This #1 Mistake Will Sabotage Your Quran Memorisation Journey

February 14th. The day I finished memorising the Quran.

I can still hear the final verses of Surat Al-An'aam and feel the overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

I had done it. Over 6,200 verses committed to memory.

But lying in bed some time later, one terrifying thought struck me:

What if I memorised this entire Quran for the wrong reasons?

I had convinced myself my intentions were pure. I told everyone – and myself – that I was memorising to get closer to Allah, to raise my status in Jannah, and raise my parents with me.

But if I was being brutally honest? Part of me was excited about reaching the finish line. About being able to say "I'm a hafitha." About the accomplishment itself rather than the transformation it was supposed to bring.

I was left to question…

Was I memorising Allah's words for Him… or just to achieve something impressive?

The Hadith That Changed Everything

The Prophet ﷺ said that among the first three people to be judged on the Day of Judgment will be someone who memorised the Quran.

When Allah asks him: "What did you do with what I gave you?"

He’ll say: "I memorised Your Quran and recited it."

Allah will respond: "You lie. You memorised it so people would call you a reciter, and they did."

This hadith still shakes me to the core. Memorisation itself isn’t automatically rewarded – it depends on the intention.

But what does sincere attachment to the Quran actually look like in practice? I found my answer in a story that changed my perspective on what it means to prioritise Allah's words above everything else.

A Story of True Sincerity

I was recently listening to a shaykh who shared something that amazed me.

One of his students had moved from Germany to Alexandria specifically to memorise the Quran. She was brilliant, disciplined, and organised.

One evening, she called asking permission to postpone her class to the following day because she hadn’t completed her daily review.

"Why couldn’t you finish?" the shaykh asked, surprised – this was a woman who had never missed a lesson.

She replied: "My daughter passed away yesterday, and I was busy washing her body and preparing for her burial."

The shaykh paused, realising the weight of what she had just said. Her teenage daughter had died, yet she was asking to reschedule – not cancel – because she hadn’t met her Quran requirements.

Her heart was that connected to the Quran.

Later, she told him: "I thank Allah that when my daughter died, I had 17 parts of the Quran to console myself with. I can’t imagine how I would have coped without those verses in my heart."

That is what sincerity to Allah ﷻ and attachment to the Quran looks like.

The Question That Changes Everything

Before you memorise a single verse, ask yourself:

"What do I honestly hope to gain from this?"

Be brutally honest. Write down every reason:

• To impress family and friends?

• To feel superior to other Muslims?

• To become well-known in your community?

• To find a good spouse?

Or… because you truly fear standing before Allah without His words in your heart?

Most of us have mixed motives. The key is recognising the impure ones and actively working to purify them.

Why This Matters More Than Technique

You can have the perfect memorisation method, the best teacher, and unlimited time. But if your intention isn’t right, the effort loses its weight in the sight of Allah.

As mentioned in the hadith above, it’s possible to memorise every single verse perfectly – and still fall short on the Day that matters most.

Simple Reality Check

Here’s how to know if your intention needs work:

Do you find yourself daydreaming about people being impressed by your recitation? Having “hafitha/hafith” added to your name? Being asked to lead prayers at events?

These aren’t evil thoughts, but they’re dangerous if they become the foundation.

Instead, ask yourself:

“Am I memorising the Quran to sincerely seek Allah’s pleasure?”

Four Steps Forward

1. Start with honest self-reflection
   Write down all your motives, pure and impure. Acknowledge them without judgment.

2. Make a private commitment
   Promise Allah that you’ll memorise His words for His sake alone, even if no one else knows.

3. Keep it private initially
   Don’t announce your memorisation plans on social media. Keep the first few months between you and Allah.

4. Use what you memorise
   Pray with the verses you learn. Reflect on their meanings. Let them shape your decisions.

Starting with pure intention isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being honest.

Acknowledge the mixed motives, ask Allah to purify your heart, and begin anyway. Sincerity grows through the process, not before it.

The Companions themselves worried about their intentions. Ibn Abī Mulaykah said: ‘I met thirty of the Prophet’s Companions, and each of them feared hypocrisy for himself.’ (Reported by al-Bukhārī)

If the Companions struggled with sincerity, we shouldn’t expect ourselves to be free of that struggle either.

The Simple Beginning

Every time you sit down to memorise, take a minute to renew your intention with Allah:

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَمَلِي كُلَّهُ صَالِحًا، وَاجْعَلْهُ لِوَجْهِكَ خَالِصًا، وَلَا تَجْعَلْ لِأَحَدٍ فِيهِ شَيْئًا
Transliteration: "Allahumma-ja'l 'amalee kullahu saalihan, wa-ja'lhu li-wajhika khaalisan, wa laa taj'al li-ahadin feehi shay'an"

Translation: "O Allah, make all my deeds righteous, make them sincerely for Your sake, and do not let there be any share in them for anyone else."

Then begin.

Your intention may start with mixed feelings, but it must be directed towards Allah and constantly purified along the way.

I leave you in the protection of Allah,
في أمان الله

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