THE Lekki Qur’an Memorisation College (LQMC) certified six huffaadh (memorisers of the Holy Qur’an) at its third graduation ceremony, which was held recently in Lagos.
The college, a subsidiary of the Lekki Muslim Ummah Group of Schools, was established in 2016 to expand the frontiers of Islamic knowledge and reform the society.
The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Sheikh Ridwan Jamiu, had two of his children, Mardiyyah Ridwan, 14 and Ibraheem Ridwan, 12, among the successful huffaadh.
The remaining four graduands are AbdulSomad Oduwole, 12; Umar Abdul-Azeez-Imam, 13; Hayatudeen Akano, 15; and Fawaz Tijani, 15.
The event, which took place at the Admiral Jubrila Ayinla Hall, Lekki, Lagos, was attended by various Muslim personalities within and outside the Lekki community, including parents, staff and students.
The six graduands have now brought to 18 the number Qur’an memorisers that the college has produced since inception.
In his address, the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Lekki Muslim Ummah Group of Schools, Mr Kazeem Adeniji (SAN), congratulated the graduands, noting that their accomplishment was worthy of emulation.
He echoed the saying of Prophet Muhammad that “the best of you is one who learned the Qur’an and then teaches it.”
Adeniji also charged the students to be good ambassadors of Islam while encouraging them to seek knowledge of the meaning of the Qur’an which they have memorised.
“Your accomplishment is worthy of emulation. It is a product of dedication and perseverance. You have succeeded where others have failed. This is a special favour from Allah which you cannot deny but appreciate.
“Let me add that memorising the Qur’an is one thing but understanding its meaning is another. Therefore, I implore you all to seek more knowledge towards understanding its meaning, allow the Qur’an to impact your way of life and be good ambassadors of the LQMC,” he said.
The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Sheikh Jamiu Ridwan, thanked Allah for the success of the memorisation classes and the graduation ceremony and congratulated the graduands whom he described as the noble stars of Islam.
Imam Ridwan said: “Allah has chosen some people to preserve the Qur’an. Part of those Allah is using are those who memorise the Qur’an and their teachers. The Qur’an is the light of the world. Without light, the world would be in darkness. This is why what we are doing today is one of the best things to happen to anyone.
“Anyone that Allah has given the opportunity for his child to memorise the Qur’an, it is one of the best things Allah has done for such an individual. The reward for it is not only in this world but also in the hereafter. Children who have memorised the Qur’an are going to be better ambassadors for Islam. They are going to serve humanity and Islam better than those who do not have the knowledge of the Qur’an.”
The cleric, two of whose children were among the graduands, added: “I am humbled and I appreciate Allah who has made that feat possible. It is really a great day for me.”
He advised that it is best to get children to memorise the Qur’an at a tender age, noting that they don’t have much to think about during that period.
“The best thing is to get children memorise the Qur’an at a tender age, especially when they have finished their primary education. After that, let them go and learn the Qur’an within two, three years. Thereafter, they can proceed with their conventional education.
“It is easier for them to memorise when they are young. They don’t have many things to think about like adults whose minds are always occupied. Children have a very good retentive memory. The best thing is to catch them young, get them to memorise the Qur’an so that it can be part and parcel of their lives. When they grow up, they can now learn the sciences and other aspects of the Qur’an,” he stated.
Explaining some of the strategies used to sustain the Qur’an memorisation culture in the students, the scholar said: “We do encourage their parents to bring them here during Ramadan, especially for I’tikaaf. They stay here for the last 10 days of Ramadan so that they can have the opportunity to read the Qur’an and even lead us in taraawih prayers.”
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