Every Hifz mom knows the feeling. You spent years watching your child memorise the Qur’an — the early mornings, the patient repetition, the tears of frustration and the tears of joy. You supported the journey, absorbed the sacrifices, made it your mission. And somewhere along the way, your own relationship with the Qur’an shifted.
For some mothers, this article will feel uncomfortably familiar. This is not a confession of failure — it is an honest account of what happens when life gets in the way of the Qur’an, and how mothers can reclaim what was lost.
The Quiet Drift That No One Talks About
Forgetting the Qur’an — or more accurately, allowing your connection with it to weaken — happens gradually and often without any conscious decision. It begins with a missed revision session, then a week away during Ramadan preparations, then months of daily life that absorb every spare moment. For Hifz moms specifically, the irony is painful: you devoted enormous energy to your child’s Hifz while your own recitation went unreviewed.
Islamic scholars note that the Qur’an is a living relationship — it responds to attentiveness with clarity, and to neglect with fading. This is not a punishment; it is simply the nature of memory and the nature of any relationship left unattended.
What the Scholars Say About Forgetting
There is a widespread fear among Muslims that forgetting the Qur’an is a major sin. This requires important clarification. The scholars distinguish between two situations: deliberate abandonment of the Qur’an after memorisation (which is criticised severely in some narrations) and forgetting due to genuine life circumstances, illness, or lack of access to revision time. Most scholars of Hadith, including Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, contextualised the relevant narrations carefully, noting that the rebuke is directed at those who abandon the Qur’an out of indifference or worldliness rather than circumstance.
The more important question is not whether you have forgotten — but whether you are returning.
The Emotional Reality of Fading Memorisation
For mothers who once held portions of the Qur’an securely and now find themselves stumbling over familiar verses, the emotional weight is real. There is guilt, shame, and a feeling of having betrayed something sacred. These feelings, while understandable, are not spiritually accurate. Allah ﷻ is Al-Ghafur, Al-Rahim — the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful — and the door of return is always open.
Many Hifz moms describe the experience of forgetting as one of the most humbling of their spiritual lives — and ultimately, one of the most transformative. The recognition of need, the return to the Qur’an with fresh urgency and vulnerability, often produces a depth of connection that the original memorisation did not.
Practical Steps to Return to the Qur’an
The path back is simpler than it feels. Begin with one page — whichever page you remember most clearly. Do not attempt to assess the full extent of what has been forgotten; that exercise produces discouragement, not progress. Simply open the Qur’an, sit with it for fifteen minutes, and recite. Return tomorrow and do the same. A qualified teacher who understands the experience of adult revision can guide a structured return programme, identifying what is still intact and what needs rebuilding.
For Hifz moms specifically, carving out even one dedicated session per week — separate from the time spent supporting your child’s revision — signals to yourself and to Allah that your own Qur’an relationship matters.
You Are Still a Hifz Mom — and More
The identity of a Hifz mom is not contingent on having perfectly retained memorisation. It is built on years of sacrifice, guidance, prayer, and love poured into a child’s relationship with the Qur’an. That is not erased by a period of forgetting.
What it can be is a turning point — the beginning of your own adult Hifz journey, pursued now with the wisdom and spiritual depth that only comes from lived experience. The most moving stories in Qur’anic memorisation are not always of children who memorised at age ten. Sometimes they are of mothers who returned to the Qur’an at fifty, reclaimed what was lost, and went further than they had ever gone before.
Ready to take the next step?
Start today: Begin your Qur’an revision journey with a certified teacher at Ijaazah.com — book a free trial
Disclosure: Published by Ijaazah.com. The free trial is available through Ijaazah’s learning management system. All teachers hold verified Islamic credentials.
