CM Ebrahim: Learn the Arabic language to understand the Qur’an

COTABATO CITY — Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim has encouraged the Bangsamoro people to learn the Arabic language in order to appreciate Islam’s holy book Qur’an and embody its teachings.

Chief Minister Ebrahim said that reading the Qur’an is a must for every Muslim, as it is the major basis for living a life that pleases Allah.

He delivered his keynote speech on Saturday, May 8, during the culmination of the month-long series of Qur’an reading and memorization competition 2021 organized by the Office of the Wali.

Speaking in Maguindanaon language, he stressed the importance of learning the Arabic language in order to inculcate the love of reading the Qur’an.

“Ya ko kabagilay lun na importante d’n bun a b’nal e makasabut su taw sa basa na Arab a niya kagina basa na Qur’an,” Ebrahim said.

(“It is of high importance that we understand the Arabic language because it is the language of the Qur’an.")

Ebrahim also encouraged parents to send their children to schools teaching the Arabic language in order to read and understand the Qur’an, that in the long run will make them reflect from its meanings and teachings, and eventually become God-fearing Muslims.

He also called for his fellow Members of the Parliament to help in the institutionalizing more Islamic schools or madrasah, so that the Bangsamoro Government can usher in  more of its financial support, and to help it boost and standardize teaching the Qur-an to the youth.

Last week, the Bangsamoro Government’s Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), through its Directorate  granted a total of 93.15 million pesos subsidy to 64 Islamic schools that implement Standard Madrasah Curriculum (SMC) across the region. The budget was drawn from the Contingency Fund of the Office of Chief Minister (OCM) Ebrahim.

According to MBHTE, a total of 18,630 madrasah learners from the 64 SMC implementers will benefit and receive 5,000 pesos from the subsidy.

The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) is set to pass the Bangsamoro Education Code as part of the priority laws of the transition government. It included the institutionalization of Public Madrasah, Private Madrasah, and Weekend Madrasah.

The Bangsamoro Government, according to Ebrahim, is guided by the principles of Islam which are primarily found in the Qur’an.

The morals found in the Qur’an, as stressed by Ebrahim, should be applied by every Muslim, in order to help encourage the Government of the Day in their campaign for Moral Governance. (Bangsamoro Information Office)