Shk ummmmm…Meeting an important person but being unable to recall his name can be an embarrassing and unnerving moment. Forgetting numbers, misplacing keys, and everything else that is important is a bane of everyday life. Appearing for a history exam, but unable to recollect the year of the World War! "Memory collects the countless phenomenon of our existence into a single whole; and, as our bodies would be scattered into the dust of their component atoms if they were not held together by the attraction of matter, so our consciousness would be broken up into as many fragments as we had lived seconds but for the binding and unifying force of memory." (Hering)

Science has unraveled some of the mysteries of the human memory, and highlighted the causes of why it fails. Three stages of memory are identified: encoding, storage and retrieval. Many cases of forgetting are due to retrieval failures, especially when the encoding of information is disorganized. Memory exercises like filtering and organizing information or by using mental images is helpful to improve memory. Also sounds and rhythm of words may be helpful in encoding information.

Awliyaullah (AS) have laid much store on memory, it is related that Abdullah bin Abbas, one of the Ashaab of Amirulmumineen (AS) was asked a hundred questions. He listened to all of them at once, and then answered each person separately. Awliyaullah (AS) have given prescriptions for improving memory, three things: brushing the teeth, fasting and reciting the Quran. Almonds with Maula's shifa are consumed for improving memory. During examinations and for people with failing memory the ayat,  "we will dictate to you, and then you will never forget" is to be recited.

Aqa Maula (TUS) committed the entire Quran to memory at the age of 21. The virtues of memorizing the Quran are several: among them is that the barakat of the Quran infuses the body of the person such that it will not rot in the grave. The Mahad uz Zahra, the only institute of its kind for memorizing the Quran uses modern methods such as microphones and audios of professional recitors which aid the memorizing process.