Zaid Sanau was only 13 years old when he left his home in the province of Renell Bellona of the Solomon Islands in 2014 to travel to Fiji.

This was to pursue Islamic studies at the Darul Uloom Darul Yatama of the South Pacific in Drasa, Lautoka, which he did part-time. He also attend Drasa Muslim Primary School and then later Lautoka Muslim College.

Now 21 years old, Mr Sanau graduated on July 9 from the institute with a Certificate in the Basics of Islamic Studies (Deniyaat course).

“I’m very excited because being a convert, it was a dream to learn more about Islam,” he said.

“I also came from an environment where I face a lot of questions and that gave me the ambition to learn more about Islam.”

Mr Sanau said the decision to convert to Islam was life-changing and he did not regret it because it got him out of drug and alcohol abuse.

“I came across some readings and it kind of opened my eyes to how I view religion and I also had some interactions with Muslims after that, then I converted,” he said.

“My family is not religious so they just left me like that.

“But they saw me change. No one forced me to leave Christianity and no one forced me to accept Islam.”

“Whatever ideas I have regarding these two ideologies, I don’t claim to represent the entirety, it’s just my arbitrary views.”

He said he would use his knowledge and understanding of the basics of Islamic studies to teach Muslims in the Solomon Islands

 

Muhammad Anas Saaleh

Muhammad Anas Saaleh with his certificate of completion from the Hafiz course and his Masters in Islamic Studies certificate of completion on July 9, 2022. Photo: Salote Qalubau

Another graduate, Muhammad Anas Saaleh, dedicated achieve- ment to his late father, Sher Mohammed, who passed away in 2015.

He graduated with a Masters in Islamic Studies.

Mr Saaleh was one of the ten graduates from the institute, four of whom graduated with a Masters in Islamic Studies, and six graduated with a Certificate in the Basics of Islamic Studies on July 9.

“A Masters of Islamic Studies is a seven-year course but before that, I did a course in the memorisation of the Holy Quran, that took me four years so I have done that and I received a certificate for it in 2014,” he said.

“In the first year, it was tough for me but he (father) told me before he died to stand on my own feet and try to take care of my mother and my three sisters and brother although I’m the youngest.”

 

Feedback: salote.qalubau@fijisun.com.fj