All roads lead to Jam ‘Eyyatul Qurra (JEQ) for their week of Qur’an celebrations from Saturday 30 November. The institution, founded in 1969, this year celebrates 50 years of Qur’anic Excellence and The New Dawn. JEQ Chairman, Mr Shreef Abass, addressed the media at the official event media launch on Tuesday.

He paid tribute to Sheikh Yusuf Booley, the main driving force behind the establishment of JEQ, as well as Sheikh Moosa Goder and Imaam Allie Gierdien who wholeheartedly gave their full support and energies to this noble venture.

“Sheikh Yusuf Booley had a grand vision and much of what we celebrate here today has been inspired by him. Since he took over the leadership in 1971, he took Jam Eyyatul Qurra on a magnificent journey. The fundamental core that he brought to Jam Eyyatul Qurra was the methodology of teaching Qur’an and that methodology is still used today.”

The theme of this year’s event is ‘The New Dawn’. Over and above maintaining an excellent level of Quranic teachings, the new dawn would see the erection of centers of excellence on the recently acquired land adjacent to the school grounds.

“The JEQ board has sculptured a vision to build centers of excellence in science and maths, as well as an Islamic Art and Calligraphy gallery,” said Abass.

“This is in line with our vision of offering education for an unlimited future, whilst instilling good morals, ethics and values in their learners and youth in general.”

The week of the Qur’an event will host world-renowned artists and calligraphers from various countries including Turkey, Egypt, China and South Africa.

Faheem Rhoda Jackson, director of Arabic Calligraphers South Africa (ACSA) described his excitement for hosting these international master artists.

“We are proud to be associated with these master calligraphers from around the world. The likes of Ustad Refiq Carikci from Turkey, the Chinese masters Haji Noor Dien and Fatima Cao Yinying and Sheikh Abdul Hameed Sallam from Egypt, to name a few. We invite our community to participate in these calligraphy classes and interact with these Master Calligraphers”.

A number of art and calligraphy workshops will be held for children and adults and are designed for everyone from beginners to art experts. One of the main objectives of the week of the Qur’an event is to create a platform for our community to be exposed to art and calligraphy and to increase the interest and appreciation of the arts. This is the perfect opportunity for parents to get their kids enrolled in some of these workshops as part of their holiday program. The full workshop schedule can be found on the school’s website, www.jeq.co.za

The event coordinator, Nizaam Abdol, from Fusion Event Promotions emphasized that commemoration was not exclusively for the Muslim community but rather an opportunity to foster social cohesion in our city and country. There is an open invitation to the community of Cape Town, South Africa and even international holidaymakers during this period to attend the series of events happening at the JEQ campus in 13th Avenue Schaapkraal, Cape Town from 30 November to 07 December 2019.

South African Foundation for Islamic Arts (SAFIA), one of the partners to this project will be exhibiting some of South Africa’s top Islamic artists’ work at the exhibition during the week. Amiena Bayat, a SAFIA executive member speaks about the importance of collaboration among organizations with similar interests and visions.

“We are honoured to be working with JEQ, ACSA, AWQAF SA and the other partners on this amazing project. SAFIA is a collaborative organization and looks to work closely with other like-minded organizations”

The week of events also includes some educational components in the form of the Quranic Teaching Methodology seminar as well as a presentation on the integrated Islamic model of education. Both of these seminars are presented by local and international presenters and are free of charge to attend. It is an ideal opportunity for those in the education fraternity to empower themselves and network with like-minded people and ultimately benefit their learners.

There are also a number of spiritual programs taking place over the course of the week, including a Qasida Burda on Wednesday, and an evening of Remembrance Thikr on the Thursday.

The world renowned Egyptian Qaari and good friend of the late Sheikh Yusuf Booley, Sheikh Dr Achmat Na’eena, will once again be hosted by JEQ for a special Qira’a as part of the Jumuah program at the JEQ Campus on Friday.

The week culminates in a world-class banquet being held at the picturesque Dawn Mountains venue in the Franschhoek Valley, where the 750 guests will witness the completion of the recitation of the Qur’an from memory. Thereafter they will be entertained by the internationally acclaimed UK Artist Mohammad “Aerosol” Ali and his world-class presentation titled “The New Dawn”. Guests will also enjoy a stroll through the picturesque landscape and have an opportunity to view the stunning artworks on display.

This multifaceted event promises to be an event second to none and definitely one for the entire family to enjoy a truly memorable experience.

For information, you can visit the school’s website www.jeq.co.za or contact