More people expected to take part in Maldives’ World #QuranHour

KUALA LUMPUR: Maldives Religious Affairs Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed says more people from his country will be taking part in this year’s World #QuranHour.

Shaheem, who is also the chancellor of University of Islam Maldives, yesterday said: “The response that we received was overwhelming as the people were reciting the verses of the Quran together with the participants through live programme coverage on television.

“The Maldives is a Muslim-majority nation so they welcomed such a programme being conducted there last year.”

Last year, Shaheem said, the committee had encountered difficulties attracting participants as it was held during the haj season but, even so, 500 students and lecturers took part in the event in Maldives.

“We discussed with our education minister to make it compulsory at all schools on the many islands of Maldives. Last year, we used the theme of ‘character’ and recited Quranic verses related to it. Having a theme is important because we do not want people to read the Quran without understanding its meaning.”

He said he also hoped that more Muslims would recite the Quran daily as they would receive Allah’s blessing and would also gain a better understanding of the teachings of Islam and, as a result, not get involved in terror-related activities.

The World #QuranHour in Malaysia will be held at IIUM’s Sultan Ahmad Shah Mosque from noon to 1pm on Aug 31 in conjunction with the wuquf in Arafah, Mecca, on the ninth day of Zulhijjah of the Islamic calendar, which falls on the same day as Merdeka this year. Media Prima Group is one of the event’s media partners.