THE Restu Foundation, a Malaysian NGO that was established 37 years ago to spread the beauty of the Quran to the world, launched the One Million Al-Quran Waqf, Infaq Campaign in Johannesburg on June 23, 2024

This campaign, being conducted in conjunction with the Awqaf SA, the Restu Foundation, the Malaysian government, and its Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM), aims to distribute one million illuminated Qur’ans to Muslim communities around the globe.

Speaking at the launch, Restu representative, Puan Roslan Norashikin Binti Datuk Abd al-Latief, said that it was a truly historical occasion to be distributing the 60 000 Qurans in South Africa.

‘The foundation is committed to publishing and illuminating the Quran, from its writing and artwork to the final printing.

‘This is an international Quran for everyone. Each surah is decorated with different illumination designs to appeal to each country. This is a nice, soft approach to dawah,’ she said.

JAKIM’s Dr Hajj Roslan Bin Sa’id said that the project was a response to the wish of the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Anwar Ibrahim. JAKIM and Restu had accepted the challenge, funded by a government donation of R144 million.

‘The goal is to distribute the Quran to countries with Muslim minorities, translated into languages like English, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Hausa, Hindi, Khmer, Mandarin and French. Our first shipment was sent to Cambodia in March last year,’ he said.

Bin Sa’id told the audience that the centre where the Quran was written, the Nasyrul Quran based in Putrajaya, had employed Indian and Egyptian calligraphers.

He added that the project hoped to reduce misunderstandings about Islam, and to establish Malaysia as the biggest centre for the translation of the Quran in the world, and to make Malaysia the second biggest printer of the Quran next to Saudi Arabia.

He saluted the announcement by Datuk Anwar Ibrahim that the Malaysian government had launched a R500 million waqf fund.

Awqaf SA’s Zeinoul Abedien Cajee said, ‘Focusing on the Quranic project, Arabic – being the language of jannah and the Quran – should once more become the lingua-franca of the Muslim world. It should never be marginalised again by colonialism, and educational institutions had a duty to reverse the trend of Arabic’s status being diminished.

‘South Africa should be seen as a strategic country for the growth of Islam. South Africa is an ally of the global south and a friend of Muslim nations,’ he said.

Rus Shazila Osman, the Malaysian High Commissioner, said that there was an impactful Muslim community in the country, who contributed a lot to society. She praised the efforts of her government to spread the Quran and the positive response of South Africa.

The event was concluded by a memorandum of understanding signed between Awqaf SA, IPCI and the Restu Foundation.