Today in Minna, while delivering 10 more copies of my book that she ordered for, she asked me about my journey to the memorization of the Qur’an – because she knows that I try to memorize one verse a day.

“Since Ramadan, I’ve not memorized much,” I said.

“I also used the Ramadan to review,” Dr. Amina Abubakar said.

Then I learned, for the first time, that she memorizes three verses of the Qur’an a day.

“I memorize at least one page a week,” the wife of the Governor of Niger State said.

Then we started swapping notes about our adventure into the book of Allah.

“When did you start?” I asked.

“This year we are five years in office, right? Then I started six to seven years ago,” she answered.

Right now, she is about four chapters away from memorizing half of the Qur’an.

“When I read a book my sister sent to me from the US,” Dr Amina continued, “I was so inspired that my memorization took wings and I memorized many chapters in a short time. The book is about how different women struggled to memorize the Qur’an – including old women and converts to Islam.

“The book told a story of a woman who hid herself in the kitchen to memorize the Qur’an. Another woman started at the age of 50 when she became a Muslim. So I realized that I didn’t have the obstacles they had so I have no excuse not to do it.”

In turn, her story inspired me seeing that she is a medical doctor, and a consultant to boot, who still goes to the public hospital to treat women. To say nothing of her cancer center and the visitors (including politicians) she has to see regularly.

Indeed, I was the first person she saw today, but people were already collecting in her office when I stepped out.

If she could do it, I have to renew my own commitment. No excuses!

This article was first published on my social media handles. But I didn’t tell her I was going to post it because she would have balked at that idea. But what I feared happened, some people sent her the post. So in the evening, I received this message from her:

”Salamu alaikum Dr. You have exposed me today!”

”I’m sorry, ” I said. ”But my intention was to inspire others. Many of them are praying for you. Because they are inspired by your story.”

”No worries,” she said, ”I know you didn’t mean any harm. A few people forwarded your write up to me and did say they were inspired. Allah ya sa mu dace.”

But I wanted to know if I was forgiven because I wanted to use the same material as my column and she said I should go ahead.

But my sister in Suleja, Mairo Mudi, continued where I stopped. She interviewed the First Lady to find the method she uses; and here’s what she told Mairo:

‘I try to memorize at least 3 verses which in most cases will allow you to memorise a page of the Qur’an in a week.

I spend about 30mins to an hour (depending on the length of the Ayat) after Fajr memorising the verses, I then practice them through out the day during all my prayers. By the end of the day I would have memorised the verses. When I don’t, I repeat them the next day before I get another set of 3 new verses.

‘To retain the ones I have already memorised, I make sure I read at least half a Juz of the Qur’an everyday, usually in the evening or before Fajr prayers. This usually takes me 30 to 45mins. I start from the highest Juz I have memorized till I get to Juz Amma and then I start all over again. I also read the memorized Surahs in my voluntary prayers as a way of revising them.’

Doesn’t your schedule of duty clash with this method of memorisation?

‘Sometimes, I get overwhelmed by my schedules that I am unable to memorise new verses. On such days, I revise the previous verses of the Surah.

I have a teacher who guides me. We meet at the weekend for me to read the memorised verses to her where she corrects me and extracts lessons from the verses for me. Whenever we are unable to meet, she calls me either on WhatsApp or regular line and I read the verses to her. Just so that we don’t miss days.

‘The key is to have a routine and stick to it. It takes dedication and discipline but it is also very gratifying, when your hard work pays off and you get to memorise yet another Surah.

‘You also need to pray to Allah to give you the Tawfeeq and the Tasbeet to remain in the journey of the Qur’an.

‘May Allah make the Qur’an the springtime of our hearts, the light of our hearts, the disappearance of our sadness and worries. Ameen.’ she concluded. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Daily Trust:)

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