There were 200 mosques, 200 majids and about 300 madrasahs and Quran teaching centers in Cambodia before 1970. All of them were destroyed and 90 percent of the muftis, imams, instructors and religious officials of these institutions were killed during the Pol Pot rule. The consequence of the genocide and massacre attempts of that period is current Cambodian Muslims’ deprivation of religious education and knowledge.
The biggest problem facing Muslims in Cambodia is lack of translations of the Quran and other fundamental Islamic sources in the Khmer language. People are learning Islam from foreign sources and from religious officials teaching by these sources. Dispersion of Muslim population in rural regions has further diminished the impact of religious education.
By publishing fundamental Islamic sources in Khmer language and distributing them to people and students they will be given the opportunity to learn Islamic subjects on their own.
As part of the project the Quran and the following sources will be translated into Khmer and published in copies of 1000 to be distributed to local people and students.
Book of cleanliness and Ablution
Book of Praying
Major Prayers
Book of Fasting
Forty Hadith by Imam Nawawi
Book of Tajwid
Foundations of Islam and Faith
Book of Zakat
Three Basic Principles of Islam
Islamic Peace
Path to Salvation
Life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by Raheeq al-Maktoum
To Understand Islam and Muslims Ahmed Skr
Islam at focus – Abdul Ati
Tawhid by Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen
Towards Understanding Islam by Mawdudi
Project Name: Translation and Publication of Fundamental Islamic Sources in Khmer Language
Project Cost: $30,000
Country: Cambodia