RIYADH, 16 December 2006 - An electronic encyclopedia for the Holy Qur'an, including the art of recitation in different styles, was launched in Dubai at a high-profile function.

The encyclopedia (Iqra), described as the first of its kind, has been designed for people with special needs and others, who can listen to the recitation in 40 different languages through a touch-sensitive device.

Spelling out the details of their latest product, Emad Al-Deghaither, president, Othmany Calligraphy House, said it was a joint venture between his company and Intel Corp's special projects division.

A unique feature of Iqra, he pointed out, was that it does not require any knowledge of computer operation.

"It's a user-friendly device that can be operated by anyone, including a handicapped person, through electronic sensors for activating the device," he said. "Once he goes into the operational mode, the user can issue oral commands to the computer, which has a voice-recognition system in 40 languages."

Another advantage, according to Al-Deghaither, is that the user can access the Internet and exchange files with others in a hassle-free manner.

Light and portable, the device comes in the form of the Qur'an. Above all, it contains different types of recitation of the Qur'an with explanation, translation, the scheme of pronunciation, and textbook with commentary related to the Qur'an to enable a person to understand it in its true perspective.

Speaking on behalf of Intel Corp, Chairman Craig Barrett expressed his admiration for Al-Deghaither's initiative, which he said would cater to the needs of the handicapped people and others in the Islamic world. "Equipping the device with state-of-the-art technology makes it easy to use for a person, who can retrieve the text, picture and video files stores inside the system and transfer the file anywhere."

In his concluding remarks, Al-Deghaither said the launch of the project "was a dream come true. I worked on it for more than five years. It will help 1.5 billion Muslims around the world in learning the art of recitation of the Holy Qur'an in their own language, retrieving any Qur'anic verse, understanding the historical background to the verse, and exchanging information over the Internet

By Javid Hassan & Ali Al-Zahrani

© Arab News 2006