Honoring the Winners of the Second Edition of the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Scholars’ Competition in the Noble Hadith.

The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Original Education, Mr. Beit Allah Ould Ahmed El-Assouad, presided over a ceremony yesterday evening, Monday, in Nouakchott, to honor the winners of the second round of the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Scholars’ competition in Prophetic Hadith, which included the participation of 413 candidates.

During the ceremony, which was attended by His Excellency the Moroccan Ambassador Mr. Ahmed Shbar, the top three winners in each category of the competition organized by the Mohammed VI Foundation in all its branches in Africa were honored, leading to the crowning of the winners of the grand prize.The competition aims to revive Islamic solidarity and the Prophetic Sunnah, instill virtuous morals, combat extremism and excess, advocate for moderation and centrism, and introduce the Prophetic Sunnah and its significance in Islamic legislation.

It also aims to guide African youth and encourage them to pay attention to the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), deepening awareness of the teachings of the Prophetic Sunnah and spreading humanitarian values to emulate the qualities of Muhammad and the virtues of the Companions, as well as embodying the ethics of dialogue and treating people kindly in legal and ethical matters.

In his speech on the occasion, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Original Education emphasized that organizing such events reinforces the correct moderate approach and provides the emerging generations with the weapon of legitimate knowledge that is capable of protecting them against destructive ideas, and establishing the Islamic values of moderation and tolerance. He pointed out that this approach aligns with the high attention given by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, to religious affairs, which is evident in the restoration of the authentic Shinguitti schools, and the establishment of a pioneering national award to encourage the memorization of religious texts and preserve their distinguished scientific legacy.

He added that organizing this prestigious scientific competition reflects the great care this institution places on preserving shared religious constants, safeguarding the original reference, and promoting the spirit of competition in the service of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in terms of preservation, understanding, and dissemination, while highlighting the strong fraternal relations between the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the sister Kingdom of Morocco.

For his part, the president of the branch of the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Scholars in Mauritania, Sheikh Bouna Omar, stated that this institution, founded by the Moroccan monarch Mohammed VI in 2015, has opened 48 offices in Africa aimed at exchanging experiences and fostering familiarity among African scholars so that they adhere to the correct paths that promote moderation and a balanced approach. He pointed out that it is concerned with preserving the religious constants known in the region and organizing competitions in the Quran, Hadith, and manuscripts to safeguard the African religious heritage in all its branches across Africa.He also congratulated and thanked the attendees, affirming that all participants achieved the highest ranks because they memorized the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and studied it during this holy month.