The Easiest Way to Memorise Texts
Based on article by Sheikh `Abd al-Muhsin al-Qāsim
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Being regular in memorisation, not overwhelming oneself big portions and taking it step-by-step has been the way of the scholars.
Imām az-Zuhri said, “We only gathered this knowledge with one hadith, two hadith, one issue, two issues (meaning in small amounts).”
Texts can be divided into three types: (i) Ahādith, (ii) Prose and (iii) Poetry.
How much to memorise?
* If it is ahādith: 3 ahādith per day
* If it is Prose: 5 lines per day
* If it is Poetry: 3 abyāt (lines) per day
How to memorise?
* Repeat the amount that you wish to memorise x20, and the best time for this is after Fajr.
* After `Asr or Maghrib, repeat what you memorised at Fajr again x20.
* The next day before you move onto your new amount, revise what you learnt the day before x20.
* Then recite what you what you memorised from the beginning of the particular text until you reach your current lesson.
* After that, begin your new lesson of memorisation in the same manner.
* Repeat this method daily, until you complete the text and your memorisation becomes strong.
This is the course of action one should undertake for every text, along with maintaining review of memorisation, reading and studying books, attending the lessons of scholars, and asking questions pertaining to the issues of knowledge.
The way to make memorisation firm and established is repetition, and there is no memorisation without repetition. This is the way of those firm in knowledge.
Abu Ishāq ash-Shīrāzi would repeat what he wanted to memorise x100. Al-Kayā al-Harrāsi would repeat x70.
The following is a story which will make it clear to you that the lack of repetition is a cause of forgetfulness:
Ibn al-Jawzi said, “al-Hasan (meaning Ibn Abi Bakr an-Naysābūri) told us a story about a jurist who would repeat his lesson many times in his house.
So an elderly woman who was in his house said to him, ‘By Allāh, even I have memorised it! (because the man was repeating so many times).’ So the man asked her recite it to him, and so she did.
After a few days the man came back to the woman and said, ‘Recite to me that lesson’ to which she replied, ‘I did not memorise it (meaning she had forgotten).’
The man said, ‘I repeated the lesson so that I am not afflicted with that which afflicted you (i.e. forgetfulness).’”
How to revise texts?
If a person memorises different texts covering a variety of subjects, then every month, one should revise all those texts which they have memorised, and this will make one’s memorisation firm, and facilitate quick recollection.
http://alhanbali.wordpress.com/2011/07/10/the-easiest-way-to-memorise-texts/