A group of 8 blind students are attempting to memorize the Holy Quran by heart via the use of Braille–a tactile writing system used by people who are blind or visually impaired. These students are part of a group of at least a 1000 other students in the Dar-Ul-Quran school in Malaysia.
The students depend on Malaysian-made copies of the Holy scripture written in Braille, which come in six thick volumes.
The students are instructed by their teacher, who is also blind, to memorize at least one to two pages on a daily basis by reading the same verses 40 times eachday
Even in the holy month of Ramadan, the eight students, residing in the central state of Selagnor, work tirelessly, moving their little fingers across the Braille showing absolutely no sign of fatigue whatsoever.
One of the students Nur Basyirah Azhar said, “My motivation to come here, first of all, is for my family and for myself, and because I like to memorize the Quran, and that is one of my ambitions.” Once they finish their course, they can opt for further Islamic studies at university level.”
Teachers at the school said there were many other Malay schools offering the option of memorization of the Holy Scripture to blind students using the braille version of the Quran.
The Malaysian government is trying its best to encourage the memorization of the Holy Quran even amongst the visually impaired youth. Most recently, Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told local media this week he hoped the country would have 125,000 people who had memorized the Quran by 2050, saying this was key to building harmony and prosperity.
