur’an.