In a historic achievement for the global Muslim community, a Kurdish teacher from Erbil, Ezeddin Hamid Mustafa, has written the entire Holy Qur’an in sign language for the very first time in the world.
Born in 1978 in Erbil, Hamed’s connection to the deaf community runs deep, three members of his own family are deaf. He spent years as a teacher and translator for deaf individuals, interpreting Friday sermons at a local mosque, yet he felt that was still not enough.
He then embarked on a two-year mission, carefully adapting each verse of the Qur’an into a visual sign-language format, requiring a deep understanding of both theology and the linguistic needs of the deaf community.
A committee from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, including Muslim scholars and deaf representatives, reviewed his work and praised both its accuracy and innovation. The Kurdistan Scholars Union even proposed nominating Hamed for the Guinness World Records.
Hamed has made the Qur’an available to anyone who wishes to print copies, on the condition that it is not done for profit, saying simply: “I only want the reward from Allah.”
His vision extends beyond Kurdistan, he hopes that deaf Muslims across Jordan, Egypt, and the broader Islamic world will one day be able to access the Qur’an in their own language.
