Muzaffarabad: (Parliament Times) Alama Iqbal Open Uuniversity (AIOU) Regional Campus Muzaffarabad organized a Husn e Qirat Competition titled Al-Qari among the students of local seminaries to pay glowing tributes to a great son of the soil Al- Shaikh Qari Khalil -ur- Rehman.
Hailed from an immediate vicinity of Muzaffarabad- the Capital of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Qari Khalil migrated to Saudi Arabia in early 1960s where he set a new trend in the art of the recitation of the Holy Quran. Melodic lines produced by his soft and sweet voice won him Saudi Nationality which was a very rare occurrence in the history of the kingdom.
Many people still vividly remember that prior to his migration to Saudi Arabia while reciting the Holy Quran by taking voice at a very high pitch connected with innocent beautiful facial impressions, Qari Khalil used to evoke emotions of the audience bringing to the verge of tears. Listeners used to feel ecstatic at his soft heart touching voice.
Qari Sahib has always been passionately and enthusiastically listened. Listeners, at times, used to feel ecstatic at his recitation of the Holy Quran. The patterns of his Tilawa were, subsequently, imitated by a number of his pupils in Pakistan and abroad including Saudi Arabia.
Mefil i Husn i Qirat was coincided with the closing session of the 15 days workshops of MA Islamic Studies and MA Urdu Students of the AIOU to evaluate the academic performance. A large gathering of the workshop participants along with course coordinators and resource persons, religious scholars from the local seminaries, professors and selected notables from the civil society joined the event, held at the Waqar Malik Hall of Government Postgraduate College Muzaffarabad, and appreciated the impressive performance of the young Qura.
Chief Guest of the Mehfil was renowned cerebral intellectual of Higher Education Department and principal of the main Government Postgraduate College Muzaffarabad Prof. Shaukat Rasool Pandit. Mr Pandit stressed that that it is need of the time that we should change our lives in keeping the real memorandum of the Quran. Muhammad Zubair Sajid Regional Director AIOU Muzaffarabad in his presidential speech emphasized the need that we should concentrate and utilize our resources for the propagation and dissemination of the universal message of Islam for the welfare of human life.
“We should establish afresh liaison with the Quran which the only answer to all our problems in the world,†he said and expressed the resolve to carry on the series of Al-Qari Award in future too with a view to inculcating a deep craving in the young generation for the recitation of the Holy Verses. Dr Karim chairman department of Urdu University of AJ&K, Professor Ikram ur Rashid Department of Islamic Studies University of AJK, spoke at the occasion and highlighted the importance of the Quran in the modern day world.
Student Counselor AIOU Muzaffarabad Mrs Rukhsana Shafqat highlighted chronology of the life and achievements of the renowned great Qari at the occasion. She highlighted that Qari Sb also feels a glow of pride since his two young sons are also performing great job and carrying out the mission of their great father by leading prayer ceremonies in Masjid i Nabvi and Masjid Qaba. To end the session, Al-Qari Award and shields were presented to the winning young Quara by the chief guest and RD AIOU Muzaffarabad.
