The Quran was revealed to the Prophet of the Nation, Muhammad (peace be upon him), during the blessed month of Ramadan, which is honoured among the months and distinguished by its revelation. Just as the nation was honoured with the Quran as a guide, a curriculum, and a way to reform this world and earn the Hereafter.

The Quran has shaped Arab personal concepts in a way previously unknown, turning children into heroes, youth into men, and women into dynamic positive energies defending their religion and prophet.

The Quran has had immense positive effects on its people, perhaps not fully measurable except through extensive studies on individuals and communities. This is evident from examining history, observing its reality, and studying its events as it appeared at the dawn of the message. It was narrated by Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The best among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it." (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim).

In an attempt to highlight the most important positive effects of memorizing the Quran, we will mention three of those effects on youth and students, hoping that the nation in general and Muslim families in particular will recognize the importance of raising a Quranic generation to restore the glory of the nation.

Firstly: Academic Excellence and Achievement:

Some may think that being occupied with memorizing the Quran from a young age or during youth might negatively affect students' academic achievement, delaying them from obtaining the educational grades that parents strive for in order to secure their future careers.

Numerous scientific studies have been conducted on real samples of Quran memorization circles participants, and the results have been astonishing. The student who is committed to Quran memorization circles excels significantly compared to others who solely focus on their studies.

One such study titled "The Impact of Quran Memorization on Students' Academic Achievement,"¹ focused on determining the effect of Quran memorization on students and identifying the reasons for variation in its impact on them. After conducting statistical analysis of students' grades and comparing them with their memorization rates, the researchers found that the impact of Quran memorization varied, with the results as follows:

• 60% of the study sample showed a positive impact of Quran memorization on their academic achievement.
• 35% of the study sample showed no impact of Quran memorization on their academic achievement.
• 5% of the study sample experienced an unexpected positive impact of memorization on their academic achievement.

Additionally, there's another study by Al-Mughamisi (in the year 1425 AH) regarding the impact of Quran memorization on academic achievement at the university level. The sample consisted of 40 students studying at the College of Dawah and Usuluddeen at the Islamic University of Madinah, half of whom had memorized the entire Quran and the other half had not. The most important result was that the average grades of memorizing students were higher than the average grades of non-memorizing students.

Secondly: Mental Health of Youth:

Here we present a study on the impact of Quran memorization on the mental health of youth² by Dr. Saleh bin Ibrahim Al-Sunai'³. The study's summary states: "The Quran is the word of Allah revealed for the guidance and success of humanity in both life Here and the Hereafter. Those who adhere to it strongly attain worldly happiness, psychological comfort, closeness to Allah, delight in constant supplication, and success in attaining paradise on the Day of Judgment."

The researcher explains the difference between those who memorize the Quran and those who don't: The one who memorizes a considerable portion of the Quran elevates their level of mental health. There are numerous instances in daily life that support this claim, noticeable by those who have known Quran memorizers and compared them to others who neglected Quran memorization in favour of worldly distractions. The difference in their mental health manifestations, signs of happiness, and inner peace is evident.

Dr. Abu Al-Azayim⁴ states that upon closer examination of certain Quranic verses, we find that they declare true believers have reached a level of maturity characterized by firmness and compassion in their personalities. These verses also speak of the universality of faith among those who follow the principles of prophets, especially Muhammad, Jesus, and Moses (peace be upon them). The Quran says: "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves" (Quran, Surah Al-Fath: 29). The Quran also says: "Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration" (Quran, Surah Al-Fath: 29).

Faith is also responsible for shaping and strengthening many of our virtues such as patience, courage, love, endurance, generosity, compassion, and sacrifice. These moral values become the spiritual components that strengthen the physical, mental, and social aspects of faith, thus achieving a high level of health through these psychological components that are attributes of true believers.

As for the study's results, they were as follows: There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the increase in memorization and the increase in mental health levels among the study sample. Furthermore, students of the institute (who surpassed their peers in memorization) had significantly higher levels of mental health, and there were no differences in the mental health levels of the study samples attributable to gender, nationality, age, or educational level.

Thirdly: Protecting Youth from Engaging in Westernized Thought:

The Quran serves as a protective barrier for souls against intellectual decline in an era where concepts have become mixed and visions have been lost. It is a light, guidance, and healing for what is in the hearts, as described by Allah Almighty: "O humanity! Indeed, there has come to you a warning from your Lord, a cure for what is in the hearts, a guide, and a mercy for the believers." (Quran, Surah Yunus: 57). The Quranic influence in preserving the identity of youth and confronting campaigns of westernization and intellectual invasion⁵ is evident in a study conducted on a sample of youth in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah titled "The Impact of the Quran in Immunizing Youth from Intellectual Invasion."

The study concluded the following results: The Quran contains general principles and important rules that fortify university students against intellectual invasion. Among these are establishing fundamental beliefs such as faith in Allah, His messengers, His books, the Day of Judgment, and presenting them in a manner understandable to all without complexity or secrets, making faith very accessible and preventing complex beliefs contrary to human nature from infiltrating the hearts and minds of youth.

Discussing the effects of the Quran on youth specifically and the nation as a whole cannot be fully encapsulated in one article, and therefore, we have highlighted the most important 3 points to draw attention to the importance of returning to Quran memorization classrooms, circles in mosques, and children's nurseries, in order to bring the nation back to its original path. May Allah protect its youth and awaken them from their prolonged slumber.

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(1) The study was prepared by:

• Dr. Mohsen Sameeh Al-Khaldi, Associate Professor at the College of Sharia, An-Najah National University.
• Dr. Ahmed Awad, Associate Professor at the College of Education, An-Najah National University.
• Dr. Amer Joud Allah, Assistant Professor at the College of Sharia, An-Najah National University.

(2) Field study on Quran memorizers at Imam Al-Shatibi Institute compared with a sample of students from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, 1429 AH.

 (3) Professor of Psychology at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh.

 (4) Professor of Psychiatry.

 (5) Published by Minia University in the Arab Studies Journal in 2012 in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Read the Article in Arabic