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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Amid the ongoing devastation of the Gaza war, more than 500 Palestinian children, many of them orphans who have lost one or both parents, have taken on the monumental task of memorizing the entire Quran. In addition to finding solace and strength in the Muslim holy book, their aim is to make their parents proud.
At the al-Baraka Camp, a charity-run center in the southern part of the Palestinian enclave, 14-year-old Saja Ayash tells Rudaw that her motivation is not just faith, but a deep-seated desire to make her father, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, proud.
“As children of martyrs, we know that of course every parent would want their children to memorize the Holy Quran and would be proud of them if they do so,” Ayash says, noting that in Islamic belief, those who are ‘Hafiz’ - Arabic for guardian and preserver traditionally referring to a person who has completely memorized the Quran - are “adorned with the crown of dignity on the Day of Judgment and in the hereafter.”
The Arabic version of the Quran consists of 604 pages, 114 chapters (Surahs), 6,236 verses (Ayahs), and approximately 77,500 words.
Despite facing dire conditions - ranging from displacement and food insecurity to the ongoing Israeli blockade on the Palestinian enclave - each child in Gaza has their own story of profound grief, loss, and resilience.
Saif Abu Bakr is part of a category referred to as a WCNSF - a Wounded Children, No Surviving Family. The term was tragically coined in recent years by medical and aid workers in Gaza.
"We used to live in safety and happiness, but during this war, my father, mother, and three sisters were all martyred," Abu Bakr said. Yet, through his tears, he added, “Despite the heartbreak, the loss, the pain and the wounds, I will continue memorizing the Book of Allah [Quran] and will follow the path of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.”
Muadh, another child orphaned by the war, told Rudaw he was memorizing the Quran as a tribute to his parents, whom he believes are now in heaven.
“Every verse of the Quran I memorize reaches them,” Muadh said, choking on his tears.
“I experienced displacement and loss, but I want to make my father happy in heaven. I pray, ‘Oh God, let them rejoice because I have memorized the Quran and gifted it to them,” he added.
The al-Baraka Camp is part of the larger Baraka Initiative, a charity organization run by more than 50 women who are “wives of martyrs,” reads their official website. The organization oversees the management of what is known as Orphans City, a refugee center located in southern Gaza that houses over 2,500 children left without caregivers.
The current Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking approximately 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a widescale military offensive against the enclave that has since left more than 65,000 Palestinians killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.
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