Never. Umar ibn al-Khattab converted at 27 and became the second Caliph. Khalid ibn al-Walid converted at 38 and became the Sword of Allah. Allah says (39:53): "Do not despair of the mercy of Allah." The adult brain retains real plasticity up to age 80 and beyond. You can learn.

No, not to start. Recommended steps: 1) Read the meaning in your own language (a simple tafsir: Saheeh International, Mokhtassar). 2) Learn the Arabic alphabet (Al-Qaida Al-Nouraniyya, 2 to 4 weeks). 3) Read in Arabic with transliteration support. 4) Read in Arabic alone. Allow 6 to 18 months depending on your pace. The meaning already nourishes your heart from day 1.

15 minutes daily is worth more than 2 hours on Sunday. Consistency beats intensity (hadith: "The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done consistently, even if small," Bukhari). Split it: 5 min reading and meaning, 5 min memorizing short verses, 5 min listening to your favorite reciter. In 3 months: surah Al-Fatihah and 10 short surahs solidly memorized.

Recommended order for an adult beginner: 1) Al-Fatihah (required for prayer). 2) The last 4 surahs (Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas, Al-Kafirun), short, protective, recited daily. 3) Juzz Amma (surahs 78 to 114), short, rhythmic, the heart of the Meccan message. 4) Al-Baqara, little by little.

A method validated by both Quranic tradition and neuroscience: 1) Read aloud 5 times. 2) Break it down into segments of 3 to 5 words. 3) Active recall (recite without looking). 4) Spaced repetition: day 1, day 3, day 7, day 21 (Ebbinghaus curve). 5) Audio on loop during passive tasks (dishes, walking). The Prophet reviewed with Jibril every Ramadan: review is memorization.