Nevin Medawar – Photography: Ayman Al-Madhoun
A new achievement added to Bahrain’s record, made by a student who believed that knowledge was the highest path to excellence. Among more than 32 million male and female students from 50 countries, the student Muhammad Jassim won second place in the Arab Reading Challenge in its ninth session, proving that the word can be a path to glory. At the closing ceremony held recently in Dubai, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, Mohammed Jassim was a shining star raising the name of Bahrain high.
Muhammad Jassim Mubarak, the Bahraini student who combined eloquence and culture, is a model for a generation that believes that reading is not a hobby, but rather life. It is a pride for his country, and a renewed message that the voice of knowledge cannot be defeated. In an interview conducted by Al-Watan with the Bahraini winner, Mohammed talked about his journey with reading, and the passion that made him stand confidently on the podium:
Did you expect to win second place in the Arab Reading Challenge?
– I was confident of that, because the books I read would not be in vain. I set this goal in front of me from the beginning of my participation in the challenge, and I believed in the power of the book and its profound impact on the souls of the recipients.
How were you able, at this age, to reach the level of eloquence and eloquence?
– The Holy Qur’an is the foundation. I have been reciting it regularly since childhood, and praise be to God, for it is the greatest school of rhetoric and clarification. But a person also needs other means to strengthen his Arabic language, such as reading and following works that have an authentic Arabic character, such as the Antar Bin Shaddad series, which I used to watch when I was young with great passion.
Did you watch the entire series?
– Yes, I watched it in its entirety, and I enjoyed its language and characters. It carried the spirit of pre-Islamic times and the scent of chivalry and poetry.
So, it can be said that the reason for your mastery of the Arabic language is the Holy Quran?
– correct. It is the first and basic pillar that made me love Arabic and savor its beauty.
Tell us about your beginnings with reading. Who instilled in you the love of books, learning and reading?
– I started from a young age. My father would constantly buy books, and my mother would read them to me at night. I used to enjoy the sweetness of the word, and feel its deliciousness in myself, and from that time on I became attached to reading, reading, and thinking, especially about literature, which I was strongly inclined towards.
You said before the meeting that you are nothing without reading. Is this what you really feel?
– Yes, without reading, I would not have reached where I am today. I imagine myself in twenty years without this foundation of knowledge that my parents gave me, and I see that I am just a machine without a soul. Reading gave me awareness and identity, and made me feel like something of value.
Your words suggest great maturity despite your young age. What is your advice to your peers at your age?
– I tell them: Read… read… read, because the book is the only friend that will not let you down, and it is the refuge when the options are narrow. In moments of loneliness and confusion, you will only find a book by your side. Reading opens your horizons and makes you see the world with another eye.
