Children in Isiolo hold three-day Quran contest to mark Ramadhan
Star of Hope Association Administrator-General Ahmed Sett hands over a certificate to Alio Mohammed who emerged the best in a Quran recitation competition in Isiolo which ended on May 5, 2021.
A charitable organisation in Isiolo has rolled out a Quran competition for children in a bid to encourage them to memorise its rules of recitation as the world celebrates the holy month of Ramadhan.
The three-day contest sponsored by the Star of Hope Association in partnership with Radio Baliti focused on the children’s depth of knowledge of the Quran and was geared towards helping them gain confidence in oration.
The competition, which was aired on the local radio station, was open to participants aged between seven and 12 years and attracted eight participants who recited the Quran in front of a panel of two judges.
Ramadhan is considered the most blessed month for reciting the Quran according to Islamic teachings.
Law abiding citizens
Star of Hope Administrator-General Ahmed Sett said the competition was meant to inculcate religious teachings in the children so that they put them into practice and grow into law abiding citizens.
“The programme was [intended to gauge] the children’s masterly of the Quran and [to teach] them the basic rules that Muslims are required to follow,” said Mr Sett.
Mr Hassan Mohammed, the Imam at Kambi ya Juu mosque who oversaw the exercise, said they were assessing memory, voice and pronunciation among other aspects of recitation.
Alio Mohammed, 12, emerged the best followed by 11-year-olds Ubeid Ilahi Abdi and Zeituna Bashir in the second and third positions respectively.
The top boy got a Sh5,000 prize while second got Sh4,000 and the third Sh3,000 and a copy of the Quran. All the contestants were given certificates of participation.
Other contestants were seven-year-old Sudeis Hussein, Ahmed Nurdin, Raiyaan Hussein, Qamar Ahmed and Yusuf Hussein.
Mr Sett asked Muslim parents to ensure their children attend the religious sessions to be nourished with the teachings.
“There is a need to ensure our children are guided by the Quran teachings and for our communities to continue living in peace as brothers and sisters,” he appealed.
