Quran & the "All-or-Nothing" Mentality
Hassan Saeed
Read time: 2 minutes
Many people see Quran memorization as a complete package: either memorize all, or don’t bother trying.
They look at the Quran—30 Juz, 114 Surahs, and over 6,000 verses—and feel overwhelmed before they even begin.
So they never start. Or they start and give up quickly, thinking they’ve failed.
Every Verse Elevates Your Rank
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The one who was devoted to the Quran will be told on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.’”
Read that again.
Your rank in Paradise will be determined by the last verse you recite, not whether you completed the entire Quran or not.
There’s no minimum requirement, no threshold you must cross before your effort counts.
The Sequential Trap
Most people memorize the Quran in sequential order:
Starting with Al-Fatihah → Al-Baqarah → Al-‘Imran…
Or, as the majority of people do, starting with An-Nas → Al-Falaq → Al-Ikhlas…
While this method can work, many people get stuck in the middle, lose motivation, and think they’re “not cut out for memorization.”
The problem isn’t their ability, but the starting point.
A Different Approach
What if, instead of following a rigid sequence, you started with Surahs you’re already familiar with?
Consider starting with:
A Surah you read every Friday: Al-Kahf
Surahs with stories: Yusuf, Maryam, Al-Qasas
Surahs you hear imams read regularly: Yaseen, Al-Mulk
Shorter Surahs you’re already familiar with from years of listening.
If you can’t memorize the entire Quran, don’t give up on memorizing parts of it.
Avoid the “all-or-nothing” mentality.
Why This Works
When you finish memorizing a Surah you love, you experience a sense of achievement that motivates you to continue. That confidence becomes fuel for your next goal, and the next, until one day you complete memorizing the entire Quran.
But when you start with a long Surah that you haven’t heard enough before, the struggle can discourage you before you build any momentum at all.
The path of Quran memorization doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. Stop comparing your journey to others.
Ask yourself: Which Surah speaks to me right now? Which verses do I wish I could recite from memory in my prayers?
Start and build from there.
Learn How I Memorized the Quran:
🔴 Join the Quran Memorization Program:
Would it make sense to memorize the Qur’an if one didn’t understand Arabic? Or what if one didn’t understand 7th century Hijazi Arabic - different from Classical Arabic