By Laraba Murey
The Mohammed VI Foundation for African Olema has honoured winners of the third edition of its Hadith Competition, describing the initiative as a vital platform for preserving the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and promoting moral values among young Muslims.
The awards were presented during the closing ceremony of the competition held on Thursday at the National Mosque, Abuja.
Speaking at the event, an Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, Haroon Mohammed Eze, said the competition was organised to celebrate participants' intellectual commitment to memorising and preserving the traditions of Prophet Muhammad.
He explained that while millions of Muslims memorise the Quran, preserving the Hadith—records of the Prophet's sayings and actions—is equally important in safeguarding Islamic teachings.
"The event is organised to celebrate the intellectual effort that our children and brothers and sisters are putting into preserving the teachings of Islam. It is also to encourage Muslims, particularly in Nigeria, to commit the teachings of the Prophet to memory and apply them in their daily lives," he said.
According to Eze, memorisation alone is insufficient unless accompanied by understanding and practical application.
"Knowledge without practice is of little value. When people understand and implement the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith, they become better individuals and contribute positively to society," he added.
Also speaking, a member of the competition's panel of judges, Dr Abdul Ganiyu Adetunji Tijani, said the 2026 edition focused on the Prophet's character and personality, with contestants tested on the memorisation and understanding of 100 Hadiths.
He said the competition was divided into three categories. The first required contestants to memorise 40 Hadiths with their chains of narration, while the second and third categories involved memorising 30 Hadiths each, alongside explanations of key concepts and knowledge of Hadith authentication.
Tijani disclosed that over 500 participants from across Nigeria registered for the competition, with an online preselection process narrowing the field to 15 finalists drawn from states including Kwara, Kogi, Katsina, Borno and Kaduna.
He said the top three winners in each category would represent Nigeria at the continental finals involving participants from other African countries before advancing to Morocco for the international stage.
"The foundation is not only organising competitions. It also promotes Islamic scholarship through Quran competitions, academic conferences and other educational programmes across Africa," he said.
Tijani added that winners received certificates, cash prizes, transportation, accommodation and feeding allowances, noting that the competition's ultimate goal was to instil values rather than merely reward memorisation.
"Our main objective is not the competition itself but ensuring that the values contained in these Hadiths shape the lives of the participants and society," he said.
The Mohammed VI Foundation for African Olema, established by King Mohammed VI of Morocco in 2015, operates through national branches across dozens of African countries, including Nigeria. The foundation promotes moderate Islamic scholarship, dialogue and the preservation of the Quran and Hadith through competitions, conferences and educational programmes.
The third edition of the Hadith Competition forms part of the foundation's efforts to encourage young Muslims across Africa to preserve the Prophetic traditions while promoting peaceful coexistence, moral values and religious scholarship.