Monrovia – Heads shaking slowly in agreement or disagreement with the melodic recitations by participating young Muslim boys, the judges sit facing a sea of believers, who have sacrificed their Ramadan to attend the Annual Qur’anic Recitation Competition.
The judges are seeking memory skills, pronunciation and the capacity of the boys to pick up Quranic verses from any position.
As each boy comes forth at the call of his name, the panel of judges gave out anonymously packaged slips containing introductory verses from various Chapters of the Holy Quran. The student hands it to a reader, who begins the recitation and the student is expected to complete it.
Head judge, Imam Abdullah Mansaray from Clara Town Mosque thanked the community for their cooperation in this competition. He praised the students for their excellent display of scholarship, and challenged other Liberian children to give some of their time out in learning from the Quran.
The 46 participants from various memorization centers around onrovia competed in 11 categories, including those who commiteed to entire Quran to memory. Mostly dressed in immaculately designed flowing robes, when called up, each boy greets in the acceptable Islamic fashion of Aslaamu Alaikum, and is handed anonymously packaged slips containing introductory verses from various Chapters of the Holy Quran. The student hands it to the reader among the judges, who begins reading the script. At a pause, the boy is expected to join the reading – but from memory. Slowly, but carefully, each boy recites, seeking approbation from the judges.
The proceedings are quite competitive, as all of the boys have completed studies of the Quran. However, because this is memory work, some boys slip during the competition. They stray off, reciting verses from different Suras. The judges quickly signal the contestant and allow an opportunity to correct -of course, at the risk of the points.
The event, which is now in its 17th season in Liberia, was organized by the United Dawah Ummah of Liberia at the 17th Street Mosques, is a useful pastime for Muslims during the month of Ramadan. It helps adherents go through Sundays while fasting to ward off any distractions.
Participants are regular kids, who go to the same schools like other kids, play or watch soccer, share reasonable aspirations for future life, pray five times a day as is expected of all Muslims, but have a huge Qur’anic reading diet.
Some competitors have already committed the entire Quran to memory like 17 year old Mohammed Barry. He attends the Salafiya Grammar School and studies Quran at the 17th Street Memorization Center. Mohammed looks forward to becoming a doctor, but his motivation to Quranic memorization is to prevent Ustaz (Quranic Teacher) from getting angry.
The ceremony held on June 12 and 19 at the United Dawah Ummah Mosque on 17th Street, was attended by a full mosque, which included Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakar Sumaworo, visiting Saudi Missionary Dr. Ahmad, Press Union of Liberia President Abdullai Kamara, among others.
In remarks, Press Union of Liberia President Abdullai Kamara thanked the students for their scholarship and encouraged other parents to work with their children to reach such heights in their religious life. Kamara, such activities that are meant to please Allah and project the peaceful nature of Islam must be encouraged at all levels.
In closing the event, Imam Mustapha Fofana Balde recalled that this year has been the 17th edition of the competition, and looked forward to future editions going outside Monrovia, into the counties. Imam Balde called on faithful to provide all of the support needed to inspire more young people to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about their faith and share their knowledge.
Meanwhile, Imam Mansaray has announced that with Sunday’s activities, the competition has now come to an end, and the final results will be provided on 17th July at the 17th Street Mosque.
Muslims believe the Quran was verbally revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over a period of approximately 23 years, beginning on 22 December 609 CE, when Muhammad was 40, and concluding in 632, the year of his death. Muslims regard the Quran as the most important miracle of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Qur’an is divided into thirty equal parts. One part takes only twenty-four reading minutes, and the whole Book requires twelve reading hours. There are 114 chapters, and 6,236 verses, containing 99,464 words made up of 330, 113 letters.
Reported by Abdullai Kamara