Dr. Syed Muhammad Hussain Tabatabai is a child genius. He was born in Iran. Both his parents and elder two siblings were also hafiz e Quran and his main tutor was a blind shiekh in Qum.
Tabatabai was taught the Quran through sign language, which was invented by his father. Each different words of the Quran has a different hand sign. Not only can he read the whole Quran by heart, give him a page number, the ayah number and he will read the page the ayahs aswell as for the following pages. Ask him a general question and he answers through Quranic ayahs.
I remember when he came to our centre at the age of 6, the centre was packed to the brim, people were watching through the window, others had to turn back. When the 2hr programme finished, everyone rushed forward to meet him, however, they sent him to the ladies section through the side door, the men rushed out to the ladies gates to wait, while the kid was brought back and got out covered by his dads iranian abayah. :hehe: poor kid!
Anyway, some facts about Tabatabai:
-At the age of 2.5 he began learning the Quran by heart.
-At the age of 5 he became Quran Hafiz.
-In 1997 he was awarded a doctorate degree (Phd) from University of Coventry at the age of 6. (UK) (that was when I first met him)
-He is not only a Quran Hafiz, he is the encyclopedia of the Holy Quran. He can tell precisely the sura, verse and ayat number of any ayat from the Holy Quran.
-He can translate the Holy Quran and explain each ayat in Persian and Arabic.
-He has memorised 80 Hadith of Imams and has full knowledge of Nahjul Balagha.
-He is now studying in Qum, Iran specialising in Mantiq, the books he is now studying are used by Ulemas and Adults and are described to be extremely difficult.
These are parts of an interview with his father;
'Another particular characteristic of Mohammad Hossein is his appropriate use of the holy verses of Qur’an in his routine conversations.
Mohammad Hossein’s father explains: ‘Mohammad Hossein reasons with his peers with Qur’anic verses while at play, although they might not understand!’
"For instance once his younger brother was running after him to beat him. Seyyed Mohammad Hossein ran to me to take refuge, while reciting the verse,
‘We saved him (Moses) from the Pharaoh and the cruel deeds of their group" …’
'… I then asked Mohammad Hossein’s father to refer to other examples of his Qur’anic conversations.
He said, "When he met the former Iranian President Rafsanjani, the president had prepared a prize for him. As soon as he saw the gift he recited the verse,
“And I’ll send them a gift, so watch carefully what their reaction would be upon receiving it”’ which was referring to when Belqays (Queen of Sheba) ruler of the land where the sun was worshipped had been advising her messengers how to behave when delivering her gift to Prophet Solomon!
The president laughed a lot at this and emphasized, “Mohammad Hossein your talent is unique and research must be done regarding the method of your learning.”
'…During one of these sessions Ayatollah Khaz’ali told Seyyed Mohammad Hossein, “I want to give you a garment as a gift on the occasion of Eid ul-Ghadir;” he instantly replied with the Qur’anic verse,
‘The garment of piety; that is the best garment" and he meant’ “if you can, provide a spiritual prize for me, not a material one!”
For the whole article;
http://www.yaahussain.com/int_col1/others/qurankids/tabatbai.htm
They have insitutions in Iran now where hundereds of kids are being taught by the same sign system.
thats amazing