Sulaymaniyah
- With soft and calm steps, Shadar Jalal (16 years) walks before dawn takes off his dress with the morning light to open the door of the Haj Fattah Mosque in his area in the city of Kifri in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate (Kurdistan Region of Iraq), to raise the call to prayer with his dewy voice on one of the Iraqi shrines.
Bashdar became famous in his area for his dewy voice in raising the call to prayer, since he was 13 years old when he showed signs of the talent of a sweet voice, and he is still a child who has not yet reached a dream.
Bashdar can compose the call to prayer in more than one Iraqi maqam, such as Al-Saba, Rast, and others (Al-Jazeera)
The call to prayer
What distinguishes the young muezzin is that he can recite the call to prayer in more than one Iraqi maqam, such as al-Saba, Rast, and others, and he is now training to recite the call to prayer in Persian maqams as well.
This talent qualified him to get first place in a competition held last Ramadan for all age groups in raising the call to prayer, drawing attention and the call to prayer to his voice.
Bashdar trains daily on Iraqi shrines and listens to well-known muezzins (Al-Jazeera)
Bashdar says - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - that raising the call to prayer in this way is due to a talent from God first, and then to his love and passion for it, but he does not deny that he trains daily for several hours on Iraqi shrines and listening to well-known muezzins, in order to preserve his voice and his performance in composition the call to prayer
In addition to continuous daily training, the caller boy follows some procedures and steps to preserve his voice, including avoiding cold water and foods that contain a high percentage of citrus fruits.
Bashdar aspires to be - one day - a well-known muezzin in Iraq and to participate in international competitions.
In his speech to Al Jazeera Net, he calls on government agencies to support him to develop his talent so that he can participate in and win international competitions.
Bashdar with the imam and preacher of the mosque in which the call to prayer is called (Al-Jazeera)
pride for his family
The boy’s possession of this sweet voice and the wonderful performance in raising the call to prayer made his father, Jalal Amin, known in his city, until it came to being known among the people as the father of “the muezzin boy”, and this is what he describes with pride because he was able to put his son on this right track, away from the road Cafés, smoking and other negative things that are preoccupying young people today.
Amin confirms - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - that his son's possession of this talent made him live one of the most beautiful feelings of his life by seeing his son reach this rank among people.
The talent of this boy made the imam and preacher of the Khanaqah Mosque (in the town of Kifri) Muhammad Ahmad expect him a brilliant future in raising the call to prayer. Because of his young age at the time, the imam insisted on the boy's participation in the competition, and Bashadar was indeed able to impress everyone and get the ninth place in that competition.
Imam Muhammad Ahmed says - to Al-Jazeera Net - that Bashdar's talent needs more follow-up and training by experienced trainers to delve deeper into the shrines, especially since the boy has a unique throat while he is still this age, recalling how he was criticized, when he was asked by Bashdar Despite his young age years ago, the call to prayer was raised in the mosque and for Friday prayers sometimes, but now he is proud of his student, who is expected to reach a higher rank in Arab and international competitions one day.