By Annette Camara
Daarul Quran Bi Kanifing on Saturday, 30th March 2024 held its 4th annual iftaar and tarri (Quran recitation) at Block A23, Kanifing Estate in Kanifing Municipality.
The event held under the topic – ‘The parent-child relationship- what are the rights and responsibilities’ was graced by different dignitaries including the Hon Minister of Youth and Sports, BakaryBadgie, Imams, Mudirrs from other daaras in Ibo Town and surroundings, parents, families and friends of the Daara.
In a brief narration, Daarul Quran Bi Kanifing initially called Daara Aunty Amie was initiated in 2011 by a dedicated retired educator called Aunty AminataJaiteh. With her passion and love for education, especially moral education she started a small daara with her own children. Some of them are now doctors and engineers, and the demand for learning the Quran started increasing among the children in the neighborhood within the shortest period the number of students increased to almost twenty it was then she decided to have mini-lecture classrooms to meet their demand.
The age of the students attending Daarul Quran Bi Kanifingranges from 5 to 17-year and their education is not limited only to daara, they are all attending different conventional schools and in different grades.
According to the organizer, “They always have their lessons in the evening, focusing on the proper recitation of the Holy Quran and understanding the Sunnah of the blessed Prophet Mohammed (SAW).”
She explained that presently, the number of students at DaarulQuran Bi Kanifing is over seventy with four permanent oustazesteaching the students.
This annual Quranic recitation, she said, is meant to encourage the students’ participation thus every winner from different categories of the recitation does go home with a winning prize annually.
“The motivation and objective of moving into religious moral education are to have the holistic development of the child. As the saying goes, education without morals tantamount to nonentity”. We can’t afford to leave the future of our children to chance. Hence the Daara’s motto is ‘Our Education, Our Future,'” she explained.
She referred to the Holy Quran Surah Zariyat -Ayat 56, which says, “And I did not create the jinn and humankind except to worship”.
So how can we not seek such education to enable us to worship our Creator (SWT) properly? asking rhetorically.
According to her, the community of Kanifing Estate has taken this challenge so seriously that they support all efforts of the Daara all the way through.
“This year (2024) being the 4th year of organisingIftaar and Tarri (Recitation) was memorable for all, especially the students and parents. It is usually held on the 20th of Ramadan. It’s a day highly anticipated by all. Invitees from far and wide witnessed the colourful but solemn occasion. Sometimes those young and innocent voices touched hearts to the point of crying. Alhamdoulillah,” she expressed and gave thanks to Allah.