Gov’t Aims to Increase Number of Quran Memorisers per Population, Says Islamic Minister

Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said that the Maldives aims to become the Islamic country with the highest number of Hafiz in proportion to its population.

He made the remarks on Sunday evening at a ceremony held at the Islamic Centre Malé to celebrate the graduation of new Quran memorizers. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs spent MVR 19 million on Quran-related programmes last year, with a significant portion allocated to memorisation initiatives. Shaheem noted that the number of Hafiz in the Maldives has reached a new milestone, describing the development as positive news for the country.

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The government aims to increase the number of Hafiz to 500 within the next five years. The minister said the long-term vision is to ensure that the Maldives has the highest proportion of Quran memorizers relative to population among Islamic countries.

Shaheem added that the administration of Dr Mohamed Muizzu has given special priority to strengthening Quran education over the past two years. This includes increasing prize money for Quran recitation competitions and doubling financial allowances for memorisation students. The government also raised the monthly allowance for Hafiz to MVR 2,000 from July last year.

The Ministry’s policy includes establishing a branch of the Quran Centre in every inhabited island across the country. Plans are in place to open 50 new branches this year alone. Shaheem described the expansion of Quran education as one of the country’s most significant achievements as an Islamic nation.

He also highlighted that the Maldives is benefiting from political stability and peace, calling on the public to work together to preserve and strengthen the country’s Islamic identity. During last evening’s ceremony, 31 individuals who completed memorisation of the Quran received their Hafiz certificates.