RIYADH: Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, is scheduled to honor Tuesday winners of the Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz Islamic Studies contest based on the Prophet's Sunnah and Hadith. A number of officials said that the Hadith contest for male and female students from the Kingdom's schools has had a positive effect on schoolboys and girls. The contest is helping to instill love for the Sunnah (Traditions) of the Prophet (peace be upon him) among young and older students. Dr. Saleh Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Muhammad Aal Al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call (Da'wa) and Guidance, stressed that the Kingdom considers the Holy Qur'an and the Prophet's Sunnah, as its guide to the affairs of life and its system of governance. All the rulers of this country and its Ulema have followed this approach. For this reason, the Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz Prize has been one of the nation's most outstanding cultural activities, he said. The contest, he said, is helping schoolboys and girls become acquainted with their religion, particularly its message of moderation which has helped many individuals and societies achieve happiness. Protect the Hadith Aal Al-Sheikh pointed out that the result of the contest is to protect the Prophet's Hadith (Traditions) and ensure its positive influence on young people at various stages of education. He hoped this would encourage young people to love, memorize and implement its lessons. The most important results he would like to see is for young people to obey Allah, safeguard the correct creed (Aqeedah), have love for the Prophet (pbuh) in their hearts, and listen to the messages coming from the mosques. He said he wanted the youth to learn about the straight way of life (Seerah) of the Prophet (pbuh), his conduct, moral excellence and the approach of the Shariah, so that they can live better in this world and gain Paradise in the Hereafter.
Linking the young generation Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Humayen Al-Humayen, General President of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai'a), said he issued approval for the Hadith memorization contest because of Prince Naif's strong belief on the importance of such an initiative. Al-Humayen said this was a unique contest because it strives to ensure young people are encouraged to love and care for the Prophet (pbuh) and the lessons he brought to the world. It also helps to develop a spirit of competition among the young generation, and preoccupy them with the positive aspects of religion, knowledge and morals. Noura Al-Fayez, Deputy Minister of Education for Girls, said the contest is helping to protect the Prophet's Sunnah by encouraging young people to learn and memorize its lessons. This will help to prevent young people from moving away from the straight path and build an upright, strong and cohesive society.
