Quran echoes loudly as Palestinian reciters gather in Gaza
Al Jazeera
Quran memorisers in Gaza overcome devastation from war, reciting the holy book as a source of hope and strength.
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – Dawn marks the beginning of another day in Ramadan. At the partially damaged al-Shafii Mosque in western Khan Younis, the buzz of Israeli drones overhead was not the only sound heard as the dawn prayer concluded.
Instead, a solemn echo filled the air – verses of the Quran recited aloud.
Rows upon rows of Palestinian men and boys dressed in white cloaks filled the mosque’s yard for one single purpose: to recite the entire Quran before sunset. Some sat on chairs while others lay on the floor, but all remained focused on the sacred task before them.
Two hundred and fifty-six Quran memorisers – Palestinians who have committed the entire holy book to memory – sat in the place while companions beside them listened attentively, following each word carefully to ensure the recitation remained flawless.
The gathering, titled “Safwat Al-Huffaz” – “The Elite of Quran Memorisers”, has become a special collective way of observing Ramadan in Gaza. Yet after nearly two years of Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave, its meaning has grown far deeper.
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