Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH — Dr. Muhammad Al-Issa, secretary general of the Muslim World League (MWL) and chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars, inaugurated the International Holy Qur’an Museum project at the MWL headquarters in Makkah.

Several senior officials of MWL, scholars and international scientific personalities under the umbrella of MWL attended the opening ceremony.

In his opening speech, Dr. Al-Issa announced the plans to open permanent international branches of Qur’an museum for non-Muslims in various countries around the world.

“Studies have been carried out by the Agency of the MWL for the Service of the Holy Book and the Sunnah about the idea of this pioneering project, which is the first of its kind, in view of its content and objectives. The launch of this project is from inside the headquarters of MWL in Makkah, where the first revelation of the Holy Qur’an was revealed and Qiblah of world Muslims is situated,” he said.

The MWL chief emphasized that MWL is one of the blessed gifts from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Islamic world, and that the Qur’an museum is also added to the league’s Islamic work in the light of its vision, mission, goals and values, starting from its cradle of Makkah. He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for what they have done and are offering to Islam, Muslims and the entire humanity.

Sheikh Al-Issa said that any visitor to the MWL headquarters can view the exhibits displayed at the museum. It is also possible for all others, who want to visit the permanent international branches of the museum to be established all around the world, to see and understand everything that is related to the Holy Book.

“The museum, especially its international branches, aims to introduce Qur’anic values and wise rulings contained in the verses of the Holy Scripture. The museum will include the contents of the scientific miracles of the Holy Qur’an, which are supported by authentic scientific facts,” he said while emphasizing that another major highlight of the museum is that it contains definitive clarifications about the most frequent inquiries being made about the Holy Qur’an by non-Muslims. “This will be through preparing the answers in advance, or receiving inquiries later by visitors, or answering through the advanced means of communications. The answers will be delivered either instantly by scholars and researchers working in each branch, or through various scientific committees according to the subject of queries,” he clarified.

The MWL chief said that the museum includes documented testimonies of the most prominent non-Islamic international personalities, who aired their impressions about the Holy Book, that would contribute to the Holy Qur’an’s credibility and influence in them.

Highlighting the salient features of the international branches of the museum, Sheikh Al-Issa said that most of its international branches will be meant for non-Muslims, and modern technology will be used in the presentation in their respective languages. He also pointed out that the MWL’s initiative is in view of the attempts being made to misrepresent some of the given clarifications for the Qur’anic texts by some unscrupulous guys. “The MWL monitored a number of inquiries made about the Holy Qur’an and the given answers. But a number of ignorant and malicious people employed these inquiries to inflate them with offensive contexts through various portals,” he said while emphasizing that the museum will highlight the sublime values promulgated by the Holy Book by removing all the misgivings and combating the malicious campaign.

Sheikh Al-Issa explained that the museum will include a historical account of the manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an, and global contributions to its service, as well as a review of the most important outputs of conferences, forums, lectures and literature related to the Holy Qur’an and its sciences.

“The total number of university scholarly theses, monitored by MWL related to sciences of the Holy Qur’an up to this date, stood at around 15,000. Based on the complete extrapolation and careful tracking that were made, we do not know whether there are any other books that have ever been subjected to such meticulous studies and research as the Holy Qur’an,” he said.

The MWL chief said that the Department of Affairs of the Global Council of Sheikhs of Readers, under the Muslim World League, participated in the preparation of the museum project. He noted that the museum will have an advisory body that includes a number of senior scholars of the Islamic world, led by members of the Supreme Authority of the Makkah Document. “The museum’s major missions and tasks include organize conferences, forums, and lectures around the world, as well as to hold meaningful and fruitful dialogues, publish research, studies and introductory pamphlets, including answers to inquiries, and the encyclopedia of values in the Holy Qur’an, including the position on non-Muslims, and present the correct meanings of the Holy Qur’an so as to clear the any suspicions,” he said.

“We know that there are other exhibitions and museums on the Holy Qur’an, but this museum is unique by its internationalism through its branches around the world. It is also distinguished from others by two other things, namely its content and objectives that took into account contemporary transformations, especially its recent records,” he added