PUTRAJAYA: The Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin mosque in Putrajaya hosted a free Breakfast Talk in conjunction with the #MerdekaQuranHour and #WorldQuranHour this morning.
The interactive session called "Yassin dan Kemerdekaan" (Yassin and Independence) was attended by 120 people, comprising residents of Putrajaya and students, who learned to recite the Yassin - which is the heart of the Al-Quran under the guidance of famed religious speaker, Ustaz Ahmad Tarmizi Abdul Rahman (of Akademi Al-Quran fame).
The participants also learned the meanings of Al-Quran and shared their thoughts with two top religious scholars, Safri Md Zain and Fazrul Famee Ismail during the three-hour session.
A concerned school teacher, Al-Rusamiah Ismail from SMK Seksyen 7, Shah Alam said she was happy that she got to ask the panelists about school bullies which had become an alarming issue in the country.
"It's all about the heart. A bad heart will bring about evil. That's why I agree with the panelists that we must bring the teachings of Al-Quran into our family life.
"Parents must raise their children with good religious values and the school enchances the good values that they have instilled in their children."
Ahmad Tarmizi said the group had unanimously chosen surah Yassin as the chapter is often read by Muslims across the country.
"We are so familiar with the surah but not many know how to relate it. We will try to uncover the meaning behind this chapter and relate it to the nation's Merdeka Day."
He said reciting the surah Yassin - dubbed the heart of the Al-Quran, would cleanse the heart of those who read it; give them spiritual calmness and in return, become better citizens.
The Quranic teacher, whose stable of students include local celebrities, will be helming the Gema Wahyu Quran recitals alongside famous local stars like Ameng Spring, Shamsul Ghau Ghau and Johan As'ari at the #MerdekaQuranHour.
Top Qaris (reciters) from Malaysia and Singapore will also take part in reading all 30 chapters of the Holy Book.
The Quran outreach programme encompasses three main topics - Ibadah (worship), history and aqidah (creed), according to Safri.
The event would start with the recitation of Yassin verses by Tarmizi, followed by Tadabbur (translation) by Safri, followed by an interactive session on the verses by Fazrul.
"We hope that the event would initiate many to start or continue reading the holy Quran," said Safri, who is also Karangkraf Rumah Ngaji advisor.
"This initiative aims to inculcate the spirit of togetherness among families through religion. We want each Muslim household to have at least one Quran, to be read at least once a week as a family."
World #QuranHour will start at 8.30pm at Dataran Merdeka on Aug 31, as well as in selected mosques nationwide.
Media Prima Bhd is the official media partner of the programme.
It is held to coincide with the time of "wuquf" in Arafah, Mekah on the 9th day of Zulhijjah of the Islamic calendar, which coincidentally falls on the same day as Merdeka day.
The Quran-reading marathon is expected to draw in 5,000 people, including non-Muslim tourists.