How to Memorise Surah 73: A Realistic 14 Day Plan

Most adults can memorise Surah 73 in about two weeks with fifteen to twenty minutes a day. The first nineteen ayat are short and rhyme with each other, which makes them easy to hold. The real challenge is ayah 20, which on its own makes up almost two-fifths of the surah. The plan below gives that ayah the time it needs.

Before you start

• Choose one mushaf and stick to it. Your visual memory attaches to the page layout. Switching between Indo-Pak and Uthmani script while memorising slows you down.
• Choose one reciter. Hearing the same voice every day trains your ear. A slow reciter such as Husary or Abdul Basit is ideal at the start.
• Fix a time. After Fajr works best for many people because the mind is fresh. Straight after any salah is a good second choice.
• Know your pronunciation is correct. If you are unsure about some letters, ask someone who recites well to listen once before you begin. It is far easier to learn correctly than to unlearn mistakes.
• Renew your intention. You are learning this to recite in prayer and to understand Allah's words, not to tick a box.

The 14 day plan

If you fall behind, do not skip ahead. Repeat the previous day. A plan that takes three weeks and sticks is better than one that finishes in ten days and fades.

The method for each new portion

Use the same routine every day so your brain knows what to expect:

1. Listen to the new ayat three times while following the text with your finger.
2. Read the meaning so you know what each phrase says.
3. Recite each ayah five times while looking.
4. Recite each ayah five times without looking, glancing only when stuck.
5. Join the new ayat together and recite them three times.
6. Join them to the previous portion so there is no gap at the "seam".

Listening is easier when one ayah plays at a time. You can play one ayah at a time on our main page and repeat it until it feels natural.

Techniques that make it stick

Use the rhyme

From ayah 2 to ayah 19, almost every ayah ends with the same "-la" sound: qalila, qalila, tartila, thaqila, qila, tawila, tabtila, wakila, jamila, qalila, then jahima and alima (the two exceptions), then mahila, rasula, wabila, shiba, maf'ula and sabila. Say only the last word of each ayah in order as a quick drill. It works like a chain: each ending pulls the next ayah out of memory.

Picture the story

Give each group of ayat a mental image: the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) wrapped up at night (1 to 4), the heavy revelation and the silent night (5 to 9), walking away from mockers (10 to 14), Pharaoh drowning (15 and 16), children turning grey and the sky splitting (17 and 18), and finally a door of ease opening (20). If you know the story, you rarely lose your place.

Recite it in salah

From day 4 onwards, recite what you have learned in your sunnah or nafl prayers. Reciting from memory under the mild pressure of prayer is the best test, and it fulfils the purpose of the surah itself.

Write it out

On revision days, try writing the Arabic from memory, even roughly. It forces you to notice small words like "wa", "fa" and "inna" that people often drop when reciting from memory.

The tricky spots

These are the places where most people slip. Mark them in your mushaf.

• Ayat 2, 3 and 11: all three end with the word "qalila". Ayah 2 is "illa qalila", ayah 3 is "aw unqus minhu qalila" and ayah 11 is "wa mahhilhum qalila". The repeated ending can make you jump from one to another.
• Ayah 15 and 16: Pharaoh and "rasul" appear in both. Ayah 15 says We sent a messenger to Pharaoh. Ayah 16 says Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger.
• Ayah 20, two similar commands: "fa-qra'u ma tayassara mina al-Qur'an" comes first, and later "fa-qra'u ma tayassara minhu". Notice that the second one says "minhu", of it.
• Ayah 20, the list of people: the sick, those travelling in the land seeking Allah's bounty, and those fighting in His cause. Keep them in that order.
• Ayah 20, the ending: "wastaghfiru Allah, inna Allaha ghafurun rahim". The rhyme changes here, so do not expect the "-la" ending.

Keeping it for life

The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) warned that the Quran escapes from memory faster than a camel escapes from its tether, so keep revising it (Sahih al-Bukhari 5033). After the fourteen days:

• Week 3 and 4: recite it once a day, ideally in a prayer.
• Month 2: recite it twice a week.
• After that: at least once a week, for example in tahajjud on a fixed night.

Some people also like a printed copy for revision away from screens. Our large print edition is designed to be easy on the eyes, and you can keep it folded inside your prayer mat.

Memorising with the family

Learning together keeps everyone consistent. Parents can follow the same plan with children at a slower pace, perhaps one row of the table every two days. We share age-appropriate ideas in our guide for parents teaching their children.

Questions people ask

Can I memorise it in less than two weeks?

Yes, if you already know some Arabic or have memorised other surahs. Some people do it in four or five days. The plan above is deliberately gentle so that most adults can finish.

I keep forgetting ayah 20. What should I do?

Split it into smaller pieces than the plan suggests, perhaps five or six phrases, and spend two extra days on it. Understanding the meaning of each phrase helps more than anything else here.

Is there a special reward for memorising this surah?

There is no authentic hadith about a reward specific to memorising Surah 73. The general reward for learning and reciting the Quran is great, and the one who recites with difficulty receives a double reward (Sahih Muslim 798).

Do I need wudu to memorise?

Reciting from memory without wudu is allowed. Most scholars require wudu for touching a printed mushaf. Reading from a phone is a matter of difference among contemporary scholars.