Challenges Faced by IIUM Postgraduate Students in Conducting the Qur'an Memorization and Working for Living during their Study Period

Article Information ABSTRACT Received: September 29, 2021 Revised: November 25, 2021 Accepted: December 30, 2021 Online: March 03, 2022 This study looks at the difficulties that IIUM postgraduate students have when memorizing the Qur'an and working at the same time during their studies. The goal of this study is to find out how IIUM postgraduate students balanced Qur'an memorization and working activities during their studies, to identify the difficulties they faced, and to find out how they balanced Qur'an memorization and working activities. A case study was used in this study to create a qualitative design. The data was collected via methodical triangulation, and the data was gathered through verbal interviews. Two postgraduate students from IIUM were chosen to be interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data. The keywords were determined once the data from the interviews were transcribed. The researchers then identified the theme for further investigation before analyzing the data. The findings revealed that these students value Qur'an memorization but that there is no timetable for memorizing the whole Qur'an due to their busy schedules.


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Thus, by finding out the challenges behind students' motivation, this research will help to minimize the gap of the study in the field of Qur'an memorization. Tahfīdz (programs are based on the parents' wish for their children to memorize the Qur'an, it is important to seek the challenges faced by students that may affect their motivation in memorization of the Qur'an (Abdullah, 2018).

Tips and Practical Steps for Qur'an Memorization
There are some prerequisites and tips in memorizing the Qur'an, knowing that to memorize the whole Al-Qur'an is a big task that its methods shall be taken into consideration. From the research done by Aziz (2017), the followings are the normative prerequisites in memorizing the Qur'an: Strong resolutions. By withstanding a strong resolution in starting to memorize the Qur'an, it will shield the individual from any weakness in facing the challenges in memorizing Al-Qur'an. As the Qur'an already mentioned, those with strong resolution in striving the world and akhirah will be given good rewards (Al-Isra': 19). 1. Patience. 2. Istiqamah (being consistent). 3. Avoiding bad behaviors. 4. Deciding a specific method in memorizing Al-Qur'an. 5. Finding a teacher or friend that wants to correct one's memorization. 6. Preserving their ablution (wuḍu') in doing memorization. 7. Limit the amount of verse to memorize each time one does the memorization. 8. Complete the memorization fully from moving to another verse to memorize. 9. Review the whole page before moving to the next Qur'an page. 10. Constantly reviewing the memorization. 11. Repeat the recitation in the head the whole day before moving to the next memorization. Akhmar et al. (2021) also mention many other methods that needed to be taken into consideration in giving options for one to do Qur'an memorization, which is as the following: 1. Talqin method, by constantly repeating memorization in one's head before moving to the next verse. 2. Talqin and recording method, with an additional method by recording one's memorization and playing the record while depicting the memorization in the head. 3. Gesture method, by using hand and body gestures in memorizing the Qur'an with symbols related with the meaning of the verses that are memorized. 4. One day one ayāt, by slowly memorizing the verse one by one every day. 5. Understanding the meaning and context of the verse that is being memorized will give the individual a better grasp of the verse, and thus, they may remember the verse according to the meaning.

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In International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), some postgraduate students memorize the Qur'an and work at the same time during their studies. As students who are required to study seriously for certain subject matter, memorizing the Qur'an is not an easy job as many of them are also coping and balancing their various activities and work outside of the campus. There is still a need for a study on the challenges faced by students in Qur'an memorization and how they overcome these challenges. Thus, this paper aims to explore the perception of IIUM postgraduate students on balancing Qur'an memorization and working activities during their study, to identify the difficulties faced by IIUM postgraduate students in managing the Qur'an memorization and working activities, and to investigate the way of postgraduate students balance their time with Qur'an memorization and working activities.

METHODS
The study's methodology was a case study with a qualitative approach. Therefore, a descriptive case study was used in this study. According to Yin (1984), an exploratory case study is designed to investigate any occurrence in the data that piques the researcher's curiosity. A researcher doing an exploratory case study on an individual's reading process, for example, may ask basic questions such as, "Does the student utilize any techniques when he reads a text?" and "If so, how?" These broad queries are intended to pave the way for future investigation of the observed event (Zainal, 2007). As a result, the method used in this study is an exploratory case study in qualitative format. On the other hand, the researchers utilized a semi-structured interview to collect data from the informants.
Furthermore, the study used a purposive sample approach, which allowed the researchers to select persons who could best understand the issue under consideration. According to Patton (2002), purposive sampling is a strategy extensively employed in qualitative research to identify and select information-rich cases to make the most use of limited resources.
This study benefited from the participation of two informants. The first source is a male master student of Islamic Revealed Knowledge (IRK) at IIUM from East Java, Indonesia. The second informant is a male-master student of IRK at IIUM from the Indonesian island of Lombok. The researchers chose these two IIUM postgraduate students since they are both IIUM postgraduate students who memorize the Qur'an while also working during their studies. The researchers intended to investigate their opinion of Qur'an memorization the challenges they had in managing Qur'an memorization, and they are practiced combining Qur'an memorization and working tasks while studying at their level. In addition, the researchers employed anomaly detection to keep the informants' information private. Informant 1 and Informant 2 are the codes used for the informants.
Furthermore, this study employs a qualitative method using a case study as the study design. On the other hand, the researchers conducted a semi-structured interview to acquire data from informants. However, the instrument's reliability and validity will be tested to see if it can help the researchers answer the study questions. This study comprises three research questions, each with a different data collection method. The phrase "reliability" refers to a notion used for testing or evaluating quantitative research, while the concept is commonly utilized in all types of research. In the qualitative paradigm, testing is considered a method of eliciting information. As a result, the quality of any qualitative study is the most important test. A solid qualitative study can assist us in "understanding a situation that would otherwise be ambiguous or confounding" (Eisner, 1991).
Meanwhile, the researchers must guarantee that the findings and interpretation are correct and valid throughout the data collecting and analysis process. According to Creswell (2005), validating findings in qualitative research entails determining the veracity or trustworthiness of the finding through procedures such as member checking or triangulation. The finding was validated using triangulation in this investigation. According to Silverman (1998), interviews are not naturally occurring; rather, they are 'constructed' by researchers, and as such, they do not allow direct access to the experiences of those investigated, whereas interviews are best employed when comprehensive information from a few specific persons is required. Interviews are also very important when seeking the opinions of specialists. Thus, in this study, interviews were employed to learn more about the students' strategies for memorizing the Qur'an.
The interviews were performed with two postgraduate students from IIUM. Interviews are ideal for learning about people's perceptions and experiences. However, because the interviewer is a participant in the molding of the dialogue, the interviewer's role must be represented in the study's IJAE Page 25 findings. One advantage of conducting an interview is communicating that the informants' perspectives are valued and useful (Blandford, 2013). Therefore, semi-structured questions were asked in this study. The semi-structured questions allowed the researchers to conduct a systematic interview based on created questions while also soliciting additional suggestions from the informants to provide information that was not on the list of questions. The interview lasted about thirty minutes.

Data Collection Procedure
Before gathering the data, formal processes were followed. First, the researchers visited and met with the two IIUM postgraduate students to obtain permission to perform the research. The researchers then employed methodological triangulation. Denzin (1970) defines methodological triangulation as the researcher gathering data from documents, interviews, and observation. Next, the researchers conducted interviews with informants using the interview questions provided.

Data Analysis
The data was analyzed using theme analysis by the researchers. Thematic analysis is a sort of qualitative analysis, according to Boyatzis (1998). It is used to examine classifications and exhibit datarelated themes (patterns). In addition, it provides detailed illustrations of the data and addresses various topics through interpretations (Ibrahim et al., 2012). The researchers employed the theme analysis because it reflects a degree of patterns, responses, or meaning from the data connected to the study subject at hand.
Furthermore, the interview data were transcribed, and keywords were discovered. The researchers then identified the theme for further investigation before analyzing the data. Finally, all of the data from the interview methods were integrated to obtain all of the information needed to answer the study questions.

Pilot Study
The pilot study, "a small-scale trial run of all the procedures planned for use in the main study," is an important component in the data collection process (Monette et al., 2002). Pilot testing entails determining whether a survey, key informant, interview advice, or observation form will work in the "real world" by putting it to the test on a small group of individuals first. The goal is to ensure that everyone in the sample understands and understands the questions in the same way. It also allows you to double-check whether the interview questions are appropriate. You will also see how long it takes to complete the survey in real-time.
A pilot test was done between two IIUM postgraduate students in this study to determine the validity of the interview questions. First, the researchers asked all eight interview questions to the two pupils. Next, the researchers took approximately thirty minutes. Finally, the researchers taped every conversation.

RESULTS
The findings were divided into three groups based on the research topics. Every part featured themes that were explained by the themes listed below. The first segment included IIUM postgraduate students' perspectives on managing Qur'an memorization and working activities during their level of study. The second portion discussed the challenges that IIUM postgraduate students experienced in managing Qur'an memorization and work activities during their level of study. Finally, the third portion looked at how IIUM postgraduate students balanced Qur'an memorization with work activities during their level of study.
Two postgraduate students from IIUM were chosen, both of whom were men. They are IRK Kulliyyah, master pupils. The researchers employed anomalies to keep the informants' information private. Furthermore, the researchers employed codes for all informants to protect the informants' data in the interviews, specifically informants 1 and 2. As a result, the information acquired from two IIUM postgraduate students was gathered through interviews, and the researchers discovered five themes. Three themes emerged from the findings for the first study question. On the other hand, the second research question has only one theme. Finally, the third research topic focused on a single theme. The explanation of findings demonstrates the deep examination of themes. All the data from interviews were merged to answer the research questions.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What is the perception of IIUM postgraduate students on balancing Qur'an memorization and working at the same time during their study period?
Based on analysis of the data from interviews, the researchers found three themes for this research question. The first theme described that Qur'an memorization was important. The second theme showed that the beginning of the Qur'an memorization of the students had started from junior high school. Finally, the last theme for this research question reported the technique in memorizing the Qur'an was through repetition in reciting the verses.

Translation:
Yeah, regarding internal motivation, indeed, it came from me. But, nevertheless, yes, it had started when I was a teenager, as I did tell you before, it was because I ever made some tables that helped me be accustomed to memorization by having a routine to memorize. Furthermore, it helped me for the future, when one already graduated from, what was it, school, there would be a molded custom to memorize that eased us in memorization (Informant 1/DU 8).

RESEARCH QUESTIONS 2. What are the difficulties faced by IIUM postgraduate students in carrying out the Qur'an memorization and working at the same time during their studies?
Based on analysis of the data from interviews, the researchers found one theme for this question, which was timing to finish memorizing the whole Qur'an.

Theme 1: Timing
Based on the data gathered from interviews, the researchers found that both two IIUM postgraduate students could complete memorizing the whole Qur'an. Informant 1 said:

RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3: How do IIUM postgraduate students balance the Qur'an memorization with their working together during their studies?
Based on the data analysis from interviews, the researchers found one theme for this question. This theme describes that both do not have a special target about how many verses they memorize every day.

Theme 1: Flexibility in Memorizing the Qur'an
The researchers found that the amount of verses that they memorize from the Qur'an every day is flexible.  (I go). (When it is the time for) going to the mosque, (I go) to the mosque. That is the everyday routine. So, there are no special tricks. Sometimes, when using special tricks, they might complicate me more (Informant 2/DU 108).

The perception of IIUM postgraduate students on balancing the Qur'an memorization and working activities during their level of study
The initial goal of this study is to find out how IIUM postgraduate students feel about combining Qur'an memorization and work during their studies. The information was gathered through interviews with two informants, and the researchers discovered three themes: The importance of memorizing the Qur'an was described in the first theme. The second theme depicted the start of Qur'an memorization, which began in junior high school. The last theme for this study inquiry was the practice of repetition for memorizing the Qur'an. Finally, the timetable had by the pupils.
First, based on the data gathered, informant 1 mentioned that the Qur'an memorization is important. Therefore, he wanted to memorize all verses of the Qur'an during his study and work. Furthermore, informant 2 said he wants to finish his memorization of the Qur'an as soon as possible.
Secondly, both informants mentioned that they started memorization in junior high school. Informant 1 said he started from junior high school to senior high school, where he joined MTQ. On the other hand, informant 2 started from junior high school when he entered pesantren this in his pesantren.
Thirdly, both said that they used the repetition technique. Informant 1 said that he divides pages into three parts, and he reads many times until he can memorize, while informant 2 uses time limits when he sits to memorize one page at a time by repetition.

The difficulties faced by IIUM postgraduate students in balancing the Qur'an memorization and working activities during their level of study
Based on the interviews, the researchers determined the average time it took the informants to memorize all of the verses of the Qur'an. To begin, both stated that they must be able to memorize all of the Qur'an's passages. Second, informant 1 stated that he would memorize all Qur'anic verses because it was his priority, but he did not have a time frame in mind. Informant 2, on the other hand, stated that he planned to memorize all of the passages before finishing his master's degree.

Balancing the Qur'an memorization and working activities during their level of study
The researchers discovered one pattern from the interview data that answers this research question: none of these two IIUM postgraduate students limited the number of pages they memorized each day. Informant 1 stated that he would memorize the Qur'an for at least 15 minutes. Informant 2, on the other hand, would devote all of his free time to memorizing the Qur'an, and he could usually remember one page every day.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, IIUM postgraduate students have different perspectives on how to balance memorizing the Qur'an with work duties while studying on campus. To begin with, memorizing the Qur'an is critical, even when studying and working. Another common misconception is that memorizing the Qur'an should begin in junior high school. Furthermore, the IIUM graduate students noted that repetition is a technique for remembering the Qur'an. Furthermore, the challenges encountered by IIUM postgraduate students in memorizing the Qur'an while working are related to the time required to IJAE Page 31 memorize all verses of the Qur'an. Finally, the IIUM postgraduate students attempted to memorize the Qur'an multiple times, each time preserving their time and employing a certain technique, in this case, repetition. Every day, Informant 1 memorized the Qur'an for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, informant 2 spent all of his free time memorizing the Qur'an. Most of the time, he can memorize one page in a single day. This study demonstrates that, while students have difficulty in balancing Qur'an memorization, work, and studying, Qur'an memorization is still possible with time management changes based on the intensity of the activities.

Funding and Conflicts of Interest
The author declares no funding and conflicts of interest for this research.