Day Qur’anic reciters took over BUK

It was a beehive of activities at the Bayero University Kano as Qur’an top reciters (Huffaz), memorizers and Muslim scholars from across the country and beyond converged there for the 3rd National Qur’anic Recitation Competition organised by the institution in collaboration with Nusret Educational and Cultural Company Ltd.For two days, the 1000 seats Musa Abdullahi […]

It was a beehive of activities at the Bayero University Kano as Qur’an top reciters (Huffaz), memorizers and Muslim scholars from across the country and beyond converged there for the 3rd National Qur’anic Recitation Competition organised by the institution in collaboration with Nusret Educational and Cultural Company Ltd.
For two days, the 1000 seats Musa Abdullahi auditorium of the institution was filled to capacity with the top reciters of the Glorious Qur’an and Islamic scholars holding sway. The event took place from Friday 14th November and ended around 10.pm on Saturday.
Organised by the Centre for Qur’anic Studies of BUK, the competition had participants drawn from 23 states cutting across northern and southern parts of the country, thus attracting personalities in the Muslim world.
Setting the ball rolling in an opening address, Vice Chancellor of BUK, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, said the competition was conceived as part of the institution’s efforts to propagate the teachings of Islam.
“BUK was set up to among others promote Islam and despite the expansion spanning across all spheres and researches, we have not left the set objective, hence the Qur’anic competition,” the VC said.
Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Professor Hafiz Abubakar, the vice chancellor said in furtherance of the quest of the institution to propagate Islam, arrangements have been concluded for the establishment of the Centre for Islamic and Interfaith Dialogue.
He said all the organs of the institution have approved the establishment of the centre and that when established, it would work alongside the Centre for Qur’anic Studies.
According to him, arrangements are being made to extend the Qur’anic competition to West African countries in line with the renewed efforts of the management of the institution.
“By Allah’s grace, the fourth edition of this competition will be extended to include West African countries and afterwards it would cover the whole of Africa. We are committed to this effort and we are not going to relent in achieving our set goals,” he said.
In his address, the Secretary General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Dr. Khalid A. Abubakar, stressed the significance of the Qur’an in the lives of Muslims.  
“There is no effort that a Muslim can make more than to promote the Qur’an. It is our identity and everything. Teaching the young ones the Glorious Qur’an takes away anger,” he said.
 Urging parents to inculcate the teaching of the Qur’an on their children, he said the culture of inculcation of the Qur’an on children must be maintained by all.
“If we want to maintain our identity, we must all strive to uphold the Glorious Qur’an at all times because this is what we are all enjoined to do by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW),” he stressed.
On his part, the Director of the Centre for Qur’anic Studies of BUK, Professor Ibrahim Muhammad, said plans are on for the staging of a competition on writing of the Qur’an.
“Ours is to research and promote Qur’an and this we will continue to do. We have concluded plans to provide western education to all willing Islamic clerics in the country in line with the mandate of our centre,” he added, saying Islamic clerics cannot afford to be left out in the scheme of things in the country.
Guest speaker at the occasion, the Grand Imam of Kano State, Professor Mohammed Sani Zahradeen, commended the management of the institution for the competition, saying, “this is a modern university where all researches are being carried out and today we are conducting research on the Qur’an. This is a good omen.”
Stressing the importance of the Qur’an, Professor Zahradeen who is onetime vice chancellor of the university, told the participants to see their participation as the worship of Allah and not for wining of prizes.
“A research conducted in Egypt has shown that children who listen to Qur’an at all times are brilliant. So in view of this I’m urging parents in the country not to allow their children to be listening to music, they should preoccupy them with the Qur’an. It will open their brains, make them to be intelligent and protect them against all evil, “he said.
Buttressing his speech with hadiths, the cleric said Muslims should not only learn how to recite the Qur’an but that they should use it in their daily activities.
“As Muslims, we should recite the Qur’an daily and not only during the five daily prayers. We should recite it at all times and make use of its teachings in all we are doing,” he added.
Former vice chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Abubakar Mustapha, commended the institution for the competition.
In his address, the Managing Director of Nusret, Ustaz Husyn Bayder, urged the Qur’an reciters to always teach others how best to recite Allah’s holy book.
Highpoint of the competition was the presentation of prizes to the participants that came first, second and third in the two categories of the competition. Malud Abubakar from Abuja came first in the ‘Tangimi’ category while Isa Abubakar from Katsina State came first in the ‘Hadda’, memorisation category.