“MY first intention was to teach Quranic recitation, and secondly to show the community that visually impaired people like me can do more than run a reflexology shop,” said Mahamad Hafizul Sham Mahamad Hanafiah (pic), 43, founder of the Maahad Tahfiz Al-Quran Imam Abu Hanifah in Bandar Puteri Jaya.
The centre currently accommodates 14 male students under the age of 12. “It struck me that blind people in reflexology have students and can run businesses, so why couldn’t I, pursuing Tahfiz, establish a Quranic school? I wanted to contribute something meaningful to society,” he told Sinar Harian.
Mahamad Hafizul, the youngest of six siblings, first learned to read the Quran in Braille while attending a special education school in Jabi before continuing his studies at Maahad Tahfiz Derga in Alor Setar.
He explained that the Braille Quran he uses consists of six printed volumes, each containing five sections of the Quran, provided by the Malaysian Islamic Association for the Blind (PERTIS).
“Now it is even easier with the digital Braille Quran provided by eBrelle. If one wants to purchase it, the cost can be thousands of ringgit, which is unaffordable for many,” he said. Mahamad Hafizul, who has memorised all 30 sections of the Quran, is also a huffaz.
Through his work, he hopes to inspire others with disabilities to pursue their ambitions and demonstrate that their contributions can extend far beyond societal expectations. - February 1, 2026
