Dikir group from Seri Begawan Religious Teachers University College (KUPU SB) took home the male champion title of the Dikir Competition for Officers and Students of Higher Learning Institutions in the country, organised by Mohamed Bolkiah Mosque, Kampong Serusop, last Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Female Dikir Group from Mohamed Bolkiah Mosque were the champions in the female category.

The competition was organised in collaboration with the Brunei-Muara District Mosque Affairs Office, in conjunction with the birth anniversary celebration of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) for 1447 Hijrah.

The competition was part of the mosque’s annual religious activities, but this marks the first time it was extended to higher learning institutions.

The event began with the mass recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, followed by the dikir competition and welcoming remarks by Mosque Affairs Officer of Mohamed Bolkiah Mosque Haji Symsul Nizam bin Haji Badar.

He shared that four series of workshops had been conducted to provide exposure to students in learning Dikir Brunei under the guidance of skilled and experienced instructors Haji Mahali bin Haji Besar and Haji Sabtu bin Haji Abdullah.

Some eight groups participated in the competition, with one group withdrawing, comprising six groups from higher learning institutions and two groups from Mohamed Bolkiah Mosque.

Haji Symsul Nizam said that the competition aimed to preserve Dikir Brunei’s heritage, while providing the younger generation with the opportunity to acquire knowledge and appreciate the art form.

The organisers intend to further expand this effort in the future, not only at the level of higher learning institutions, but also to the private sector in the country, so that the knowledge and practice of Dikir Brunei and Dikir Syarafil Anam will become valuable treasures to be inherited as part of Brunei’s religious culture.

The event saw KUPU SB Ra’es Associate Professor Dr Abdul Nasir bin Haji Abdul Rani, the guest of honour, presenting prizes to the winners.

The Mohamed Bolkiah Mosque Male Dikir Group won second place in the male category, while the Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) Male Dikir Group was third place.

The Female Dikir group of Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (ITQSHHB) won second place for the female category, with the KUPU SB Dikir group in third place.

The Best Performance and Discipline Award went to Mohamed Bolkiah Mosque for the male category and ITQSHHB for the female category.

Zone 2 Supervising Officer, Brunei-Muara District Haji Mohd Azrol Alim bin Haji Zaini recited Doa Selamat.

Acting Village Head of Kampong Serusop and Kampong Delima Satu Pengiran Roslan bin Pengiran Tuah and Acting Director of Mosque Affairs and Co-Chair of the ceremony Haji Amir Hisham bin Haji Masri were present. – Lyna Mohamad

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin