Fireworks Tragedy Spurs Eiman Najwan To Teach Braille Quran

KOTA BHARU, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- A fireworks accident left 22-year-old Eiman Najwan Anwar Fuad blind in one eye, partially sighted in the other and missing five fingers, but it did not stop him from becoming a teacher of the Braille Quran.

The second of three siblings said the 2018 accident, which occurred while playing with homemade fireworks with friends, became a turning point that inspired him to learn Quranic Braille.

“I underwent 12 surgeries, including reconstructive procedures,” he told reporters at the Association of Blind Muslims Malaysia (Pertis) Quranic Study Centre here today.

The incident also took a heavy emotional toll, causing him to suffer depression for a year while still a student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Panji.

Refusing to dwell on his misfortune, Eiman approached Pertis to learn about classes for visually impaired persons.

Two years ago, he began studying Braille Quran under the late Pertis Kelantan chairman Mohd Nazri Nawi and mastered Jawi Braille, including line formatting, within a month.

“I practised about two hours nearly every day. Within six months, I was proficient despite numbness in my hands,” he said.

His dedication paid off when he was appointed a Braille Quran teacher at the end of 2024. He now teaches six visually impaired students aged 25 to 72.

One of his students, Mohd Saiful Riza Salleh, 39, said his earlier education at the Princess Elizabeth Special Education School in Johor Bahru helped him grasp Braille Quran learning. He is now at Iqra Six level and aims to complete the Quran within two years.

-- BERNAMA