Part of: Madrasah life and learning
GlossarySabaq, sabqi and manzil: the hifz system explained
Sabaq, sabqi and manzil are the three daily parts of a hifz lesson in many UK madrasahs. Sabaq is the new portion memorised today. Sabqi is revision of recent lessons, usually the last few pages or the current juz. Manzil is revision of older portions, so nothing already memorised is forgotten.
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The three parts
| Part | What it is | Typical amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sabaq | New lines memorised today | A few lines to a page |
| Sabqi | Recent lessons, still settling in | The last few pages or current juz |
| Manzil | Older portions, long-term revision | Half a juz to several juz |
Amounts vary widely between teachers and students.
Why it works
Memorising is easy to start and hard to keep. The three-part cycle means every portion is revisited at shorter and then longer intervals, the same idea as spaced repetition in modern learning research.
The hifz diary
Most teachers record the day's sabaq, sabqi and manzil in a notebook or tracker the student brings every day. It lives in the madrasah bag next to the mushaf.
Questions people also ask
What does sabaq mean?
Sabaq means lesson. In hifz it's the new portion memorised that day.
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?
- What is hifz?
- 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?