Ramadan Quran Competition in Kenya

For Kenyan Muslims, this year's Ramadan has been spiced up by an exciting and tightly-fought Quran competition that saw hundreds of children trying to outdo each other in the art of reciting and memorizing of the Holy Book.

"I really enjoyed listening to those children reciting Allah’s book so artfully and with melodious voices," Mohammed Abdi, a regular worshipper at Nairobi’s Jamia Mosque, told OnIslam.net. “My heart was really moved. It made my Ramadan quite special,” he added. Over the last weekend, large numbers of Muslims gathered in Nairobi's Jamia Mosque, Kenya's largest mosque in the heart of the capital, to watch and listen to children from various schools in the city racing for the top positions in the annual competition. The three-day event that began on Friday and climaxed in Sunday afternoon added flavour to the experiences of fasting Muslims. Worshippers filled a large part of the expansive mosque as they got themselves soaked in the melodious tones of the words of Allah and waited expectantly to know the winners. The beautiful voices of the young reciters also wafted gently to the busy Nairobi streets near the mosque and infusing an Islamic atmosphere into the city’s Central Business District. The previous week, girls had battled out in a similar competition. The overall winner, Khalil Musa, was the center of admiration and respect for many, for his mastery and articulation of the Quran. He also attracted special attention since he comes from a community that is not predominantly Muslim, the Maasai. It was a pleasant surprise for many when he successfully turned the tables by taking the slot that had previously been dominated by reciters from the Somali community, that is overwhelmingly Muslim. His announcement as the winner of the "Full Quran Memorization Category" attracted excited cheers from the audience. “I thank Allah (SWT) and my teachers for blessing me with the learning and memorizing the Quran. Without them I would not have achieved that feat. I pray that the Quran will guide me and others for the rest of our lives,” said Khalil with a modest smile after the win. The overall winner won a cash prize of US$ 2700 (Ksh230,000) plus a full four-year scholarship for his university studies. He also secured himself a fully-paid package to visit the Grand Mosque in Makkah, to perform the "minor pilgrimage" (Umrah) together with his two parents and teacher. The other competitors also walked away with cash prizes. Source: OnIslam.net