The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, has stated that this year marks a historic milestone, with the highest number of Huffaz set to graduate.
The graduation ceremony and presentation of the Presidential Medal and Prize will be held on the night of 1 March at the Islamic Centre in Malé. According to the Minister, the number of graduates this Ramadan has doubled compared with the previous year, with 50 Huffaz set to receive the honours.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs reported that the government’s initiative to promote Qur’an memorisation has resulted in 291 Huffaz nationwide. There are 20 centres across the Maldives dedicated to Hafiz classes, with the majority of students enrolled at the Malé and Hulhumalé branches of the National Centre for the Holy Qur’an.
The government has intensified efforts to promote a Qur’an-centred society by supporting students enrolled in Hafiz programmes. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has doubled the allowance provided to Huffaz.
The government aims to increase the number of Huffaz to 500 within five years. More than 1,500 students are currently enrolled in Qur’an memorisation programmes nationwide, according to the Ministry, marking a significant development in the Maldives’ Islamic history.
The Presidential Medal and Prize were first introduced during the Republic Day ceremony in 2014, when three Huffaz were honoured. Since then, the awards have been presented annually to graduates in recognition of their achievement.
The most recent presentation prior to this year took place on 2 Rabi’ al-Akhir 1446 AH, coinciding with the anniversary of the Maldives’ embrace of Islam, during which 28 Huffaz were honoured.