Hyderabad: At 65, she's ready to copy Quran 2nd time

The sexagenarian who completed the Qur'anic manuscript in a khattati (calligraphy) is on her next mission to start another manuscript of the Holy Scripture, which would be much larger compared to the one which she completed already in the year 2016.

Akhtar Begum, 65, would spend six to seven hours writing the verses of the Holy Qur'an and she is proud of completing the task in four long years. The enthusiast who learnt calligraphy only in the recent years testifies to the notion that if there is courage and passion, nothing is difficult. Setting an example at her age, when most women struggle with daily chores, Akhtar Begum has completed more than 600 pages of Qur'an and aims to manuscript one more copy of Qur'an, which will be much bigger in size. "If one has a passion to do something, one can do it. Almighty helps me in writing the Holy Quran. And, finally, I have completed a copy of Qur'an," says an elated Akhtar Begum.

In Hyderabad, there are several men who have written Quranic verses and names in an attractive style of calligraphy, but it is the first time a woman in her 60s could accomplish such a task. "I have always been interested in Urdu and have a good writing skill, but it was only when I started learning calligraphy that I was introduced to the art form in Arabic, which helped me copy the holy book."

With a dream not only to read but also write the verses of Qur'an, she she started learning khattati in 'Attahiyat' in Urdu in 2010 when she was 55-year-old. "After I learnt the calligraphy vigorously, in 2012, I started writing the holy book and completed copying it two years later," she said.

She learnt calligraphy from Md Abdul Gaffer, one of the renowned calligraphers. She uses traditional materials to write, such as wooden or reed pens (Khalam) and inks from plant-based resins. As per tradition, strands of wooden pen are placed inside the inkpot (likka), to help regulate the amount of ink on the Khalam tip, and also to prevent spills onto the paper.

When she started writing, she would wonder whether she would complete it. "I used to write by spending 6-7 hours daily. My fingers would ache a lot, but I persisted. Writing with a calligraphy wooden ink pen is more difficult compared to a normal pen. It requires a lot of patience. My children supported me a lot. I would rarely move from my place till I finished the day's work," she added.

"Calligraphy takes a long time to learn, and one only gets better with continuous practice. I wrote Qur'an purely for the sake of Allah and so that women and youngsters get inspired and stay away from social evils. It is not my intention that others should write the holy book too but, I want them to recite the Qur'an and follow Islamic teachings," she signs off.