Starrays
By Musa Chanchaji and Ben Iorgyer
A Quran memorization school, Markazut Tahfidhil Quranml Ahmadiyya, located in Ara, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, has recorded great feats in the annals of its history as the school graduates the first set of students.
The event which took place in the school’s auditorium recently witnessed the presence of dignitaries from different parts of the country and within the community. In the early hours of the day, the school began to receive visitors – parents, friends and relatives of the graduands, well-wishers, Islamic clerics/scholars, traditional rulers and the Muslim faithful. Before mid-day, the entire auditorium was filled to capacity.
The countenance on most of the faces of the attendees expressed joy and a deep sense of curiosity as to how the inaugural graduation would look like. Everyone waited patiently for the Emir of Ara to get the event started. As the clock ticks, the people kept waiting in sheer anticipation while the Quran was continuously recited in the background for the audience.
The event came alive with the arrival of the chairman of the ceremony, Amir AMJN Alh. Barr. Abdul Azeez Alatoye and the Royal Father of the day, HRM. Alh. Ibrahim D. Galadima. The grandeur that greeted the arrival of the Emir was incomparable. Prior to his arrival, all the chiefs under the Ara kingdom, numbered in dozens, waited patiently outside the hall. Upon the sighting of the Emir’s convoy, drums and trumpets were rolled out. STAR RAYS gathered that until His Royal Majesty entered the hall, none of the chiefs under the Ara kingdom will step a foot in the auditorium. This was confirmed when the Emir’s entry into the auditorium ushered in all the chiefs within the Ara kingdom.
As it is usual of Muslim formal gatherings, the event commenced with recitation from the Holy Quran. The chanting of Qaseedah with its interpretation was followed shortly by Abdul Kabir Ahmad and his team while Ma’allim Basari Jubril anchored the introduction of the guests.
In his opening remarks, the chairman of the graduation ceremony, congratulated the graduands and urged them to participate in National Quranic competitions, stressing that they are among the blessed ones the Almighty Allah has selected to be part of the people protecting the Holy Quran.
In his words, “We started the memorization of the Holy Quran in the Jama’a as far back as 2007 and those who have memorized the Holy Quran by the institution of Jama’a, and not other institutions that are founded by individuals as at the last graduation was 383 within our members.
Today, we are adding another 5 [sic…] to it. And it is only male not female, so we have to double the number of female.
“These [the graduands] are the people whom if you pack the written Quran, they will dictate it off heart again. Allah is using his creators to secure the Holy Quran to the extent that one Araf of it will never be missing.
“I encourage the graduands to be going for National Quranic Competitions. The enemies of Islam said that some set of Muslims have a different Quran. They even accused the Jama’a. They said Ahmadiyya has a different Quran, but when we go for National Quran Competitions, on the stage, all set of Muslims recite the same Holy Quran and no single verse is different.
“I congratulate our young ones whom Allah has blessed and selected to be part of the people protecting the Holy Quran. May Allah continue to protect you and enable you to make the best use of the Holy Quran. I thank the principal staff for taking the lead to start Quran memorization in Ara here. May Allah make the next number [of graduands] to be far more than the one we are having today. I also charge the principal to make sure that the in next graduation, we should have equal number of female [graduands] as well”, he stressed.
In his address, the keynote speaker, Mu’allim Akinyemi Munawwar noted that the guidance of all mankind is the Holy Quran. Thus, the benefits of reciting the Holy Quran are enormous. In his words, “Those of you who memorize the Quran will have a chance to be elevated on the Day of Judgment. They will have enormous privilege to the extent that they will solicit for their family members on the Day of Judgment. He noted further that parents who send their kids to the school will enjoy bountiful reward both here on earth and in the world after, “Even sending your kid here to memorize the Holy Quran, you have done yourself so much good. You will reap the reward here and in the life to come.”
Munawwar commended the graduands for their efforts in the memorization of the Holy Quran, stressing that maintaining the knowledge acquired is very fundamental. In order to maintain it, the keynote speaker like the chairman of the graduation, emphasized that the graduands need to engage themselves in Quranic competitions.
According to him, some teachers and lecturers who engage themselves in routine teaching appear to be more sharpened and brilliant than even Professors who are not active in the classroom because they [the practicing teachers and lecturers] use the knowledge on daily basis.
“What you have learnt and you keep using it will always be refreshed. You [the graduands] should revise very well. Continue as though if this thing [the memorization of the Holy Quran] is lost, you have lost your life”, he stressed.
With enormous enthusiasm, the Emir of Ara, HRM Alh. Ibrahim D. Galadima, congratulated the school and the graduands for the remarkable feats they attained. He noted that such institutions are rare and it is the first in Ara kingdom while pledging continuous support for the school.
To further demonstrate his happiness, the Emir rewarded the graduands with a cash prize of N60,000. He urged the school to produce more graduands, stressing that he will be happy to receive an invitation at the earliest date for another graduation of the school. On his part, the coordinator of the school, Mu’allim Abdul Ganiyy Obey, appreciated the parents and guardians of the graduands for granting their children the permission to study at the school. He appreciated the management, religious leaders and the host community for their cooperation while thanking all and sundry for their attendance. He however highlighted the challenges encountered by the school, prominent among which is utter neglect by the government.
In his words, “I want to emphasize here that the most neglected institution in the world is the institution of the memorization of the Holy Quran. However, it is the first institution that was established by Islam. In Nigeria, there is no institution established by the government in the name of memorization of the Holy Quran. We have never seen any state that establishes such institution. We have many institutions established by the government – Department of Islam, Arabic Institution, etc., but institutions that are established for the memorization of the Holy Quran are very rare. Apart from here in Ara, you can only find one in Zaria and Kwara. If not, we don’t have formal institution that is teaching the memorization of the Holy Quran”.
The coordinator noted that the Quran Memorization School in Ara is very unique because it trains the students to commit the entire Quran to their memories. Thus, if you call any verse from the Holy Quran, any of the gradunds will memorize it.
The presentation of certificates to the graduands was done by the chairman of the occasion. In all, the school graduated six students.
Highlight of the event was the taking of photographs. Refreshment followed shortly while the coordinator and his team led the chairman of the event round the school for inspection of facilities. Indeed, it was a wonderful day in Ara, filled with pomp and pageantry.
