Dubai: Not often you come across a 10-year-old boy competing with contestants twice his age and doing well. It is more unlikely if the competition is for the recitation of Holy Quran.
Nepalese contestant at the 20th Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA), Shaikh Mohammad Akhtar, has done just that — mesmering everyone with his soulful renditions and innocent charm.
Youngest among the 82 contestants this year, Akhtar seems least awed by the competition and the big stage.
“I have won competitions before in Nepal and I don’t think too much about others. I just concentrate on my performance,” said the confident boy from a remote Nepal village.
Though, he has made a few errors in recitation, Akhtar is pleased with his performance.
“I am grateful to be here and perform on such big stage. I think I did well apart from a couple of errors,” he added.
Akhtar began memorising Quran at the age of seven and completed in two years. He is currently studying in an Islamic seminary.
“After I complete my schooling in Nepal I hope to pursue higher studies from the Islamic University of Madinah and become an Islamic scholar. It is my dream to graduate from Islamic University of Madinah and I pray to Allah that I can fulfil this dream,” said Akhtar.
Akhtar is accompanied by his father Muhibullah, who has also memorised the Quran in fully and currently teaches at a seminary in Nepal.
“My father is a big inspiration for me. He has been a big role model and I always wanted to follow him in the recitation of Quran. He encouraged me right through, due to which I am here today,” said Akhtar.
Meanwhile, the contest has seen some rousing performances so far, with stiff competition between American Aden Shahid, Hamit Al Bachair from Cameroon and Bilal Al Imani from Netherlands.
