GEORGE TOWN: Considering it as a Ramadan gift, blind teenager Muhamad Sirajudin Sulaiman, 19, is grateful for getting a braille Quran.
Muhamad Sirajudin said his long-time dream of owning a braille Quran would help him study it better as he only had the opportunity to read it while at school.
“Not many people have their own braille Quran. I started studying the Quran in primary school … Thanks to my teachers, I was taught ‘Iqra’, Muqaddam, and the Quran until secondary school,” he told reporters when met after the breaking-of-fast with special needs children and a Braille Quran presentation here.
Muhamad Sirajudin touched many of those present at the ceremony today with his smooth recitation of the braille Quran that was given to him.
Sharing his sentiment is Ramli Abd Rahman, 58 who expressed gratitude for the gift.
He said the last time he read the braille Quran was in the 70s when he was still in school.
“I am happy (with this gift) because the braille Quran is quite expensive. The last time I read this Quran was in school … after finishing school, no one could teach me.
“With this gift, I will try to read slowly and will take Quran classes to improve my reading,” said Ramli.
The event was organised by the Penang White Cane Association and the Kapitan Keling Mosque Congregation in collaboration with KL Braille Resources and Pelita Samudra Pertama (M) Sdn Bhd.
Pelita Samudra Pertama (M) Sdn Bhd director Datuk Mohamed Aswan said the braille Quran would be given to 100 selected special needs individuals who were blind, deaf and dumb.
“Today 40 blind people will receive the braille Quran while the rest will be distributed to selected schools and mosques. Guests invited today will also be given hampers, rice, and cash assistance,” he said.
Mohamed said, about 1000 braille Quran and assistance worth RM69,000 would be given to those in need.
KL Braille Resources director Datuk Mah Hassan Omar in his speech said braille was a useful educational tool not only for university students, but could also be used to read the Quran.
“Back in the day, the blind could only listen to Quran recitations, but now they can read it better,” he said.
Penang White Cane Association Swarn Singh said the programme organised by his organisation would not stop here, as there were many requests for the braille Quran especially by the underprivileged throughout the country. – Bernama
