Part of: Madrasah life and learning
GlossaryWhat is hifz?
Hifz (also written hifdh) means memorising the entire Quran, all 114 surahs. A person who has completed hifz is called a hafiz (or hafizah for a woman). Full-time students often finish in two to four years; part-time students in evening classes usually take longer.
Handmade leather madrasah bag, coming soonRegister interest
Looking for a bag for your child’s Quran and books? See the handmade leather madrasah bag.
How hifz classes work
Most UK hifz classes follow a daily cycle of three parts, known in many madrasahs as sabaq, sabqi and manzil:
- Sabaq: the new lines memorised today
- Sabqi: revising the last few days' or pages' work
- Manzil: revising older portions so they aren't forgotten
Full-time and part-time
Some children attend full-time hifz schools, where memorisation takes up much of the day alongside the national curriculum. Many more memorise part-time, in evening or weekend classes at the mosque, over several years.
What a hifz student carries
- Their own mushaf, always the same layout
- A hifz tracker or diary where the teacher records each day's lesson
- Often a rehal (book stand) at the mosque
Because the mushaf is used daily for years, a hifz student needs a bag that protects it well. See how to choose a madrasah bag.
Completing hifz
Finishing hifz is a major milestone, often marked with a celebration at the mosque. See our hifz completion gift ideas.
Questions people also ask
How long does hifz take?
Full-time students typically take two to four years. Part-time students usually take longer, depending on hours per week.
What is a hafiz?
Someone who has memorised the whole Quran. The female form is hafizah.
More on madrasah life and learning
← The parent's guide to madrasah: the full topic guide
- Preparing your child for the first day at madrasah
- What to pack for madrasah and the mosque
- What is a madrasah?
- What is a maktab?
- What is a Qaidah?
- What is tajweed?
- Sabaq, sabqi and manzil: the hifz system explained
- What does ustadh mean?
- What is a topi?
- My child doesn't want to go to madrasah
- Child struggling with the Qaidah
- Child reading the Quran too fast
- Child forgetting what they've memorised
- No time to practise the Quran at home
- Losing the Quran habit after Ramadan
- Madressa bag checklist for the new term
- Mosque bag for Jummah and Taraweeh: what to bring
- How to choose a Quran for a child
- Madrasah in Ramadan: what changes
- Walking to madrasah: carrying a shoulder bag comfortably
- The madrasah run: a bag routine for busy car journeys
- What does ustadha mean?