Two years after adopting to Islam, 12-year-old Mahdi from Gabon competed in the King Abdulaziz International Holy Quran Competition.
Mahdi, who is regarded as a prominent young competitor in the tournament, is the only Muslim in his family.
Mahdi's progress in Qur'anic studies and his conversion to Islam were greatly aided by Zakaria, his teacher and advisor.
Mahdi, a twelve-year-old from Gabon, competed in the 44th King Abdulaziz International Holy Quran Competition for Memorization, Recital, and Explanation on August 13, 2024. Mahdi had only been an Islamic convert for two years at this point.One of the well-known young contenders taking part in the competition is Mahdi, the only Muslim in his family.Mahdi's teacher and advisor, Zakaria, who saw his sincere shahada (statement of faith), describes how Mahdi was introduced to Islam and how his knowledge of the Qur'an has grown significantly.Working as an imam in a mosque close to Mahdi's home, Zakaria told Zakaria about his first surprise when Mahdi paid him a visit one evening and announced his intention to become an Islamic. Zakaria was taken aback as Mahdi had declared his intention to convert to Islam.Recalling the incident, Zakaria says, "At first, I thought he was joking," adding that it took him by surprise, particularly given Mahdi's young age at the time. "I asked him whether or not he knew anything about Islam. He called on people to follow Allah's faith many times. "This is a blessing from Allah," I assured myself," Zakaria narrates. "It was a gift from Allah."As Zakaria helps Mahdi complete the shahada and witnesses his conversion to Islam, he shows his appreciation and thanks for the divine direction that brought Mahdi to Islam.Zakaria was the one who changed Mahdi's name from Midi. Furthermore, Zakaria was crucial in Mahdi's choice to convert to Islam.After that, Zakaria began teaching Mahdi the Arabic alphabet. He then went on to teach him tidbits of information from the Qur'an, or surahs. This process persisted until Mahdi could recall a fourth of the enormous volume."I observed his swift pace of memorization and understanding as he memorizes a page of the Quran daily, starting just a week post-conversion," Zakaria told me during a recent interview.Zakaria recognizes Mahdi's unique qualities and counts learning to remember numerous Islamic literary works, like "Tuhfatul Atfaal" (The Children's Bequest), among his many other impressive accomplishments.Zakaria told reporters, "He stands out as a unique young man, unlike any I have ever seen." Zakaria concludes, "Glory to the One who bestows upon His servants what He wills." "Just two years after converting to Islam, on August 13, 2024, 12-year-old Mahdi from Gabon participated in the 44th King Abdulaziz International Holy Quran Competition for Memorization, Recital, and Explanation.
One of the competition's most notable young competitors is Mahdi, the lone Muslim in his family.
Mahdi's mentor and advisor Zakaria, who witnessed his sincere shahada (statement of faith), talks about how he was introduced to Islam and made significant progress in his study of the Qur'an.
Zakaria, an imam in a mosque close to Mahdi's residence, describes his first shock when Mahdi paid him a visit one evening with his younger brother and declared his intention to become an Islamist.
"I thought he was kidding at first," Zakaria remembers, adding that the event took him by surprise because of Mahdi's young age. "I asked him if he was familiar with Islam. He repeatedly pressed for accepting the faith of Allah. I thought to myself, 'This is a gift from Allah,'" Zakaria said.
As he leads Mahdi through the shahada and witnesses his conversion, Zakaria shows gratitude, recognizing the divine direction that led Mahdi to Islam.
Zakaria was the one who changed Mahdi's name from Midi to Islam and helped him embrace it.
After teaching Mahdi the Arabic alphabet, Zakaria proceeded to teach him short chapters (surahs) from the Qur'an until Mahdi had learned a fifth of the massive book by heart.
"I observed his swift pace of memorization and understanding, as he memorizes a page of the Quran daily, starting just a week post-conversion," Zakaria stated to me.
Zakaria recognizes Mahdi's unique qualities among his incredible accomplishments, which include learning many Islamic literary classics by heart, including Tuhfatul Atfaal (The Children's Bequest).
"He stands out as a unique young man, unlike any I had ever seen," Zakaria stated. "Glory to the One who bestows upon His servants what He wills," Zakaria finishes."