Qur’anic Memorization: Winners emerge to represent Kwara in Nat’l competition

By Mumini AbdulKareem
Uthman Uthman from from Ilorin West Local Government and Fridaus Apaokagi of Ilorin West Local Government have emerged overall winners of Kwara State Qur’an Recitation Competition in both male and female categories.
Similarly, Ridwanullahi Abdulsalam from Ilorin West Local Government and Haleemah Adekanye of Offa Local Government came second in both male and female categories.
Over 27 winners of the competition emerged from different categories of the completion.
In his message to the occasion, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu-Gambari implored parents and guardians to always ensure proper upbringing of their children and wards to insulate them against negative influences.
The Guest Speaker and Head of Islamic Law, University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulrazaq Alaro identified memorisation as a way of preserving the Qur’an against any form of alteration and called on Muslims not to relent in seeking understanding of the Qur’an to assist them in life and hereafter.
Alaro emphasized the need for affluent Muslims to always spend their resources for the propagation of Islam and charged the state government to emulate their northern and southern counterparts in spending well for the cause of the religion. He further called on the government to as a matter of right respond to the calls for Muslim student to be allowed to used Hijab in the public schools in the state to guard against disharmony.
In his remark, chairman, Kwara State Committee on National Qur’an Recitation Competition, Alhaji Shehu Gafar explained that the state is one of the leading states in the completion having won several laurels and cash awards in the past including valuable properties like cars, motorcycles, computer systems, sewing machines, textile materials as well as slots for winners to perform Hajj.
Alhaji Gafar who is also the Danmadami of Ilorin said the competitors have completed among themselves in various categories with memorizers of the Qur’an from sixteen Local Government Areas of the state participating at local, senatorial and state levels of the competitions and thanked the governor for his unflinching support towards the competition.
Meanwhile, winners of the just concluded state Qur’an competition are to represent Kwara State at this year’s National Qur’an Competition in Kano State holding between February 26th and March 6th next month.
The SSG, Prof Jibril Mamman represented the Governor at the event which was also attended by APC stalwart and philanthropist, Mallam Saliu Mustapha.