Adeola Yusuf A foremost Islamic charity organisation, Faith Unites Muslims Charity Initiatives (FUMCI), has rallied a foundation by former Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly; Rt. Hon Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, for the hosting of the sixth edition of its annual FUMCI age-grade Qur’an recitation and Hadith competition. The event tagged “FUMCI Children Award for Excellence in Qur’an Recitation and Islamic Practice, 2020,” according to Amir of the organisation, Amir Abdul- Muiz Zubayr, was designed for children between ages 7 and 12. Zubayr noted that the competition attracted participants from the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 LCDAs across.
Speaking on the conduct of this year’s award, Amir Zubayr said, “This year’s FUMCI Children Award is uniquely packaged in that it will feature two prominent Islamic scholars who will deliver soullifting lectures to the audience. The first lecture will be held by Sheikh AbdulMajeed Imran Eleha with the topic “Recipe for the making of Godly children” while FUMCI spiritual father and patron, Sheikh AbdurRazak Mubasir Woleola will speak to the topic “Muslim children and Islamic education.
Having held the screening test for applicants from the five divisions in Lagos State on November 15, successful candidates were selected for the grand finale which is coming up in December 20.” Speaking further on the theme of the event, the Amir said, “The interests of our children are germane to us especially those that have to do with Islamic morals and societal ills among Muslim children of school age and young adults and other vices that pervade our country.
The themes for this year’s competition was carefully selected to address these issues affecting Muslim children because we believe if they are exposed to religious teachings and morals early in life, the impact of such exposure will be felt in the home, society and in governance. “Allah (SWT) has spoken to us and given us solutions to all worldly challenges. Be it challenges relating to governance, society, our homes and all other spheres of human existence.
“But we have neglected these solutions. We are so much attached to this world at the expense of our hereafter while we leave our children to flow with the worldly rhythms. So how do we correct this? “The solutions to these challenges lie in shifting the focus of our children away from the distractions of this world,” he said. “We need to catch them early enough by exposing them to the moral teachings of the glorious Qur’an and the hadeeth of the prophet. And this we have been able to achieve in the last six years since we started this age grade competition.
“We have been able to inculcate Islamic moral values in our children and also teach them Islamic jurisprudence, etiquette of salat, Qur’an recitation with tajweed and hadeeth recitation and interpretations,” Zubayr added. He continued; “Under the spiritual guidance of our father, Sheikh Abdur- Razak Mubasir Woleola and with the partnership and support of our highly revered father, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, we have concluded arrangement for the hosting of the sixth edition of the annual competition which will come up on December 20 at the multipurpose hall of Iponri Central Mosque at Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos. “We have enjoyed tremendous supports from these our revered fathers and we pray Allah preserve them for Islam.”