Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – Dawn marks the beginning of another day in Ramadan. At the partially damaged al-Shafi mosque in western Khan Younis, the only sound was the hum of Israeli drones as dawn prayers concluded.
Instead, a solemn echo filled the air – Quranic verses being recited aloud.
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Lines of white-cloaked Palestinian men and boys filled the mosque’s courtyard for a single purpose: to recite the entire Koran before sunset. Some sat on chairs, others lay on the floor, but all focused on the sacred task before them.
Two hundred and fifty-six Koran memorizers — Palestinians who have committed the entire holy book to memory — sat in place, while companions beside them listened intently, carefully following every word to ensure the recitation was flawless.
A gathering titled “Safwat al-Hufaz” – “The Elite of Quran Memorizers” – is a special collective way of celebrating Ramadan in Gaza. Yet nearly two years after Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave, its meaning has grown much deeper.
Memorizing the Quran is one of the greatest Islamic honors, requiring years of disciplined study, repetition and devotion. Over the years, Gaza has developed a rich tradition of Quran memorization circles that foster spiritual values and strengthen connections with religious faith.
One of the most characteristic expressions of that tradition is the massive recitation sessions in which Qur’an memorizers collectively recite the entire book by heart.
Despite the devastation created by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza — which has killed more than 75,000 Palestinians — participants have urged the gathering to be held again this year in an act of spiritual perseverance.
Among the careful reciters was 51-year-old Mohammed al-Kiranawi, a Koran memorizer whose dark glasses disguised the fact that he had been blind since childhood.
Losing his eyesight early in life did not stop him from memorizing the Qur’an.
“The Qur’an has always been my best companion,” said Al-Kiranawi, pausing briefly from his recitation.
“When I turned 10, I lost my sight completely due to health problems. But even through that loss (God) gave me another gift. I continued to memorize the Quran and relied on my hearing to perfect it.”
Over the years, he went on to teach the Qur’an to his children and others, who memorized the Qur’an.
But Israel’s genocide made his journey more difficult.
Displacement, destruction and the daily struggle to survive have disrupted the rote circles they once regularly attended. However, he continued to recite whenever possible.
“Despite these difficulties, I have held on to my partner,” he said. “I have been reciting and joining sessions whenever I can to preserve the Quran in my heart and teach younger students the rules of recitation.”
War on religious life
For Gaza’s predominantly Muslim society, mosques have long served as pillars of spiritual and social life.
Faith is a living practice woven into everyday life rather than limited to words or symbolic gestures.
In every neighborhood, a mosque serves as a community center where people seek not only religious guidance but also relief from the stresses of everyday life.
Through the generations, these religious places have nurtured Palestinians from all walks of life. Scholars, doctors, engineers and laborers passed through the same Qur’anic circles where discipline, patience and faith were taught.
But Israel’s genocide in Gaza has damaged that spiritual infrastructure.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Charity and Religious Affairs, 89 percent of the territory’s mosques, more than 1,000 in total, have been destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli attacks.
Israeli attacks have bombed and damaged three of Gaza’s historic churches, killing worshipers at mosques.
Widespread destruction has destroyed religious institutions, leaving worshipers and students scattered in displacement camps and makeshift shelters.
And yet, despite the conditions, many Palestinians have preferred to establish temporary religious sites. In camps and shelters, mosques are built from wood, tarps or scraps of cloth.
There, people gather to pray, study and recite the Qur’an, copies of the holy book are scarce and often have to be shared.
These fragile spaces have allowed Gaza’s Qur’anic tradition to endure, allowing new generations of Qur’anic memorizers to continue despite the immense hardships around them.
Thirteen-year-old Abdul Rahman Abu Nimar had completed nearly eight hours of recitation when he reached the final chapter of the Qur’an.
“I finished memorizing the Qur’an when I moved,” Abu Nimar said. Genocide changed his life. “I lost my home, my uncle and many friends,” he said.
“We are tired of displacement and we want to go back to normal life.”
“Quran circles with other displaced students comforted me during this time,” he said. “Today, I am very happy to recite it again and I will continue to revise it so that I will never forget.”
Faith under fire
For some participants, the assault on religious life was not limited to domes and minarets.
Wasim Abu Sahlul, another Quran reciter attending the gathering, sat muttering verses with a fixed face. But behind his poise lay a layered trauma.
Abu Sahloul, who was kidnapped during the genocide and then released from Israeli prisons as part of a prisoner exchange in February 2025, said religious practices inside the prison were heavily restricted.
“The (Israeli) occupation deprived us of copies of the Koran,” he said. “They prevent us from praying freely or hearing the call to prayer.”
But that did not stop him from teaching the Qur’an to others, explained Abu Sahlul.
“We started teaching others to remember,” Abu Sahloul explained. “Some prisoners memorized chapters, others eventually memorized the entire Qur’an. Some of them are among us today.”
Independence brought Abu Sahloul back to his family – but the reunion was tragically brief.
Months after his release, an Israeli airstrike killed nine members of his family.
“On July 18, I lost my mother and my nine-year-old son Islam along with my brother and his children,” he said in pain.
“I dedicate today’s chant to the souls of my mother, my child and my entire family.”
Despite the loss, Abu Sahlul said the Quran remained his source of strength.
“I will recite the Quran till my last breath,” he said. “My message to my jailer and murderer is that we live by the Koran.”
Reconstruction of religious places
Among the institutions trying to preserve Gaza’s Quranic tradition is the Dar al-Qur’an and Sunna Institute, one of about 30 religious educational institutions that have been severely affected by the war.
Despite the destruction of mosques and schools, organizers say they are working to revive Quran learning wherever possible.
“Just as rain brings benefits wherever it falls, working for the sake of the Qur’an brings benefits anywhere,” said the organization’s director, Ahmed Al-Safin.
“With so many mosques being destroyed, we can no longer hold our programs as we once did,” he explained.
“But even in displacement camps, you find people gathering together to revise the Koran. They cling to it as a way of healing from the trauma they’ve been through.”
The institution itself suffered heavy damage, losing staff members and large amounts of academic data during the war.
But efforts are underway to revive the institution.
“By the start of the cease-fire (October 2025), we have succeeded in establishing 67 places for Quran teaching,” Al-Safin said. “Within just five months, that number rose to 300 children, women and men, and it continues to rise.”
But the gathering at Al-Shafi’i Mosque marked something bigger.
“The ‘Elite of Quran Memorizers’ session is unique because it brings together the most dedicated Quran memorizers in Gaza,” Al-Safin said.
“After two years of genocidal war it comes to send a message that Gaza will not be broken. Through the Qur’an, our souls continue to live and our minds continue to grow. By sunset, reciters will complete the entire holy book, and then return to a life still marked by loss, displacement and uncertainty but with their hearts preserved once again.”
(tags to translate) Features
