Foreign visitors to Medina in Saudi Arabia on umrah or any kind of visit visa can now study the Quran at Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, on a structured curriculum and without paying a fee. Prothom Alo's religion pages report that a new decision by the Saudi government has opened the opportunity.
Until now, short-stay visitors had little chance to take part in formal study. The daily Quran teaching programme in the mosque's courtyard is run by the General Authority for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
Classes are divided into levels by ability. Complete beginners learn the alphabet and correct recitation; advanced students can study tajweed, memorisation (hifz) and tafsir. Visitors register through an online portal and join classes with experienced teachers at times that suit them.
On the merit of learning in his mosque, the Prophet said that whoever comes to it to learn or teach something good holds the rank of one who strives in the path of God (Sunan Ibn Majah, 22).
Alongside this, the Islamic University of Madinah, a short distance from the mosque, has introduced a six-week Arabic language course for non-Arab visitors on visit visas. The fee-based course teaches reading, writing and everyday conversation in a series of modules.
Together, the two give pilgrims on two- to three-month visit visas the chance of a study trip of almost two months. Registering online before arriving in Medina makes it easy to join. Prothom Alo cites The Islamic Information as the source of the report.
Photo: Vago / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: Prothom Alo
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