Saudi Gazette Success and fame come to those who believe in themselves and have strong faith in their religion. And, 17-year-old Naif Khalid Suwaidi has proved it for he has emerged as a national winner in 10 different forms of swimming competitions, when competing with others in the Kingdom. The swimming champ of the Kingdom is on the Saudi swimming team of the Ittihad sports club. Swimming is not only what he excels at, he outshines at school, and has memorized the entire Qur'an as well. He sat for the rigorous examination conducted at the Holy Qur'an Memorization Charity Society and achieved a score of 98 percent accuracy for his memorization of the Holy Book. “I have a strong conviction that the secret behind my success at school and my victories in swimming is the Qur'an. It was through studying the Qur'an and expending countless hours and exerting much effort to memorize it that taught me that I could overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal if I set my mind to it. I memorized the Qur'an in two years with the help of my wonderful teachers in school and in a halaqa in a mosque in Jeddah,” said Suwaidi. He further added, “After completing the Qur'an, I started doing better in school, my grades improved, and gradually I topped in my class. Memorizing the Qur'an strengthens memory, increases intellectual capacity, and has trained me to work harder, be determined, and to refuse to idly waste my time doing things that have no benefits. The Book of Allah is in fact my best friend, my motivator, and emotional supporter.” One is at a loss as to what we should admire most about this kid, his physical prowess and sports achievements or his exceptional ability to learn the Qur'an? The Hafiz or the learner of the Qur'an is held in high regard in Islam as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The most honorable and noble from amongst my ummah are the memorizers of the Qur'an and those who stay awake (for worshipping).” Imam Jafar Sadiq said, “Recite the Holy Qur'an and memorize it. Allah will not punish the heart in which the Qur'an has been placed.” Indeed, it is the utmost faith in Allah which enables one to overcome any obstacle or failure and reach out to the world in all its glory. __
