Quran Memorization with Murajaah
One-to-one Hifz lessons where revision is planned, not squeezed in at the end. Your teacher hears your new lesson, your recent pages and your older juz in a steady rotation.
- Planned revision every lessonRevision plannedSabaq, sabqi, manzil
- Male or female teacherTeacher of your choiceFor children and adults
- Up to 3 Free Trial ClassesFree trial classesNo card required
The short answer
Murajaah is revision: reciting what you have already memorised, regularly, so it stays. Without it, memorised surahs fade within months, however well they were learned.
Most Hifz teachers split the work into three parts. Sabaq is the new lesson, sabqi is the recent portion, and manzil is the older portion, taken in turns so the whole of it comes round again. A good one-to-one class keeps all three moving, in proportions that suit the student.
- Sabaq
- Today’s new lines
- Sabqi
- The last few weeks of memorisation
- Manzil
- Older portions, in rotation
- Lesson
- 30 minutes, live, one-to-one
- Who for
- Children from 4, teenagers and adults
- Price
- From $39 a month (all plans)
The three parts of Hifz
What are sabaq, sabqi and manzil?
They are the new lesson, the recent revision and the long revision, and a student who memorises well does all three, often on the same day. The names come from the Urdu and South Asian madrasa tradition. Arabic-speaking teachers may use other words for the same idea.
- Sabaq: the new lessonA few new lines or verses, read correctly first and then said from memory to the teacher.
- Sabqi: the recent portionWhat was memorised over the last few weeks, recited until it no longer needs the page.
- Manzil: the older portionA set slice of everything memorised before that, taken in turn so each part comes back regularly.
Think of the three as a conveyor. Today’s sabaq becomes next week’s sabqi, and once it is solid it moves into the manzil. Nothing is ever finished with. It just moves into a slower rotation.
It happens to everyone
Why do children and adults forget what they memorised?
Mostly because the revision stopped, or never reached the older surahs. Memory weakens when it is not used, and Quran is no exception. A surah recited perfectly in March can be patchy by July if it was not heard in between.
- All sabaq, no manzil. Students chase new pages and the early juz quietly fall away.
- Revision only in lessons. Two lessons a week can’t carry it all. Some revision has to happen at home.
- Memorised with a mistake. A wrong word that was never corrected makes the whole verse unstable.
- Long breaks. Summer holidays, Ramadan travel or exams, with nothing recited at all.
Our article on why children forget Quran lessons looks at this from the parent’s side, with more on habits at home.
Putting numbers on it
How much should you revise each day?
The more you have memorised, the bigger the share of each day that goes to revision. A child on their first surahs spends most of the lesson on new verses. A student with several juz may spend most of it revising, and that is how it should be.
| Memorised so far | Sabaq | Sabqi | Manzil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just started: a few short surahs | 2 or 3 short verses | The last surah or two | One older surah |
| Most of Juz Amma memorised | A few verses of a longer surah | The last two or three surahs | A handful of short surahs, rotating |
| 1 to 3 juz memorised | A few lines | Roughly the last few weeks’ pages | A fixed slice, so each juz comes round often |
| 5 juz or more memorised | Half a page or so | The current juz | A larger daily slice, mostly done at home |
- MonLesson: sabaq + sabqiHome: manzil, 10 min
- TueLesson: sabaq + sabqiHome: manzil, 10 min
- WedLesson: manzil checkHome: sabqi
- ThuLesson: sabaq + sabqiHome: manzil, 10 min
- FriLesson: sabaq + sabqi
- SatHome: the week’s sabaq, read to a parent
- SunRest, or a short manzil in Salah
An example only. Lessons can be booked at any hour, seven days a week; we agree your times on WhatsApp.
In the lesson
What does a Hifz teacher listen for during revision?
Not just whether the words come out, but whether they come out correctly, smoothly and without the page. A student can “know” a surah and still hesitate at the same three places every time.
- Words skipped, swapped or added, especially where two verses start alike.
- Hesitations: the pause before a verse that shows the link between verses is weak.
- Pronunciation and Tajweed slipping as recitation gets faster.
- Mixing up similar passages from different surahs, a very common Hifz problem.
- Whether the student can start from the middle of a surah, not only from the top.
- How the student’s manzil compares with last month, so weak juz are spotted early.
Weak places get marked and come back in the next lessons until they hold. Parents also see where things stand in the monthly progress report.
Bring what you have memorised to a trial lesson
Let a teacher hear your manzil
Recite what you know in the trial and the teacher will suggest how to split your sabaq, sabqi and manzil. Up to 3 free trial classes, no card needed.
Same method, different life
Does murajaah work differently for children and adults?
The method is the same, but where the revision happens is different. Children usually need a parent to hear their home revision. Adults have to protect the time themselves, which is often the harder part.
A child memorising
- Shorter sabaq, more repetition
- A parent listens to home revision
- Four or five lessons a week suit most
- School holidays need a light plan, not a stop
An adult memorising or reviving Hifz
- Manzil often recited in Salah and on the commute
- The teacher’s time goes on checking, not drilling
- Two or three lessons a week can be enough for revision alone
- Early mornings and late nights both work, since lessons run at any hour
Children need a revision helper. Adults need a fixed revision time.
Some adults want to revive Hifz they did as children and have since lost. That usually means a period of heavy manzil with almost no new sabaq, until the old juz are steady again. Our Hifz classes page covers full memorisation from the start.
Catch it early
How can you tell revision is slipping?
When the student needs the mushaf for surahs they used to recite freely, the manzil is not coming round often enough. It is fixable, and it is far easier to fix after a month than after a year.
Avoiding older surahs
Your child always recites the same few in Salah and goes quiet when asked for others.
Lots of new pages, shaky old ones
The sabaq is racing ahead while the first juz needs prompting in nearly every verse.
Same mistakes every time
A weak spot is being recited around, not repaired.
Revision feels like a chore
Long manzil sessions without breaks. Shorter slices more often usually help.
How to make home revision easier
Same time, same place
Ten minutes after Fajr, or after the after-school snack, is easier to keep than “when we get a chance”.
Keep a simple list
Write down which surahs or juz are due each day so nothing is skipped by accident.
Recite in Salah
Long-revision surahs used in prayer get heard without extra time.
Swap roles
Let your child test you on a short surah. Children enjoy catching a parent’s mistake.
If your child is still in the short surahs, our page on Juz Amma memorisation for kids shows how revision starts at that stage. For older students and adults, the Quran memorization programme explains the longer route.
Frequently asked questions
What does murajaah mean?
Murajaah means revision: going back over what has been memorised so it is not forgotten. In Hifz it is planned as part of every day, not left for the end.
What is the difference between sabqi and manzil?
Sabqi is recent memorisation, usually the last few weeks. Manzil is everything older, revised in a rotating slice so each part comes round regularly.
How much revision should a Hifz student do every day?
It depends on how much they have memorised. A beginner may revise one or two surahs, while a student with several juz may revise far more than they learn new, much of it at home.
Can I take lessons just for revision, without new memorisation?
Yes. Many adults and teenagers book lessons only to have their manzil heard and corrected. Tell us that is your aim when you book the trial.
My child memorised Juz Amma and has forgotten parts of it. Can they restart?
Yes. The teacher will hear what is left, rebuild the weak surahs first, and only then add anything new.
Is 30 minutes enough time for sabaq, sabqi and manzil?
It is enough when part of the manzil is done at home. In the lesson the teacher focuses on the new lines, the recent portion and a check of the older juz.
How many lessons a week do I need for Hifz?
For active memorisation, four or five a week works best. For revision only, two or three can be enough. See our guide on how many classes a week.
Can I see how my child’s revision is going?
Yes. You can watch lessons live, and you receive a monthly progress report.