Two Muslim students from the Valanchery district in north Kerala have earned 'epic' praise. Mohammed Basith M and his college-mate and friend Mohammed Jabir PK won the recently organised Ramayana quiz competition conducted online by publishing major DC Books.
The two students were among five winners in the quiz contest conducted in July, to mark the ongoing Ramayana Month. When the two Muslim youth emerged as winners in this quiz on the Ramayana, congratulatory messages poured in from people and the media, as per a report by PTI.
Basith is a fifth-year student and Jabir is a final-year student at KKSM Islamic and Arts College. They both belong to the Wafy programme, an eight-year-long course that is offered under the Coordination of Islamic Colleges (CIC).
The students said that though they knew about the epic since childhood, they started reading and learning about the Ramayana and Hinduism in-depth after joining the Wafy course, the syllabus of which has the teachings of all major religions. They also informed that their college library has a vast collection of books on other religions, which helped them read and understand the epics.
"All Indians must read and learn the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata as they are part of the country's culture, tradition and history. I believe that it is our responsibility to learn and understand these texts," Jabir said, as per PTI.
"Lord Rama is an embodiment of righteousness, forbearance and serenity. Such noble virtues should be part of every human being. Rama had to sacrifice even his kingdom to fulfill the promise to his beloved father Dasaratha. While living in a period of endless struggles for power, we should draw inspiration from characters like Rama and the message of epics like Ramayana," he said further.
Meanwhile, Basith stated that, in his opinion, extensive reading would help to understand other faiths and the people belonging to those communities more. "No religion promotes hatred but only propagates peace and harmony," he said, adding that winning the quiz gives him further motivation to understand the epic more deeply.
The PTI report also mentions that Basith can not only read the epic fluently and mellifluously but can also explain the meaning and message of the verses in detail. His favourite part of the Ramayana is Ayodhya Kanda, which describes Lakshmana's anger and Lord Rama's consolation to his brother, explaining the worthlessness of kingdom and power.
It may be noted that the Wafy course is offered across 97 college campuses. The course combines religious and temporal education for students.
