LA VALORACIÓN ERGONÓMICA DE LOS DISTINTOS PUESTOS LABORALES Y /O APOYAR INFORMES DE

For the Quran memorizers, repetition is a life-long process and does not end with the completion of memorization of the text. They do it the whole of their lives. They constantly repeat and rehearse to retain the text over the long term. Two memorizers had this to say:

I recite/rehearse on daily basis, sometimes a ‘part’ and sometimes half a ‘part’. The minimum I rehearse is a quarter or one fourth of a part. I rehearse the whole of the Quran six to seven times a year (SM01).

Every day I rehearse a ‘part’. Normally, I complete rehearsing the Quran in a month, i.e. 12 times a year. Other memorizers may rehearse more or less than a ‘part’ but everyone does rehearse on daily basis (SM02).

This means that memorizers are involved in a continuous and unending process of

recall/retrieval and reconsolidation. Once they have completed the recitation, they start anew. According to them, sometimes some verses or a particular chapter or section of the Quran may need more practice to remember than other. In addition to the rehearsal schedule mentioned above, memorizers do even more rigorous and intense rehearsal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

In Ramadan (the month of fasting), memorizers double their rehearsal. We rehearse two to three and sometimes five ‘parts’ per day to be recited in the night prayers (SM04).

This means that memorizers engage in ‘private’ rehearsal before recitation in the night prayers. Although a majority of memorizers rehearse regularly and frequently, not every memorizer does so. One participant said this:

I do not rehearse as regularly and as often as other people do. However, I increase rehearsal during Ramadan because I have to recite the Quran during night prayers. I have already rehearsed and recited the Quran so much that it is strongly lodged in my memory (SM05).

101

This indicates that the Quran memorizers devote a considerable part of their time to

memorization: they not only spend thousands of hours to commit the whole text to memory but also keep repeating it all their lives. In chapter 4 it was suggested that it is possible to liken the Quran memorizers’ superior memory performance to skilled performers.

Although Ericsson et al’s (1993) model deals with skilled performances of musicians, chess players and sportspersons, it sheds light on the Quran memorizers ‘expert’ memory insofar deliberate practice over time is concerned. Quran memorizers’ exceptional memory can be attributed to sheer resoluteness, commitment, and years of hard work. Like skilled

performers, as reported by Ericsson and Charness (1994), the Quran memorizers’ ‘expert’ performance is domain specific, i.e. it is limited to their field of expertise and does not go beyond it. My participants confirmed that they don’t have superior memory for other tasks. Also, like skilled performers, the Quran memorizers’ specific ability at their task is not innate but rather acquired through repeated practice. The informants had a consensus on it. Four of them said:

No one is a born memorizer. Quran memorization needs time and commitment. You have to work for it. You sweat over it. It needs patience and perseverance. I know several people who quitted after some time because they could not do the required amount of rehearsal. There are people who forgot the Quran after having memorized it because they could not continue rehearsing it (SM02).

Initially, I had a great difficulty in memorization and I thought I would never be able to do it but gradually it became easier for me. Once you start memorizing then God helps you but you have to work at it. Some people take a short time while others need a long period of time, but in every case you have to put in a lot of effort. Quran memorization is not a one-time task; you have to remember the Quran forever (SM04).

Memorization of the Quran needs discipline and punctuality on the part of a memorizer. One has to follow a strict and regular routine to complete it. It cannot be memorized in fits and starts. It is a regular and continuous process. I often tell my students that slow and steady wins the race. You cannot cram it all at once nor can you do it by having gaps in the process of memorizing it (SM01).

102

Although children of memorizers sometimes memorize the Quran, they don’t always. Sometimes the tradition of memorization runs in family but this has to do more with

environment and socialization than with inborn ability. Mostly it is due to social interaction and a result of the influence of the father and his memorizer friends (SM01).

It is clear from the participants’ account that Quran memorization is not an ability that one either has or doesn’t have. The Quran is to be learnt, rehearsed, and remembered for a lifetime. It is a skill that needs training and practice. In a nutshell, it can be said that Quran memorization is more a product of nurture than nature. Given that the Quran text has to be regularly repeated to stay in memory, it might not end up as part of semantic long term memory as semantic memory does not need rehearsal. Instead it may end up in episodic long term memory as proposed in chapter 4 (see the discussion section below).

That repetition is essential to memorize and remember the Quran is also noted by other researchers. Gent (2011) investigating the educational significance of Quran memorization, observed and interviewed memorizers in north-east London. He found repetition an important means to commit the Quran text to memory. In the words of one of Gents’ participants: “You can’t retire as a hafiz.” (p. 12). This quote quite nicely sums up the commitment and dedication of the memorizers to remember the Quran.