SHARJAH — Ruler of the emirate of Sharjah Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, who is also the supreme council member of the United Arab Emirates, affirmed that the Holy Qur'an Academy in Sharjah is not limited to being a museum that houses pictures and manuscripts, but rather a place that is rich in many activities and programs that serve the Holy Qur'an and those interested and working in the Qur'anic field.

He made the remarks on Thursday morning at the opening of the Holy Qur'an Academy in Sharjah in the presence of Sharjah's Crown Prince Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, deputy ruler of Sharjah.

The ruler of Sharjah indicated that 323 male and female students, from 101 countries are enrolled in the global electronic maqra’ in the academy, supervised by 18 reciters on all the isnads (references), 227 of whom memorized the Qur'an and were rewarded. Among these students is one from the North Pole, which reflects the efficacy and widespread of the academy.

Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi called on community members to visit the Holy Qur'an Academy in Sharjah and familiarize themselves with the various stages of the evolution of the writing of the Noble Qur'an from the dawn of Islam to our current era, and to benefit from its activities and programs, including the global electronic Maqari’a program.

Upon arrival at the venue of the ceremony, the ruler unveiled the memorial plaque to mark the official opening of the academy, before he toured the place to review the museums housing Qur'anic manuscripts and treasures collected from various countries of the world throughout the ages. The complex, the biggest Qur'an academy in the world, is home to 7 scientific and historical museums, and its inception comes in fulfillment of the vision of the emirate of Sharjah in building man on the approach of the tolerant Islamic law and care for the Holy Qur'an and its sciences.

The ruler of Sharjah commenced his tour by visiting the Museum of the History of Writing the Noble Qur'an from the beginning of the codification of the verses of the Noble Qur'an in the Prophet's era until the modern era, and highlights the nation’s concern for the Noble Qur'an and its celebration. The museum displays 60 manuscripts distributed over 15 sections, each of which chronicles a century of events, and it is equipped with the latest technologies to familiarise the visitors of the academy with the history of writing, in addition to allocating a room that simulates the cave of Hira with a display screen and audio devices that tell the story of the beginning of the revelation of the Holy Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

He then proceeded to visit the Museum of rare Qur'ans, which contains 308 valuable copies of the Quran and archaeological manuscripts as well as the possessions of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, in addition to the official copies of the Quran issued by various countries of the world and their translations into various languages.

Then, he stopped at the Seven and Ten Readings Museum, which aims to familiarise the visitors of the academy with the glorious sciences of the Quran and to provide an explanation of the Quranic readings and their origin, their prominent figures, methods of performance, and their differences.

Sheikh Sultan continued his tour by visiting the pillars of the Islam museum, which sheds light on the prominent Qur'anic figures throughout history, their scientific achievements and invaluable publications. The 15-section museum houses 899 books and manuscripts divided according to time ages. It also highlights the most prominent establishments that cared for the holy Qur'an and the research efforts put in to serve the Qur'an in the modern age.