'All Indians Must Read & Learn', Says Muslim Student Who Won Ramayana Quiz Competition

If someone asks Mohammed Basith M about his favourite sloka in the ancient epic 'Ramayana' by Valmiki, he would promptly recite the verses from 'Ayodhya Kanda', which describes Lakshmana's anger and Lord Rama's consolation to his younger brother, explaining the worthlessness of the kingdom and power.

The Muslim youth would not only render the verses of 'Adhyatma Ramayanam', the Malayalam version of the epic by Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, fluently and mellifluously but would also give a detailed explanation of the message and meaning of the sacred lines.

Winners Of Ramayana Quiz Competition

This thorough knowledge of the largest ancient epics in world literature has helped Basith and his college mate-friend Mohammed Jabir PK to emerge as winners in a recent Ramayana quiz competition held online by publishing major DC Books.

The triumph of the Islamic college students in the Ramayana quiz garnered wide media attention, after which people from diverse walks of life congratulated them.

The duo said though they knew about the epic since childhood, they began in-depth reading and learning about Ramayana and Hinduism after joining the Wafy course, whose syllabus has the teachings of all major religions.

The vast college library, which has a massive collection of books on other religions, has helped them read and understand the epics.

What Did The Winners Say?

Jabir told PTI, "All Indians must read and learn the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha as they are part of the country's culture, tradition and history. I believe that it is our responsibility to learn and understand these texts," quoted NDTV.

The 22-year-old said, "Rama had to sacrifice even his kingdom to fulfil the promise to his beloved father, Dasaratha. While living in a period of endless struggles for power, we should draw inspiration from characters like Rama and the message of epics like Ramayana."

Basith said extensive reading would help understand other faiths and the people belonging to those communities more. He said no religion promotes hatred but only propagates peace and harmony. He added that winning the quiz gives him further motivation to learn the epic more deeply.

The Wafy students said that Lord Rama is an embodiment of righteousness, forbearance and serenity, and such noble virtues should be adopted by every human being.

The Wafy course is an eight-year-long study offered on 97 campuses under the Coordination of Islamic Colleges (CIC), which combines religious and temporal education for students after passing the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination.

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