Essay contests on various aspects of the life and mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be with him) are becoming ever more popular. This was evident from the visitor turnout recently when the winners of an essay contest on Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be with him) were felicitated at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat, said Hasan Kamoonpuri of Oman Observer on 30 November.
The essay on the topic, “Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) — His Life as a Husband and a Father” was organised by the Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science, Diwan of Royal Court. Said bin Nasser al Maskary, member of State Council, who gave away the prizes, lauded the interest shown by the contestants.
The first-prize winners in the four categories: Non-Muslims under 21, non-Muslims above 21, Muslims under 21 and Muslims above 21, are: Arun Alvin Philips, Alwardas Lalitha, Zulqarnain Ahmed and Asma Shabbir, while second prize winners include Raka Ghosh Dastidar, Dr Rajan Philips, Maryam Aftab Kola, and Massrat Shaikh. The third prize winners are Sunil D’Cruz, Muhammed Hussein, Wafa Hamood and al Senani.
First prize winners in each category received RO 400, second prize winners got RO 200 and third prize winners took RO 100.
In 2012, this essay competition was held on the topic “Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) — Messenger of Peace”. The response from participants was very encouraging. The aim of this annual contest is to spread awareness about the last and final Messenger of Allah, the Exalted and Glorified.