Rohan Ahmad, Missionary, The Gambia
In a remote village of the Gambia, namely Yalalbah in Farafenni-NBR, an Ameen ceremony was organised in honour of those who completed the recitation of the Holy Quran.
Regular classes of the Holy Quran and Yassarnal Quran had been conducted by our local teacher, Dawda Camara Sahib and often my humble self also paid visits.
Apart from teaching the Quran, Jamaat members, young and old, were instructed in basic Islamic knowledge. The students were quite happy and enthusiastic when they started learning.
Next to our mosque, there is a madrasa where a non-Ahmadi Muslim Imam conducts classes of the Holy Quran too, but as we started conducting lessons not only did the Ahmadi Muslim children start to join in but the children of non-Ahmadis also began attending our mosque for learning too. And regardless of what sect one belongs to, all are treated equally and taught the recitation of the Holy Quran.
The parents of some of the non-Ahmadi Muslim children reported that their imam not only charged them for Quran lessons but also beat their children if they were not performing well, whereas none of this occurred in the Ahmadiyya mosque.
On 27 June 2022, the amin ceremony was held and two students finished the complete reading of the Holy Quran with six others who completed the Yassarnal Quran.
Upon the completion of their respective categories, they were awarded new copies of the Holy Quran and a cash prize.