The family of late Imam Demba Cham, founder of Halwar Fouta Torro, on Friday handed over a 125-year-old hand written Holy Qur’an to the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) to add to the country’s museum archives.

The hand written Qur’an was handed to the National Museum by Federation of the late Imam Cham led by Mam Masamba Thiam at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, religious leaders and Banjul elders.

Thiam said that “It is our greatest honour to present the 125-year-old hand written Holy Quran by the late Ousainou Mariam Demba Cham of 76 Dobson Street to the National Museum.”

Hassoum Ceesay, deputy director of NCAC, thanked the Federation for donating the Holy book to the National Museum, adding that the author was one of the first Islamic scholars to study outside of Senegambia.

“He studied in Sudan and when he returned, he decided to embark on a project of writing the Holy Qur’an. The book survived up to now thanks to his family who kept it and had been transferring it from one generation to another until today.”

Ceesay said the author completed writing the Holy book in 1894 when it was subjected to review because during those days if one wrote the Holy Qur’an, it was subjected to review and that was why so many people signed on the back cover to confirm that it was a true copy of the Holy Qur’an.”

By Njie Baldeh