Al-Azhar Grand Imam to students of Imam al-Tayyib School: You are like my grandchildren, and my office is always open to you.

Al-Azhar Grand Imam directs that full care be provided to the students of Imam al-Tayyib School for Quran Memorization and Recitation.

Students of Imam al-Tayyeb School: Meeting the Grand Imam is the best motivation for us to continue excelling, and his advice will always be a beacon lighting our path.

His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad al-Tayyeb, received today, Saturday, at Al-Azhar, a group of international students studying at the Imam Al-Tayyeb School for Quran Memorization and Recitation. The meeting was attended by Dr. Nahla Al-Saidi, Advisor to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar for International Affairs, and the Head of the Center for the Development of Education for International and Foreign Students at Al-Azhar, and several members of the teaching board at the school.

The Grand Imam welcomed the students, expressing his happiness at receiving those who have memorized the Holy Quran. He emphasized Al-Azhar's commitment to teaching the Holy Quran and disseminating its sciences, providing opportunities for independently memorizing the Holy Quran, gaining a deeper understanding of its sciences, and mastering recitation skills for incoming students. Al-Azhar also assists them learn the correct pronunciation of the verses of the Holy Quran, teaching them Tajweed - the rules governing the correct pronunciation and recitation of the Quran - and promoting the moderate Azhari curriculum. 

While chatting with the students, the Grand Imam recalled his experience with his peers in memorizing the Holy Quran at the kuttab (traditional Quran schools) saying, “We would go every day after the dawn prayer to the kuttab to memorize and review the new sections of the Holy Quran, without even having breakfast. It was common at the time that if a student ate, he would become too lethargic and too lazy to memorize the Quran.” His Eminence continued, “The Quran teacher was called the Khateeb (orator), as he practiced preaching alongside teaching the Quran. He had special skills in correcting and evaluating the recitation of more than one student at a time. He would sit on a palm-leaf mat, while we would sit on the dirt with iron boards and reed pens. There were special, unforgettable ways to honor those who excelled in memorization and those who were blessed with completing the Quran. They would carry them and parade them through the village streets, introducing them and encouraging them. I have many memories that I still recall to this day.”

During the meeting, His Eminence was keen to listen to the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran by a number of students, including Sayfullah Timur from Afghanistan, Thani Awal from Nigeria, and Maryam Muhammad Hussein from Chad. His Eminence praised their beautiful voices, their ability to recite correctly according to the rules of tajweed, and their memorization of the Quranic texts. He directed that the school students be well cared for, that all obstacles facing them be removed, and that their affairs be taken care of. This is to ensure they devote themselves to acquiring knowledge and adhering to Al-Azhar's moderate approach. Also, they are trained to become preachers capable of refuting misconceptions and serving as good ambassadors for Al-Azhar in their countries. 

The students of Imam Al-Tayyeb School expressed their great happiness at meeting His Eminence the Grand Imam, and his keenness to provide them with special care and attention. They emphasized that this meeting is a great motivation for them to continue their studies with excellence. They pointed out that the Grand Imam's words and fatherly advice will remain a beacon that illuminates their path. They also expressed their deep gratitude and thanks to Al-Azhar Al-Sharif for the continuous support it provides to students from various countries around the world.