The Holy month of Ramadan was very blessed for Kyiv Muslim community for many reasons, but yet we have another two sources of joy: nine people, both men and women, reverted to Islam during the past days of Ramadan, and two new hafidh completed their recitation of the full Qur’anic text.
A video of a Ukrainian girl saying her Shahadah with tears in her eyes blew up the Russian-speaking Internet: both Muslims and non-Mulsim re-posted it many times, wishing her all the best. Muslims congratulated their new sister in faith, and non-Muslims were surprised to learn the fears and hardships the new Muslims face when dealing with their everyday surrounding.
“Nobody knows I reverted to islam, frankly speaking — except for my close ones and women from the mosque, of course. I think that my family will support me when I inform them of my decision,” — she says. — “I’ve been preparing for it for a very long time, and I often thought how it could be… but I never imagined so many people would come to share this day with me… Now I want to learn how to pray and everything, and I know it’s Ramadan, so I’ll try to fast from the very day of tomorrow”.
Another revert started exploring Islam after her daughter called her and announced: “Mum, I’m a Muslim now!”
“I was shocked of course, as I never heard or read anything good about Islam until then. We live in different cities, and so I talked to her over the phone and she told me about the books she was reading — the Holy Qur’an, and the Prophet Muhammad’s Life Story. I read about the Prophet myself, and the more I read the more I realised this was the true faith, and that we all believe in one Creator. So, when I came to visit my daughter — I thought it was the right time for me to revert; that I’ll be very sorry if I don’t”. The video is available here (in Russian).
Hafidhs
A festal occasion took place at the women’s hall of Kyiv Islamic Cultural Centre mosque after the Friday prayer on June 19, 2015: one of the participants of the Qur’an reciting circle “Al-Firdaws” (facilitated by the Centre of Women Development “Maryam”), Ms.Najah Sweidan, completed reciting the Holy Book for her hafs Bin Asim degree, having become the third participant of the Circle who received a respective certificate.
The event itself, with all the female parishioners present, began with Ms.Sweidan’s recitation of her final Surahs under the supervision of Staikh Haydar Al-Hajj. Now, having received a certificate, she can teach this style of recitation herself after she passes her tajweed exam.
Another new hafidh, Mr.Muattasim Billah Muhammad Ureibee, has been very productive over this Ramadan: he continues his education, takes care for his family, volunteers at Kyiv Islamic Cultural Centre mosque (he’s one of the kitchen team cooking iftars for all the parishioners). And now he’s completed his recitation of the Holy Book for his Kaloon from Navee Madani degree, having become the first participant of the “An-Noor” Circle who received a respective certificate.
It bears reminding that Shaikh Haydar Al-Hajj was a teacher at the Higher Medrese of Hafidh in Crimea forced to leave the peninsula after Russian occupation and move to Kyiv. Three of his students, namely Ms.Samia Arada, Ms.Vira Fryndak and Ms.Najah Sweidan completed their hafs Bin Asim degree under his supervision. Mr.Muattasim Ureibee, a student from Libya, became the first man to complete the whole Qur’an in Kyiv under the Shaikh’s guidance.
