SHAH ALAM: After walking 47km to promote the World#QuranHour campaign last Sept, Datuk Rosyam Nor plans to do it again this year.
This time, the famous Malaysian actor plans to beat his personal record by walking a farther distance with the same aim of encouraging Muslims to read the Holy book on a regular basis.
Rosyam, who is the campaign ambassador, said he wants to increase awareness among Muslims of the importance of learning to read and understand the Quran.
He said no Muslim should be ashamed to admit that they do not know how to read the book, but instead, should start learning to.
Rosyam said he himself only started to learn how to read the Quran following his father's death eight years ago.
"It was when my father died that it came to me that I should learn how to read the Quran. Because when his lifeless body was lying in front of me, I could not read the Holy verses because I did not know how to. I was 42 then.
"I started learning from a teacher three years later, and Alhamdulillah, I finally 'khatam' (completed) all 30 verses in Jan last year. I also managed to khatam the Quran again in Mecca later.
"If I can admit that I did not know how to read the Quran and decided to start learning, I believe no one should be ashamed to admit and do the same," he told a conference of media agency leaders at Karangkraf’s office at Section 15 here on Tuesday.
Rosyam was there for a roundtable briefing and meeting on the #QuranHour campaign, which is co-organised by the Warisan Ummah Ikhlas Foundation and 10 media agencies, including the New Straits Times Press’s newspapers, Media Prima Bhd television stations, RTM, Astro, Bernama and Karangkraf.
The media companies have come together for the second time after successfully organising the same campaign last year, which saw its peak programme World#QuranHour held at the International Islamic University (IIUM)’s Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Mosque (SHAS) in Gombak.
The #QuranHour campaign this year is divided into three major programmes, namely the My#QuranHour, which is aimed at encouraging Muslims to read the Quran an hour daily throughout the year; the Malaysia#QuranHour; and the World#QuranHour.
The Malaysia#QuranHour will be held at the Tuanku Zainal Abidin Mosque in Putrajaya on the 24th day of Ramadan this year, starting at noon.
Themed 'Bangsa Berbudi dan Penyayang', the Malaysia#QuranHour is expected to attract the participation of millions of Muslims who will read the Quran simultaneously for an hour at different locations nationwide.
The World#QuranHour will be held at SHAS mosque from 12pm to 1pm this Aug 31 (9 Zulhijjah).