Qur’an Courses Attract Millions in Turkey

Regaining Islamic flavor to Turkish secular education, a government religious directorate has organized Qur’an courses nationwide, attracting more than three million students.  

 “500,000 Qur’ans and more than 10 million books on the rudiments of religion were distributed to the students,” Ali Erbaş, the head of the Religious Affairs Directorate’s Training Services branch told Anadolu Agency on Monday, September 2.     

“That the age and school grade restriction was lifted and that books were distributed free of charge to the students was received well both by the students and the parents.    

“This situation has led to an increase in the number of the pre-school and schooled students at the summer Qur’an courses,” he added.  

Organized over the past summer, the courses were held under the motto “Come this summer, write the Qur’an upon your heart”.   

The courses were offered in 72,439 different venues in which 115,183 trainers helped the students to acquire the basic knowledge of Islam.   

At the end of the summer months, more than three million students have managed to attend Qur’an courses around Turkey.

Reaching this number was not an easy mission.   

Erbaş said that with the Religious Affairs Directorate has launched a campaign which included opening ceremonies, children’s festivals, 250,000 banners and billboards among other events to familiarize the children with Islam.

The courses’ hours were also arranged flexibly so that students could attend at least one of the daily prayers at the mosque, he added

Muslims make up approximately 99 percent of Turkey's population, but the country is also home to several ancient Christian communities and Jews.

The Noble Qur’an consists of 114 Surah (chapters) of varying lengths.

Teaching children the glorious Qur'an and the Islamic principles is the responsibility of their parents from an early age which is the best period for implanting Islamic ethics.   

Memorizing the Holy Qur’an is one of the most important ways to preserve Allah’s message.

The others are to publish and distribute the book or the text on the Internet and to recite the parts that one knows to other people.     

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.”