Sufyan, age 8, Australia: from not knowing the letters to reading the Noorani Qaida alone in 6 months
| Age when he started | 8 |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Starting point | Could not read at all, and could not yet recognise the Arabic letters |
| Classes | Live one-to-one, 5 days a week, with a female teacher |
| Assessment | A short, gentle check of progress every week |
| Time taken | About 6 months |
| Result | Reads the Noorani Qaida independently |
When Sufyan, a boy in Australia, joined us at eight, he was starting from zero. He could not read, and the Arabic letters on the page did not yet mean anything to him. Many parents worry that eight is too late to start. Sufyan's story shows it is not.
We put him in one-to-one classes, five days a week. Short, frequent classes matter most at this stage: a beginner forgets quickly if there is a long gap between lessons, and daily practice builds recognition far faster than one long weekend class.
His teacher's main tool was encouragement. Every time Sufyan made an effort, even a small one, she praised it and drew him a star. Children who are behind often feel they are bad at reading; being praised for trying, not only for getting it right, is what keeps them coming back to the next class.
Every week the teacher did a short assessment, done politely and kindly so that it never felt like a test he could fail. It told us exactly which letters and rules he had secure and which needed more time, so lessons stayed at the right level instead of rushing ahead.
Within about six months, Sufyan could read the Noorani Qaida on his own. For a child who began unable to recognise a single letter, that is the foundation for reading the Quran itself.
Sufyan's story is shared with his parents' permission.
Sadaan, age 12, UK: completing Hifz of the whole Quran online in 3.5 years
| Age when he started | 12 |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Goal | Memorise the whole Quran (Hifz) |
| Classes | Live one-to-one, 6 days a week, one hour each class |
| Approach | Pace set by the teacher after judging his ability, with no pressure |
| Time taken | About 3.5 years |
| Result | Completed Hifz of the whole Quran, entirely online |
Sadaan, a boy in the UK, was twelve when he joined us, and he came with a strong wish of his own to become a hafiz. That wish mattered: Hifz takes years, and a student who wants it himself keeps going through the hard months.
His teacher did not start with a fixed target. The first step was to judge his ability and capacity: how much he could memorise well in a day, and how much revision he needed to keep it. The daily amount was set from that, and adjusted as he grew stronger, without pressure.
He studied one-to-one, six days a week, for an hour each class. In Hifz most of the work is revision, so a long class every day gave time for new memorisation, recent lessons and older juz in the same sitting.
In about three and a half years Sadaan completed the memorisation of the whole Quran, all of it in online classes with experienced, qualified teachers. Families often ask whether Hifz can really be done online. His journey is our answer.
Sadaan's story is shared with his parents' permission.
Maryam, age 8, Norway: from no interest in the Quran to reading it by choice
| Age when she started | 8 |
|---|---|
| Country | Norway |
| Starting point | No interest in learning the Quran; her mother wanted her to learn |
| What she learned | Quran reading, the 40 Masnoon duas, and how to pray salah, with translation |
| With us for | 4 years so far |
| Result | Reads the Quran independently, and gladly |
Maryam was eight and, honestly, not interested. It was her mother who wanted her to learn the Quran. Many parents will recognise this: a child who sees Quran class as one more thing they are made to do.
Her teacher's answer was patience and warmth. Lessons were made interesting, she was motivated and praised often, and she was taught with love rather than pressure. Slowly, Quran time stopped being a chore.
Alongside reading, she memorised the 40 Masnoon duas and learned how to pray salah, with the meaning of what she was saying. Knowing what the words mean is often what turns a reluctant child into a willing one.
Maryam has now been with us for four years. Today she reads the Quran independently, and because she wants to.
Maryam's story is shared with her parents' permission.
What parents can take from this
- It is never too late to start. An eight-year-old beginner can catch up with the right support.
- Frequency beats length. Five short one-to-one classes a week did more than fewer, longer ones would have.
- A reluctant child can come to love the Quran. Warmth, praise and interesting lessons changed how Maryam felt about it.
- Hifz can be done fully online. Daily one-to-one classes, a pace matched to the student and no pressure carried Sadaan to the end.
- Praise the effort, not just the result. Stars and kind words kept a struggling reader motivated.
- Check progress gently and often. A kind weekly assessment keeps lessons at the right level.
Could your child do the same?
Every child is different, so we never promise a timescale before we have met them. In the first free class the teacher listens to your child read and tells you honestly where they are starting from. Families start with 3 free trial classes, with no card needed.