• Ansar-Ud-Deen National Missioner’s twins among graduates
• Students should prioritise constant revision: Sheikh Sholagberu
The Ismailiyyah Schools for Memorization of Qur’an, Shariah and Arabic Studies on Sunday, December 29, graduated 31 hufaadh (Qur’an memorisers) at a colourful ceremony held at Ode-Adana, Omoda in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Muslim News learnt that of the 31 fresh graduates, 27 are males while 4 are females.
Interestingly, two scions of the National Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh AbdurRahman Ahmad, were part of the graduating students certified for their complete memorisation of the Noble Qur’an (Qirah of Hafs from Aasim)
They are Mukhtaar and Mansur Ahmad, 14-year-old twin brothers of Hajia Rabiah Ahmad.
At the ceremony graced by family, friends and other well-wishers, the haflatul-Qur’an saw graduates reciting various portions of the Noble Qur’an to the listening pleasure of the audience with their sonorous voices.
In his welcome address, the Principal of Ismailiyyah Schools, Sheikh Ali Ismail Solih, congratulated parents on the feat attained by their children, noting it is rewarding both in life and the hereafter.
He charged parents to monitor their children in the area of revision, saying the school has played its part.
“During their stay here, we prevented them from watching movies, football, music and other worldly things that can distract them. They have now memorised the Qur’an completely, our parents should ensure that they do not return to these worldly affairs that can take everything from them,” he said.
“More importantly, their revision of the Qur’an should be well monitored. This is because whoever retains the memorisation of the Qur’an is successful in life and the hereafter, he said.
* Abuja Imam harps on constant revision
In his remark, the Ubandoma of Ilorin Emirate and one of the Imams of the National Mosque, Abuja, Sheikh Abdulkadir Salman Sholagberu, harped on the need for constant revision by the graduates.
The revered Muslim scholar urged the school and parents to work together to design ways to effectively monitor the children’s revision, otherwise known as muraaja’ah.
“Without constant revision, all the efforts put into achieving this feat may one day be defeated,” Sheikh Sholagberu, who is also the Principal of Darul Kitab Wa Sunnah, Ilorin, said.
He encouraged the students to proceed further in the knowledge of the Qur’an, noting it is a wide field of study.
“The teachers who taught these students have done very well and worked so hard. But this is just the foundation. We still have a long way to go.”
…Preaches tolerance, and unity among Muslims
Drawing insights from the divergent styles of Qur’an recitation, the National mosque Imam called for mutual understanding and tolerance among Muslim groups.
“We will always see things differently. The most important thing is for us to understand and tolerate ourselves. The Salafis should tolerate the Sufis, and the Tijaniyyah should show understanding with the Qadiriyyah group. As we have learnt here, there are different styles of reciting the Qur’an, and all of them are accepted. As long as people remain on Tawheed, we should tolerate them.”
Mukhtaar, Mansur excited at feats
Speaking to Muslim News, the twin brothers, Mukhtaar and Mansur, expressed excitement about their feats of memorising the entire Qur’an.
According to them, the journey was very pleasing and good.
“The Qur’an is not hard to learn and memorise. It is easy if you show dedication and seriousness,” Mukhtaar said.
Mansur said they combined Western education with Qur’an memorisation.
“We have been going to school all along. We are in SS 1. We attend the Qur’an memorisation class both in the morning before going to school, and then in the evening.”
Muslim News gathered that they spent less than 3 years to commit the entire Qur’an to memory.
“I have always been revising. So, I will continue with my daily revision,” Mansur noted when asked about his plan for sustaining the memorisation.
For his part, Mukhtaar said he will now use the time he spent on memorisation in the past for muraaja’ah (revision).
I’ve fulfilled part of my responsibilities as a parent: Sheikh Ahmad
Speaking on the sideline of the ceremony, Sheikh AbdurRahman Ahmad said the responsibility of parents to educate their children is a very long journey.
The revered Muslim scholar said he’s happy to have fulfilled a crucial step of the journey.
“I feel happy at this point of the journey. The responsibility of parents to educate their children is a continuing journey. It begins before they are born and they are of age.
“I feel that I have fulfilled, along the line, one of the very important steps, and that is to educate them about Allah and let them know about the deen, to teach them the Qur’an and Sunnah. I pray that Allah will make the rest of the journey easy and fulfilling,” he said.
The prominent Islamic scholar added that the knowledge of the Qur’an is very wide.
He said the twins will continue to master the sciences of the Qur’an, revise it, and teach others for them to retain the memorisation.
He urged parents to prioritise Islamic and Qur’an education, noting it does not disturb Western education.
“They are moving to SS 2 now, and they are also engaged in other endeavours. They are learning computer programming, coding, and others. They have learnt Microsoft.
“Parents must understand that one does not disturb the other. The knowledge of the Qur’an and its sciences assist children because it makes it easier for them to cope with their Western education and all other endeavours,” the National Missioner said.
We are people of Qur’an; we’ll live by it, says Mother
For her part, the mother of the graduands, Hajia Rabiah Ahmad, expressed delight and praise to Allah.
She said, “There is nothing I can say other than alhamdulilah rabil aalamin. It was a long journey but we thank Allah today.”
Hajia Robiat said they are a people of the Qur’an, and it was expected of the children to learn and memorise the Noble Qur’an.
“They will not stop learning and revising the full Qur’an they have memorised. The Qur’an is our life. It is not something you read occasionally or at ceremonies only. We are people of the Qur’an, and we live by the Qur’an,” she said.
While acknowledging the efforts of her husband, whom she said has always been there for the family, Hajia Rabiat re-echoed the sentiment that parents should prioritise Qur’an and Islamic education for their children.
“It is good for your children to be educated in the Western way, but the Qur’an should be first and foremost. When they learn the Qur’an and live by it, they will enjoy themselves and you as parents will also enjoy them.”
