KATSINA STATE – A 20-year-old Nigerian Muslim has emerged the overall winner of the 32nd Qur’anic Recitation Competition held in Katsina, north-west Nigeria, as Nigerian President urged understanding of the Holy Qur’an for peaceful coexistence.
“All the Books of Almighty Allah teaches us the same thing, that is how to live in peace with one another,” President Muhammadu Buhari said through a representative, Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, in the celebration held on Saturday, Naija reported.
“It is clear that Qur’an is the greatest encyclopedia which contains all aspects of human life. Qur’an teaches us how to be fair and just to all including the non-Muslims.
“It has also been stated that during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be Upon Him, when Muslims were being persecuted, he asked them to migrate to a Christian Kingdom in Ethiopia, where they lived peacefully,” he added.
Buhari also urged Nigerians to understand that all the Holy Books revealed by Allah preach peaceful coexistence among people.
“It has also been stated that during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be Upon Him, when Muslims were being persecuted, he asked them to migrate to a Christian Kingdom in Ethiopia, where they lived peacefully,” Buhari added.
Along with Amiru Yunusa from Bauchi state who won the 32nd competition, the event honored Amina Ahmad from Borno state who emerged overall winner of the female category.
Dr. Sani Yunus Birnin-Tudu, the National Coordinator of the Qur’anic Recitation Competition, said that 360 participants from 32 states of the federation took part in the competition.
He added that the winners competed for the memorization of the whole Quran with Arabic translation.
The Qur’an is a revelation from God, the creator of the worlds, so He is the original author.
There is only one Qur’an which is in Arabic and many translations of the Qur’an in several languages.
There could be multiple translations by different authors in the same language such as English.
The Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the archangel Gabriel who used to make the Prophet memorize the Qur’an and made him revise it every year in the month of Ramadan, the fasting month.
Memorizing the Holy Qur’an is one of the most important ways to preserve Allah’s message.
The others are to publish and distribute the book, or the text on the Internet and to recite the parts that one knows to other people.