Nineteen-year-old Abdurrahman Alsufi, who is taking part in the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, has finished his secondary certificate and plans to join the college of Shariah in Qatar, his home country. “I first started listening to the Quran when I was five, then joined the Abu Omar Aldani centre for Quran study at the age of seven and finished at 12.”

While Alsufi used to memorise one page per day, apart from daily revision, with the help of professional teachers at the centre, his parents used to encourage him, particularly his father who is a famous reader of the holy Quran in Qatar. “Four of my eight brothers and sisters have memorised the Quran fully.”

Showing good performance in many local Quran contests, Alsufi was nominated for international contests in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain as well as Dubai this year.

“I am fully geared up for this award, along with my teacher Habibullah Elias, who is accompanying me in this trip, intensively revising with me every day and advising me to be confident to win the first position.” Affirming that it is an honour for anyone to learn the Quran, God’s word, by heart, Alsufi said the Quran does influence his behaviour in a positive way and makes his life much easier and more blessed. “It helps me much in my academic study.”

Wishing to benefit others, Alsufi advised all Muslims to memorise the Quran and sincerely implement its teachings to be happy in this life and in the Hereafter. “I still remember the story of a European-Christian mother who used to send her son to a Quran study centre to learn the Quran and learn to respect and be more merciful with her like Muslim sons and not to desert her in her old age.”

Twenty-one-year-old Moamed Ahmed from Somalia started memorising the Quran when he was five and finished by the age of nine at one of the many small Quran study centres in Mogadishu city at the hand of professional teachers.

“Though we are not Arabic native speakers, I thank God that I had no problem in memorising the Quran just like my four brothers and nine sisters who mostly have memorised the Quran fully.”

While this is Ahmed’s first international Quran contest, he has participated in several local competitions in which he showed exceptional performance and hence was nominated for the award that he used to watch on TV five years back. “I am currently studying Islamic Shariah in the University of Somalia and do wish to be a professional reader of the Quran.”

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