RIYADH, 20 November 2002 — A Riyadh-based publishing house has made use of information technology to help children read and memorize the last chapter of the Holy Qur’an in an interactive environment.
The computerized product, Baba Salam, is equipped with a dongle, a console and an electronic pen which when placed on a Qur’anic verse recites that verse. Command can also be given for a whole chapter to be recited with the correct intonation.
“This adds fun to the process of memorizing Qur’anic verses,” Abdul Malik Mujahid, general manager of Darussalam Publishers and Distributors, told Arab News.
Describing it as an innovative Islamic product to come out of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Malik said it is based on American technology and manufactured in China. Already, 60 Suras or chapters have been fed into the computer memory in addition to supplications for everyday use. He said that while the first edition of Baba Salam is in Arabic, the next edition would be in English, to be developed in China. A special advantage is that in case a child does not recall a particular prayer, he can enter a key word to get the relevant supplication on the computer screen.
He claimed the product is versatile and can be used at home — by plugging in an adapter — or outside, when it is battery -powered. The launch of the English edition next year would not render the Arabic version obsolete, as the dongle is geared to handle such tasks. It does not cost much to migrate from one system to the other. “There is already great demand for the product from Saudi schools,” he said.
