By Hafiz Dr Ebrahim Mayet, who completed Hifz at the age of 64
What I write now is my personal journey to becoming a Hafiz of the Noble Quran. It began when I moved to Port Elizabeth in 1988, when I was 32 years old starting a job at Livingstone Hospital. At that time, I couldn’t even recite the Quran properly. To give an idea, it would take me about an hour to recite Surah Yaseen. It was a struggle.
On my nights off from work, in that first Ramadaan here, I would attend Esha salaah and Taraweeh, and hear the Imam conduct the entire 20 rakaats by himself. That was new to me, but what was more mesmerising was that he was not in a hurry, pulled on certain words and verses, repeated some, even cried through some of his recital, and I could hear every word clearly and yet it was completed in just over an hour!
I thought to myself, this is the Speech of Allah Ta’ala. This Imam is so passionate, the words sound so important, but I understand almost nothing of what he is saying except for words or verses that we lay-Muslims are familiar with. I thought, how can Allah Ta’ala be talking to me and I cannot understand a word?
So began my passion for the Noble Quran. Over the following years, and very slowly, I would, whenever I could, recite what I could and then look at the English meaning of each verse I recited. It was painstakingly slow, and by the time I closed the Noble Quran, I would have forgotten 80, no, 90% of the meanings. But while looking at the meanings it opened up the Noble Quran like never before. It came alive! It was like I was drawn into whatever I was reading/reciting, so I continued.
In 1995, at 39 years old, we made Hajj. Sheikh Sudais and Sheikh Shuraim were the Imams of the Haram Sharief in Makkah Mukarramah and were all the rage. CD recordings of their Ramadaan Taraweeh recitals were all over the markets there, so we bought these. But just hearing these two live gave me goosebumps from just being there standing behind them in those Salaah. That was real inspiration.
So when we got back home, I spent day after day, after Fajr, inspired by the beautiful recitations by both of them listening to their recital and following the English meanings with my finger. I would try and match the English words with their recital on CD.
For the next few Ramadaans I would listen after Fajr to the 1 and quarter Juz for the next Taraweeh, hoping to enjoy the Taraweeh recital by matching it with the meanings, but for a very long time I would still be lost for 90% of the Taraweeh. This never put me off.
I thought that the only way to get this right was to learn Quranic Arabic. So in 2012, at 56 years old, I found a self- learning Madinah University course with books and dvd’s with a teacher teaching the basic Quranic Arabic from beginning to end. This course was made up of three text books, very systematically set out, teaching the grammar, construction, vocabulary, and a reading exercise after each lesson, with questions to answer from the reading exercise.
Here is what made this the best course: you had to write your answers! Of course, the teacher would go through the full exercise, but you had to write. That is what makes you understand!
I must say this was the most fun and educational language course I’ve done! Now reciting the text became easier and following the meanings have stuck consistently with the repetition.
In December 2015, I decided to do Hifz, with a local Aalim as my teacher. And so we began this journey in January 2016 at nearly sixty years old.
It took four years and nine months to complete, Alhamdulillah. My teacher would allow me any length of new sabak (work), would set dhor (revision) of the most recent Juz, and half or three-quarters of dhor (revision) of the older work. He would come to listen to me every three of four days. On average I would swot three-quarter page to one page a day, so he would hear me recite between one-and-half to three pages of new sabak (work) every three to four days, plus the dhor (revision) as mentioned.
I never missed a day of swotting, whether a Sunday, or on holiday, except when sick. My swotting time was mainly in the mornings: I would get up daily at 3.30am and swot until Fajr, and an hour or so after Fajr. I would revise between Maghrib and Esha salaah.
This is what I feel is very important: I could never memorise any verse without knowing its meaning. So I would recite a verse, look up its meaning in an English translation of the Noble Quran, and using my learnt Arabic would understand the meaning, and then swot it. And even with dhor (revision), I had to know the meanings to recite it.
Up until now, Alhamdulillah, whether I am reciting or standing behind an Imam in Salaah, I understand 90 – 95% of the recital. To me this is the ultimate, because you know what Allah Ta’ala is saying to you, you are drawn into the Salaah with full concentration, and you can apply what you understand of the Noble Quran as best as possible in your daily life.
Finally, my message to you is, that no matter your age, or occupation, I encourage everyone to memorise the Noble Quran, no matter how little. Also study the meaning, even if without studying the language although understanding the language is like being given a key that opens the door to a treasure that is worth all that is in the heavens and earth put together – knowing what Allah Ta’ala is saying to you, and guiding you.
After all, Allah Ta’ala says in so many verses that this Noble Quran is a guide, a reminder, an instruction, good news for those who understand. To get the guidance, understand it!
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