A small Quran converted an Albanian family to Islam, and it became a precious symbol for them for generations.
Mario Broshi always repeats the same ritual, washing his hands and face, kissing three times the small Koran his Albanian family has passed down from generation to generation, then raising it to his forehead..
The Quran, which according to experts is one of the smallest in the world, has survived the ravages of time and war, and today the Bruchi family keeps it in a silver box in their apartment in Tirana..
“We keep it from generation to generation with absolute devotion because he is so dear to us,” said Mario Broschi, 45, a public works technician in the small Balkan nation’s capital.
The Quran with its gold-embroidered velvet cover is two and a half centimeters long, two centimeters wide and one centimeter thick, the text can only be read using a small magnifying glass built into the lid of the box..
In the absence of scientific studies it is difficult to determine the date of this Qur’an, but researcher of Qur’an sciences Elton Karaj believes that the Qur’an is much older with about 900 pages..
“This Quran was printed in a very small size, and it is one of the smallest Qurans in the world,” he notes.
“The date of its publication is from the end of the nineteenth century,” he deduced from its characteristics: “It is fortunate that this famous copy is found in Albania.”
Thin at heart
According to the family’s story, this miniature Koran was a catalyst for the conversion to Islam of Mario Broschi’s ancestors, who were previously Catholic Christians..
Mario, the father of a five-year-old girl, said his great-grandfathers were “digging the foundations of a new house in the Djakovica region of Kosovo when they found the body of a man still preserved in a buried position. There.”
Mario adds, “The Koran was still healthy in the man’s heart,” and the family saw this as a divine sign and decided to convert to Islam..
Miracles
“There are so many stories, blessings and miracles in this little book,” Mario believes, and his wife Ballerina says: “Every time I touch it, I’m touched.”
She believes the Quran brings good luck, “When something bad happens or our daughter gets sick, we feel at ease and we know the Quran will protect us.”
The family received several offers to buy its Quran, some of which came from museums.
“I never intended to sell it,” says Mario. This Quran is for our family and it will always be with us.
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