Parents, teachers, and staff squeeze through the tide of schoolchildren, beaming behind the shutter buttons of smartphones held in midair. “That’s my friend!” One student shouts. “That’s my sister!” Quips another. The crowd erupts in a thundering chorus of “Takbeer! Allahu Akbar!”
Year after year, Qur’an Day awards students who have committed themselves to perfecting the study of Allah’s final message.
“Qur’an Day is a celebration of hearts connected to the words of Allah,” said Al-Huda School teacher and Qur’an Day MC, Sr. Somia Abdelgawad. “A gathering that honors dedication, patience, and sincere effort in learning, memorizing, and living by the Qur’an,” she continued.
The goal is never memorization alone. “The Qur’an is not simply to be recited. It is to be understood, lived, and loved,” said Al-Huda School alumnus, teacher, and Qur’an Day MC, Sr. Khulud Mohammed.
As rows of boys in pristine white thobes suppress their delight beneath gentle smiles, and girls melt into the outstretched arms of their Qur’an instructors, students at every stage of their academic journey learn to revere the Qur’an and those who study it.
“This year, I won my first-ever trophy for Arabic, and now I won Qur’an, which is my second trophy!” exclaimed Al-Huda School Class of 2036 student, Isra Aladdin.
With each winner announced, classmates raise hand-made posters and shake their textbooks, cheering them on. “GO GO Yusra, Yasmin, & Hafsa!” one poster read.
“This is my first time winning something!” added Al-Huda School second-grader Hanifah Mustapha.
One after the other, award winners take the stage to recite their ayaat. Qur’an teachers are celebrated with roses and gift bags. Students perform skits replete with costumes and props, then settle beneath the glow of a projector displaying class films on Qur’anic themes.
The Qur’an is the heartbeat regulating each classroom; a guidance and mercy woven into the fabric of Al-Huda School’s curriculum.
“I’m jealous of the students and teachers who get to study the Qur’an at school every day,” said Sr. Somia.
In the Musallah, among children reciting from memory the speech of our Creator, she’s hard to argue with.
