Koran by Heart

Notes:

• Nabiollah (10 yrs old), score: 95,  3rd place
• Rifdah (10 yrs old), score: 97, 2nd place
• Djamil (10 years old), score: 22.4 
• "Every Muslim should learn the Koran"
• 110 rectors, >70 countries
• children don't actually understand the Koran
• Koran: teaches how to live/ how to practice in daily life 

Reflection 

The competition is very important to the families in the movie because Islam emphasizes the importance of reading and learning the Koran in Arabic. It is a source of great pride for these families to have children that can perform this feat. The Koran teaches Muslim values and how a Muslim should practice in order to live a good life. However, the children competing in the movie understand very little of the Koran and very little of what they are reciting. The one boy, Djamil, could not speak arabic at all, even though he could recite the whole Koran. 

Nabiollah 
Nabiollah was one of the most gifted children. He memorized the Koran well and had a great rhythm when reciting it. However, he was uneducated. He spent of his time in a school where he only learned to memorize the Koran and its meaning. He was unable to write or read in his native tongue.  This made it very difficult for him when his Koran school was closed and his father struggled to get him into a real school. Nabiollah did well in the competition and was a source of wonder for even the very experienced judges. He was honored a lot after the competition but the education he lost by focusing solely on the Koran had a big impact on his life and will probably impact his future as well.