ZARIA, Kaduna – A 6-year-old Nigerian boy has become one of the few people to learn and memorize the entire Qur’an in less than one year, becoming a role model for Muslim youngsters.

“I want to become a medical doctor and my ultimate goal is to contribute to the growth and development of my dear country, Nigeria,” Salim Abdulkareem, 6, told NAIJ on Sunday, August 6.

“If my dream is actualized, I want to be assisting people by treating sicknesses. I will be happy if this dream comes true, and I believe, with dedication, commitment and encouragement from my parents and my teachers, I am sure of becoming a doctor.”

Salim, a student at the Professor Ango Abdullahi International School, Zaria, Kaduna, started learning the Qur’an in May 2016 and memorized it before May 2017.

“Salim was brought to this school by his parents in May 2016. His father, Prof. Abdulkareem S. Ahmed, is a lecturer of chemical engineering with the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria,” the school’s boarding administrative officer, Malam Hamza Jibril said.

“When Salim was admitted into this school, he did not know the Qur’anic alphabets talk less of how to recite the Holy Qur’an.

“We, therefore, had to start coaching him from the scratch. His father brought him to this school, giving the school authority all rights over the child. Sometimes the father does not allow Salim to go home for holidays. He would insist that he be allowed to be engaged in some kind of lessons.”

Salim’s father, Professor Abdulkareem Sala’u Ahmed, expressed his excitement over his son’s achievement.

“We must be mindful of the fact that the responsibility of proper upbringing of children lies in the hands of parents: therefore, they should take it seriously,” he said.

“We should try as much as possible to ensure that our children memorize the Holy Qur’an and endeavor to seek for other Islamic knowledge.”

International Competition

Salim is not the first student to memorize Qur’an and represent the school in a Quranic recitation competition in Saudi Arabia.

“This is the fourth or fifth time we are producing pupils who memorize the Qur’an, and whenever we are invited to attend a competition, whether locally or internationally, our students use to be among the best. Last year, one of our students, Aliyu Shamsuddeen, then a three-year-old, won second position in the 2015/2016 edition of the World Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Saudi Arabia,” Malam Jibril said.

“We are now planning to feature Salim in one of the competitions between August and September this year in Saudi Arabia. All arrangements have been completed for Salim to participate in the competition. Apart from that, it will serve as excursion for him.”

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.